Top Three Takeaways – February 2nd, 2021
- Who do you do most care about? It’s likely your family, right? Your wife, your kids, eventually their kids. Now, look at the leadership in Washington and tell me what you think is happening right now. We're living in a reality in which overt-Socialist Bernie Sanders chairs the Senate budget committee for the Democrat party while President Joe Biden is signing executive actions to stop construction of the border wall which helped aid in a 50% reduction in illegal crossings at the southern border last year, while he’s already signed executive actions ordering the “immediate” realize of illegal immigrants detained for deportation (the courts stopped that one) and is signing a new executive order to dramatically increase the number of refugees the US allows during a pandemic which costs us an average of $64,370 each to bring them here so they can then compete for employment opportunities with the 20+ million Americans currently in need of work due to the pandemic. It sounds like an altered state of reality and yet it’s the current state of political control in Washington. And it’s only been a couple of weeks. For all who said President Trump is the bad orangeman – answer this question honestly. Think of your family. Is there any doubt but that the Trump agenda was better for them than what’s happening right now? And if you do have any doubt, you’re not even being honest with yourself. America first at least meant your family first. Now you’re literally paying to import people to compete with your family for opportunities in the middle of a pandemic. Congrats for getting what you voted for.
- What’s the real objective? Question for you. Have you only worn a mask at times during the pandemic because you’re worried about being fined? If you were told by law enforcement to put a mask on in a public place would you only do it if you’d be cited otherwise? There’s no data I’ve been able to find. It’s just my inference that just about anyone who isn’t wearing a mask would if they were asked to wear one by law enforcement. I’m sure there’s someone somewhere who’d be that person who really would only do it if they were to be fined but surely that’s not the norm, is it? The reason I ask is due to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez becoming a media darling after taking Governor DeSantis to task for preventing fines for not wearing masks in the City of Miami. I personally like Mayor Suarez and on balance I feel he’s legit. But his appearance Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, where he aggressively called out Governor DeSantis wreaked of political posturing. Consider this... I can’t find a total number of fines issued by the City of Miami (or any official number actually), though we know Miami Beach was the most aggressive of any South Florida Government and they issued a total of 288 fines before Governor DeSantis's order in September. The Miami-Dade police had a total of 255. In the event any really were issued in Miami to begin with, we’re talking about something that’d total what exactly? One, two, three per day? You really mean to tell me that’s the difference between the current pandemic situation and something different? Again, there’s still a mask mandate in force, you just can't be fined by local governments for violations – not that it was happening in a meaningful way anyway. For Mayor Suarez that’s a “Common Man”.
- Turning the corner? Aside from political maneuvering, the news could really be improving regarding the pandemic in Florida. First, our trend for cases remains the lowest since late December. Second, this week is typically the second worst week of the year for flu season (with next week being the worst). It’s no guarantee but with Florida now around halfway through with at least first dose vaccinations for Phase 1 recipients and the current trend of fewer cases straight into the seasonally worst time for virus spreading annually... There’s room for optimism. At least as far as the pervasiveness of the virus goes. As for the political leadership in Washington and political posturing closer to home... I’ll focus on the positive and end there.
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