Business

There Is More News Than COVID-19

Time for a reality check.

The GUARDIAN like most everyone else has hunkered down during the house arrest phase of the virus event.

We have to admit to a certain degree of “feeling down,” but short of any serious depression. Today we were able to realize it isn’t just the COVID show, but the cover it offers.

The right wingers see the well intended efforts of the Guv and health experts as attempts to deprive citizens of their rights. The liberal lefties see the right wingers as irresponsible idiots causing the deaths of their elderly relatives.

(We are inundated daily with web links to news from Israel, Sweden, and assorted universities with studies reenforcing various opinions about COVID-19)

The legacy media sits in their “office/bedroom” doing interviews via iPhone, repeating the same feel good stories.

MEANWHILE!

–Boise’s Park Dept. plans to spend $280,000 to replace the wooden deck of the old 8th St. Bridge (bikes and pedestrians only) with concrete to eliminate the rumble noise.

–Mayor Mclean has hired Maria Weeg from Hilltop Communications to become the new PR lead in the “office of community engagement.” Weeg had been former Mayor Dave Bieter’s former campaign manager.

–Lt. Guv Janice McGeachin has become such a supporter of the uberright that Guv Brad Little is afraid to leave the state, fearful of what she may do in his absence. She is more of a loose cannon than anything in the Idaho National Guard inventory.

–People still manage to kill each other in car crashes, despite a welcome thinning of traffic density.

These times will never make sense (hopefully) to future generations. Toilet paper is like gold, TRILLIONS of dollars have suddenly been manufactured and given away, unemployment is the at the highest level in recorded history, and the stock market seems to be recovering.

This should offer up some topics of discussion and by way of explanation, your GUARDIAN is 74, tired, and lacks motivation to much more than shake his head in frustration.

Comments & Discussion

Comments are closed for this post.

  1. The 8th Street bridge upgrade is long overdue. This will make this bridge accessible to all. The wooden planks are well weathered and create a very uneven surface. This makes it difficult for anyone using a wheelchair, walker or cane (vision impairment).

  2. I’m really dismayed by how tone deaf the City is.I had hoped for at least some change.

    $280,000 could keep 280 people in a $1000/month apartment/hotel/somewhere right now – with a roof over their heads and not sleeping in the Parks. Or be used for so many other things including potentially employing out of work regular folks to do other types of work with these funds. Or not raising taxes as much. The elite City rulers seem to have no clue how hard things are right now for so many folks who face Boise’ inflated rental rates and sky high price housing market.

    The Parks and Rec. Dept. once again has shown it doesn’t care a whit about letting the public have a voice. In response to e-mails of concern about this, I was told by Jennifer Tomlinson: “As this is a Parks Major Repair and Maintenance project that has been planned for since 2018, staff performed due diligence on the history and condition of the bridge but did not go through a public process …”. Basically, the public can go to hell. Too bad if you care about the cost, or replacing the wood on a bridge originally built for a trolley car in 1911 with concrete, or potential solutions to coat the existing wood— we’ll do whatever we want and you have no say in it.

  3. Bonnie Krupp
    May 8, 2020, 12:04 pm

    Wow, you have lost it.

    Brad Little has shown that he listens and follows directions from his donors and bureaucrats. He is a man removed from the notion of losing his house, finding food, not paying his credit card bill.

    Don’t paint Janice McGeachin as “uberright” connoting unpleasant german garbage. Brad has stupidly and it goes with the brain cells sidelined her and failed to appoint her to the reopen Idaho commission. Who is worse then a man that demeans women? At least Janice has a degree in finance and not agriculture science.

    I am glad that you stayed home and didn’t have to worry about anything, but many people are very distressed and out of work.

  4. Well, Bonnie, I don’t know about worse but just as disappointing is those who, through words and actions, demean themselves and then decry criticism as an attack on their “protected class”. Do I read this to mean you assign superiority to a “banker education” over “farm boy learnin'”?

  5. Concerned Neighbor
    May 8, 2020, 8:42 pm

    There’s always real news but it takes a lot of work to cut through the fear of the pandemic. Maybe some reviews of where to go and what to do outdoors where people have yet to overrun.

    All my calculations show that Gov Little is moving twice to fast. We won’t see results of Phase 1 until we’re halfway through Phase 3. There is a 3-6 week delay due to the rate of infection and deaths. The 2k/day USA terminal rate will most certainly exceed 3k/day in June and reach 4k-10k/day in July.

    That being said… there’s a very good research paper measuring “deaths of despair”. Those increased deaths are roughly the same number as viral deaths. Though I detest the “open society up or give us death!” movement due to their lack of critical thinking… there is evidence to support that direction. Not to mention economics.

  6. Night Trader
    May 9, 2020, 9:03 am

    Sorry for your dismay Katie. I too am dismayed that we feel the need to put a roof over the homeless. I’m a firm believer in the old clause about you provide it, they will come.

  7. Chickenhawk
    May 9, 2020, 11:06 am

    I bet that as we speak, Dave Bieter is preparing an online meme that is asking the electorate if we miss him yet.

    So much for that pledge to “McLean” up the mess and drain the swamp.

  8. I’ll say this about local politicos and their ilk. It doesn’t take long to show where their true colors and loyalties lie.

    The mayor of Nampa, for example, took less than 90-days to prove she lies with the developers and not have the interests of the citizens in mind like she claimed.

    To quote the Who song “Won’t get fooled again.” Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Of course the parks dept. will argue the spending was approved two years ago and they are now just getting around to the actual project.

    Unethical Is, as Unethical Does. Honesty may be the best policy, but it’s important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy. It is also the policy of the Mediocre minded.

    To the Editor: Thank you David Frazier for the work you are doing.

  9. western guy
    May 9, 2020, 10:06 pm

    Katie Fite often had good thoughts, but she needs to take a deep breath.

    Govt’s have capital investments that must be made to keep the city/county/state functioning.

    Ease up… the F-35’s aren’t coming.

  10. western guy
    May 9, 2020, 10:08 pm

    Who is this ‘Dave Bieter’ you speaketh of?

  11. How much extra do they have?
    May 11, 2020, 7:32 am

    Considering how much everything is at idle from covid, the expenses of local schools and governments should be substantially less. Any chance we can ALL get a property tax refund? It is after all being based of high values and the roaring economy of last year.

    Hey local leaders, Republicans and Democrats both, you all never saw a tax you didn’t like. Especially if you can call it a fee. Now more than ever is the time to lead with aggressive relief to the people paying all your bills.

    And if TRUMP wants tho help us even more he should allow the tax credits for rent, credit card interest, and multiple government fees to be reinstated.

  12. The Lt Gov contradicts the Governor:
    https://www.idahopress.com/coronavirus/lt-gov-mcgeachin-criticizes-governor-over-stay-home-order/article_67e133d4-1bb3-59fd-af65-0d3e2e004acb.html

    A fan of the radical 3percenters, including her Facebook posting and including them as her security detail for the election debates, she shows bad judgment.

    remember she and her husband own an restuarant in I.F. No doubt that is the driving force for her opinion on lifting the stay-at-home law.

  13. So, 60+ deaths into this:
    How many deaths are acceptable for everyone promoting the “get back into business” model?

    Bonnie?
    How about 5,000 Idahoans dead in order to have all the businesses running, paying taxes, and overfilling the medical system? Is that an acceptable toll?
    500? 1,000?

    If we go over that “acceptable loss number” then what?

    Where’s the beef?

  14. 'bout all you can do
    May 11, 2020, 3:34 pm

    Is take care of yourself and family. I will stay home, wear a mask if I have to go out, and miss the church and the funerals and the concerts, especially the movies, because I don’t hope to choke and die from coivid19.

    A person can do for a short time what they would not want to do forever.

    I am very sorry to see the jobs lost and the entrepreneurs who are getting whacked. Hopefully they have corps. and have held onto their own homes, etc.

    But they will say there are way, way too many retail outlets in the USA compared to other countries, so it is not all the fault of covid19.

    Restaurants are the riskiest business a person can try.

    I think going forward PPE for all is really key. Don’t fence me in in my mind means don’t breathe on me.

  15. I’ll give you beef, Easterner. That is an unfair question. What is your acceptable threshold of suffering and death by throttling the economy to zero for who knows how long? Answers to both are just conjecture and manipulatable statistics. Just meaningless talking points to shame and silence the opposing view.

  16. “Evaluating the acceptable loss is a professional, financial, ethical, legal, social, cultural and historical dilemma. And yet, it is essential to identifying the appropriate crisis management strategy, and more importantly- the conditions to end it.”

    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340443425_Saving_Lives_vs_Saving_Dollars_-The_Acceptable_Loss_For_COVID-19

    Smart people actually do that intrinsic calculation— Not like the church lady getting arrested, not Wayne at IFF, and not the hillbillies crying at the Capital steps.
    Reasonable people. Real people, like Governors, responsible for those outcomes have to make that decision.

    Actually, it’s been going on for over 200 years.
    All within ‘acceptable deaths’:
    Poor health care.
    Military wars.
    Poverty.
    Gun control.
    Drugs.
    Domestic violence.
    Police abuse of power.
    etc.
    How many is okay vs the cost of prevention?

    And @the White House- I can think of 2 justifiable and acceptable losses. The irony would be a miracle–let us pray for the right thing to happen.

  17. Easterner: For you to declare who engages in calculation is not beef, it’s baloney. For you to insult as dumb just because you disagree with their conclusion is simply arrogant. You obviously have no compassion for those driven to addiction and suicide. You have no regard for the hunger of children whose parents have lost a job. Evictions and foreclosures are not your concern. All this so you and your ilk can receive maximum protection. Your selfish disregard for the benefit of the citizenry is as disgusting as the other extremes you cite.

  18. Rarely but occasionally I agree with Eastee, and to some extent I do agree with him now. However, the contempt Eastee holds for the hillbillies is unacceptable and is a microcosm of this overall problem. Hillbillies pay taxes too. Eastee, there’s a good chance a hillbilly will be the hospital worker doing CPR on you if/when you need it one day. The lines are much more blurred than you seem to think.

    American was deeply divided before this event by our politics and media. Sadly, and terrifyingly, that division has been intentionally created and aggressively expanded by the same people we are now wanting to lead us clear of the minefield.

    PS: Any bets on how many cruise ships are allowed to sink ‘by accident’ for the insurance money.

  19. 'bout all you can do
    May 12, 2020, 7:54 pm

    Eastie does not see beyond the drink in front of his face, beyond the wart on his nose, beyond his covid 19 breath.

    This is a public health crisis, epidemic, pandemic, not a choice for anyone.

    The country does not have the tools to deal with it. Please comply and keep your stinky asses home.

  20. Sorry, Rare Event, I find nothing agreeable about someone who invites prayer for the discomfort and death of our duly elected leaders. I assume he has thrown in the towel on honest political debate. He must be out of ammo if he enjoins the Almighty to smite his nemesis for relief of his ennui. The statement borders on demented and threateningly treasonous. At a minimum “crackpot”. I must view all his opinions with skepticism. Little, if anything, to agree with.

  21. okay, I’ll take a stab at it. Acceptable cost/benefit.

    the US tobacco industry is about a $100Billion market
    Smoking causes about 480,000 deaths in the US EVERY year. And we as a society are PERFECTLY fine with accepting that PREVENTABLE loss. The majority of Idahoans would certainly be fine with this loss (dead smokers) in exchange for an individual’s FREEDOM of smoking if you want to (or the freedom to spread covid)–ignoring the 10% of related deaths due to innocent second-hand smoke, of course. :/

    The value to the US economy to maintain a tobacco industry /the # of deaths = each life must be worth less than $208,000 to the US economy.
    So economy vs a life- $208,000.
    It’s just math.

    if we unleash the Idaho economy and let people gather as they please right now- I GUESS we will lose 2,000 – 4,000 more Idahoans, to the virus, in the next year that would not otherwise die. This is Mike Pence’s “A-hole Model” of doing things like going into the Mayo Clinic withOUT ppe.

    Anyway, we as a society are obviously okay with Idahoans dying EVERY YEAR at the rate of 900 smoker deaths; 400 diabetes related deaths; and 3,000+ deaths related to heart disease—EVERY YEAR–deaths mostly preventable with a new pair of sneakers for everyone. Yet, Idaho does NOTHING collectively to prevent these deaths.

    So we’ll be okay with an additional 2,000 deaths, right?
    Ergo, 2,000 deaths x $208,000 = $416,000,000 value. Reasonable?

    Idaho’s GDP is about 70 billion.
    An estimates is Covid closures are costing about 5% per month. So 300 million per month? What if it’s 3 billion for the whole year?

    What if the death rate go crazy because YOUR medical facility is not able to help all the sick? Our current 70 deaths is WHILE resources are available. Not enough respirators all at once- maybe 10 times increase in deaths. Still worth it?

    Or, be slow about it and reserve the possibility of shutting things down again if the # get beyond “an acceptable loss” ?

    cost/benefit. It’s just math.
    What are the alternatives?
    We still do not have an organized testing/monitoring system!!!

    I support the Governor’s AND Mayor McClean’s effort in their considerate and safe measures to deal with this crisis. Slow and steady. Crush the curve. Not hog-wild with m5s on the Capital steps.

    *
    Raul Labrador (along with most of the Teabaggers)says, “Open it up”.
    But he doesn’t offer what is the acceptable alternative.
    “The decision to reopen Idaho must be based on a complete analysis of the costs to our society” he wrote.

    Great! What’s YOUR analysis Raul, and others promoting the idea?

    EDITOR NOTE–Enough said. We will come up with another topic.

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