Trump Signs Historic Digital Currency Protections Into Law
Tulsi Gabbard's Office Singles Out Obama for Being Ringleader in Russian Collusion Hoax
Republicans Flip the Script on Democrats' Epstein Files Bill
Wall Street Journal Does Not Get a Birthday Scandal Wish, and a Fox...
Evil, Thy Name is Democratic Party
The Terrible Cost of 'Hipster' Socialism
Is Ilhan Omar the New Standard-Bearer for Democrats?
What We Should Takeaway from DNI Gabbard’s Declassified Russia Hoax Documents
America’s Energy Mother Lode Is More Vital than Ever
One Year Later, This CNN Guest Still Won’t Admit Trump Was Shot in...
Trump Gets It Done: 10 Americans Back on U.S. Soil After Release from...
Kristi Noem Slams Leftist Media for Coddling Criminal Illegals with Sob Stories
Susan Collins Remains Frontrunner in Maine Senate Race
Trump Sues Wall Street Journal Over 'Fake' Epstein Story: 'I’m Going to Sue...
Congressional Democrats Hit Historic Low as Voter Backlash Grows Ahead of 2026 Midterms
OPINION

A Fatal Conceit

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The on-again, off-again opening and closing of restaurants in Miami has angered restaurant owners in the area. Last week, 30 of them gathered to protest the latest shutdown order by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a Republican.

Advertisement

Nick Sharp, who owns three restaurants, said of the mayor's latest closure order: "It's moronic. It's idiotic. It doesn't make any sense."

The owners say they have complied with previous dictates limiting them to 50 percent indoor capacity, hand washing and masks on servers, but were still ordered to close. If such measures are supposed to protect people from getting the virus, why does Mayor Gimenez now deem them insufficient? It makes one wonder if the "experts" and politicians can be fully trusted.

Mitchell Sanchez, co-owner of Latin House, told station WSVN, "It was a decision that was made in haste, definitely with no science backing it." The owners are also angry that Gimenez's decision was made without consulting other area mayors, some of whom oppose his edict.

After the protest, Gimenez partially reversed himself, saying outside dining, as well as takeout, would be "allowed," which underscores for many the arbitrariness of it all. Outside dining is also problematic due to Miami's sometimes heavy summer thunderstorms.

In an email to Mayor Gimenez he shared with me, Nick Sharp said: "We demand that our elected officials show specific data on how indoor dining rooms are responsible for the spikes (in COVID-19 cases). Without this data, we insist that restaurant dining rooms re-open, countywide, immediately."

Advertisement

Some restaurants in South Florida are permanently closed and employees lost their jobs after the last shutdown. Owners still in business believe many of them will not survive the current closure, causing additional job losses, along with severe impacts on supply chain food distributors, the local economy and state taxes.

In a phone interview, I asked Sharp how long his restaurants could survive this latest closure. "Maybe one month," he replied. He said 25 other mayors in the region oppose Gimenez's directive and that Gimenez "never consulted with anyone."

Sharp was just getting started: "(Mayor Gimenez) gives no solution to reducing the positivity rate, other than 'public responsibility.' That's the only solution he offers. That's what we have now, and it isn't working."

It is unfair to single out a single and prosperous industry for special treatment, especially when there is no scientific consensus or reason for doing so.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), an eye doctor who contracted COVID-19 in March and recovered after self-quarantining, recently said at a Senate hearing: "It is a fatal conceit to believe any one person or small group of people has the knowledge necessary to direct an economy or dictate public health behavior. I think government health experts during this pandemic need to show caution in their prognostications. It's important to realize that if society meekly submits to an expert, and that expert is wrong, a great deal of harm may occur ... when we allow one man's policy or one group of small men or women to be foisted on an entire nation."

Advertisement

That is a good model, not only for Miami-Dade County, but also for the rest of Florida and the nation. One size doesn't fit all, and neither should the opinions of a few "experts" dictate to everyone, especially when other scientists and political leaders have differing opinions. The economy and health of the country are at stake and decisions made now could harm or help America for decades.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement