Scattershots – 25apr20 (updated 27apr20)

George Rebane

The C19 timeline again shows that the WSJ does not walk on journalistic water.  In its 29jan20 edition the newspaper published a whopping load of bullcrap, reporting that “Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told President Trump the coronavirus epidemic was under control.” Turns out he said no such thing, nor did he say/imply a number of other claims that the article by Rebecca Ballhaus and Stephanie Armour reported.  The Federalist has a detailed timeline (here) that should dispel the other lies that also continue from the Left’s lamestream about how Trump’s administration fell down on the job responding to C19.  Should be interesting reading, especially for those suffering from chronic TDS.

Death by ‘doctor’.  Longtime RR readers know of the respect I have for the medical industry that is lead by the untouchables who hubristically exhibit their exalted position in our society and resort to high dudgeon whenever their opinions or performance is called into question by the lay public.  It turns out that I have been a bit soft on the sawbones and the whole lot that supports them when I have cited that they and theirs kill almost 200,000 of us annually through what are swept under the rug as “under-recognized medical mistakes”.  Well I was wrong.  Johns Hopkins Medicine, you know the data guys on C19, has just concluded a new study that shows “medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in US.” (more here)  Almost 10% of all US deaths are due to medical screw-ups.  Today that amounts to over a quarter million (251,454 to be exact) buckets kicked prematurely even way back in 2013.  What would you say if America’s airline industry plowed three wide-bodies chuck full of passengers into the mud every day, day-in and day-out, year after year?  And our political leaders and the media don’t make a peep.  They keep their high-flying jobs by making it very hard to get that MD after your name, and reducing the types of available healthcare providers who could more economically minister to our everyday ills.  ‘First and foremost, do no harm.’ (Primum non noceres’, as the ol’ Hypocrites used to say.)  Hah!  Double Hah! 

California’s next economic enema.  The state is in dire financial straits because of the way it has set up milking its high earners for tax revenues while buying votes from the welfare throngs who pay little or no taxes.  The Hoover Institution explains the matter here, and points out that “in every recession, California inflicts its own fiscal wounds by relying on a tax system "that is explicitly designed to collect gobs of revenue during booms, but which completely goes in the tank during downturns, much more so than any other state. … To give you a sense of the inefficiency of California’s tax system, consider California’s economy just after the financial crisis of a decade ago. In fiscal year 2010, California revenue fell by 20 percent, compared to less than a 2 percent drop in state GDP.”  And the double dummy Democrats in Sacramento have brought this upon all of us as the decades-long political custodians of the once Golden State.

[26apr20 update]  How to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.  From time to time RR presents various pieces of generally useful information as a public service.  This is a short video that summarizes the comprehensive recommendations from our authorities on how to correctly combat C19 in these trying times.

The C19 interviews with ‘experts’ and talking heads are getting beyond boring.  If you can predict exactly how the person will answer, it’s like playing the same record over and over again.  And it is very easy to do once you know whether the person is a Lefty or healthcare professional, or a Rightie.   If your choice was to add another trillion to the national debt or accept one more C19 death, then the answer for most people is easy and it bookends the dollar value of a human life.  And if your choice was to pay $10 more in annual taxes to save a particular person from dying, most people would pay, thereby establishing the other bookend value of a human life.  So now that we’ve established that human lives have a dollar value, we can cut the ‘… if it can save even one life, then we should …” crap.  The problem that makes TV interviews boring I covered in ‘Fighting C19’ where we illustrated the different utility functions for the Right, the Left, and the healthcare people in the middle.  The latter only concern themselves with policies that would save one more human life, so you know what they’re going to say.  The Right is concerned with saving the economy by assuming risks to minimize additional C19 deaths; the Left simply wants the economy to tank, preferably while keeping the death rate high.  After all November is just around the corner.  Meanwhile the pabulum pours out of the boobtube.  So, dear reader, if you’re a thinking person, how many additional dollars would you add to national debt to prevent another C19 death?

[27apr20 update]  Today’s WSJ reports on a “Secret Group of Scientists and Billionaires Pushing Trump on a Covid-19 Plan."  They are working around the clock to cull the world’s most promising research for what they describe as a virus-era Manhattan Project.” (here)  This self-identified group of “America’s top scientists and a collection of billionaires and industry titans” with high-access to the Trump administration has been doing a lot of research on C19.  They have published a short readable report on their conclusions to date that you can download here – Download Scientists_to_Stop_COVID19_2020_04_23_FINAL.  Bottom line, some of their pharma recommendations on repurposing of existing drugs are already dated (e.g. the hoped for effectiveness on Gilead’s remdesivir - here), but their assessment of tests and testing strategies are valid and totally in line with what my fevered brain deduced starting a month ago – no one knows jack about test reliabilities, and effective testing programs require tests administered wholesale and frequently to everyone who desires to be out and about.  The rest of today's hyper-ventilation about tests and testing is just that.  They give short shrift to herd immunity and see the conquest of C19 to be based on medicines and new vaccines.  Until then they accept the RR recommendation I gave (here and here) for getting our economy back on its feet.  

Comments

[L]

It is an interesting read (the Jan timeline) but rest assured, your leftist contributors here, to a man, will refuse to do any such thing; If they don't read it, they can continue to tell their usual lies and assure themselves they haven't heard otherwise. Standard technique of denial

[Bill Tozer]

With friends like that, who.needs enemas?

https://www.facebook.com/868219436604578/posts/2999928703433630/

[scenes]

re: California tax policy.

Better watch it on changes to make it more stable. Next thing you know they'll double property taxes in order to keep CalPERS retirees solvent in low tax state golf communities. The spice must flow.

[fish]

Posted by: scenes | 26 April 2020 at 07:55 AM

Better watch it on changes to make it more stable. Next thing you know they'll double property taxes in order to keep CalPERS retirees solvent in low tax state golf communities. The spice must flow.

In the current environment? You'd have hangings!

Digging the Dune reference though!

[scenes]

re: fish@8:12AM

What with a stock market on the ropes (and as likely to go down as up), shortfalls in state income tax collection, and a potential decrease in average house values, we should have a pool on which state goes through the equivalent of bankruptcy first.

That would be an interesting aspect to a Weekend at Joe's administration, which does have an opportunity to take place. Just imagine the government spending to bail out the public unions (plus just the general cash flow issues). Dunno if they'll simply borrow money or do something more imaginative like push for pooling of public pensions and everyone's tax deferred savings.

I've always liked the example of the ex-police chief in Roseville. Retired at 50. Pension is $195k. Multiply by 25, a reasonable rule o' thumb, and you get the value of the thing.

[fish]

Posted by: scenes | 26 April 2020 at 08:45 AM

What with a stock market on the ropes (and as likely to go down as up), shortfalls in state income tax collection, and a potential decrease in average house values, we should have a pool on which state goes through the equivalent of bankruptcy first.

Well if George wants to build another spreadsheet put me down for Illinois.....a state so catastrophically fuckticated financially that it makes California look like an exemplar of of intelligent governance and fiscal prudence.

[scenes]

I'm afraid that everyone is going to vote for Illinois, so there's probably no point. What's the harm in giving your wife's brother a job at the school district anyhow? It isn't like he's going to show up.

Here's some numbers (for NYC) that are probably conservative.

https://ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/covid-19-toll-on-the-local-economy-a-preliminary-estimate-of-job-losses-and-tax-revenue-declines-april-2020.pdf

Surprisingly, I'm not seeing much movement in Illinois muni rates, aside from a weird bobble in late March. Bond traders are a lot smarter than I am, so there's something I'm missing.

[fish]

Posted by: scenes | 26 April 2020 at 09:00 AM

I'm afraid that everyone is going to vote for Illinois, so there's probably no point.

Surprisingly, I'm not seeing much movement in Illinois muni rates, aside from a weird bobble in late March. Bond traders are a lot smarter than I am, so there's something I'm missing.

Don't know....but I have been waiting to use the term "fuckticated" in reference to Illinois finances for a while now....thanks for the assist! I expect though that they are counting on a bail out for the first state with national political pull. If this was North Dakota in similar straights I think that you might see some stress in the bond rates

[Bill Tozer]

Re: North Dakota (kind of)

Last I looked a few days ago, New York and New Jersey accounted for 55% of all the US new plague deaths so far. That is a large huge total concerning they are but spots on the map. First, the preamble off the top of my head without peeking:

1) So, we have a New York Governor that forces nursing homes to accept positive Cov-19 patients, despite newly released e-mails of the nursing home directors begging the state for relief as their staff was overwhelmed. Kindly remember the 55 lost mothers and fathers who died in the Queens nursing home after the Gov ordered two positive elderly patients released from the hospital to be accepted my the Queens nursing homes.

2) We have a governor (darling of the left and potential 2024 Dem nominee for Prez) that botched the ventilator ‘crisis’ big time and now is sending ventilators off to various states.

3) We have the same Governor who took 550 million earmarked for building up PPE and hospital beds and ventilators who took that money, added 200 million more and spent 750 million on a ill fated solar project. Remember Solyndra? New York had their own version.

4) We have NYC destroying a warehouse of hospital beds to make room for something else....off to the dump, then crying for Trump to send them hospital beds.

5) Most important, we have a crowded to the max, packed like sardines, subway and transit system still operating in New York City. The shit for brains grand idea as to reduce the frequency number of bus and subway rides.....which only made MORE people packed into the subway rides and buses. Can you say “Screw social distancing?” Good, I knew you could.

So, back to North Dakota. IF North Dakota or Montana (or Montana and North Dakota accounted for more half the of all C-19 deaths in the USA , would be media being going bonkers and demand we shut the entire state and cordon off Montana and maybe built a wall around it....and send in the national guard to close off all points of entry??? Yes. If more than have of all the epidemic deaths wee in a Red State, what would Mary Wanna be saying today? Probably same as every day.

[scenes]

I looked up the Cuomo/nursing home story and could only find it on an ABC affiliate, NY Post, and (to their credit) the NYT. Radio silence otherwise.

No doubt the TRUMP IS TELLING US TO INJECT OUR CHILDREN WITH CHLOROX!!! story is running on every media outlet still.

One problem that New York City has is that pretty much everybody else dislikes the place and it's people. That'll always be a problem when they are fishing for help.

[Bill Tozer]

Scenes @ 11:49 am

I have read at least 5 good stories about the saga over the last few days. Interviews with family members, NY press. conferences on the matter taking just one matter, but the answers a great. Anyway, file that under “Our Leaders want Grannie Dead in New York”.

Older one

https://nypost.com/2020/04/23/coronavirus-patients-admitted-to-queens-nursing-home-with-body-bags/?fbclid=IwAR1gIv-KukqrFblAQimDDEnUAUYuQU-XMSXarWG0hPC8rc3S9XeUkbghWN4

Don’t know where the e-mail story (Post) and the other Post stories disappeared to.

[Bertie]

in "the comprehensive recommendations from our authorities" category with the stupid leading the stupider .. state Covid hotlines are being inundated with calls asking about injecting and/or drinking Lysol and Clorox. No wonder they voted for trump...

[Bill Tozer]

Scenes

https://nypost.com/2020/04/26/cuomo-doubles-down-on-sending-coronavirus-patients-to-nursing-homes/

Boy, that Cuono can sure speak out both sides of his ass at the same time. Send more body bags.

And if the nursing home cannot handle C-19 positive patients, then find another nursing home that can. Beam me up, Scotty.

[fish]

Posted by: Bertie | 26 April 2020 at 02:09 PM

Nahh......I understand your confusion but you have it backwards Bertie.......the Trump Inner-city Democrat Electorate or TIDE outreach program is an attempt to communicate to the Democrat core voter, the one who fell for the Tide Pod Challenge or might be stupid enough to take a common household cleaning product internally. Those who, against all reason, succumb to the siren song of home brewed cleaning product medicine and progressive policies! The ones who shouldn’t be voting at all, the common clay of the New Democratic Party.... you know......morons!

[Bertie]

Fishy.. did you drink or shoot up your lysol and did it make you feel better? No wonder you voted for trump..

[Walt]

Berti did the bleach enema. Well,, judging by his newest posts..

[fish]

Posted by: Bertie | 26 April 2020 at 04:15 PM

Three fingers, over ice, beer chaser.....! And I gotta tell you I feel fabulous no sign of COVID-19 at all!

My breath smells a little like a bus station restroom but I’m pretty sure that will pass.

[George Rebane]

Gentlemen - this is NOT the Sandbox.

[Bill Tozer]

Scenes....and the hits just keep on coming. Kill Grandma!!

https://nypost.com/2020/04/21/cuomo-coronavirus-nursing-home-policy-proves-tragic-goodwin/?

[Bill Tozer]

Well, if drinking fish tank cleaner don’t cure ya, maybe drinking swimming pool cleaners and acid will. Somebody was the first to lick the belly of a frog and found out that particular frog makes you hallucinate. Yep, bet is a couple Dems that will be the first to drink swimming pool supplies. It was a couple of Dems that tried fish tank cleaner. Now, who is going to double down on stupid?

[scenes]

as such things go, not a bad article.

"Cognitive errors in understanding the 2019–2020 coronavirus crisis"
https://medium.com/the-perfect-meme/article/home

(the ground squirrels, at least what I think of as ground squirrels although they can be 100 feet up a tree, are cuttin' up rough this morning. feisty. the scenesbunker deck is witness to it all)

[scenes]

"So, dear reader, if you’re a thinking person, how many additional dollars would you add to national debt to prevent another C19 death?"

We'll need to throw in some sort of curve showing the existing value of the person. Probably'll require a few dimensions (age, educational level, current health). This goes against the 1 soul = n quatloos concept but perhaps even God appreciates the economics of the thing.

By the same token, we've always had that problem with heroic efforts on infants and the very elderly using public money. Is it better to be organized (with the evil-sounding 'Death Panels' or at least a Death Flow Chart) or just have local health establishment wing it?

Of course, the insurance wallahs have thought a lot about it...

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1808049,00.html

At the heart of it all is a Chief Actuary, "a tall, terribly thin old man appeared, covered with worn pen points and ledge sheets, his eyes two empty zeroes".

https://www.preservearticles.com/stories/story-on-a-boy-who-wants-to-become-an-accountant/362

[Todd Juvinall]

Anyone know why the Chicoms say they stopped the virus in Wuhan? Looks to me that American cases will be 60K.

[Bill Tozer]

Virginia Health Commissioner Says Schools Could Remain Closed For Two Years

https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/25/virginia-health-commissioner-says-schools-could-remain-closed-for-two-years/

[Mary Wanna]

Lots of whining about increasing the national debt to fight Virus Wars but nary a peep from Trump's base when the military spending budgets were happily agreed to.

And let's not forget about the Great Wall Remodel!

Turns out we needed masks not bullets. Oh well, learn from your mistakes.

[fish]

Posted by: Mary Wanna | 27 April 2020 at 10:31 AM

Lots of whining about increasing the national debt to fight Virus Wars but nary a peep from Trump's base when the military spending budgets were happily agreed to.

Nahh.....remember O set the tone by spending his 8 trillion....to save banks and multinationals no less......nobody cared, least of all guilty white leftys thinking they were some how atoning for the past!

"Let's let that nice, well spoken black man spend whatever he thinks is best! And just look at the crease in those trousers!.....swoon

No sense whining about the Tangerine Tornado doing it now "Mary".

Turns out we needed masks not bullets.....

How bout a ball gag? Ball gag would be good for you.....

[fish]

Hmmmmm.....smells like progressivism.

Where has $850m gone? Bill de Blasio's wife can't account for staggering amount of taxpayer money that the NY Mayor gave her for mental health project

Jeez....that much money would buy 85% of the defective masks that Governor Bateman (D-California) just illegally purchased from the Chinese.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6760503/Bill-Blasios-wife-account-850m-given-mental-health-project.html

[George Rebane]

re Mary 1031am - Again, wrong on all counts. DoD budgets and programs were horribly under-nourished and in disarray under Obama, inviting bad actors in China, Russia, and Iran to mess with us, world order, and international commerce. And the national security and disease spread aspects of secure borders that Trump ferreted out early is now practiced by all nation-states with globalism finally being slowed in the coming Grand Reassessment of international relations. All the Dems have been able to do during all of this is attempt to hide that they're talking out of both sides of their mouths, while vainly attempting to keep Bumblebrain from torpedoing his campaign.

[Bill Tozer]

I agree with Dr. Rebane. I have read so many charts and graphs that it is beyond boring. How about some VDH instead?

https://amgreatness.com/2020/04/26/our-virus-is-a-violent-teacher/

[Bill Tozer]

"Let’s begin with an understanding: the Wuhan-virus was the rare public crisis without a sufficient body of peer reviewed research to form the sorts of crystalline policy white papers issued at places like the Hoover Institution"

https://thenationalpulse.com/politics/how-trumpism-succeeded/