TOPIC: publicpolicy
Issue 107
June 13, 2021
New York's Next Mayor

On November 2, 2021 New Yorkers will head to the polls to elect a new mayor. That exercise will be a formality; the winner will already have been determined. Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York City (except in the borough of Staten Island); hence, whoever wins the Democratic Primary on June 22nd is certain to become the next mayor of the Big Apple.

Bill DeBlasio

The mayor-elect will be tasked with a litany of gargantuan challenges, thanks in no small part to New York’s sitting mayor, Bill DeBlasio. Mr. DeBlasio will be remembered as one of the worst mayors in New York’s history. He inherited a city on the ascent, presided over its decline, and has refused to accept any responsibility for it. Furthermore, DeBlasio has made a mockery of his daily press briefings by offering the same generic responses to questions regarding NYC’s acute increase in violent crime, stating it is “not acceptable” or “will not be tolerated.” Still, he never offers any substantive solutions to what is “not acceptable” and “will not be tolerated.” To be fair, some of the issues affecting NYC are not unique. They are a microcosm affecting many large metropolises in America. That said, DeBlasio’s abysmal management has compounded New York’s current ills.

Ranked Choice

At TQC, we believe the candidate best suited to reinvigorate NY is Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. Before we delve into specifics, it is worth explaining some pertinent changes that will affect this year’s mayoral primary.

For the first time, a process called “ranked-choice” will be used to determine the winner. In a “ranked-choice” election, instead of casting a vote for one candidate, voters pick several candidates – in this case up to five – in order of preference (voters can still choose only one candidate if they wish). If any single candidate receives over 50% of 1st preference votes, the election is over, and they win. If no candidate receives over 50% of 1st preference votes, the candidate who finishes last is eliminated. Any votes for the eliminated candidate are then redistributed and the votes re-tabulated. This will continue – round after round - until there are two candidates left.

An interesting quirk about “ranked-choice” is that a candidate can win a plurality of votes in the 1st and subsequent rounds but end up losing the election. An interesting stipulation about New York’s “ranked-choice” system is that if any candidate receives a majority of 1st place votes in any round after the 1st round, they do not win. Instead, the process continues until two candidates are remaining, of which the one with the most 1st place votes will be declared victorious.

Critics of “ranked-choice” argue the system is opaque and confusing to voters. In fact, two lawsuits were filed to stop the city from utilizing a “ranked-choice” primary. Both were defeated.

Eric Adams

Eric Adams was born in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn in 1960. He graduated Bay Side high school in 1978. Adams earned an associate degree from the New York College of Technology, a BA from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Masters of Public Health (MPA) from Marist College.

Mr. Adams worked for the New York City Transit Police and then for over 20 years at the NYPD, rising to, and retiring at, the rank of Captain. In addition to serving as Brooklyn Borough president, his political credentials include serving as a state senator from 2006 to 2013.

Current Concerns

According to multiple polls, crime and public safety are the top concern of New Yorkers. And for good reason. Homicides were up 43% from 2019 to 2020; shootings were up 97%. This year, murders are on pace to rise a further 20% compared to 2020’s grim statistics. Indeed, New York has seen a surge in violent crime that has degraded the quality of life and left New Yorkers on edge. Though crimes have risen in virtually all areas of NYC, a disproportionate number are occurring in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. Of course, all New Yorkers have a right to a basic level of law and order irrespective of the community in which they reside. Eric Adams is the right man to make New York safe again.

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Issue 123
January 23, 2022
Medicine Politics & Messaging

Throughout history, the miracle of medicine has been politicized.

In the mid-1800s, a Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis plied his trade in a Vienna hospital. Dr. Semmelweis was baffled why a disproportionate number of mothers were dying of puerperal fever in one particular maternity ward. (Puerperal fever, or childbed fever, is a bacterial infection of the female reproductive tract.) Semmelweis observed that ~15% of all new mothers became sick and later died vs. only 1-2% of mothers in the hospital’s other maternity ward.

Determined to find out why Dr. Semmelweis worked feverishly (excuse the pun) and took copious notes on a vast number of potential factors between the two maternity wards. All his findings were unremarkable. In fact, after exhaustive research, the only difference Dr. Semmelweis noted was that doctors staffed the maternity ward with the abnormally high mortality rate; the other maternity ward was staffed by midwives.

Doctor Semmelweis excluded all potential determinants aside from who was delivering babies. Eventually, he unearthed what he believed was the cause of the disparity. In addition to delivering babies, physicians on the maternity ward were also dissecting cadavers with their bare hands. On numerous occasions, a doctor would dissect a cadaver and then later deliver a baby. By doing so, the doctor would unknowingly expose the mother to infectious bacteria. Conversely, midwives’ only duty on their ward was to deliver babies; bacteria were not introduced from cadaver to hands and thus onto the mother.

To prove his hypothesis, Dr. Semmelweis instructed all doctors and midwives to wash their hands with chlorinated lime before entering a delivery room. (In the 1850s, handwashing was an afterthought to both the medical community and the general populace. The consensus at the time was that germs spread via malicious odors in the air.) Semmelweis took special care to implore and ensure all doctors who had recently touched a dead body to wash their hands.

Astonishingly, as Dr. Semmelweis expected the mortality rate on the maternity ward staffed by physicians quickly converged to that on the ward staffed by midwives. Indeed, a simple hygienic step that almost everyone now takes for granted – handwashing - saved thousands of mothers and millions of lives thereafter.

Politicization & Ostracization

Dr. Semmelweis’ reward for applying rigorous science to answer one of the most head-scratching questions of his time? Ridicule. Colleagues called him crazy. How dare he claim that fellow physicians were the ones responsible for the deaths of so many women? Was he in cahoots with the makers of the chlorinated lime solution to earn outsized profits (might that sound similar to modern-day conspiracy theories regarding the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture COVID vaccines and tests?).

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Issue 134
June 26, 2022
Saturday Morning at Duane Reade

Recently on a Saturday morning, I walked into my local Duane Reade in Manhattan to pick up a prescription. The pharmacy opened at 9 am; I had ~10 minutes to burn. I sat in a folding chair a few feet from the pharmacy counter and casually perused my phone for news headlines. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man casually placing an array of goods into a plastic garbage bag; oblivious to the prying eyes of the Duane Reade employee looking scornfully at him.

I looked up. There were still a few minutes until the pharmacy opened so I decided to strike up a conversation with the Duane Reade worker. She told me this man was a “regular.” “A regular,” I asked? “Yes”, she said, and went on to detail his routine: He casually walks into the store, fills a bag full of items to his liking (or with the highest resale value) that have a cumulative dollar value of just < $1,000, to ensure his crime is only a misdemeanor, and walks out. (In NY State, 4th degree grand larceny is defined as theft over $1,000 and below $3,000.)

No Consequences

The Duane Reade employee was pleasant and eager to converse. As such, we continued our conversation for a while longer. While shaking her head in disbelief she said, “if I took a can of Pringles without paying for it, I’d get fired. This guy walks into the store, steals $999 dollars’ worth of stuff, doesn’t even hide the fact that he’s stealing in broad daylight, and without a second thought walks out of the store with a bag full of stolen merchandise.”

I then shook my head in disbelief and asked if employees ever tried stopping him. “We are not allowed” she sighed. Then I asked if they even bother calling the police. She told me they do, but he’s usually gone before they arrive. “Occasionally they arrest him, but he is back on the streets in < 24 hours.”

Unfortunately, incidents like these are now commonplace in New York City. Indeed, we have reached an inflection point where repeat offenders for shoplifting and other petty crimes face so few consequences, that it has emboldened them to commit even more crimes.

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Issue 137
August 21, 2022
The Case For Nuclear Energy

At TQC we unequivocally agree with most credible scientists who believe global warming is “real.” Furthermore, the dangerous amounts of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere contribute to a slow-moving ecological disaster, evidenced by highly abnormal weather patterns that have resulted in flooding of historically dry areas, droughts in wetlands, record heat, intense storms, and rising seas.

To forestall a lasting and irreversible (at least with today’s technology) destruction of the earth's ecosystem that will devastate societies and disproportionately hurt those least culpable for the crisis, *industrialized nations must set an example by swiftly transitioning to carbon-free sources of energy. That much is a foregone conclusion. How we get there, is not.

*(It is absurd and grossly hypocritical for Western nations, who are primarily responsible for ruining the environment, to browbeat impoverished countries, who had little to do with the current environmental calamity, to use cleaner and more expensive forms of energy. Sure, fresher air would be nice. But potable water and protein are more urgent.)

In the United States, installations of solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy are increasing exponentially year over year. And renewables continue to take market share from coal, oil, & gas. Those are good things. But currently, there is dearth of renewable power generation to compensate for the loss of more than a small percentage of fossil fuel power - as evidenced by your massive increase in energy bills - and will not be for the foreseeable future.

The good news is that a safe and carbon free source of energy already exists in the form of nuclear power. The upfront outlays to build a nuclear power plant are enormous; multiple times the cost of constructing a coal or gas fired plant or to install a renewables facility. But the life of a nuclear plant is long – up to 75 years - and nuclear power is very safe, efficient, and does not emit any greenhouse gasses.

Some Western nations such as France, Finland, and Great Britain have embraced nuclear energy. Germany has recently pivoted from a staunchly anti-nuke position to a cautiously welcoming policy stance. America's commitment to nuclear has been equivocal at best. In our view, this is a mistake.

US Energy Mix

Approximately 61% of America’s electricity generation is derived from fossil fuels including coal (~22%), natural gas (38%) and oil (1%). Renewables (wind ~9%, hydro ~6%, solar ~3%, other ~2%) contribute ~20%. Nuclear is currently ~19% of the mix.

Regarding carbon free energy, there are currently two ways to generate it without *intermittency: with nuclear and hydro power. It is difficult to obtain a permit to build a nuclear reactor. It is almost impossible to get a permit to construct a dam, let alone find a suitable location for one.

(*We do not know when the wind will blow or when the sun will shine. Insufficient wind equates to less output per wind turbine. A cloudy day equates to less generation per solar farm. Storage is available on a subscale basis. But the technology to store large amounts of power derived from solar and wind is not yet commercially viable.)

Currently, nuclear power plants generate ~half of America’s emissions-free energy. However, lack of attention, misplaced public and political opposition, and horrific long-term planning have gutted the industry and left it in secular decline.

The U.S. has 92 nuclear power plants in operation and still produces ~30% of the world’s nuclear energy. However, over the last decade, 13 plants have been shuttered prematurely due to a fundamental lack of understanding of energy economics and interplay between fossil fuels, renewables, and the environment. By contrast, only one new plant has connected to the grid and two more, at plant Vogtle in Georgia, are under construction.

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Issue 15
February 17, 2019
Senior Syphilis

If the title of this article is meant to shock or be misconstrued, it is neither. This week’s topic of discussion is not about American youth and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), rather we will delve into an unheeded demographic where STDs are becoming evermore prevalent: the elderly. Unfortunately, senior citizens in our society are too often overlooked and sometimes outright ignored. Nowhere might this be more apparent than in the lack of focus, education and care for the aged who are becoming infected with STDs at an alarming rate. This must change.

While older people tend to be mindful of their blood sugar, blood pressure, cardiac care and more; many are startlingly ignorant of the epidemic that’s taken hold of their communities. STDs? Why would those even apply to them if they are not of child rearing or producing age? One reason is the lack of basic education and effective communication by health care providers. Another impetus is societal neglect. Simply put, older people are marginalized when it comes to many relevant public service health campaigns. As a result, they do not consider themselves a high-risk group for STDs. This false sense of immunity coupled with the fact that older people tend to have more compromised immune systems, increases the probability that the elderly will acquire a sexually communicated disease.

Needn't we forget that many senior citizens are products of the Baby Boomer Generation. They came of age during the sexual revolution. Their attitudes towards sex combined with the use of drugs like Viagra & Cialis have made an the active sex life well into retirement all but commonplace.

In late 2018, the US News & World Report published an article that encompassed some sobering statistics: "A recent analysis of patients on Athenahealth's network found that patients over age 60 account for the biggest increase of in-office treatments for sexually transmitted infections. The report found that in adults over age 60, diagnosis rates for herpes simplex, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis B, trichomoniasis and chlamydia rose 23 percent between 2014 and 2017.” In 2014, Psychology Today published a piece with the following lead in sentence: “According to the Center for Disease Control, among our senior citizen population sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spreading like wildfire. Since 2007, incidence of syphilis among seniors is up by 52 percent, with chlamydia up 32 percent." The examples above were published in the mainstream press. And while there has been much written on this particular phenomenon, the stories tend to be buried in the back pages of a newspaper or relegated to the preserve of medical journals.

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Issue 60
February 2, 2020
The Wuhan Coronavirus

The 2019-nCoV, known as the Wuhan Virus is a coronavirus, one of a group of viruses that originate in animals. Coronaviruses are not typically passed from animals to humans but occasionally the virus mutates and humans can become susceptible. An infected human can communicate the virus to other people.

There are seven (known) human coronaviruses. Four strains: HCoV-229E, -eL63, -OC43, and -HKU1 are always percolating among us. These typically cause common colds. Sometimes, a more severe coronavirus can cause pneumonia and on rare instances, can prove deadly.

The Wuhan coronavirus is the third known strain of human coronavirus that can cause acute symptoms. The other two are SARS-Cov better known as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS-Cov better known as MERS, (Middle East respiratory syndrome, or camel flu).

SARS:

The SARS virus originated in Yunnan province, in Southern China. The initial outbreak occurred in late 2002 / early 2003. Most likely, SARS was initially communicated from a bat to a wild animal, possibly a civet. The virus then mutated and humans became vulnerable. Although Chinese authorities at first covered up the SARS outbreak, which of course contributed it to spreading, in total only ~8,000 people became infected. The vast majority of cases were contained to China and Hong Kong. Of those, ~10% succumbed to the disease. There were 27 reported SARS cases in the United States; nobody perished.

MERS:

Bats are believed to be carriers of the MERS virus but camels are suspected as being the agent that passes this particular coronavirus on to humans. While MERS is rare - only ~2,000 people worldwide are known to have contracted it - it is particularly lethal. ~40% of people who acquire it, die. Most MERS cases have been concentrated in Saudi Arabia and South Korea. There have been two reported cases of MERS in the US, both patients survived.

The Wuhan Coronavirus:

The Wuhan coronavirus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, in Hubei province, located between Chengdu to the west and Shanghai to the east. Specifically, the virus has been traced to a (since closed) wild animal market in Wuhan. Most likely, an infected civet hosting the disease passed it on to a human who in turn infected other unsuspecting peoples. Thus far, the vast majority of Wuhan virus patients are concentrated in mainland China.

The timing of the Wuhan outbreak is particularly suboptimal, the dangers magnified by the lunar New Year, a time period in which many rural migrants travel on the nation's network of bullet trains and buses to reunite with family; each passenger a potential host of, and agent to pass on, the Wuhan virus.

The Wuhan coronavirus is contagious when an infected person is symptomatic. Many new patients are healthcare workers who treated the initial batch of infected people without donning proper protective gear. Asymptomatic transmission (people who are infected but do not have noticeable symptoms) might be possible during the incubation period (~2 weeks). Travelers deemed high risk are being quarantined to help mitigate that threat. What is not yet clear is if Wuhan is transmitted via casual contact or from close or more intimate interaction. Furthermore, “Both SARS and MERS had ‘superspreaders’-patients with unusually high viral loads, who are exceptionally infectious. In South Korea in 2015 a patient with MERS infected 81 people during a 58-hour stay at a hospital emergency room.” It is unknown if any Wuhan patients share similar properties.

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Issue 61
February 9, 2020
Dear Congresswoman Plaskett

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) consist of four major islands: Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, Saint John and Water Island, and ~50 minor islands, rock formations and coral reefs. The vast majority of USVI inhabitants reside in Saint Thomas (pop. 52,000) & Saint Croix (pop. 51,000). Approximately 5,000 people live on Saint John and ~200 on Water Island.

The USVI is an “at-large congressional district.” This means it is not entitled to designate a voting member of Congress, but can elect a delegate to participate in debates, sit on committees and advocate for the Virgin Islands. The current Congresswoman representing the USVI is Stacey Plaskett (D).

Dear Congresswoman Plaskett,

I was born in Saint Thomas and lived on the island for a few years. This past weekend, I came back to visit and spend time with one of the most wonderful women I know, a second mother to me. Her name is Marion. She 77 years old; age is beginning to catch up with her.

While chatting in her living area, I asked why she did not have her air conditioner running. She replied that she could not turn it on. I inquired if it was broken; it was not. Congresswoman Plaskett, Marion can no longer use her air conditioner because her utility bill has tripled since Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority (WAPA) restored "service" (or lack thereof) following the hurricanes that ravaged the USVI.

Ms. Plaskett, Marion is fortunate. While far from rich, despite a ~3-fold increase in her utility bill, she can still afford basic necessities, but many of your constituents can not. They are allocating such a high proportion of their income to rapidly increasing energy bills that some are being forced to go without basic goods.

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Issue 70
May 10, 2020
Murder Hornet

Despite a week of sensationalized reporting, the U.S. is not facing an imminent invasion by the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), but equally we cannot be complacent about the potential destruction the recently dubbed “murder hornet” could inflict. Put simply, while the murder hornet poses little direct threat to human beings, if left unchecked, the insect could hinder our food supply chains. There is still time to trace, track, contain, and eliminate this pest. The onus is on us to do so.

Clearing Customs

Native to Japan, China, Southern Russia and South East Asia, the Asian giant hornet was first identified in the Western Hemisphere in Vancouver Island, Canada in September 2019. The first sighting in the United States was recorded in December 2019, just over the border in Blane, Washington. How the insect arrived in North America is unclear; most theories point to it hitching a ride in a shipping container, or possibly, on a person.

Murder Hornet

The murder hornet is an imposing insect. On average, “workers” are almost 2 inches long, sport a ~3-inch wingspan, and a ¼ inch long stinger (insert joke here) capable of injecting a powerful venom. “Queens” are even larger and can grow to over 2 inches in length.

Contrary to published rumors and hysteria online, unless provoked, the Asian giant hornet usually leaves humans alone. In a typical year, under 100 people succumb to hornet stings. Of those, most occur in Japan where the giant hornet is consumed as a delicacy, usually in rural parts of the country. The few Homo sapiens who have been stung compare it to a warm nail or knife being driven into the affected area – extremely painful – but not fatal. Indeed, the “murder” hornet can only commit such an atrocity by committee, in a swarm.

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Issue 72
May 31, 2020
Protecting Our Seniors

As of this writing, the coronavirus has officially infected ~1.8 million Americans and claimed the lives of over 104,000. Though COVID-19 has touched every demographic in all 50 states, the virus has not preyed upon its victims uniformly. Americans over 65 years old have borne a disproportionate brunt of the coronavirus’ wrath.

Senior citizens represent ~15% of the nation’s population, but account for ~80% of all COVID-19 related deaths. Broken down by sub-sector, the mortality rate for patients in their 60’s is ~4%, doubles to ~8% for those between 70 and 79 and is most pronounced for octogenarians, where ~13% of those (officially) infected succumb to the disease.

During these treacherous times, we owe it to our seniors to take reasonable precautions to protect them. Below are 8 common sense ideas to help keep our most vulnerable citizens safer until the coronavirus pandemic abates. These proposals are certainly not a panacea, but they could make a difference at the margins, particularly as communities across America re-open for business and leisure.

1) Low(er) risk Americans should respect social distancing rules, wash hands frequently, and always wear a mask in public. At times, these temporary requirements can be frustrating and a bit of a nuisance. However, these sensible directives are not in place to infringe upon anyone's individual rights; they curb the spread of COVID-19 and help keep older Americans and other high(er) risk people healthy. (Unfortunately, some individuals are not adhering to the advice of medical experts. Their careless actions: partying on the beach, congregating in large groups, not wearing masks in public etc., is dangerous, selfish and leaves everybody – especially older Americans and those with pre-existing conditions - at heightened risk).

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Issue 80
August 16, 2020
Homeless On The Upper West Side

At the Quintessential Centrist, we typically do not post about hyper-local issues. Occasionally, however, a subject arises that is both important and a microcosm of a larger problem. Currently, many cities throughout our nation are dealing with increasing levels of homelessness amid the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, the complexities of managing the homeless population during a public health crisis are enormous; the added stresses on local governments and affected neighborhoods, particularly acute. Manhattan’s Upper West Side (UWS) is indicative of what many communities in cities across America are suddenly grappling with.

To mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) relocated thousands of homeless people from crowded shelters into hotels and other dwellings located throughout the city. In Manhattan’s UWS, a pleasant, family orientated neighborhood, approximately 600 hundred homeless men were placed in three hotels: The Lucerne, The Bellnord & The Belleclaire. Many of the vagrants are drug addicts. Some are mentally ill and, at times, violent, especially when intoxicated. A few of the men are registered sex offenders. In fact, ~a dozen sex offenders are staying in The Belleclaire, a block from the local public school.

Since these men arrived, the following are a list of violations witnessed by concerned citizens residing nearby:

• Public lewdness

• Public urination

• Public intoxication

• Shooting drugs and discarding hypodermic needles on the street

• Aggressive panhandling

• Disturbing the peace

• Disorderly conduct

• Sexual harassment

• Theft

• Robbery

NIMBY VS YIMBY

The result: what was once a “tolerant” neighborhood that resolved most differences amicably has become a tinderbox of anger, anxiety, and accusations. While the current situation might appear simple - one group does not want homeless people in their neighborhood, another group thinks homeless people have the right to shelter in the UWS - the reality is more complex.

To help frame the happenings and sentiment on the UWS, we have broken down its residents into separate buckets:

Bucket 1: The “not in my back yard” (NIMBY) folk. Residents in this bucket do not want homeless men in their neighborhood, period. In their view, the UWS is an expensive, family orientated enclave. Apartments are costly to purchase, rents are high, and the tax burden significant. In exchange for these outlays, these people expect a high quality of life, clean and safe streets, quality public schools and the right to live without crowds of homeless people. Anybody who argues otherwise is delusional and does not truly have an equity stake in their community. In short, “not in my back yard.”

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Issue 79
August 9, 2020
Masks

The United States leads the world in number of COVID-19 cases (~5.2 million, or 25% of the global total), fatalities (165,000, or 22% of the global total) and (to be fair), number of tests administered (~65 million). While many of the properties of COVID-19 and its long-term effect(s) remain a mystery, what’s clear is that a facemask can help curtail the spread of the coronavirus, a prevalent, highly infectious and deadly disease with an average fatality rate ~7x higher than the flu, and over 40x higher for senior citizens or people with certain comorbidities.

At The Quintessential Centrist, we believe all Americans should be temporarily required by law to wear facemasks outdoors where social distancing is not feasible, on mass transit, planes, inside stores, places of worship, and anywhere else in public where the coronavirus can be communicated.

Rules & Regulations

Rules and regulations are appropriate when they provide an asymmetric benefit to a majority of citizens and the (in)convenience factor to comply with those regulations is de minimis. Consider the requirement that a driver’s license is needed to operate a motor vehicle: yes, it can be annoying to trek to the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or renew a license online, but the overwhelming majority of people accept the condition of a license to operate a one ton (or more) piece of machinery, driven on public roads, that could critically injure, or kill somebody.

At TQC, generally we put our faith in the invisible hand – the market - and the “p” word, “price,” to channel scarce resources to where they can be utilized most efficiently and effectively. We believe in a smallish government and that individuals should do as they please so long as they abide by the law and do not impose their will on anybody by means of coercion or fear of reprisal. However, in extraordinary circumstances, we think there is a place for lawmakers to enact and enforce sensible rules and regulations to protect public health so long as they are not overly onerous to abide by, nor stifle commerce. The coronavirus global pandemic qualifies as such. (Some laws and most licensing requirements do in fact create unnecessary friction, needlessly annoy citizens, and raise the costs of conducting business. We dedicated an entire post to this subject. It can be read here.)

Unmasking The Data

During the coronavirus pandemic, the government has designated workers as “essential” and “non-essential.” The stark reality is that when the rent is due and the fridge is empty, every worker is essential. Businesses should be able to operate (with safeguards in place), schools should re-open (not least because those parents earning low wages are hard pressed to afford daycare) and people should temporarily be required to wear masks in public when social distancing is impossible until the coronavirus abates and/or a vaccine is produced. Yes, masks can be annoying, uncomfortable and can make the wearer perspire in the heat. But it is better to perspire, than for a fellow citizen to expire.

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