Open or Closed
The fight continues, with a certain group thinking the governor needs a single “shut it all down” order…and others, myself included, who feel that those who are violating the series of orders now aren’t going to be persuaded by yet another government order.
While the outbreak is bad in some places, and loss of life anywhere is tragic, the response that may work in one place is not the right one for others. Look at Waterloo and Cedar Falls, for example…in Waterloo, the government shut down parks and golf courses Thursday night…they’re still open in Cedar Falls provided you practice social distancing. Who’s right? I’d say both, because each city knows its situation, and citizens, best.
Congressman Steve King tweeted a map of his district over the weekend…as of Friday’s numbers, only 5 of the 39 counties in the district had three or more confirmed cases…counties with cities of size such as Sioux City, Ames, Mason City, etc. In 19 of the 39 counties, not a single case has been reported…in other words, in roughly half the counties, no cases. And in 15 of the 39 counties, only 1 or 2 cases.
How does a shut down order for all those unaffected counties do anything other than cripple economies and alter ways of life? Obviously, it may help making sure no one gets sick…but if we want to stop highway accidents, then we’d either shut down the roadways or drop the speed limit on interstates to 35 miles per hour.
I’m not making light of the situation, quite the opposite. There is no one size fits all solution, and we should not act like what may be needed in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids is what is needed in Shell Rock or Charles City. Golfers in Waterloo and Cedar Falls can attest to that.
