The federal non-response to COVID-19 has affected my day to day life pretty significantly. The federal non-response to climate change slightly affects my day to day life but greatly affects my...
The federal non-response to COVID-19 has affected my day to day life pretty significantly.
The federal non-response to climate change slightly affects my day to day life but greatly affects my long-term planning.
The federal government's misunderstanding of technology and worship of corporations has affected my daily life.
Could you expand on that? For example, it seems like most decisions on the COVID-19 response happen at the state, local, or individual level. Also, we are still talking about abstractions and...
Could you expand on that? For example, it seems like most decisions on the COVID-19 response happen at the state, local, or individual level. Also, we are still talking about abstractions and haven't really reached day-to-day living here.
Regarding COVID-19 specifically: In times of crisis, people look to their elected officials for guidance and leadership. When one of the highest authorities in the land is telling you that...
Regarding COVID-19 specifically:
In times of crisis, people look to their elected officials for guidance and leadership. When one of the highest authorities in the land is telling you that COVID-19 isn't a big deal and downplays the need for masks and social distancing, the people will see this and disregard all warnings from experts and those who refer to expert opinions. Their misinformed decisions then impact the people around them as a result, forcing everyone to deal with the consequences of the ever-increasing spread of the virus.
So to an extent you're correct in that these responses happen at state, local, and individual levels, but the opinions and statements pushed out at the federal level have a significant impact on influencing those responses.
As for how the federal mishandling of COVID-19 impacts us in less abstract terms, I can't speak for @teaearlgraycold specifically, but personally I'm stuck within my small apartment at all hours with almost zero direct human contact, I work remotely and now lack the spontaneous communication and team bonding experiences I would ordinarily have with my coworkers, I'm less capable of performing certain tasks on my own now like shopping for groceries and have had to resort to ordering my groceries online which incurs a higher financial cost and fewer options, I don't get to visit the restaurants or cafes I once loved to frequent, small businesses that I once loved to support have permanently closed, people I care about have lost their jobs or have suffered declining mental health because they're not accustomed to this level of isolation, the economy itself has been heavily impacted which puts my job at an elevated level of risk and has also forced the company to make a huge shift in focus that has required me to put in a greater amount of effort so we could get to the point where we could resume taking in revenue, and the list goes on and on.
Yes, because the federal government has failed to act. What they should have done was: Get as much information as possible from the WHO and CDC. Give them more funding if they can use it. As soon...
it seems like most decisions on the COVID-19 response happen at the state, local, or individual level
Yes, because the federal government has failed to act. What they should have done was:
Get as much information as possible from the WHO and CDC. Give them more funding if they can use it.
As soon as these experts can tell us what we need to do the federal government can find ways to execute on that information.
Tell people the truth. Tell people what they need to do to make this last as short as possible.
Periodically distribute face masks and hand sanitizer to every human being in America. Ramp up production of N95 masks.
Require masks be worn in public by everyone that can wear them (difficult to do in America)
Require every non-essential worker to stay at home, full lockdown for 2 weeks, set to go into affect immediately following a substantial stimulus check (difficult to do in America)
Even without 5/6 (which conservatives would claim as an infringement on their rights or too expensive) we'd all be far better off. Donald Trump is mentally ill and should not be leading a McDonalds let alone the executive branch.
There is a reasonable point to be made there though. At what point does deeply engrained dogma and propaganda become a mental illness? I've met schizophrenics with a firmer grasp on reality than...
There is a reasonable point to be made there though.
At what point does deeply engrained dogma and propaganda become a mental illness? I've met schizophrenics with a firmer grasp on reality than the people who say 'Thank you Trump!' after receiving their COVID relief check.
I would love to hear from Trump voters who aren't in denial of reality. I'm not certain they exist.
Not typically. I'm a straight white male that was born in the US who doesn't own a gun, so there's not much that can be done to affect me anyway. There have been some material changes though: I...
Not typically. I'm a straight white male that was born in the US who doesn't own a gun, so there's not much that can be done to affect me anyway.
There have been some material changes though: I lost my employer's health insurance when the ACA hit because I was a part time worker (I blame my company, not the ACA for that), and then had to enroll in insurance or risk losing money in my tax return the year after (there was a 1-year grace period, IIRC). One of the few actually good things Trump did was remove this punishing fee, but the fee was there with no strings (like, say, paying for medicare for an uninsured person) because of the Republicans, so it's basically like they took a crap and kicked some dirt over it.
I benefit from federal student aid, much of the excess having been socked away in savings in case something should happen and I have to pay out of pocket, and I'm sitting on enough to pay for an additional year of school should I need to. It doesn't pay my bills, though, and I don't ever intend it to.
On the positive side of things, the Americans with Disabilities Act is the reason I can go to school or have a job. And the Afforidable Care Act is the reason I can afford health insurance as a...
On the positive side of things, the Americans with Disabilities Act is the reason I can go to school or have a job. And the Afforidable Care Act is the reason I can afford health insurance as a part-time contractor with chronic illnesses.
Or course it does, in just about every aspect. The non response to covid meant a longer and more extensive self-quarentine, and the financial impact of the prolonged response eventually got me...
Or course it does, in just about every aspect.
The non response to covid meant a longer and more extensive self-quarentine, and the financial impact of the prolonged response eventually got me laid off.
The non response to climate change is an existential threat both to myself and wife but primarily to our son. The more direct impact are the now annual fires and extreme pollution. This year my reaction to the pollution got me hospitalized and added an unplanned $3000 bill to our expenses.
The continuous refusal to reform healthcare results in huge healthcare bills.
The 2017 so called tax cuts saw that we cannot deduct state taxes from our federal bill so now we get double taxed for our income, adding $4000 to our tax bill. OR has one of the highest state income taxes in the country. Despite all that, Trump found it absolutely imperative to withhold federal assistance and funds to the state when the fires broke out.
The "state rights" party decided that citizens cannot be allowed to peacefully protest in the own city, resulting in nightly feds attacks/kidnapping of peaceful protestors. Several of my friends were hospitalized and the air quality in my city plummeted due to constant nightly gassing.
The archaic social security number combined with the equifax data breach meant that my identity was stolen 2 years ago. Queue 3 horrible months of having to contest literally dozens of opened accounts/credit cards/car purchases - we're talking taking 2 weeks off work and spending hours on the phone with credit bureau every day - I'm still dealing with the impact of that identity theft 2 years later.
These are just off the top of my head. I'm sure I could think of more if I put my head to it
Yes, it certainly does. However, because I exist in a privileged society, there are more things that could affect me (or someone close to me), than actually do affect me directly. To that end,...
Yes, it certainly does. However, because I exist in a privileged society, there are more things that could affect me (or someone close to me), than actually do affect me directly.
To that end, federal policies and sentiments, where I live and vote, are directly mirrored by my local politicians. Supporters of Trump's administration are outspoken in my areas, and so drive the politics and shape the society. I am living between PA and LA right now, and I see some overlaps on how Trump supporters are actively trying to undercut the effective measures both governors have taken on COVID. Louisiana re-elected Clay Higgins, who is an absolute fool. The people support him; they are fools. Pennsylvania's governor and Lt. Gov. have proposed legalization of marijuana as a COVID relief fund and it is being blocked by republicans. It's unbelievably foolish in my opinion. Louisiana has passed an amendment that does not protect abortion as a right and will not fund it. There are absolutely no exceptions, including rape or the life of the mother/child. I could go on, but the point is that the sentiments at the federal level are echoed in local politics, where it really matters, and the choices made by local politicians are making these places worse. Or, they are riling up a base that is trying to make it worse.
Aside from these issues, racism is rampant in both LA and PA and it's disgusting. I will never give up on a more just, equitable South for all, but federal politics is undoing grassroots efforts for a better world for all.
Edit: for clarity, my primary residence and voter registration are only of the places mentioned.
It seems like the connection you're talking about here is (national politics) -> (state government). That is, national political ideology is really important but it mostly doesn't go through the...
It seems like the connection you're talking about here is (national politics) -> (state government).
That is, national political ideology is really important but it mostly doesn't go through the federal government, for the things that concern you?
I work for a major public transit authority and some of our funding comes from federal grants. We had proposed a really interesting and potentially groundbreaking transit tech pilot project but it...
I work for a major public transit authority and some of our funding comes from federal grants. We had proposed a really interesting and potentially groundbreaking transit tech pilot project but it was denied federal funding, so we’ve been focusing on other things. In general the federal government have majorly redirected infrastructure funding to rural and suburban projects, like highway interchanges.
They’re also denying us any kind of bailout for our unprecedented budget shortfall due to lost ridership from the pandemic, so I’m not feeling so great in the job security department right now. Which is a real shame because my coworkers are absolutely the brightest, most dedicated, hardworking and altruistic people I’ve ever met.
So I may have oversold the groundbreaking-ness of it, but it was exciting to us transit nerds at least. We have a certain bus route that connects a somewhat distant community to the city via the...
So I may have oversold the groundbreaking-ness of it, but it was exciting to us transit nerds at least.
We have a certain bus route that connects a somewhat distant community to the city via the highway but also has a single stop serving a separate, isolated neighborhood that’s otherwise cut off from public transit. So in terms of equity concerns, the stop is required to exist. The location of this stop forces the bus to get off the highway and drive a few minutes out of the way even if no rider has requested it, just in case someone is waiting to board there. In about half the cases there isn’t anyone waiting at the stop, so it’s added an unnecessary 5+ minutes to the trip.
The proposal was to install a button at the stop that would transmit a signal to the next approaching bus and act exactly the same as if someone had requested the stop from within the bus. This way, vehicles could safely skip the stop when not needed, saving riders of that route thousands of cumulative minutes. Essentially it would be an on-demand bus stop.
The treatment could then be applied to many other out-of-the-way bus stops to make trips more efficient, and generally allow our bus routes to become more responsive to rider need.
The federal non-response to COVID-19 has affected my day to day life pretty significantly.
The federal non-response to climate change slightly affects my day to day life but greatly affects my long-term planning.
The federal government's misunderstanding of technology and worship of corporations has affected my daily life.
Could you expand on that? For example, it seems like most decisions on the COVID-19 response happen at the state, local, or individual level. Also, we are still talking about abstractions and haven't really reached day-to-day living here.
Regarding COVID-19 specifically:
In times of crisis, people look to their elected officials for guidance and leadership. When one of the highest authorities in the land is telling you that COVID-19 isn't a big deal and downplays the need for masks and social distancing, the people will see this and disregard all warnings from experts and those who refer to expert opinions. Their misinformed decisions then impact the people around them as a result, forcing everyone to deal with the consequences of the ever-increasing spread of the virus.
So to an extent you're correct in that these responses happen at state, local, and individual levels, but the opinions and statements pushed out at the federal level have a significant impact on influencing those responses.
As for how the federal mishandling of COVID-19 impacts us in less abstract terms, I can't speak for @teaearlgraycold specifically, but personally I'm stuck within my small apartment at all hours with almost zero direct human contact, I work remotely and now lack the spontaneous communication and team bonding experiences I would ordinarily have with my coworkers, I'm less capable of performing certain tasks on my own now like shopping for groceries and have had to resort to ordering my groceries online which incurs a higher financial cost and fewer options, I don't get to visit the restaurants or cafes I once loved to frequent, small businesses that I once loved to support have permanently closed, people I care about have lost their jobs or have suffered declining mental health because they're not accustomed to this level of isolation, the economy itself has been heavily impacted which puts my job at an elevated level of risk and has also forced the company to make a huge shift in focus that has required me to put in a greater amount of effort so we could get to the point where we could resume taking in revenue, and the list goes on and on.
Yes, because the federal government has failed to act. What they should have done was:
Even without 5/6 (which conservatives would claim as an infringement on their rights or too expensive) we'd all be far better off. Donald Trump is mentally ill and should not be leading a McDonalds let alone the executive branch.
There is a reasonable point to be made there though.
At what point does deeply engrained dogma and propaganda become a mental illness? I've met schizophrenics with a firmer grasp on reality than the people who say 'Thank you Trump!' after receiving their COVID relief check.
I would love to hear from Trump voters who aren't in denial of reality. I'm not certain they exist.
Not typically. I'm a straight white male that was born in the US who doesn't own a gun, so there's not much that can be done to affect me anyway.
There have been some material changes though: I lost my employer's health insurance when the ACA hit because I was a part time worker (I blame my company, not the ACA for that), and then had to enroll in insurance or risk losing money in my tax return the year after (there was a 1-year grace period, IIRC). One of the few actually good things Trump did was remove this punishing fee, but the fee was there with no strings (like, say, paying for medicare for an uninsured person) because of the Republicans, so it's basically like they took a crap and kicked some dirt over it.
I benefit from federal student aid, much of the excess having been socked away in savings in case something should happen and I have to pay out of pocket, and I'm sitting on enough to pay for an additional year of school should I need to. It doesn't pay my bills, though, and I don't ever intend it to.
On the positive side of things, the Americans with Disabilities Act is the reason I can go to school or have a job. And the Afforidable Care Act is the reason I can afford health insurance as a part-time contractor with chronic illnesses.
Or course it does, in just about every aspect.
These are just off the top of my head. I'm sure I could think of more if I put my head to it
Do share.
Yes, it certainly does. However, because I exist in a privileged society, there are more things that could affect me (or someone close to me), than actually do affect me directly.
To that end, federal policies and sentiments, where I live and vote, are directly mirrored by my local politicians. Supporters of Trump's administration are outspoken in my areas, and so drive the politics and shape the society. I am living between PA and LA right now, and I see some overlaps on how Trump supporters are actively trying to undercut the effective measures both governors have taken on COVID. Louisiana re-elected Clay Higgins, who is an absolute fool. The people support him; they are fools. Pennsylvania's governor and Lt. Gov. have proposed legalization of marijuana as a COVID relief fund and it is being blocked by republicans. It's unbelievably foolish in my opinion. Louisiana has passed an amendment that does not protect abortion as a right and will not fund it. There are absolutely no exceptions, including rape or the life of the mother/child. I could go on, but the point is that the sentiments at the federal level are echoed in local politics, where it really matters, and the choices made by local politicians are making these places worse. Or, they are riling up a base that is trying to make it worse.
Aside from these issues, racism is rampant in both LA and PA and it's disgusting. I will never give up on a more just, equitable South for all, but federal politics is undoing grassroots efforts for a better world for all.
Edit: for clarity, my primary residence and voter registration are only of the places mentioned.
It seems like the connection you're talking about here is (national politics) -> (state government).
That is, national political ideology is really important but it mostly doesn't go through the federal government, for the things that concern you?
I work for a major public transit authority and some of our funding comes from federal grants. We had proposed a really interesting and potentially groundbreaking transit tech pilot project but it was denied federal funding, so we’ve been focusing on other things. In general the federal government have majorly redirected infrastructure funding to rural and suburban projects, like highway interchanges.
They’re also denying us any kind of bailout for our unprecedented budget shortfall due to lost ridership from the pandemic, so I’m not feeling so great in the job security department right now. Which is a real shame because my coworkers are absolutely the brightest, most dedicated, hardworking and altruistic people I’ve ever met.
What was the proposed project?
So I may have oversold the groundbreaking-ness of it, but it was exciting to us transit nerds at least.
We have a certain bus route that connects a somewhat distant community to the city via the highway but also has a single stop serving a separate, isolated neighborhood that’s otherwise cut off from public transit. So in terms of equity concerns, the stop is required to exist. The location of this stop forces the bus to get off the highway and drive a few minutes out of the way even if no rider has requested it, just in case someone is waiting to board there. In about half the cases there isn’t anyone waiting at the stop, so it’s added an unnecessary 5+ minutes to the trip.
The proposal was to install a button at the stop that would transmit a signal to the next approaching bus and act exactly the same as if someone had requested the stop from within the bus. This way, vehicles could safely skip the stop when not needed, saving riders of that route thousands of cumulative minutes. Essentially it would be an on-demand bus stop.
The treatment could then be applied to many other out-of-the-way bus stops to make trips more efficient, and generally allow our bus routes to become more responsive to rider need.
I see this is United States specific. Just out of courtesy, maybe specify that in future thread titles?
No problem ;)