Despite the majority of the U.S working to reestablish normalcy post-pandemic, several blue states are refusing to end the COVID state of emergency.
With the CDC’s recent update on COVID guidelines and data clearly showing decreasing cases, states like New York and California are choosing against right reason to force their people to live as if the pandemic had never ended.
This is problematic simply because imposing a state of emergency only serves to remedy an actual emergency, not something done on a whim or to secure more power. Regardless of personal opinions on vaccines, the length of the pandemic, or other COVID policies, you have to acknowledge the fact that we are not currently in an emergency situation.
From the downward trend in cases and weakening strains of COVID resulting in less serious illness to the upward trend in people and businesses safely returning to normal activity, the data all shows that there is not an ongoing emergency. Anyone that says otherwise, be they media pundit or governor, is ignoring reality to maintain control. The fact is that declaring a state of emergency gives politicians like governors and county health directors powers that they wouldn't normally have. The danger here is that if these leaders are still clinging to these powers despite there being no emergency then we have to believe that their motive is not pure.
Take Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, whose entire term has been under the allowance of her exercise of emergency powers, and each month to this day she has extended them. This isn’t because the state of New York is drastically worse off than the rest of the nation COVID-wise but she is unwilling to surrender her power.
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Likewise, in California, governor Gavin Newsom has upheld the state of emergency which also allows him and others to maintain these additional powers. Meanwhile, we see needless efforts in Washington DC attempting to mandate student vaccinations while school districts in New Jersey are still enforcing mask mandates. This is in spite of the fact that studies show that the original lockdowns and mask mandates impeded learning for students and drastically affected the mental health of this upcoming generation. Yet, despite the national move to restore public life, it's pretty clear that these decisions are stemming from an easy power grab rather than a genuine concern for people’s safety.
It’s appalling that these states are so willing to continue to put people’s lives on hold for the sake of upholding their power. However, it’s because the totalitarian power they got away with exercising during the pandemic was too good to give up now that we have moved on.
Totalitarian regimes are known to control virtually all aspects of social life, including the economy, education, science, and the private life and morals of citizens. We saw this occur countless times when politicians urged us to comply with COVID measures, claiming it was for safety, while they themselves shamelessly broke these rules.
We can’t ignore this issue. Americans are suffering at the hands of lawmakers choosing to pretend the COVID crisis still exists to fit their own agenda.
At this point, the states not relaxing COVID measures should be highly scrutinized for their true motives. If they don’t want to be seen as abusing their power, why are they so willing to differ from the facts and will of the people? They said to “follow the science and data” but that was only when it fits into their interests.
The irony of these mandates is in how easy it is to cross state lines and partake in public settings once again without the restraint of unnecessary measures. States are continuing to be held back from embracing the future by an abuse of authority. This has to be settled once and for all. No one should be allowed to claim crisis response authority if there is no crisis.
While blue state governors have mostly conceded their mask mandates, we still have to ask why they remain in a state of emergency. Is it to reimpose restrictions at the drop of a dime, or perhaps to overrule their state legislatures? Whatever their reason, living in a constant state of emergency is not sustainable and it’s an exploitation of power that threatens our government at its very core.
Leland M. Stenehjem, Jr., is the former President of the Independent Community Bankers of America, the former Commissioner of Banking for North Dakota, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He lives in Phoenix with his wife Sue. He is the author of The Great, The Late [Almost] United States of America!
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