Saturday, January 8, 2022

What’s the message?

 Some South Carolinians may want to rethink their enthusiasm for the governor. Some may find Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s recently widely reported statement contrary to their preferred message:

‘We know how to be safe’: Gov. McMaster says the state will not shut down, close schools amid rise in COVID-19 cases

https://www.counton2.com/news/south-carolina-news/we-know-how-to-be-safe-gov-mcmaster-says-the-state-will-not-shut-down-close-schools-amid-rise-in-covid-19-cases/, and other reporting.

My immediate reaction to the headline was: ‘That’s right! What works is social distancing, masks, and vaccinations,’ along with isolation through either voluntary quarantining or enforced closures of businesses and events where people might congregate.

But the South Carolina government has all along supported the weight of the people who oppose all of those restrictions. Even as the governor advocates vaccination, the legislature allows those who are not vaccinated to walk around exposing others and clogging hospitals.

You can’t do that

 In 2021 the North Carolina House (Republicans) proposed a new law that would prohibit businesses from making a rule that employees must be vaccinated. Apparently, they would also prohibit businesses from enforcing the federal rule that large employers must require vaccinations.

 

If that stands, doesn’t it also mean the steel mill can’t require employees to wear a hard hat or McDonald’s can’t fire someone for refusing to wear a silly uniform?

 

Fortunately the governor vetoed this bill and the veto was sustained before OSHA started shutting down the state.

 

https://ncleg.gov/Sessions/2021/Bills/House/PDF/H876v1.pdf