This is Mayor Lee Kyriacou with a local Beacon update.
Half-Staff: Beacon’s flags
are flying at half-staff, as we mourn fellow New Yorkers who have
succumbed to COVID-19, which tragically now exceeds 7,000 deaths statewide
and 14 here in Dutchess County. We will continue to fly at
half-staff during the NYS PAUSE.
COVID Counts: In Dutchess
County, there are almost 1,400 active COVID-19 cases, of which 79 are in
Beacon. To be clear, that’s 79 active cases, not
hospitalizations. Our count is lower than the more urban county
communities but higher than others.
Flattening Curve: In New York City,
new hospitalizations and ICU admissions are declining, but are still
high. That means all of our sacrifices – business closures,
unemployment and social distancing – are working. Please, please
don’t let up. Dutchess is a week or two behind New York City, so we
are still climbing. We must keep up our efforts for the sake of
at-risk community members.
NYS Unemployment
Website:
I understand that tonight, the NYS Department of Labor will bring up on
its website a newer, more streamlined unemployment application. It
should make the situation less frustrating.
Census: And of course, if
you haven’t yet, do your household’s census response.
California this week declared its independence from the federal government’s feeble efforts to fight Covid-19 — and perhaps from a bit more. The consequences for the fight against the pandemic are almost certainly positive. The implications for the brewing civil war between Trumpism and America’s budding 21st-century majority, embodied by California’s multiracial liberal electorate, are less clear.
Speaking on MSNBC, Governor Gavin Newsom said that he would use the bulk purchasing power of California “as a nation-state” to acquire the hospital supplies that the federal government has failed to provide. If all goes according to plan, Newsom said, California might even “export some of those supplies to states in need.”
“Nation-state.” “Export.”
Newsom is accomplishing a few things here, with what can only be a deliberate lack of subtlety. First and foremost, he is trying to relieve the shortage of personal protective equipment — a crisis the White House has proved incapable of remedying. Details are a little fuzzy, but Newsom, according to news reports, has organized multiple suppliers to deliver roughly 200 million masks monthly.
Second, Newsom is kicking sand in the face of President Donald Trump after Newsom’s previous flattery — the coin of the White House realm — failed to produce results. If Trump can’t manage to deliver supplies, there’s no point in Newsom continuing the charade.
Third, and this may be the most enduring effect, Newsom is sending a powerful message to both political parties. So far, the Republican Party’s war on democratic values, institutions and laws has been a largely one-sided affair, with the GOP assaulting and the Democratic Party defending. The lethal ruling this week by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Republican bloc, which required Wisconsin residents to vote in person during a pandemic that shut down polling stations, is a preview of the fall campaign. The GOP intends to restrict vote-by-mail and other legitimate enfranchisement to suppress turnout amid fear, uncertainty and disease.
At some point this civil war by other means, with the goal of enshrining GOP minority rule, will provoke a Democratic counteroffensive. Newsom, leader of the nation’s largest state, is perhaps accelerating that response, shaking Democrats out of denial and putting Republicans on notice. California, an economic behemoth whose taxpayers account for 15% of individual contributions to the U.S. Treasury, is now toning up at muscle beach.
What that means, of course, is left to the imagination. But not much is required to envision what might evolve.
Newsom, a former lieutenant governor who won the top job in 2018, has used the “nation-state” phrase before. It’s a very odd thing to say. California, like its 49 smaller siblings, qualifies only as the second half. But it’s obviously no slip of the tongue. Democratic state Senator Scott Wiener, a leader in California’s cumbersome efforts to produce more housing, said soon after Newsom took office in 2019 that reorienting the state’s relationship to Washington is a necessity, not a choice.
“The federal government is no longer a reliable partner in delivering health care, in supporting immigrants, supporting LGBT people, in protecting the environment, so we need to forge our own path,” Wiener said. “We can do everything in our power to protect our state, but we need a reliable federal partner. And right now we don’t have that.”
The statement appears prescient in light of the Trump administration’s failure to protect against a pandemic. Newsom was the first governor to issue a stay-at-home order, on March 19. Though his state is chock-full of cosmopolitan centers, and rural threats loom as well, California is weathering the virus in far better shape than New York, which has many fewer people and many more deaths.
Federalism has always had rough spots, but conflict is rising and resolutions are not. California is a sanctuary state while the Trump administration is fond of immigration dragnets. Marijuana is grown, marketed and used in abundance in the state while the White House conjures more restrictions. The Trump administration endorses extreme gun rights; California has other ideas. Most of all, Trump’s failure to act, or even take responsibility for acting, in the face of pandemic has required California, like other states, to look out for itself.
One conflict, however, encompasses all others, and could galvanize Californians into new ways of thinking about their state and its relationship to Washington. The GOP war on democracy is inspired by a drive for racial and cultural supremacy that jeopardizes the democratic aspirations and human rights of California’s multiracial citizenry.
From Fort Sumter to Little Rock to Montgomery, the blueprint for states opposing federal control has a recurring theme. But there is no reason that states can’t adopt a racist playbook for other ends. If California and other 21st-century polities withhold revenue, or otherwise distance themselves from Washington’s control, legal and political battles will escalate. Republicans will have a legitimate constitutional argument — but it will be a morally tainted and politically illegitimate one so long as they continue to subvert majority rule.
The experience of states battling Covid-19 while the White House devotes its energy to winning the news cycle may be instructive. What is the difference, conceptually, between a state deploying its power to protect its population’s health and a state using it to protect its population’s democratic rights?
John C. Calhoun, who used the theory of states’ rights to defend the institution of slavery, is not generally a philosophical lodestar for liberal Democrats such as Newsom. But if Republicans (or foreign friends) succeed in sabotaging democracy in November, Calhoun’s theory of nullification, which posited that states have the power to defy federal law, could be ripe for a comeback on the left coast. With the heirs of the Confederacy now reigning in Washington, turnabout might be very fair play.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg Opinion. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist.
Dutchess
County Executive Marc Molinaro encourages residents to take part in the
County’s COVID-19 History Survey, which documents their experiences during the
current pandemic and will better prepare leaders for the health crises of the
future.
The
voluntary online survey, available at dutchessny.gov/COVIDhistory, allows residents to document
their stories regarding the COVID-19 pandemic through a series of open-ended
questions, and, with the participant’s permission, the answers will be
preserved in the County’s archives and shared with the public — now and in
years to come — to help inform and educate future generations.
County
Executive Molinaro said, “We are living through unprecedented times,
dealing with the type of worldwide health crisis not seen in generations. Our
individual experiences, as well as the collective actions we take as a
community today, will not only guide Dutchess County through the next few
months, they’ll enable future leaders to make informed decisions when future
pandemics impact our community. I urge you to take part in our COVID-19 History
Survey — a few minutes of your time can save lives years from now.”
World
leaders have looked to the past — specifically, the last great pandemic, the
1918 Influenza outbreak — for insight and guidance when facing the current
COVID-19 pandemic. The lessons learned more than a century ago, including the
successes and shortcomings of public health officials during the era, have been
used to formulate strategies to combat the current virus.
Through its
COVID-19 History Survey, Dutchess County seeks to create a better record for
future leaders and historians who may look back on current residents’
experiences for inspiration. The survey records residents’ experiences and
opinions regarding a variety of topics, including the gradual expansion of
Coronavirus geographically and how responses to the virus have affected the
patterns of their daily lives. The survey does not record medical information;
rather it seeks to create a record of the social implications of the public
health crisis.
Dutchess
County Historian William P. Tatum III said, “Future generations will look
back on the COVID-19 pandemic as a formative moment in our history. Through
this survey, Dutchess County residents have the opportunity to ensure
future historians will have access to their thoughts, feelings and
experiences when seeking to understand the full impact of this pandemic.”
Responses to
the survey will become part of a special COVID-19 collection within the
Dutchess County Archives. While the survey data will be a public record, names
will be withheld from publication. Residents can answer the survey as many
times as they like in order to record any changes in their thinking as the
crisis continues. The Department of History is developing a follow-up survey to
launch once the crisis has passed.
For more
information, or to submit photographs, videos, and other forms of documentation,
please contact the Dutchess County Department of History at wtatum@dutchessny.gov.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday morning is slated to give a press briefing where he will be giving updates on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in his state, which is the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States.
On Wednesday, Cuomo reported that New York experienced its largest single-day death toll from of 779.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and Dr. Anil Vaidian, Commissioner
of the Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) are advising face
coverings should be worn by everyone outside of their homes to help protect
against Coronavirus, including essential workers in the retail, service and
other industries. This directive comes after the Center for Disease
Control (CDC) released official guidance recommending people wear cloth
face coverings in settings where ample social distancing
may not be adequate to stop the spread of COVID-19.
However, wearing a mask is NOT a substitute for social distancing,
and individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth
when removing their face covering and wash their hands immediately after
removing.
It is critical surgical masks and N-95 respirators continued to be reserved
and prioritized for healthcare, public health workers and first responders.
The New York State Department of Labor has created a web page to explain how the new federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program works with the New York State unemployment process. To view the site, click HERE.
The DBNN has re-released our survey that asks organizations what their needs are, and the impacts of COVID-19 on their operations. If you have taken this survey before, please take it again so we can track any changes the past few weeks have had on the Hudson Valley. This information will not be released to the public, and will only be used to help elected officials and government agencies craft legislation or policies to address the needs identified. Please take a couple minutes to fill out the survey HERE.
A copy of the new Executive Order Governor Cuomo signed can be found HERE. This order extends school closures through April 29, and requires any PPE “that is held in inventory by any entity in the state” report it to the state’s Department of Health.
New guidance by the state’s parks system has been put out to help ensure everyone remains safe as there has been an increase in park usage throughout this quarantine. You can find that guidance HERE.
In addition to the recently implemented emergency paid sick leave to provide income protection for employees impacted by the coronavirus, there will be a new permanent paid sick leave mandate that was included in the state’s budget. Provisions in this paid sick leave go into effect 180 days after being signed into law. For more details, click HERE.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.
If you were forwarded this email, but would like to be added to the email list, please let us know by emailing contact@DutchessBNN.com
Yesterday, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro toured manufacturers in Dutchess and Ulster counties now producing protective face shields to protect first responders, healthcare professionals, nursing homes, law enforcement and corrections officers, and other key public and private essential employees who are combating the pandemic on the front lines.
Several
businesses throughout Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley have converted
their manufacturing efforts to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for
healthcare workers battling the spread of Coronavirus locally and throughout
the region.
County
Executive Molinaro said, “The Hudson Valley is blessed to host a number of the
world’s best manufacturers, and in this time of global crisis, these creative
minds have turned their talents and resources to saving their lives of their
regional neighbors. We thank all those who are producing the critical personal
protective equipment that will protect local residents during these unprecedented
times, and look forward to getting the fruits of their labor into the skilled
hands that need them most.”
Molinaro visited Rhinebeck-based Unlimited Tomorrow, which uses 3D printing to produce personalized prosthetic limbs for amputees throughout the country, is now producing protective face shields for healthcare workers.
Unlimited
Tomorrow Founder and CEO Easton LaChappelle said, “Unlimited Tomorrow has long
worked to enhance the lives of people; and now more than ever, our innovation
is able to protect people – not just here in Dutchess County, but throughout
the region – by shifting our focus and producing protective face shields. We’re
proud to be a business in Dutchess County helping to save lives, proving
innovation and creativity transcend geography.”
County Executive
Molinaro also joined Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan to visit Usheco in
Kingston, which manufactures custom plastic parts and is producing protective
face shields using a mold created at SUNY New Paltz. Dutchess County is jointly
purchasing the initial 10,000 protective face shields Usheco is producing, in a
partnership between Dutchess and Ulster counties.
Usheco
President Wayne Schaeffer said, “We are proud to assist local counties in the
fight against COVID-19. As the world fights this pandemic together, Usheco has
turned its energy and resources play a vital role in keeping responders and
healthcare professionals in Dutchess and Ulster counties safe as they protect
those affected by this virus.”
Other Dutchess
companies that have shifted their operations include Hudson Valley Plastics in
Pawling, which is producing protective face shields and has donated 100 of the
face shields to local first responders; and Hopewell Junction’s Unshattered,
which normally produces sustainable handbags, made by and benefiting local
women battling addiction, is now using its materials to sew face masks for
hospital workers and healthcare professionals.
Dutchess
Tourism is launching #TakeoutTuesday today to help promote local
restaurants. To see the list of restaurants who are offering either
curbside or delivery, click HERE.
In
Governor Cuomo’s press conference today (Tuesday), the governor announced the
state has submitted an anti-body test to the FDA for approval. His hope is that
if the test is approved and scaled up, those who have the antibodies would be
allowed to being working full time again.
In
the same press conference, the governor also said the state was looking at
opening up the state by region. He did not go into detail on what this would
entail, but said it would also be in conjunction with New Jersey and
Connecticut.
The
SBA and Treasury Department released a FAQ document regarding the Paycheck
Protection Program. In can be found HERE.
To
find a generic lender participating in the Paycheck Protection Program
through the SBA, click HERE.
If you have any questions
regarding the information in this notification or any other business related
concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding
information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the
government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate
responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any
questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand.
Thank you for your continued support through this time.
If you
were forwarded this email, but would like to be added to the email list, please
let us know by emailing contact@DutchessBNN.com
The BHA office does close due to inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions. We recommend that you call ahead if you have an appointment and the weather is questionable.
