Random Ramblings: Vaccines, the Border, Unemployment, and More…

Now Hiring Signs are everywhere. Almost every business is looking for employees and offering higher wages. Many are also offering large bonuses. Why the shortage? According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, due to federal relief efforts, two thirds of those who are unemployed are receiving benefits larger than lost wages. Twenty percent are receiving benefits that are at least twice their lost earnings. Don’t even mention the stimulus bonus checks that went out to everybody. Why would they work?

The American Legislative Exchange Council came out with rankings for State Economic Competitiveness. I find it interesting that of the top ten states, eight are governed by Republicans. Of the bottom 10, nine have Democrats serving as Governor. Just sayin’.

Crisis at the Border.  The Border Wall construction has been halted by the Biden administration, even though it was already paid for and partially built. Illegal immigration is at an all time high with 1 million entering this year and another 270,000 estimated without detection. The city of McAllen, Texas, reports that the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) released 7,500 Covid positive migrants in the city, including 1500 just last week. They also report that their migrant facility is at 400% capacity.  More than 800 unaccompanied minors were apprehended in one day alone. The Covid positive migrants are asked to quarantine but are released on their own. Some are put up in local hotels, others go about their travels. I’m sure that has nothing to do with the recent outbreaks. Nah.

The Legislature will begin redrawing the district maps shortly. The census has been delayed because of Covid but numbers should be available within a few weeks. Already the Democrats are complaining and making false accusations as they gear up to file suit against maps that can’t even be drawn yet. One of my Democrat colleagues in the Senate said the 2020 map “was a stealth gerrymander” because only 5 Democrats were elected to Congress. The Democrat expert witness refuted this claim when asked how many Dems would be elected under a non-partisan map. He said, “between 5 and 6 Democrats is pretty typical.” We’ll talk more about this in a later column. 

When the census data is finalized, it is expected that North Carolina will be adding another Congressional seat. Florida is expected to pick up two. There has been mass migration from blue states, especially in the past year. The Wall Street Journal recently featured an article about the Orthodox Jewish population, an entire community in New York, migrating to Florida. The reason given was because of religious school choice, lower taxes, lower cost of living and better quality of life. People go where their lifestyles are welcomed. Freedom is still alive in some states.

I was shocked when I learned that children could receive the Covid vaccine without parents permission. I was successful in getting a bill passed, including the provision requiring parental consent. We will see if the Governor signs it.

There is a lot of commotion regarding mandatory vaccine requirements by employers. I have heard from so many who are torn between following an employer mandate or not. Primarily these are health care workers. Many are threatened with job loss. While these workers were asked to man the front lines and put themselves in danger, before there was even a possibility of a vaccine, they are now being told they may lose their jobs. This is wrong on so many fronts. At this time, we are told there is little that can be done from a legislative standpoint. First of all, without veto proof majorities, we could never pass such a bill. Governor Cooper would surely drag out his veto pen. Also, private employers do have lots of flexibility when it comes to mandatory work requirements. For example, they can require uniforms, hair requirements, certain other safety precautions, etc. I understand the courts have already ruled in favor of employers in several cases. This should be interesting as most health care facilities are already short of staff. If there is a mass exodus, this may be a serious problem.

I have a bill, heading to committee this week, called No Patient Left Alone. I filed this bill after hearing from families and loved ones about damage caused by months of not being able to visit in hospitals and long term care facilities. This bill will require that this never happens again. With certain safety precautions, no patient or resident will ever be left completely alone again. For those of you who lost loved ones during Covid, I am so sorry that many of you were not allowed to be there in those final moments.

Governor Cuomo appears to be without any friends lately. As the accusations of sexual misconduct keep rising, his allies appear to be abandoning him. These accusations are horrible and hopefully he will answer the calls for his resignation. I’m much more appalled by the fact that he sent Covid patients back to nursing homes to spread the virus and cause numerous deaths. That should have been reason enough to remove him from office. Funny, how everyone seems to pay more attention when there’s sexual misconduct involved.

I have missed a lot of sleep the past few weeks. I have enjoyed the Olympic competition so much. I’ve been staying up to watch certain events and get trapped there. I love watching these athletes compete and listen to their stories. They prepare their entire lives for these events and it is so heartwarming to watch. I hope you have enjoyed it and are as proud of our athletes as I am.