— from the Office of Governor Jay Inslee —
Today, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced an agreement on a shared vision for reopening their economies and controlling COVID-19 into the future.
Joint statement from the governors:
COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities.
We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business.
While each state is building a state-specific plan, our states have agreed to the following principles as we build out a West Coast framework:
- Our residents’ health comes first. As home to one in six Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the West Coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19.
- Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions. Modifications to our states’ stay at home orders must be made based off our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities —particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This effort will be guided by data. We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this.
- Our states will only be effective by working together. Each state will work with its local leaders and communities within its borders to understand what’s happening on the ground and adhere to our agreed-upon approach.
Through quick and decisive action, each of our states has made significant progress in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19 among the broader public. Now, our public health leaders will focus on four goals that will be critical for controlling the virus in the future.
- Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected. This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
- Ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions. This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.
- Mitigating the non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.
- Protecting the general public by ensuring any successful lifting of interventions includes the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating. The states will work together to share best practices.
COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries. It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.
In the coming days the governors, their staff and health officials will continue conversations about this regional pact to recovery.
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The WHO has set the following as their 6 conditions for re-opening an economy–
Any government that wants to start lifting restrictions, said Tedros of WHO, must first meet six conditions:
1. Disease transmission is under control
2. Health systems are able to “detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact”
3. Hot spot risks are minimized in vulnerable places, such as nursing homes
4. Schools, workplaces and other essential places have established preventive measures
5. The risk of importing new cases “can be managed”
6. Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/15/834021103/who-sets-6-conditions-for-ending-a-coronavirus-lockdown
1. Northeast and Left Coast coalitions offer a teachable moment to compare market based recovery results to “progressive” social agenda driven results.
2. Lives vs liberty. Over the course of our history hundreds of thousands of Americans have sacrificed their lives, hundreds of thousands more have been injured and millions have pledged their lives in defense of our constitution and liberties. Freedom isn’t free, so are we still willing to pay any price, bear any burden and meet any hardship in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty?
3. Our constitution allows suspension of Habeas Corpus only in time of war. It makes no provision for denying any of our other rights, and they cannot be deprived under “color of law” arising from subordinate law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom. So if Inslee and Jordan refuse to retract their illegal directives, will we the people be compelled to take back our freedom in Federal Court?
4. Taking back our freedom; filing a criminal complaint with DOJ Civil Rights Division and as a class file for injunctive relief in the US District Court:
• United States Constitution, Article VI, Clause 2 “the Supremacy Clause”: “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States [and Treaties] which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; . . . . shall be the supreme Law of the Land.”
• Marbury vs. Madison provides that “a legislative act contrary to the constitution is not law”
• Recent proclamations and orders by public officials that contravene our privileges and immunities under the appearance of legal power therefore are not legal.
• 18 U.S.C. § 241 and 242 make it a (federal) crime for any person to conspire against or deprive from any person those rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States
•
• 42 U.S.C. § 1983 establishes standing in federal court for individuals deprived of rights under color of law to seek civil remedy; injunctive relief and/or damages, and holds liable every person who, under color of law, may cause or contribute to such injury.
• Federal courts have construed “color of any law” to include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the bounds or limits of their lawful authority, but also acts done without and beyond the bounds of their lawful authority. In order for unlawful acts of any official to be done under “color of any law,” the unlawful acts must be done while such official is purporting or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. In addition to law enforcement officials, this definition includes Governors, Mayors, Council persons, Judges, Nursing Home Proprietors, Security Guards, etc.
• 18 U.S.C. § 241, 242 and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, originate in the 1964 Civil Right
Phil, the legal route seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to, besides those pesky liberals might just shut you down. My suggestion is to exercise those freedoms! Round up as many fellow red hats as you can find and protest…loudly…in a very small group…making sure to get a nice even distribution of airborne particulate. After all freedom isn’t free.
Personally, I ‘m enjoying the lock down. Gives us lefties time to recoup and breathe better air. It is, however, having some rather pernicious effects of human behavior and I was sure, when I walked into the usually fully staffed and affable drug store in town I had encountered a Zapitista checkpoint and immediately got out my ID.
I am not sure from these missives just what freedom Mr Peterson is being denied but I went to the mainland yesterday and the tulips bloom as before. No militias were encountered.
Darn: for a moment, i thought all 3 states’ governors were agreeing to secede from the Union. :D
i’m confused, both by this article and what it is actually saying, and by the comments. Would someone please translate what this actually means?
Sadie,
My interpretation of the above is; When the maximum leader says snap to, then the spasm of thought goes ‘viral’ (excuse the expression) then the minions in the far provinces sound the alarm.
While I could use a haircut and a sauna right now, I believe Mr Peterson is looking for the ‘freedom’ to serve, not the freedom to be.
Jay Inslee – watch your back.
B. Sadie Bailey, if only, where do I put my name down for that option?!
My take, in a nut shell, Cascadia (WA,OR,CA) have aligned to ensure actual science based data, and widespread testing/tracking will be used as metrics for determining when and how restrictions will be lifted so we don’t end up with massive flare-ups going into fall and winter. Phil apparently thinks current restrictions/mandated social distancing are an illegal attack against our freedumbs and that we should all be willing to get sick and die so our economy can flourish or something. Anyway, that’s just my take on it, YMMV.
Ms. Baily,
The article addresses political parameters for re-opening an economy that was closed by illegal means. My comments illustrate how the stay at home / essential service order and county travel restrictions violate the law and how the law can be used to force politics aside and open our economy before it collapses.
Last year I completed construction of a new home after four years of work with local island crafts and tradesmen, but I have a number of finishing tasks to do. My friends, the folks I worked with have been ordered not to help me or even work to earn their way as they choose. But off island contractors can continue to come here daily after exposure on the mainland and work on Aprils Grave.
In addition I can’t get materials I need to complete tasks because many suppliers are shuttered and the sales reps I knew are no longer employed. So although I too can use a haircut, my greater goal is to see the concern in my friends eyes replaced by pride in their work.
Phil, I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to have to temporarily postpone the completion of your new(2nd?) home, you are truly one of the hardest hit by this tragedy…
No not second home, dream home, or have dreams been outlawed too? The sad thing is our ostensibly well-educated island population is so appallingly ignorant of civics, economics and statistics, all courses I had to take as an architecture major. Collectively you may be a veritable well of academic and theoretical expertise and opinion, but you exhibit no practical experience and no common sense.
Don’t flatter yourselves, as a civil libertarian I may be the only liberal here. As an admirer of Alan Dershowitz I can empathize with his disappointment as you lefties turned on him, but that results from your bigotry (look it up).
Anyone know where I can get one of those red hats?
Oh, my, you can cite Section 1983 and so on, but you ignore the fact that the Governors have the right to take drastic action in the realm of public health. Which of your rights is being violated, exactly? What are you unable to do?
Absolutely nothing that you’ve posted provides any basis for a legal complaint. Any such lawsuit would be dismissed immediately. What right is being violated? Just as you have the right to free speech, it’s not absolute; hence, defamation laws and the prohibition against using speech to endanger others. You have the right to arms, but not a machine gun or anti-tank missile. I’m not sure where you derive the right to employ others to work on your house during a health emergency.
P.S. Our economy was not “closed.” You can go to the grocery store or order something to be delivered to Ace Hardware. You can buy food at restaurants and sell things on eBay. Hundreds of thousands of key personnel are working to keep our infrastructure and health care system running.
The argument that “government has a compelling interest” has been used historically to circumvent civil liberties. The sections cited were enacted to temper that practice by interjecting judicial review. Reason compels balancing projected deaths with a population of 330 million, 22 million of whom were thrown out of work in the last three weeks:
• 2.2 million deaths: Compelling interest? Definitely
• 240,000 deaths: Compelling interest? Yes
• 90,000 deaths: Compelling interest? Maybe
• 50,000 deaths; Compelling interest? Probably Not
To be fair UW projections were based on best available, but highly inaccurate data. But a more reasonable metric would be the recovery rate now estimated at 98% balanced against the current unemployment forecast of 20%, i.e. an artificial replication of the great depression.
A “shared approach for reopening our economies” is announced from which I inferred that they were closed, my mistake. But to get to the heart of it “an injury to one is an injury to all”.
Governor Inslee specifically ordered all construction activities to cease, except for essential projects. There is absolutely no technical or PPE difference between an allowed project, Aprils Grave, and any other residential or light commercial project in this county. The only difference is that the allowed project has a desirable social (political) application, but the announcement states that politics will not guide decisions. The arbitrarily and capriciously determination of what is “essential” deprives building trade unions, contractors and craftsperson’s of equal protection and employment opportunities. My observation is that these groups, as a class, should proactively seek injunctive relief.
Ms. Manning,
You are correct, I have no complaint.It took awhile to figure out what you were referring to. My comment “the folks I worked with have been ordered not to help me or even work to earn their way as they choose” alludes to their employability, not my need. I’m confident that a good civil rights attorney can construct a viable case for injured parties in short order.
To clarify I have the material, equipment, skill and ability to complete all tasks myself. My greater logistical concern is the survivability of my suppliers and the supply chain, but I can work around that in the near term while working at/from home in compliance with dictates from Olympia.
Thank you for the critique and the opportunity to clarify my posts. Be Well!
If, in fact, construction at April’s Grove is designated essential, then I admit, I am confused.