On Memorial Day, I am compelled to pay tribute to members of my family who have given so much and sacrificed so much to protect our freedoms and to protect this great country of ours. All these family members were born and lived in New Mexico, two were born in Chacon, New Mexico and the rest raised and educated in Albuquerque.

One gave the ultimate sacrifice during time of war.

My father Paul Dinelli and my Uncle Pete Dinelli, for whom I was named after, both served in the US Army during World War II when the United States went to war with Italy, Germany and Japan. The United State was at war with Italy during World War II. My father and uncle were first generation born Americans and the sons of Italian immigrants who settled in Albuquerque in the year 1900 to live the American dream. My Uncle Pete Dinelli was killed in action when he stepped on a land mine. My father Paul Dinelli was a disabled American Veteran when he returned to Albuquerque after World War II.

My uncles Fred Fresques and Alex Fresques, my mother’s two brothers, also saw extensive combat in World War II. My Uncle Alex Freques served in England and was in the Air Force. My uncle Fred Freques saw extensive action in the US Army infantry to the point that he refused to talk about what he saw to to anyone. After the war, my Uncle Fred returned to Albuquerque and raised a family in Barelas. Over many years, my Uncle Fred was active in the Barelas Community Center and was a trainer for the “Golden Gloves” competition teaching young adults the sport of boxing.

My father in law, George W. Case, who passed away a few years ago at the age 93, served in the United States Navy during World War II and saw action while serving on a destroyer. My father in law George Case was so proud of his service that he wore a World War II Veterans cap every day the last few years of his life. After the war, my father in law George Case returned to Albuquerque was married to my mother in law Laurel Del Castillo for 50 years, raised a family of 4 girls. George eventually owed a liquor store for a few years and then went on to build, own and operate the Old Town Car wash and was in the car wash industry for a number of years.

My nephew Dante Dinelli, was born and raised in Albuquerque and joined the service a few years after graduating from Cibola High School. Dante served 20 + years in the US Navy, retired as a Chief Petty Officer and to this day still works in a civilian capacity for the Navy.

My two nephews, Matthew Barnes and Brandon Barnes, the sons of my younger sister, Pauline were born and raised in Albuquerque and went to Bosque Prep. Mathew is a Major and Brandon is a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and both are climbing the promotion ladder in the Marine Corps. My nephew Captain Brandon Barnes is a graduate of the US Naval Academy. My nephew Major Matthew Barnes graduated from UNM with honors and served a tour in Afghanistan and is currently on a tour of duty.

To all the wonderful and courageous men and women who have served and continue to serve our country to protect and secure the promise of freedom and the ideals upon which the United States was founded upon, and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, I thank you for your service to our Country.

Your service and sacrifices will never be forgotten. God bless you all and God Bless this great country of ours!

On May 21, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announce the appointment of Bianca Ortiz Wertheim, chief of staff under U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, as the new cabinet secretary for Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The appointment does require State Senate confirmation but she can serve in the position until her Senate Confirmation. Cabinet secretaries are paid $150,000 to $156,000 a year.

Ortiz Wertheim has worked as chief of staff under United States Senator Tom Udall who is not running for another term and who is retiring from the United State Senate. Prior to being employed for Udall, Ortiz Wertheim worked for then-Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez as his Chief of Staff. She also served in Governor Bill Richardson’s administration and as a strategic manager for the American Cancer Society. Bianca Otiz Wertheim is the wife of prominent Santa Fe trial attorney John Wertheim who is a former Chairman of the State Democratic Party.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1458276/ortiz-wertheim-to-lead-nm-homeland-security.html?fbclid=IwAR25_vYYQnRFjrF-3mmpPJbSDHBcY1IXxLuaXmpQuslGKKqU2eMejAjcRec

JACKIE LINDSEY RESIGNATION

The cabinet position of Secretary of Homeland Security has been vacant since November 26, 2019 when Jackie Lindsey resigned. The Lindsey resignation came just a day after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Attorney General Hector Balderas, members of the state’s congressional delegation and House Speaker Brian Egolf met with her on efforts to combat potential domestic terrorism in New Mexico. The timing of her resignation raised questions as to the real reason for it.

Lindsey said in her resignation:

“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign as the Cabinet secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to focus on my family and my health.”

Former Secretary Jackie Lindsey was clearly highly qualified and considered by many at the time as one of the Governor’s better appointments. Before becoming a Cabinet secretary, Lindsey was captain of homeland security and emergency management for the Albuquerque Fire Department, where she had worked for 17 years. She was captain of fire investigations for the department before that, and she served 10 years on the former New Mexico Urban Search and Rescue Team unit. Sources have confirmed that Jackie Lindsey is back with the City of Albuquerque under contract working as a liaison assisting the city with the pandemic.

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/new-mexico-homeland-security-secretary-to-step-down/article_fa3b2685-6fd9-566b-abe9-347d8de83683.html

Analysis And Commentary

The appointment of Bianca Ortiz Wertheim is raising more than a few eyebrows in Santa Fe. It is also raising questions within law enforcement of why the Governor is making the appointment now and why this person. The Cabinet Position of Secretary of Homeland Security has been vacant since late November when secretary Jackie Lindsey stepped down.

According to the State Website, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management coordinates the State’s response to all hazard type events and supports local response. Emergencies and disasters are something caused by natural or human-made events or any other circumstances determined by the Governor. When necessary, the State assists local jurisdictions whose capabilities are overwhelmed serving as the conduit for assistance from the Federal government. The Department coordinates around the mission areas of the National Preparedness Goal: Prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.

https://www.nmdhsem.org/about-the-department/

Bianca Ortiz Wertheim is very personable, she and her husband John Werthheim are well liked within the Democratic Party and she has served essentially as Chief of Staff to two elected officials. The positions she has held in city, state and federal government have had very little or absolutely nothing to do with Homeland Security.

The Governor’s appointment appears to have been made based strictly on taking care of a political operative in search of a new job, a job that the Governor could not find nor create that would pay $150,000 a year. Bianca Ortiz Wertheim’s immense talents and abilities would be better suited in a position that she is in fact qualified to hold and more like Chief of Staff or Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor. Bianca Ortiz Wertheim’s meager qualifications or lack of qualifications to be Secretary of Homeland Security will no doubt be an issue in any State Senate confirmation hearing.

For a related blog article see:

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Assembles Quality Cabinet and Staff

On Wednesday, May 5, Governor announced that on June 1, service industry businesses will be allowed to start reopening. Dine-in restaurant services, salons, gyms, malls and other services will be allowed to re-open with restrictions. During the Wednesday briefing, the Governor said that as of May 20, the state has made steady progress in fighting the corona virus to allow the openings. In making the announcement, the Governor said:

“We might come to you even earlier, but right now we want you to know… there’s nothing that we’re seeing, even though we had an increase in cases today largely related to a high-risk area, that we aren’t going to get to our targets exactly when we should. ”

The Governor and Dr. David Scrase, Human Services Secretary, both emphasized to keep moving forward and allow for the business reopening, there is still a need for everyone to take necessary precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing. Everything can change and businesses could be order to close again if the public fails to follow the social distancing rules.

Dr. Scrase released data showing most regions are seeing a decline in the corona virus while the northwest part of the state continues to see an increase in reported cases. Scrase also reported that according to the CDC guidelines New Mexico is one of only two states that are on track to go onto Phase 1. Despite all the progress being made by New Mexico, Dr. Scrase still emphasized the need for caution by saying:

“If we jumped out of a plane with a parachute on and we’re descending and drifting toward earth and slowing down but still 1,000 feet above… we would not conclude its time to take off the parachute. It would be time to continue that slow descent and prepare for a landing in a COVID positive world”

During the May 20 news conference, the governor pointed out that El Paso, Texas is still seeing a surge in cases that could spread into New Mexico. El Paso is seeing more hospitalizations due to the virus. The governor said New Mexicans who travel to El Paso raise their own risk of infection and spreading the disease.

RESUMING CHURCH SERVICES EASIER SAID THAN DONE

On Wednesday, May 13, Governor Michell Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico all retail business, with a few exceptions, could operate at 25% capacity. Lujan Grisham also said that churches and houses of worship would be able to meet in person as long as they restrict in-person attendance to 25% of each building’s capacity as set by the fire marshal.

Notwithstanding being allowed to, resuming church services is easier said than done. A few Albuquerque-area congregations said despite the new rules, they are not yet ready to open thier doors.

Paul Murphy, the interim lead pastor for Hope Church, a congregation in the Albuquerque Northeast Heights, said that in pre-virus times the church had about 600 people attend its two Sunday morning services. However, Hope Church is not rushing to resume in-person services.

According to Ryan Bestelmeyer, the lead pastor of Refuge Church which has a congregation about 300 people said the mask requirement would be particularly difficult to enforce at his church which is attended by many families with young children. Bestelmeyer said he intends to send out recorded services online rather than relaunch in person services.

Sagebrush Church, has a congregation of between 14,000 and 15,000 people with several locations in Albuquerque and elsewhere across the state. Sagebrush has not set a reopening date for its in-person services. According to Church Spokesman Eric Williams, enforcement of social distancing and mask wearing could be too problematic. As a result, Sagebrush Church will continue to do services online.

CATHOLIC CHURCH ARCHDIOCESE GUIDELINES

Catholic Church Archbishop of Santa Fe John Wester issued guidelines for all catholic churches throughout the state for resuming in-person services. Those guidelines are as follows:

People over age 60, those with compromised immune systems, and anyone concerned about being infected with the COVID-19 virus should stay home.

Congregants must keep a distance of six feet from one another in all directions, and pews may be roped off. Members of the same family may sit together.

No handshaking or contact between people or families during church services is allowed.

Anyone over age 3 must wear a face covering except when they are speaking.

Cleaning staff are to disinfect commonly touched surfaces after each Mass, including pews, chairs, lecterns, door handles and rails. Restrooms are to be disinfected after each liturgy.

No open holy water should be present in churches.

Hymnals, missalettes and other prayer books should be removed.

There will be no congregational singing except by the cantor and one instrumentalist.

Collection baskets will not be passed and congregants are encouraged to use online giving.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1456420/churches-moving-slowly-to-reopen-inperson-services.html

MINIMIZE THE SPREAD

The Lujan Grisham Administration and state health officials say all New Mexican’s can do their part and should practice the following:
Stay home except for work, urgent needs or emergencies.

Wear a cloth face covering whenever you venture out in public.

Keep at least 6-feet of physical distance from others in public spaces.

Do not congregate in groups of more than 5 at parks and on hikes.

Support local businesses. See buynmlocal.com on line.

Help your neighbors by offer to shop for groceries if you can using personnel protection practices, make face coverings for others if you have extra fabric or other resources.

Monitor yourself for symptoms and find out how to get tested.

For related news coverage see:

https://www.krqe.com/health/coronavirus-new-mexico/gov-lujan-grisham-to-provide-update-on-covid-19-efforts-in-new-mexico-wednesday/

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/gov-lujan-grisham-touts-progress-on-covid-19/5736338/?cat=500

UPDATED CORONA VIRUS CASES

On Thursday, May 21, the New Mexico Health Department announced that 11 more New Mexicans have died amid the coronavirus pandemic resulting in the death toll now at 294. Health officials also said testing has confirmed 163 additional cases of the virus resulting in a total of 6,472. The new cases include 19 state inmates at the Otero County Prison and 40 new cases in Doña Ana County, which borders Texas.

SPECIAL SESSION DATE ANNOUNCED

During her May 20 press conference, Governor Lujan Grisham announced that June 18 will be the start for a special legislative session. The session is required to deal with the state’s deficit and to adjust the state budget amid a major hit to expected revenue related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the collapse in oil prices. The governor hopes to reach bipartisan agreement on financial measures and wrapping up the session in a few days.

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

By all accounts, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is doing a better job than most Governor’s in the country to get a handle on the pandemic in New Mexico and taking the necessary steps to protect all New Mexicans. The approach Governor Michelle Lujan has taken is to first move aggressively to close down New Mexico and she now being cautious about lifting the restrictions to deal with the crisis. The clear and unmistakable message Governor Lujan delivered with the limited opening of the state is that all of what she has ordered is indeed “flattening the curve”.

The state is making significant progress, but we still have a long way to go given the fact that increases in cases is still occurring. New Mexico is now inching closer to reopening over perhaps the next 2 months.The Governor has sent the clear message that in a real sense, it’s all on use to make sure we do are part and follow the social distancing rules. Otherwise, if there is a major spike in diagnosed cases, the state could be close once again.

On April 14, the blog article entitled “Sanders Endorses Biden; Trump’s Popularity Spike Short Lived; Biden Beats Trump In National Polls; The Trump Version Of “Midas Touch” Turns Things To Crap” was published. The blog article contained a summary of a number of polls in the Presidential race and included a Commentary and Analysis section. The link to the article is here:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2020/04/14/sanders-endorses-biden-trumps-popularity-spike-short-lived-biden-beats-trump-in-national-polls-the-trump-version-of-midas-touch-turns-things-to-crap/?fbclid=IwAR37UyCY_z3TxBoz0Tjwow8XfFFqwf9REZ6Ulv40ztPLk6vkC4jewkL2xrY

According to the independent blog manager’s tabulator, the blog article received a major spike in “reads and shares” on the internet. The blog is separate from the FACBOOK page where the blog articles are also posted, but where there is no tabulation of views and shares.

On the FACEBOOK page, there was a very lively and lengthy exchange with a Trump supporter that gives a real insight and a far better understanding of how Trump supporters think, view and support the President. I have known the Trump supporter for decades, he is highly intelligent, educated and has worked in the private industry as well as the federal government. Although the exchange is now in the public domain, the Trump Supporters name was withheld in this article to respect his privacy and to allow readers to make their own judgment.

Below is the exchange:

FACEBOOK EXCHANGE WITH READER

TRUMP SUPPORTER: “You’re delusional. Biden is in critical condition among blue collar whites. Michigan. Minnesota. Wisconsin. His lead is just as strong as Hillary’s was…and just as false. Got a lot of work to do … .”

DINELLI RESPONSE: “Sweeping, dismissive remarks from a delusional cult member without backing up the remarks. Not going to take the bait … and not going to engage. The blog says it all when I said “Trump’s staunches supporters will no doubt say all the polls were wrong last time, they are wrong now, and that Trump will win again. What the Trump supporters seem to ignore is that Trump must now run on his record of broken promises, irrational behavior and bullying voters will not cut it. Burning down the country is no way to govern.”

TRUMP SUPPORTER: … “that’s a dilemma for all politicians, as you know. All you have is your record and your credibility at the end of the day. Nobody is squeaky clean, least of all our most senior pols like Trump and Biden who spent long lives acquiring power. Every poll by definition leaves a trail of broken promises, unfulfilled dreams, aspirational objectives foregone. So, we are left with two flawed human beings and their personal perspectives on governance. Biden is a crystal-clear embodiment of the last 45 years of government overreach and nanny state largess. Trump is a tornado of laissez faire business practices and populist American exceptionalism. I’ll take Trump, warts and all.”

I feel sorry for Joe. Barack was right; he didn’t have to do this and I’m concerned about his ability and personal dignity at the end of his days. It’s a crazy time. I would that it were not. Churchill rose in chaos and fell in peace. I want a strongly intuitive fighter, a real human being with solid intuition at the helm. I don’t really understand the antipathy to Donald Trump but I was watching him interact with COVID victims yesterday and I do understand his appeal. He has negotiated 70 years of American cultural revolution from WW2 to today. His ideas have merit. His administration is in line with my own policy views about blunting egregious regulations, appointing conservative judges, and positioning America first. Our foreign policy has ever been in three parts; don’t push us around, don’t push our friends around, and bring our soldiers home. Those three ideas are mutually exclusive in practice.

I invite you to back Trump for 2020. We need yin and yang in politics and in life. We’ve had far too much of one, and way too little of the other. Let’s continue to balance the scales with practical leadership before we turn the reins back over to the social engineers.

DINELLI RESPONSE: Thank you very much for the Trump narrative, but the person you talk about is not sitting in the White House. What you wrote is shocking in that you apparently believe it but it is an exceptional work of fiction worthy of an award. Trump is a cancer on the body politic that must be removed before it’s too late. He is not interested in governing but in burning the country down by appealing to the darkest interests of those who support him and no one else. He has repeatedly proven to be an arrogant, inept, narcissistic, immoral racist who has betrayed his own country and our allies all for the sake of the money god he worships and the power he now enjoys. Enjoy your retirement, your government pension, your social security and Medicare, all programs Trump wants to get rid of to make sure we finance tax cuts for the 1%. … “

TRUMP SUPPORTER: No. My narrative is real. The 150,000,000 people who agree with me are not wrong. It’s our perspective. You don’t have an alternate set of facts. You just choose to interpret them differently.

DINELLI RESPONSE: You seem to forget Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million to Clinton and won the presidency in the electoral college. In other words, to use your own argument, there are at least 153,000,000 people who believe you are wrong, and after what he has done to the country an people see what he is, there are many more who will be voting him out of office come Nov. 3.

TRUMP SUPPORTER: It’s an illusion. You’re a Joe Montoya Democrat invested in 60- year old politics! 153 mm is a big number. You’re forgetting the 10mm Bernie Bro’s who are Never Biden.

EDITOR’S NOTE: US Senator Joseph Montoya was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the lieutenant governor of New Mexico, in the U.S. House of Representatives and as a U.S. Senator from New Mexico who died on June 5, 1978. Senator Montoya was not my generation of politician, but my parent’s generation. President’s Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are my generation of politicians.

AT THIS POINT, THE DISCUSSION CARRIED ON TO ANOTHER POST REGARDING TRUMP WHERE AGAIN IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT RECENT POLLS SHOW THAT TRUMP’S JOB APPROVAL RATINGS ARE ON THE DECLINE.

TRUMP SUPPORTER: Welllll….I know Rachel Maddow agrees with you 100% and I know her track record, so …..

DINELLI RESPONSE: My track record is and always will be better that Rachel Maddow, and that goes for the same people I support for President, like Obama, and who you support which is your cult leader Trump

TRUMP SUPPORTER: I love it that you love Old-bummer. It takes a Village.

DINELLI RESPONSE: And your world takes a “village idiot” such as President Trump.

TRUMP SUPPORTER: A useful idiot. A spear catcher so others can run the ball into the end zone. It takes an outrageous guy to focus attention away from the important stuff every single day in every single news cycle. I’m sure you can appreciate the breathtaking policy revisions, regulatory changes, Court appointments and wonderful changes occurring in plain sight but unremarked because liberal tears cloud the eye

DINELLI RESPONSE: Thanks for acknowledging that Trump is an idiot, so I think you are making some progress with actually thinking. It is pathetic you think what he is doing is some sort of a game of diversion when it’s all about him and the dollar he worships. Trump is not outrageous as you say, but downright dangerous. … The “breathtaking policy revisions” you admire so much include allowing private industry to ravage this country’s natural resources and destroy its environment. Trump is the same person that said “raking leaves” in the forest would stop all of the wild fires, so it’s doubtful he … [understands] … the forest service. . The court appointments you think are so great, especially Kavanaugh and Gorsich, are throw backs to the 1940’s and ‘50s who want to set aside all the civil rights, voting rights and woman’s rights to choose that were so hard fought for by entire generations. There may be liberal tears that “cloud the eye” as you say, but you my friend, and Trump supporters, are downright blind to believing he is some sort of a messiah.

TRUMP SUPPORTER: I wish you would have had some experience with private industry in the real world. Industry does not destroy the life blood of the natural resources that feed the sawmills and paper machines. My company owned 650,000 of forest land and we managed them for sustainability in perpetuity. Having served only in government and being the recipient of only a liberal arts degree, you just don’t understand and you can’t understand. What Trump is doing will help us move through all of this mess. And, Go!

DINELLI RESPONSE: You always have to go there don’t you … . Please spare me your lectures on private industry. … I have been practicing law for 43 years in the “real world” and was in private practice of law which included business law and bankruptcy law. My private practice of law included at least 16 years with firms and my own firm representing major corporations and insurance companies. My undergraduate degree was in business administration with a major in finance. As a Worker’s Compensation Judge with statewide jurisdiction, I was exposed to many private industries throughout the state of New Mexico, including the oil and gas industry and yes natural resource industries. I have more than some experience in the “real world” as you put it, … . “

EDITORS NOTE: At this point the exchanged ceased.

TRUMPS DISCLOSES HE IS TAKING HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE

On May 18, speaking at the White House to reporters, President Trump surprised the media when he said that he started taking hydroxychloroquine, a malaria and lupus medication recently, to help protect him from the corona virus. Trump said:

“I’m taking it for about a week and a half now and I’m still here, I’m still here,” was his surprise announcement. … You’d be surprised at how many people are taking it, especially the frontline workers before you catch it, the frontline workers, many, many are taking it. … I happen to be taking it.”

There is no evidence hydroxychloroquine can fight coronavirus, and regulators warn the drug may cause heart problems. Dr Marcos Espinal, the director of the Pan American Health Organization, which is part of the World Health Organization (WHO), has also since stressed that no clinical trials have recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for corona virus.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52717161

JIM JONES MASS CULT SUICIDE RECALLED

Jim Jones was a notorious cult leader. He was an American preacher and faith healer turned cult leader who conspired with his inner circle to direct a mass murder-suicide of his followers in his jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana. He launched the Peoples Temple in Indiana during the 1950s. As the self-proclaimed messiah of the Peoples Temple religious cult, Jones promised his followers utopia if they followed him.

In 1978, media reports surfaced of human rights abuses in the Peoples Temple in Jonestown. U.S. Representative Leo Ryan led a delegation to the commune to investigate. Ryan and others were murdered by gunfire while boarding a return flight with some former cult members who had wished to leave. Jones then ordered and likely coerced a mass suicide and mass murder of 918 commune members, 304 of them children, almost all by cyanide-poisoned Flavor Aid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

CONCLUSION

The above exchange gives Democrats and Biden supporters and idea what they are dealing with. According to many polls, and after over 3 years, Trump still maintains support of 94% of the Republican Party and maintains his base support of 43% of the general public. Trump supporters look upon him as the messiah that is indeed cult like. More people will die because of Trumps mishandling of the federal government’s response to the pandemic, but Trump supporters will remain loyal, will never abandon him, and therefor he could win in the electrical college once again, losing the popular vote to Biden.

Trump has already begun a campaign of promoting civil disobedience during the pandemic by tweeting on April 17 “LIBERATE VIRGINIA and and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!”, “LIBERATE MINNISOTA!” There is nothing that would satisfy Trump supporters more than blow up our democracy and simply watch as Trump lets the country burn to the ground.

As the pandemic crisis continues, and the election approaches, Trump is acting more and more like a cult leader. The odds are high that he will only complicate the crisis, making things much worse and create another crisis within a crisis. Trumps declaration that he is taking hydroxychloroquine was shocking in and of itself, as was he previous comments of ingesting chlorine bleach as a means of killing the corona virus. It would not be at all surprising if Trump calls upon his “cult” followers to follow his lead and act like the followers of Jim Jones and tells them to start taking hydroxychloroquine so he can proclaim he has found the cure and saved their lives and say that those who die from the virus should have listened and followed his lead.

Vice President Mike Pence is no fool and has a lot more sense than people give him credit for. Pence is now social distancing from Trump at events. Pence has also made it clear he has no intent of taking hydroxychloroquine. Rumor has it Pence has already memorized the oath of office to become President so as not to require the Chief Justice to say “repeat after me”.

Needless to say, Trump has one vote for second term and Biden has one vote to become President.

The words “bonehead” and “boneheaded” are slang terms that refer to someone who’s a blockhead, or who’s thick-headed or who is obstinate to the point of being stupid and who performs in a stupid or clumsy manner. In 2020, the New Mexico Boneheaded Award goes to the Republican Party and its Party Chairman Steve Pearce.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonehead

https://wordsmith.org/words/bonehead.html

GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM ANNOUNCES STATE ECONOMY REOPENING

On Friday, May 16, Governor Michell Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will proceed with a gradual, data driven approach to reopening the state’s economy. The Governor issued a revised public health order that took effect on Saturday, May 16 and it runs through May 31. The order requires that all residents when in public spaces must wear face coverings over the mouth and nose.

The revise order allows churches and other houses of worship to operate at 25% capacity offering more leeway than the governor had initially announced. Further, retailers and stores, including national chain stores known as “big box” retailers, can also operate at 25% of their maximum occupancy, rather than having separate standards for each category.

Dine-in restaurants, gyms, salons and movie theaters are still ordered closed, with the governor saying it’s not yet safe for them to reopen at full capacity. Restaurants are allowed to have “curb side” service offering take out. Full-service table dining at restaurants might be possible in early June according to Lujan Grisham depending on further progress.

TRANSMISSION RATE

New Mexico’s testing capacity for COVID-19 is ranked among the nation’s highest, on a per capita basis. According to the New Mexico Department of Health, as of May 17, New Mexico has conducted 122,727 tests that tested negative, 5,847 tests that tested positive, 1,739 reported recoveries and 259 deaths.

The major contributing factor for allowing the state to reopen for business is the state’s coronavirus transmission rate. The goal was to get the state’s coronavirus transmission rate down to 1.15, which means each infected individual transmits the virus to 1.15 other people. According to the state’s statistical modeling, the state’s overall transmission rate was at 1.16.

On May 15, Human Services Secretary David Scrase announced that even with deaths increasing, New Mexico has hit the targeted level of disease transmission of 1.15 for mid-May. Three of New Mexico’s five regions have reduced the spread rate below the 1.15 standard. But the northwestern and southwestern regions of New Mexico are above the 1.15 target goal which include the counties of Cibola County, McKinley County and San Juan County due to the high rate or COVID-19 cases. The three counties are ordered to remain closed entering the “preparation phase” for reopening.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1456413/governor-public-cooperation-vital-to-more-reopening.html

EMERGENCY FUNDING ORDER TO DEAL WITH PANDEMIC

Over the last two months, Governor Lujan Grisham has authorized over $35 million in emergency funding to deal with the pandemic health crisis. The emergency spending has been for protective equipment, testing supplies and other material as New Mexico battles the coronavirus pandemic.

The emergency funding Lujan Grisham has authorized includes:

• $30 million for the Department of Health to purchase personal protective equipment, testing supplies and other materials. $20 million has been used to purchase hundreds of thousands of pieces of protective equipment. The additional $10 million has been set aside if needed in case of a spike in virus infections.

• $3 million to a variety of state agencies to help children, families, older adults and people with disabilities, in addition to broader relief efforts.

• $1.5 million to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate relief efforts, and provide emergency medical aid and other services.

• $1 million for the National Guard to provide humanitarian assistance.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1456419/emergency-spending-orders-total-35-million-ex-governor-authorizes-funds-for-ppe-testing-supplies-and-national-guard-assistance.html

GOVERNOR’S REQUEST FOR COOPERATION MET WITH REPUBLICAN THREAT OF A LAWSUIT

In her announcement of reopening the state for business, the Governor emphasized in no uncertain terms that public cooperation is vital. She acknowledged that many or her orders are not popular, especially the wearing of face masks. Lujan Grisham compared the resistance to face mask orders to similar sentiments against mandatory car seats, air bags and seatbelts.

New Mexico Republicans from the get-go have been highly critical of the Democratic governor and her aggressive approach to get a handle on the pandemic. On May 15, shortly before Lujan Grisham’s news conference announcing the phased in reopening of the state for business, the State Republican Party announced they were preparing a lawsuit to stop her actions.

The New Mexico GOP announced that a “team of attorneys” has been assembled in preparation to file a lawsuit against the Democratic Governor. According to Republican party officials, specifics of the legal action will be made once the suit is filed.

House Republican Leader Jim Townsend had this to say about the lawsuit:

“We have heard from jobless workers and businesses across the state, and they are all saying the same thing. ‘Without immediate relief, our livelihood will be lost for good’. … The outpouring of support to fund this legal effort has been overwhelming. The Governor’s orders have put our state in such a position that our only recourse now is legal action. Hundreds of businesses across the state have already gone out of business. 210 restaurants have closed their doors for good. That represents over 4,500 employees who have lost their jobs.”

Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce had this to say in a statement:

“The governor’s tactics to impose sanctions on small businesses continue to show her refusal to be equitable in her public health orders. … Our position has been to safely and responsibly get New Mexico back to work. The Democratic administration has not only destroyed our economy, but peoples’ lives and livelihoods. … By her continuing to favor national chains over our small business, the governor has inflicted economic and personal hardship on hundreds of thousands of her constituents. … Every paycheck, every job, and the civil liberties of every New Mexican is essential, even if the governor doesn’t think so.”

https://www.krwg.org/post/republican-party-new-mexico-announces-legal-action-against-governor

In response, Lujan Grisham said she was disappointed that Republicans had tried to “politicize” the pandemic. She also said the Republicans had the right to ask the courts to evaluate her actions by saying:

“That right exists and I respect that right, but I believe we will prevail. … So far, we have found we’re on very sound legal footing.”

Lawsuits have already been filed that have challenged the Governor’s restrictions on church services and gun shops. Judges have upheld the orders.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1456413/governor-public-cooperation-vital-to-more-reopening.html

GOVERNOR ACTIONS SOLID UNDER UNITED STATE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

The United States Supreme court has said in rulings that it is constitutional in a public health crisis for the government to require people to do certain things or to prohibit certain things that they normally would not do or could do.

In 1905, during the small pox epidemic, the United State Supreme Court case of Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905), upheld the authority of states to enforce compulsory vaccination laws. The United States Supreme Court upheld the authority of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to require smallpox vaccinations when a Massachusetts minister refused to get a vaccination for the disease.

The US Supreme Court’s decision was that the freedom of the individual must sometimes be subordinated to the common welfare and is subject to the police power of the state. The court ruled that the state did have a right to legally require the vaccinations. The United State Supreme Court came down in favor of state governments being allowed to mandate vaccinations so long as it is reasonable to protect the public health, safety and welfare of citizens.

It is also well settled United States Supreme Court constitutional case law that the legislative branch can give the executive branch the authority to issue executive orders in times of national emergency over private enterprise. In 1952, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the case of Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579 (1952) that the authority to issue executive orders is whatever authority the legislative branch gives to the executive. The case involved President Harry Truman. Truman order seizing of the steel mills and directed the steel mill presidents to operate mills as managers for the United States during the Korean War. The Supreme Court found that Truman did not have the authority. The Supreme Court found that the President’s power, if any, to issue such an emergency orders must stem either from an act of Congress or from the Constitution itself. Subsequent Supreme Court ruling have found that “executive power” of the President and by extension state governors to issue executive orders is whatever power the congress or the state legislators gives to them by enactment of legislation giving them those powers.

GOVERNOR’S ACTIONS ALLOWED UNDER NEW MEXICO STATUTORY LAW

In 1973, the New Mexico Legislature enacted the New Mexico Public Health Act, section 24-1-3, et. seq., (Laws 1973, Chapter 359, as amended) which is administered and enforced by the New Mexico Department of Health. It outlines the powers and authority of the department as follows:

NMSA § 24-1-3. Powers and authority of [Health] department

The [Health] department has authority to:

A. Receive such grants, subsidies, donations, allotments or bequests as may be offered to the state by the federal government or any department thereof or by any public or private foundation or individuals;

Z. Do all other things necessary to carry out its duties.

There are at least 12 specific provisions of the New Mexico Public Health Act that empowers the department and in turn the Governor that apply to the corona virus pandemic that need to be emphasized and noted. Those sections are:

Section 24-1-3(C) empowers the department to investigate, control, and abate causes of disease, especially epidemics, sources of mortality, and other conditions of public health.

Section 24-1-3 (D) empowers the department with the authority to establish, maintain and enforce isolation and quarantine.

Section 24-1-3 (E) empowers the department with authority to close any public place and forbid gatherings of people when necessary for the protection of the public health.

Section 24-1-3 (K) Ensure the quality and accessibility of health care services and the provision of health care when health care is otherwise unavailable;

Section 24-1-3 (L) Ensure a competent public health workforce;

Section 24-1-3 (M) empowers the department to bring action in court for the enforcement of health laws and rules and orders issued by the department;

Section 24-1-3 (P) Cooperate and enter into contracts or agreements with Native American nations, tribes and pueblos and off-reservation groups to coordinate the provision of essential public health services and functions;

Section 24-1-3 (Q) empowers the department to maintain and enforce rules for the control of conditions of public health importance;

Section 24-1-3 (R) empowers the department to maintain and enforce rules for immunization against conditions of public health importance;

Section 24-1-3 (U) Sue and, with the consent of the legislature, be sued

Section 24-1-3 (X)Inspect such premises or vehicles as necessary to ascertain the existence or nonexistence of conditions dangerous to public health or safety;

Section 24-1-3 (Z) provides that the health department do all other things necessary to carry out its duties.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES PROVIDED IN STATE LAW

The New Mexico Public Health Act also contains penalty provisions that can be sought and enforced for violations of the Health Department orders:

NMSA§ 24-1-21. Penalties

Any person violating any of the provisions of the Public Health Act or any order, rule or regulation adopted pursuant to the provisions of the Public Health Act is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) or imprisonment in the county jail for a definite term not to exceed six months or both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

Each day of a continuing violation of Subsection A of Section 24-1-5 NMSA 1978 after conviction shall be considered a separate offense. The department also may enforce its rules and orders by any appropriate civil action.

The attorney general shall represent the department.

Links to review the entire Public Health Act can be found here:

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2013/chapter-24/article-1/

https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/new-mexico/nmstatutes/new_mexico_statutes_24-1-1

PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT

When it comes to business closures, the Governor and the Health Department has been given the authority by the legislature to issue the executive order to close businesses during a health crisis. In 2003, the New Mexico legislature also enacted the Public Health Emergency Response Act. The act empowers the Governor to issue executive orders to respond to a health emergency that threatens the public health, safety and welfare, such as the corona virus pandemic.

It is section 12-10A-5 that empowers the Governor to declare a state of public health emergency and it provides as follows:

A. A state of public health emergency may be declared by the governor upon the occurrence of a public health emergency. Prior to a declaration of a state of public health emergency, the governor shall consult with the secretary of health. The governor shall authorize the secretary of health, the secretary of public safety and the director to coordinate a response to the public health emergency.

E. Upon the termination of a state of public health emergency, the secretary of health shall consult with the secretary of public safety and the director to ensure public safety during termination procedures.

The link to the entire New Mexico Public Health Emergency Response Act is here:

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2006/nmrc/jd_ch12art10a-712b.html

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

How pathetic. The New Mexico Republican Party’s response to the Governor’s plea for cooperation is to threatened legal action. Exhibiting their characteristic style of right-wing flare and self-righteousness, the Republican party proclaims ““We have heard from jobless workers and businesses across the state, and they are all saying the same thing. “Without immediate relief, our livelihood will be lost for good” they act as if the Governor is not hearing the same thing. The Republican party now threatens to take the “boneheaded” approach of filing a frivolous lawsuit against Governor Michell Lujan Grisham. It is frivolous because the Governor is acting totally within her authority.

Like it or not, and no matter what political party you belong to, Governor Michell Lujan Grisham is on solid United State Constitutional law and state law to issue the health orders, including the closure of businesses. The health orders are not unconstitutional as argued by many “arm chair” constitutional scholars you listen on talk radio and on social media. The orders are based upon cases that predate the adoption of the Constitution. The quarantining of healthy people occurred in 1793 during Yellow Fever. The United States Supreme Court in 1905 upheld state law making small pox vaccines mandatory.

NOWHERE TO BE FOUND WHEN ITS A GOVERNOR OF THEIR OWN PARTY

The New Mexico Republican Party nor its leadership were nowhere to be found when former New Mexico Republican Governor “She Whose Name Shall Not Be Spoken” issued an executive order for an “audit” of mental health services by mental health nonprofits in New Mexico. The outside audit falsely reported that more than $36 million in overbilling, as well as alleged fraud and mismanagement. The former Republican Governor ordered the Human Services Department to cut off Medicaid funding to 15 behavioral health nonprofits operating in New Mexico. The actions of the former Republican Governor devastated New Mexico’s behavioral health system even though the New Mexico Attorney General found no wrongdoing by any of the health care providers as was alleged in the audit. More than 160,000 New Mexicans were receiving behavioral health services in 2014 and essentially lost those services thanks to the Republican Governor and in turn the Republican leadership that lacked any backbone to challenge their party’s Governor and what she did to the mental health system in this state.

THE ORDER TO USE FACE MASKS

Lujan Grisham and top state health officials say face coverings will not stop COVID-19 from spreading, but say it could slow the disease. According to news reports, approximately 8,000 people have requested face masks from the New Mexico state website.

The Governor could have issued directives to law enforcement to issue petty misdemeanor citations resulting in a $100 fine or up to 6 months in jail or a combination of the penalties at the discretion of the judge. She did not do that. What she did do is make it clear she does not want law enforcement officers to start issuing citations to non-mask wearers when she said she hoped “positive peer pressure” would encourage people to wear face coverings when we venture out. The Governor said:

“I am not going to try to go out and find individuals and cite them. I don’t think that wins the day. … Please wear a mask or any face covering. … It’s compassionate. It protects others.”

The New Mexico Supreme Court also recognizes the need and usefulness of wearing face masks. On May 16, the Supreme Court issued an order that anyone entering into New Mexico courthouses or judicial buildings will be required to wear a face covering, though judges are allowed to remove their face masks during hearings to ensure they’re understood. Under the new order, courts will provide masks to individuals who do not have them upon entrance. Republican Chief Justice Judith Nakamura said in a statement:

“State health officials have made it abundantly clear that if each of us wears a mask in public we can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. ”

FALSE ACCUSATIONS SHOW IGNORANCE OR LYING BY REPUBLICAN PARTY

When the Republican Party says that the Governor is “continuing to favor national chains over our small business”, it shows their ignorance and obstinance that is beyond reason. Virtually all businesses in the state, small and large alike, have been affected with the mandated closures. The Republican argument that the Governor is “favoring national chains over small business” is at best totally false or at worse an outright lie to politicize the pandemic which is exactly what the Republican Party is trying to do.

Before the Governor issued her orders to allow retail businesses to open at 25% capacity, when you drove around Albuquerque to do your retail shopping you would have seen thousands of empty parking lot spaces at Coronado Shopping Center, Winrock Shopping Center, ABQ Uptown, and Cotton Wood Mall on the West Side where all the “big box” stores were closed. You would have also seen the empty parking spaces at big chain restaurants like Chile’s, Season’s 54, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, the Cheese Factory, the Elephant Bar, BRAVO Italian Restaurant, Black Angus, Fuddruckers, Appleby’s, Long Horn Steak House, Ruth Chris just to mention a few that now offer only curbside service. The New Mexico State Police also closed down the big box stores of Total Wine and a Hobby Lobby, both part of a national chain. All new and used car dealerships are also closed, with the New Mexico Auto Dealers Association running ads on how to do business with the franchise dealerships on line.

A UNIQUELY QUALIFIED GOVERNOR TO DEAL CORONA VIRUS CRISIS

It is clear that the corona virus is a very infectious disease that is spreading like a wild fire throughput the world, the United States and New Mexico. The Governor is taking action to get a handle on the health crisis and it’s called leadership. There is no doubt that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham knows what she is doing and declaring a “Public Health Emergency” was without a doubt the right call as is the phased in reopening of the state she has announced.

Governor Lujan Grisham has unique experience, knowledge and credentials to deal with the pandemic crisis. She is an attorney and has an understanding of the law. From 2004-2007 Governor Lujan Grisham served as the Secretary of the Department of Health, the agency that now assumes power in making decisions regarding coronavirus and public safety. The Governor also served as a longtime Director of the New Mexico Agency on Aging, now the Aging and Long-Term Services Department, experience that is timely because the coronavirus is most serious for individuals over 60, many of whom are in nursing facilities that the Governor as a cabinet secretary oversaw.

The Governors credentials and the success she is having in flattening the curve does not matter to the Republican law makers nor the Republican Party and they could not care less. Both Steve Pearce and New Mexico Republican Party choose to promote a right-wing agenda more concerned about commerce and profits and not people’s lives nor the public health, safety and welfare. The Republican Party has made it clear that making money “TRUMPS” life itself when they are more concerned about the “right to conduct free commerce.” The Republican Party wants to reopen the state in full and risk another spike or another wave of reported corona virus cases.

CONCLUSION

Cool heads must prevail during these very difficult times and partisanship must be set aside. The antics of the Republican party and elected Republican House leadership shows the opposite with their threat of a lawsuit. The Republican elected officials and Republican Party ignore that New Mexico citizens and businesses are in fact doing their very best to honor the restrictions placed upon them and are making the sacrifice to ensure the state does not re open too soon. Instead of raising money for lawsuits, the Republican Party could actually help raise money to provide financial assistance to the supposedly many workers that they have heard from who need help after losing their jobs.

The Republican Party needs to get the hell out of her way and let the Governor lead and exercise the authority she has been given by the legislature. New Mexico lives are at stake.

The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide or about one-third of the world population. It killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million stricken by the virus, including more than 675,000 Americans.

The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. At the time, there were no drugs or vaccines to treat the flu strain. Citizens were ordered to wear masks, schools, theaters and businesses were shuttered and bodies piled up in makeshift morgues before the virus ended.

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic

“As the death toll surged, the government struggled to respond. Meanwhile, a national election loomed. [The Spanish Flu] was a far deadlier disease than COVID-19, where fatalities have – so far – tended to be among the older generation and those with underlying health conditions. But despite the differences, the parallels between 1918 and what is happening in 2020 are stark.”

https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/04/coronavirus-how-will-covid-19-affect-the-u-s-election

PANDEMIC HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF IN ALBUQUERQUE

On Friday, May 8, the Albuquerque Journal published a guest column that is a fascinating read written by Samuel Truett, the Director of the Department of History at the UNM Center for the Southwest. As the saying goes, history does indeed repeat itself and the Truett column is proof of that. Below is the column in full followed by the Journal link to it:

HEADLINE: So when should Duke City reopen?
BY SAMUEL TRUETT / DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR THE SOUTHWEST, UNM
Friday, May 8th, 2020

“When should Duke City reopen? That was the question the Albuquerque Journal posed after two months of enforced shutdowns and social distancing in the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

In the end, the city took a gamble, based as much on political calculation as on science. The story resonates with ours, even if details are different. Both the virus and the science have changed, even if human responses may seem eerily familiar. In 1918, Albuquerque faced a brutal second pandemic wave. We are still in the early stages of our story. Now, as then, the future is uncertain.
How will we respond?”

The link to the Journal is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1452760/so-when-should-duke-city-reopen.html

WHITE HOUSE NOT IMMUNE IN 1918 AND NOT IN 2020

1918 WOODROW WILSON WHITE HOUSE

With one-quarter of the US and one-fifth of the world infected with the Spanish flu, it was not surprising that it hit the Woodrow Wilson White House. Wilson’s personal secretary was among the first in his administration to be sickened by a pandemic and Wilson’s eldest daughter Margaret got the Spanish Flu as did a Secret Service Agent.

Even President Woodrow Wilson suffered from the flu in early 1919 while negotiating the crucial treaty of Versailles to end World War I. In April 1919, Wilson traveled to the Paris Peace Conference for talks on ending the World War I. Soon after arriving, Wilson become ill with a fever and violent fits of coughing that left him nearly unable to breathe. Wilson was so ill that the talks were nearly derailed. The president could not even sit up in bed. The talks went on with Wilson relying on deputies before he recovered and was able to return to face-to-face talks.

Wilson’s administration worked furiously to keep Wilson’s diagnosis a secret. Wilson’s Chief of staff told reporters that Wilson had a cold and just needed some rest, blaming the president’s illness on the rainy weather in Paris. Meanwhile, Wilson’s condition worsened and he began acting strange. “Generally predictable in his actions, Wilson began blurting unexpected orders,” A. Scott Berg wrote in his biography of Wilson. “Twice he created a scene over pieces of furniture that had suddenly disappeared,” even though the furniture had not moved. Wilson also thought he was surrounded by spies.” Wilson did recover from the flu, but a few months later he had a stroke.

Woodrow Wilson was President for two terms and served from March 4, 1913 to March 4, 1921. Wilson suffered a severe stroke in October 1919 and was incapacitated for the remainder of his presidency. He retired from public office in 1921 and died in 1924 from heart complications.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/03/14/flu-woodrow-wilson-coronavirus-trump/

2020 DONALD J. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE

On May 7, it was reported that a member of the US Navy who serves as one of President Donald Trump’s personal valets has tested positive for coronavirus raising concerns about the President’s possible exposure to the virus. The valets are members of an elite military unit dedicated to the White House and often work very close to the President and first family. Trump was upset when he was informed Wednesday that the valet had tested positive, a source told CNN, and the President was subsequently tested again by the White House physician.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics/trump-valet-tests-positive-covid-19/index.html

On May 8, it was reported that Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, has tested positive for coronavirus. She is the wife to top Trump aide Steven Miller and she is in constant close proximity to the vice president. It’s not clear when Miller, who is also the wife to top Trump aide Steven Miller, last interacted with the president or vice president, but a CBS News story confirmed she was within close proximity to the vice president.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mike-pence-staffer-tests-positive-coronavirus/

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force went into self-isolation for two weeks after possible exposure to the illness. They include Dr Anthony Fauci, who has become the public face of the fight against the virus in the US.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52626770
On May 12, the White House directed all officials who work in the West Wing to wear masks at all times inside the building except when sitting at their own desk.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-directs-officials-to-wear-masks-at-all-times-inside-white-house-source-11589224333

ACCELERATED EFFORTS TO FIND A VACCINE

News agencies are reporting that the medical research to find a vaccine for the corona virus is being expedited by medical researchers, and a vaccine just may be a few months away. Normally, the development of a vaccine takes years, not months.

According to the Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank in California, there are currently more than 40 clinical trials around the word attempting to find a vaccine for the corona virus. A joint $1 billion collaboration agreement has been announced by the U.S. government and Johnson & Johnson on March 30 to develop a vaccine. The approaches are varied, but all involve training the body’s immune system to recognize and remember the virus and produce antibodies to fight the disease.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/04/harvards-coronavirus-vaccine-efforts/

A vaccine would normally take years, if not decades, to develop. Researchers hope to achieve the same amount of work in only a few months. Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021, about 12-18 months after the new virus, known officially as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged. That would be a huge scientific feat and there are no guarantees it will work.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51665497

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The 1918 Spanish Flu ultimately kill 50 million people worldwide, and killing 675,000 Americans. The estimated population of the United States 1918 was some 103 million so approximately 0.5 percent of the US population died as a result of the epidemic. Worldwide, the death toll from the Spanish flu is generally put at 20 million.

As of May 8, 2020, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University over 3.9 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19,. Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the United States has become the worst-affected country. The current population of the United States is over 330 Million, with more than 1.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 76,706 deaths.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/coronavirus-live-updates-tsa-require-employees-wear-facial/story?id=70569418

NEW MEXICO’S REOPENING PLAN

By all accounts, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is doing a better job than most Governor’s in the country to get a handle on the pandemic in New Mexico and taking the necessary steps to protect all New Mexicans. She has received extensive criticism from many and not surprisingly from Republican elected officials, but she still is holding the course as she should when it comes to re- opening the state.

A recent poll reflects that the general public are indeed pleased with how Lujan Grisham has handled the public health crisis. On Apr 24, 2020, “The Majority Institute – Public Policy Polling” released its newest New Mexico survey. It found that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has a 62% approval rating for her handling of the coronavirus, to only 26% who disapprove for a net +36 rating. The timeline for the state’s phased in reopening plan is dependent on when certain criteria are met. Social distancing measures will be mandated to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases The Governor’s “phase in” business reopening plan includes at least 3 major phases:

Preparation Phase

– All individuals instructed to stay home
– Industry Councils to develop COVID safe practices (CSP)
– Define how businesses will protect employees and customers

Phase One

– Vulnerable individuals instructed to stay home
– Some non-essential businesses permitted to reopen in compliance with CSPs.
– Certain businesses will still be closed

Phase Two and Beyond

– Additional businesses permitted to reopen in compliance with CSPs.
– Larger gatherings and events still restricted for the foreseeable future
– Other changes to be announced

GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM ANNOUNCES MODIFIED PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS

On Wednesday, May 13, Governor Michell Lujan Grisham announced that on Saturday, May 16, New Mexico, with a few exceptions will take the next steps to slowly reopen businesses. The change does not apply to the counties of Cibola County, McKinley County or San Juan County due to the high rate or COVID-19 cases. The three counties will, instead, enter the “preparation phase.”

According to Lujan Grisham, New Mexico is on track with enough data to begin easing into re-opening and move into Phase 1. During the briefing at the state capital, the Governor had this to say:

“We’re going to demand in New Mexico that science guide every decision we make. … We don’t want to go backwards and shut everything down.”

For news coverage on the modified public health order allowing businesses to reopen with limitations see the below link:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2020/05/14/nm-governor-mlj-announces-limited-opening-of-state-national-poll-finds-74-majority-to-25-say-us-should-go-slow-reopening-even-if-businesses-closed-our-would-be-republican-governor-steve-pierce/

CONCLUSION

After well over a hundred years and even with all the medical advances made during that time, the scariest similarity between the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic and the 2020 Corona Virus Pandemic is that no vaccine has been found. Even with the accelerated effort being undertaken to find a vaccine for the corona virus, most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021. Until then, many are expecting a major surge in cases and deaths this winter.

The clear and unmistakable results are that Governor Lujan has been successful in “flattening the curve” with all of what she has done and ordered. The state is making significant progress, but there is still a way to go given the fact that increases in cases is still being projected. New Mexico appears to be inching closer to reopening. The Governor also sent the clear message that in a real sense, it’s all on use to make sure we do are part and follow the social distancing rules, especially wearing masks, when the state is fully opened for business. Otherwise we may looking at another major surge in the Winter months.

We all must do our part and protect ourselves and others from the virus and not act like a bunch of fools. We all need to practice social distancing, wear masks and follow the guidelines. This is the new norm until a vaccine is found.

https://www.petedinelli.com/2020/05/01/governor-lujan-grisham-extends-quarantine-orders-to-may-15-but-with-limited-openings-announced-case-statistics-its-all-on-us-to-continue-making-progress/