COVID-19 proves all politics is local
Politics consists of actions that involve governance. Politics involves decision making on behalf of citizens. It is taking action and achieving results. The COVID-19 outbreak proves the adage that all politics is local.
Chicago, like other major cities, is almost a ghost town due to people staying home, preventing the spread of the virus unless they need to leave for necessities. This did not come from the federal government. It came from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot after Washington failed to provide any guidance.
On Monday most public gathering places shut down. Bars, restaurants, gyms, and others. Businesses allowed non-essential personnel to work from home or laid them off to help stop the spread of the virus. Social distancing has become the norm.
The mayor and governor took action. They led from the front while the White House, both Houses of Congress, and the federal emergency management agencies led from the rear.
COVID-19 and its spread in Wuhan, China was reported in early January. The outbreak quickly became an epidemic in China. Washington was not prepared for all the travelers returning from China and other countries where the virus rapidly spread. People exposed to the virus entered the country from various countries.
Every early action the government could have taken compounded the crisis. Cities and states waited for federal guidance, assistance, and emergency response as the virus spread and started to take lives. They got crickets.
Last week was when states and cities realized they were alone and had to stop waiting and act. Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot acted. The first thing they did was to instill calm instead of panic and trust instead of mistrust. Then they just about shut most of Chicago and other areas down. They consulted experts in public health and kept the public informed of the dangers of this flu strain.
They ensured the public that every action they took was based on medical expertise and out of an abundance of caution. They demonstrated deep and genuine care for their citizens.
Washington not only made the crisis worse, but the White House also misled and even denied there was a crisis for over two months. Without guidance, it was left up to local, state, and business leaders to make decisions, for better or worse, popular or unpopular. It was up to others to not only lead but charge.
Real leaders take charge and act fast. Mayors and governors will go down in history as the heroes of the COVID-19 outbreak in this country. Washington will be labeled as villains. To make their villainy worse, political leaders could not put aside their petty personal and political grievances to work together on behalf of the people.
While other nations recognized the threat of a pandemic, Washington wasted valuable time deciding what, if anything to do, except put a positive populist spin on the situation. There was no urgency or sense of emergency. Not only is this crisis a health and life risk, but it will take a serious toll on the economy due to uncertainty. Markets are crashing, businesses, especially small businesses may not recover, and people may not be able to pay bills or obtain necessities.
Mayor Lightfoot, Governor Pritzker and others in their administrations used their contacts in the corporate and public utility sectors to provide material and temporary financial security to those or are the most economically vulnerable. They saw to it that grocery stores could shore up supplies after a rash of panic buying and hoarding.
It is no wonder that a recent Gallup Poll found that only 35 percent of the people trust the federal government while 72% percent who responded trust their local government. Local governments know their populations. They are the first responders to any man-made, natural, or medical crises. They are on the front lines. They lead the charge from the front, damning any political consequences. They are willing to work with anyone who will listen to them and not against them.
The United States Government failed the people in epic proportions. This failure caused the spread of COVID-19 and cost lives and other serious medical repercussions. The epic failure also caused the economy to tank with far-ranging repercussions. Predictions of a severe near future recession are being made.
We are alone. In Chicago, Illinois, and every state, county, or municipality. We cannot depend on the federal government to assist or handle any disaster. This is nothing new. The federal disaster management and response systems have been dysfunctional for almost three decades. When they do manage to work, there are only two speeds, slow and slower. People suffer. People die. Politicians and bureaucrats cover their failures with positive spin and populism.
We can only depend on our local politicians. We can only rely on ourselves to keep each other safe. We can no longer depend on or tolerate dysfunctional federal emergency management and response systems. We can no longer depend or trust the political leadership in the White House or houses of congress. We can only depend on each other and our local leadership.
Here in Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust and United Way of Metro Chicago started the Chicago Community COVID-19 response Fund to raise funds and distribute them to non-profits with expertise in providing food, housing, and other critical services to those most vulnerable to the economic impacts of the crisis. They raised $8 million dollars in 24 hours. Chicago is the beating heart of America.
Chicago chefs and restaurants are banding together in innovative ways to feed people with carryout, curb service, and discounted meals. Many are offering to provide meals for their laid-off staff for daily pick up. Chef Jose Andres closed his restaurants and turned some into the equivalent of soup kitchens to feed people. Others in the food industry are trying hard to use better logistics to keep the food supply chain working since panic buying wiped out many stores. By the way, how much toilet paper can panic buyers eat?
We owe a debt of deep and profound gratitude to our local elected officials and others who are taking action to help citizens. We owe the federal government nothing but scorn and derision.
