We start from where we are.
Trump has set the “rules” of how the nation is addressing COVID19, and the result is market based mayhem. But themz the rules, we don’t get a choice in the matter.
So let’s be smart about how we use them.
With strong ties to domestic and international trade the blue states are the first to bear the brunt of the pandemic. The top 4 as of today are NY, NJ, CA, and WA. These states are also in the top 10 per capita income taxes paid.
COVID and Per Capita Fed Tax
State |
COVID Rank |
Income Tax Rank |
NY |
1 |
4 |
NJ |
2
|
5 |
CA |
3 |
7 |
WA |
4 |
6 |
|
|
|
Put bluntly, these states are subsidizing a Federal government that has abandoned them. It is time for them to band together to use their buying power to create a more equitable outcome for everyone across the whole country.
We are out of time for the Federal government to get its act together.
Designate a Crisis Manager, do group purchasing using their economic power as a group, then allocate resources to where they are the most needed. Allow any state to join under these rules. And importantly, as Cuomo promised, pass resources along to other states (red and blue) when things are under control in the co-op states.
Based on observed behavior we can’t trust Trump and his team. It is probable they will put their thumb on the scales for Red States when they do get around to allocating resources — they don’t see Blue State citizens as fully American. Worse, I’m pretty sure Trump is exercising his Ukrainian strategy to extort these desperate states for personal gain. He did it to an ally at war, he’ll do it here.
I wish we had a strong Federal response to coordinate our national health and safety. But we do not. We have to act on our own in smart ways that keep us all safer.