Coronavirus: Are State's Reactions Political?

From Business Insider: Are we preventing
disease or advancing a political agenda?

Looking at the data I posted here you can see that one might conclude that, say, Pennsylvania, shutting down "non-essential" businesses could be doing so in an effort to block Trump's reelection.  After all, PA was only 20,000 votes away from a Hillary victory.

There is no earthly reason to shut down "non-essential" businesses.

Yet making people suffer though job loss, loss of business, and so on will work toward making them believe, I suppose, it's all Trump's fault.  And, of course, they will need more government "help."  And, oh look, that pesky stock market advance is down the toilet.  And my my, now we'll need more food stamps. 

People will vote to save their own asses in time of crisis...

The numbers (see link above when I say "numbers") related to the coronavirus are unbelievably small and will continue to be so so long as people act calmly and rationally and use common sense. (See also: Death by Hand Sanitizer)

Does it make sense to close the hair salon while people are arm wrestling for the last roll of toilet paper at Walmart?

You are seeing government panic (and stupidity of course).

Panic that they, the government, might be tar and feathered if too many people die of the "pandemic" on their watch.

Look at the picture.  Isn't this the opposite of "stay home and chill" and "common sense" in a viral emergency?

By inciting panic with unjustified "estimated" death tolls in the millions all we are doing is generating more close contact within the public, not less.

Is there cause for concern? 

Of course, but turning this into Walmart arm wrestling for toilet paper is shear madness.

"Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said the reaction to the virus could be  “severe.” (from link above)

I'll say, but not by a virus, but by losing your job, your home, your state and countries economic future due to government incompitence.

By far the reaction of the states is close school and don't hang out in large groups.

The numbers show this.

The rest is simply political and personal panic...

Coronavirus the Numbers: Your State

How is your state handing the "coronavirus" crisis?  Do you wonder if your state's destruction of the economy, your job, your welfare, etc. is the "norm" across the country? (CSV at the end of the post. For those born recently I will be providing handy picture pages for you to grasp what's being presented. Click image to enlarge.)

The above is based on the following sources:

CDC Influenza Data

The above table is from the linked CDC site.  For calculating historical influenza numbers I simply averaged each column and, using the total populate of the US states created the ratio of that state's population to the total US population and multiplied it by the average.  Clearly these are simply "rough estimates" to get a feel for the magnitude of the issue.

(I apologize in advance for any transcription errors...)

Closure data from: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/emergencies-closures-states-handling-coronavirus-200317213356419.html

Political data from: https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/blue-states/

Influenza data from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

Corona virus cases/deaths from: https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-updates-united-states.html

Populations: Wikipedia

CSV Data:

State,Political as of 2020,Corona Cases (not deaths) as of 3/20/20,Population,Corona Deaths as of 3/20/20,Historic Average Annual Symptomatic Influenza Reports,HistoricalAverage Annual InfluenzaDeaths,Public School Closures,State Run Entities Closed (G=Gambling),Large Event Limits or Cancellations,"Closings Business (F=Forced, V=Voluntary, NE=Non-Essential Forced Closed)","Bars, Restaurants, etc.Forced Closed (T=Takeout Only, R=Restricted)","State of Emergency (L=Limited, D=Disaster)",Delay Elections
Alabama,Red,29,"4,903,185",0,"367,188",546,Y,N,N,V,N,N,N
Alaska,Red,9,"731,545",0,"54,784",81,Y,Y,N,V,N,N,N
Arizona,Red,44,"7,278,717",0,"545,086",810,N,N,Y,V,N,N,N
Arkansas,Red,64,"3,017,825",0,"225,998",336,N,N,N,V,N,N,N
California,Blue,982,"39,512,223",16,"2,958,978","4,397",Y,Y,F,F,F,Y,N
Colorado,Purple,363,"5,758,736",4,"431,258",641,N,N,N,N,T,N,N
Connecticut,Blue,97,"3,565,287",1,"266,996",397,Y,N,Y,N,F,N,N
Delaware,Blue,30,"973,764",0,"72,923",108,Y,N,N,N,T,N,N
Florida,Red,390,"21,477,737",8,"1,608,418","2,390",Y,N,N,N,R,N,N
Georgia,Red,287,"10,617,423",10,"795,114","1,181",Y,N,N,N,N,L,N
Hawaii,Blue,16,"1,415,872",0,"106,031",158,Y,Y,Y,N,T,N,N
Idaho,Red,11,"1,792,065",0,"134,204",199,N,N,N,N,N,L,N
Illinois,Blue,288,"12,671,821",1,"948,963","1,410",Y,N,Y,NE,F,N,N
Indiana,Red,79,"6,732,219",2,"504,160",749,N,N,N,N,T,N,N
Iowa,Red,39,"3,155,070",0,"236,276",351,N,N,Y,N,T,N,N
Kansas,Red,34,"2,913,314",1,"218,171",324,Y,N,N,N,N,N,N
Kentucky,Red,35,"4,467,673",1,"334,574",497,Y,N,Y,N,F,Y,N
Louisiana,Red,347,"4,648,794",8,"348,137",517,Y,N,Y,N,T,N,Y
Maine,Red,56,"1,344,212",0,"100,665",150,N,N,Y,N,T,N,N
Maryland,Blue,149,"6,045,680",1,"452,747",673,Y,G,Y,N,T,N,N
Massachusetts,Blue,413,"6,949,503",1,"520,432",773,Y,N,Y,N,F,Y,N
Michigan,Red,549,"9,986,857",3,"747,892","1,111",Y,N,Y,N,T,N,N
Minnesota,Blue,115,"5,639,632",0,"422,339",628,Y,N,N,N,T,N,N
Mississippi,Red,80,"2,976,149",1,"222,877",331,N,N,N,N,N,N,N
Missouri,Red,24,"6,137,428",1,"459,618",683,N,G,N,N,N,N,N
Montana,Red,11,"1,068,778",0,"80,038",119,Y,N,N,N,N,Y,N
Nebraska,Red,32,"1,934,408",0,"144,863",215,N,N,Y,N,T,N,N
Nevada,Red,84,"3,080,156",1,"230,666",343,Y,G,Y,NE,T,Y,N
New Hampshire,Red,44,"1,359,711",0,"101,826",151,Y,N,Y,N,N,Y,N
New Jersey,Blue,742,"8,882,190",9,"665,167",988,Y,N,Y,N,F,N,N
New Mexico,Blue,35,"2,096,829",0,"157,027",233,N,N,Y,N,R,N,N
New York,Blue,7102,"19,453,561",26,"1,456,832","2,165",Y,N,N,NE,F,Y,N
North Carolina,Red,137,"10,488,084",0,"785,428","1,167",Y,N,N,N,T,N,N
North Dakota,Red,20,"762,062",0,"57,069",85,Y,N,N,N,N,N,N
Ohio,Red,169,"11,689,100",1,"875,370","1,301",Y,Y,N,N,T,N,Y
Oklahoma,Red,49,"3,956,971",1,"296,328",440,N,N,N,N,N,N,N
Oregon,Blue,114,"4,217,737",2,"315,857",469,N,N,N,N,T,N,N
Pennsylvania,Red,268,"12,801,989",1,"958,711","1,425",N,N,Y,NE,T,N,N
Rhode Island,Blue,54,"1,059,361",0,"79,333",118,Y,N,N,N,T,Y,N
South Carolina,Red,125,"5,148,714",1,"385,575",573,Y,N,N,N,T,N,N
South Dakota,Red,11,"884,659",1,"66,250",98,Y,Y,N,N,N,N,N
Tennessee,Red,154,"6,833,174",0,"511,721",760,N,N,N,N,N,Y,N
Texas,Red,228,"28,995,881",4,"2,171,434","3,227",N,N,N,N,N,D,N
Utah,Red,112,"3,205,958",0,"240,087",357,N,N,N,N,N,N,N
Vermont,Blue,18,"623,989",9,"46,729",69,Y,N,Y,N,T,Y,N
Virginia,Red,94,"8,535,519",2,"639,205",950,Y,N,Y,N,N,N,N
Washington,Blue,1187,"7,614,893",68,"570,262",847,Y,N,Y,N,F,Y,N
West Virginia,Red,8,"1,787,145",0,"133,835",199,Y,N,N,N,N,N,N
Wisconsin,Red,206,"5,822,434",3,"436,029",648,Y,N,N,N,T,N,N
Wyoming,Red,20,"578,759",0,"43,342",64,N,N,N,N,N,N,N

Coronavirus: Saving the Planet

Neo discovering he's in the Matrix...

About fifteen years ago I wrote about global dimming.  The basic idea is that the pollution generated by man reduces the temperature of the earth.

This came to light during 9/11 in the US.  All the planes were grounded for several days and, lo and behold, the veil of pollution keeping the earth cool vanished.

And the global warming increased by 1°C (1.8°F) for the duration of the air travel shutdown.

In 2020, in Italy, we observe the same climate effects due to the Coronavirus.

Clearly documented here in Fortune on March 19, 2020 and by Reuters.

The same climate change is true in China (see this).

Now if we look at the death rate attributed to climate change (see this in Scientific American, for example) we see climate change is "... responsible for some 150,000 deaths each year around the world."

So if we could reduce the earth's temperature by 1°C simply by hiding indoors as if the Coronavirus is going to kill us why wouldn't we?

Or, better yet, as Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania has discovered, you simply mandate everyone close their "non-essential" businesses and stay home all our climate woes would be over!

Now imagine, by simple governmental fiat, we can take everyone's rights away in exchange for saving the plant.

Look how wonderful the canal's of Venice look once you get rid of all the people:

From https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/coronavirus-shutdowns-have-unintended-climate-benefits-n1161921

In Pennsylvania we see some 300 cases of Coronavirus as of March 20, 2020 with a single death (see https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/).

This is less than 1/700th of the murders in Pennsylvania each year (documented here), and 1/32,000th of the heart disease deaths.

We cannot take peoples guns, knives or other dangerous implements away but with the Coronavirus with just a single death (at less than 1/700th the murder rate) we can take all your rights away.

I think that's pretty amazing!

So climate change should be solved by simply taking rights away and 150,000 lives would be saved.

Why should you have any rights if 150,000 people could live?

(And let me stress could here because one death is nothing compared to the annual PA death rates...)

After all, we could get the Coronavirus (well, we didn't actually but it's scary so we can pretend its real...)

This is more efficient than simply allowing the Coronavirus to take its natural course killing millions.

Millions of deaths wouldn't be enough to save the planet because killing that many people is not as good as imprisoning everyone!

Maybe the robots in the Matrix had the right idea!

Well, we have to come back down to earth after all that excitement...

Sadly "rights" prevent this.

Tom Wolf could have ended Pennsylvania's contribution to the destruction of the planet if he could just have a little more legal authority.

Authority to force you to stay home.

Force you to destroy your business and property.

(If you've been born in the last forty years this is call satire.  But you probably think or wish this to be true because climate change might hurt someone.  Sadly it's not, at least not yet.  But with your lack of education and problem solving skills you, like Neo, will never figure out your in the Matrix...)

Kung Fluey False Flag...?

So here comes the Wuhan Corona Virus (image right from USA Today, but notice its not about Wuhan though the article is...)

Interestingly no one some seems to care about Wuhan's close friend MERS-Cov.  This reportedly (dated May 29, 2019 from the link) kills 1/3 of those who have it.  Discussion of this goes back into early 2019 (see this).  Same level of contagious behavior, etc. (see this).

Anyone ever hear of this?

No, of course not.

Soldiers coming home could have it, so could travelers from the Middle East.  Were's the panic for the poor US service men?

Exact same symptoms but deadlier it seems.

Nada.

Nothing, not a peep...

<>

Of course, there's a lot of "conspiracy theory" out there about "patented" corona virus tech.

Now ask yourself why is "political fact checking" required to combat information about corona virus patents?  Is this a science issue?  Why is politics involved at all?

Politifact doesn't want you to know the truth, it just wants Facebook to keep you ignorant.

And indeed there are MERS-CoV patents out there (see this).

Maybe it's just a bio-weapon gone astray (see this).

Or maybe it's just a handy false flag...

Here's an update and the fiasco panic:

https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/?fbclid=IwAR1-8YAod4Y2ICMAL3YtJ6yFOrPUBNllzeFBZCt1_eCLiuzUj5axZCkJzoU

Bans: Illegally Usurping Your Constitutional Rights

From the Boulder, CO "vaping ban" web page (https://bouldercolorado.gov/vaping-and-tobacco-regulations):

"A tobacco product is a product which contains, is made or derived from tobacco or used to deliver nicotine, synthetic nicotine or other substances intended for human consumption. This includes products whether heated, chewed, absorbed, dissolved, inhaled, snorted, sniffed, or ingested by any other means, including, but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, snuff, bidis, snus, nicotine product, mints or hand gels."

So let's take a look at this.

Firstly, it defines anything that could "deliver ... other substances intend for human consumption" as "tobacco products" (note the use of "or" between the clauses.

I suppose on the surface this is fine, especially if this was all (all in the sense of just defining tobacco products) the ordinance did, but it goes on to say that what the ordinance does:

• Raising the age to purchase to 21 for tobacco products
• Limiting any one retailer from selling more than two electronic cigarettes or four associated products including refills to any one person in any 24-hour period
• Banning the sale of flavored tobacco products to be used in an electronic smoking device (temporary menthol flavored products exception, see bullet below) in Boulder
• Restricting the ability to sell menthol flavored electronic cigarette products to only 21 and over age restricted businesses until Dec. 31, 2019. After Jan. 1, 2020 the sale of menthol flavored electronic cigarettes in the city of Boulder is completely prohibited.

Now think about this.

It will be selectively enforced against vape shops only even though it covers virtually anything any human being might inhale (perfume) or consume (a hot dog).

Clearly a hot dog bun is a "tobacco product" under this ordinance as it falls under "deliver ... other substances intend for human consumption" (it delivers a hot dog to your mouth for you to consume) so hot dogs should be subject to the restrictions above as well as any e-liquid or vape supply.  I suppose too, your hand might also be considered a "tobacco product" for the same reason.

Of course, Colorado's vaunted "THC products" are also, at least theoretically, restricted as well as all food, all perfumes, air fresheners, cooking products, baking products, medications, etc.

So exactly how is this different than creating a law that, as an example, allows for "public drinking fountains" but only allowing white people to access it?

It's not...

The "vaping ban" would be selective enforcement of a general law and, I think, a serious problem in that it can be used to discriminate otherwise legal activity and to take away peoples access to otherwise legal products.  I have written about the right to "treat your own disease," for example, which the government cannot unreasonably take away.

Certainly a police officer can ticket only one of several cars speeding down the highway and a judge would not accept a "selective enforcement" argument that the ticket is invalid because others were also speeding (see https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/24766/selective-enforcement-vs-equal-protection).

But I think that this law is so ridiculously broad and encompasses virtually all aspects of human "consumption" that it would be found invalid.

But rather than have some shlub vape shop owner get a ticket and fight it...

We cry,

We whine on Facebook.

Crying like small children in a haunted house.

This law violates your Constitutional rights very clearly.  The Constitution's 4th Amendment says:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

How, exactly, are you secure when a law specifically allows law enforcement to arbitrarily pick and choose what to enforce and who to enforce it against?  After all, anything you might "consume" could be construed as a "tobacco product" under this.

Or, think of it this way, this law make kids eating cup cakes flavored with 0mg King Arthur Coconut Flavoring criminals (see the previous post).

You are being led down a false path...

"Vaping leadership" is doing nothing to stop this injustice.

Vapers just sit and cry about what they are losing.

I am not aware of a single case where this legal fraud is being fought in the courts.

(The Colorado "Gay Cake Case" shows that unreasonable Colorado laws can and should be struct down - https://icma.org/blog-posts/colorado-cake-maker-wins-same-sex-marriage-cake-case-narrow-opinion?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInMGPm_aq5QIVD1YMCh1IAw8pEAAYASAAEgL3pvD_BwE).

How is this any different?

Banning or restricting anything for "human consumption" and then selectively picking on vape shops.

Still no CASAA.

Still no legal action.

Nothing...

And you lose more of your rights.

Ask yourself why this is going on.

(see also: https://lwgat.blogspot.com/2019/04/on-unconstitutional-nature-of-flavor.html)...

Bans: You're Not Calling Them On It...

The 0mg Loophole

As the noose tightens around the vaping industry one has to ask: Why does the FDA not bother mods? Why do they and state, municipalities, etc. go after flavors? (Of course we know it's "for the children" but hold on for a second...)

You, the vape shop owner, are being led down the garden path.  You are the victim of sleight of hand by government and your leaders.

No, no, don't think about facts.

Panic, run, close down, whatever.

No, no, don't follow reason.

Don't think about this...

STOP.

Take a deep breath.

Think for one minute PLEASE...

Flavored propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are used throughout the baking industry.  They are staples in kitchens both commercially and at home.  They are exactly the same thing as 0mg e-liquid.  They are vapable.

These products, see King Arthur Coconut Flavor for example, are 0mg e-liquid (though a loophole still allows them to be sold...)

If a vape shop sold King Arthur Coconut Flavoring right next to some 0mg e-liquid how could the two be separated from a legal or regulatory perspective?

Answer: they can't because they are physically the same thing.

It's only through the "magical thinking" of "saving children's lives" that one is killing our children while simultaneously the other is served to those same children at the middle school bake sale...

(In PA, in a lawsuit won by Kingdom Vapor,  PA tried to tax a USB charger sold in a vape shop differently than one sold at Walmart.  Same nonsense, and the state lost...)

So if I put King Arthur Coconut Flavoring into my vape shop, sell it, and someone vapes it wouldn't the state have to ban King Arthur Flavoring sale statewide?

Of course they would.  It's the exact same thing as e-liquid AND it's a vaping product.

I could also inject nicotine into Glade plug-in and sell it.  It's a vape because it's inhaled and contains nicotine.

Would it be banned?

Now it's e-liquid, right?

(The manufacturers would fight it but the law will drag them into the fight...)

I believe that mods and software are not "tobacco products" because I called the FDA out on it (see this).  I made an iPhone and an Android phone "tobacco products" by using them to control mods.  I wrote letters to Apple and Google explaining how they were culpable for selling tobacco products to children.  After a few months the FDA changed its tune and decided not to label software and electronics as "tobacco products."

Gee, I wonder why?  Can't have little Suzy at school with a "tobacco product" now can we?  Oh wait, it's supposed to be a phone but it's a tobacco product.

Instead of whining about the law, turn the law against itself. 

Turn the law against physically similar products to make the vendors of those products an ally.

Take things to their logical, legal conclusion: Require the ban all all frosting flavoring.  Make the baking and Glade plug-in people work for us by roping their products into the ban.

It works.

I believe that I did it and I believe that someone other there can do it too.

Vaperatti: Who Owns the THC Fail?

I am intrigued by this leafly.com article (right) that tracks the path of illicit vapes from China to some kids' lungs in a hospital or on a coroner's slab in the USA.

The interesting part is two fold.

First, how much "government" is not involved along the way.  From customs, to health inspectors, to local business tax law, and so on. 

Clearly, in reading through the article, the State of California is responsible for a major portion of this debacle.  LA's "skid row," for example, is a major source of materials for the problem: fake boxes, "honey cut," and so on.

Second, I have learned from parsing through a lot of Facebook that "legal" THC vape carts are not necessarily that great in terms of quality.  Various folks complaining of "breathing problems" after using "government sponsored" THC vape carts.  I wonder what these are cut with (see "Honey Cut" in the leafly.com article).

So where is the "vaping leadership" on government's failure to even notice the THC problems? 

Clearly the folks selling this stuff on LA's skid row are worried about it.  But California isn't.

Why not call this out?

Why not point out that "government" - the very people taking your vaping rights away - are responsible for allowing this in the first place?

In my experience vape people are reasonably diligent in checking the quality of what they make and sell.

California can ban "flavors" yet lets LA's skid row run unimpeded, unregulated and uncontrolled.

Why isn't anyone asking about "Honey Cut?"

In fact, what is being used in "legal" THC vape carts?

Yet our "vaperatti" don't call this out...

Don't ask these questions.

There's a clear link between THC carts and injury and death.

Yet we don't exploit it.

Hence we are the victims.

Lower, now, then smokers who at least are wise enough to use something safer than vaping.