Before writing the decision that killed Gov. Evers' virus-controlling "Safer-at-Home" order extension, right-wing Wisconsin State Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack had opined during case argument
that the spread of COVID-19 in hot-spot and populous Brown County was not a problem for the area's "regular folks.
"It's elitist, and it's racist," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the immigrant advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, noting that a high percentage of workers at meatpacking plants are minorities and immigrants.
It was fashionable at the time among state right-wing 'leaders,' like Wisconsin GOP Assembly Speaker-and do-nothing-power-grabbing Robin Vos that immigrants without regular 'ole American cultural standards - and not their low-wage-front-line working conditions - had brought on their own COVID-19 suffering.
So "R" these days in Wisconsin is shorthand for Republican and regular, and "D" stands for Democratic, and disposable, too.
But what of all that deplorable rightist disease dismissiveness now, since it's probably safe to say some of Roggensack's regular folks in Brown County and elsewhere across Wisconsin are caught up in Wisconsin's nationally-significant COVID-19 spike which is third most-intense among the 50 states, data show.
Brown County last week had the state's highest case rate increase of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents data show, and more than 8,600 cases in all.
This area media Friday and story and headline said it all:
Brown County hospitals nearly overwhelmed as leaders warn people not to 'throw in the towel' on COVID-19 safety
Anybody who thinks Brown County, which includes Green Bay, has a handle on the virus spread there is living in a state of denial.
But that is the very state in which Vos and his Republican legislative allies like anti-masker Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald actually live -
I just said I think it’s a mistake,” Fitzgerald said [last month] of the mask order. “I think things are going well right now. People are complying if they want to.”
- since they continue to refuse to take any positive COVID-19 action, or even convene to address other serious matters, like justice and policing reform or gun violence.
Here's a fact and story from July 26 exactly two months ago which awards Republicans a third "R" designation - reprehensible -
It’s been 100 days since the Legislature met in session and passed an initial response to COVID-19.
- while they enjoy something else hundreds of thousands of regular Wisconsin folks haven't seen spring - months of unbroken state-provided salaries and benefits amounting to quite the paid pandemic vacation.
More Brown County data, here:
The best place to see data on hospital and PPE availability is the Wisconsin Hospital Association COVID dashboard: https://www.wha.org/COVID19Update It is updated everyday around 3:30.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I mention the PPE is because it looks like some hospitals don't have a 7 day supply of PPE.
As I have traveled around the state I can tell you that once you are away from Milwaukee and Madison the mask compliance drops to almost nothing. Despite having signs posted about requiring masks most stores like Kwik Trip do absolutely nothing when someone walks in with no mask. Stop in to the one at Tomah and you'll see almost nobody with a mask for example. I haven't seen Brown County be any different. Likewise the Fox Valley area. The stores could easily tell someone without a mask that if they don't have a mask on they will not be checked out but the owners figure it's not their lives and kids that are at stake and so they seem more than willing to sacrifice their workers and those who do care for the sake of their own greed.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why Covid19 cases are EXPLODING in Wisconsin is that in heavily Republican rural (HICK!!!) Wisconsin, the local yokels not only refuse to wear a mask, but also are intentionally behaving in ways that spread the coronavirus.
ReplyDeleteThe higher the percentage of Republicans, the greater the stupidity!!! Driving through Shawano County a few weeks ago, I decided to stop in Shawano for dinner. Entering a local restaurant and complying with the mask mandate, I was quickly approached by 2 local yokels who declared, "Get that Fuckin mask off your face, or we'll take it off for you". When I tried to ignore them, one of them got right in my face, reached up, and ripped the mask off my face. I was going to haul off and punch the guy, but he and his buddy quickly displayed concealed carry guns and said they would kill me if I fought back OR put my mask back on.
It should be noted that ignorant and hostile behavior such as this is not only tolerated but ENCOURAGED by Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber who has said that he will not enforce the mask mandates AND also will not arrest the local "Cletus'" who are physically attacking residents who are wearing masks.
THIS is why Wisconsin Covid cases are spiking to nearly 3,000 per day. Ignorant asses like this across RED Wisconsin.