‘These decisions they are making today will have long-lasting consequences for the economic opportunities and the prosperity of their citizens for many years to come…’
(Claire Russel, Liberty Headlines) As states begin to transition toward reopening, it is becoming increasingly clear which governors managed the coronavirus health crisis well, and which ones did not.
Taking into account the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak in each state, along with the economic impact accompanying statewide shutdowns, the conservative nonprofit FreedomWorks released a report card grading each governor’s response.
“We believe that every governor is making a good faith effort to weigh the risks of the health of their citizens versus the economic well-being of their state,” FreedomWorks stated in its analysis.
“No governor wants to impoverish their citizens. No governor wants to see any of their citizens get ill or even die,” it continued. “But these decisions they are making today will have long-lasting consequences for the economic opportunities and the prosperity of their citizens for many years to come.”
Only one Democratic governor, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, received an “A.”
Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and controversial Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, both received “F’s.”
New York’s politically ambitious glory-hound Gov. Andrew Cuomo received a “C,” and California’s nanny-state Gov. Gavin Newsom received a “D.”
Alongside several Republican governors, Polis was credited with balancing the immediate needs of his state’s citizens and their long-term economic interests. He began to reopen Colorado’s businesses last week and allowed hospitals to move forward with “nonessential” procedures.
Polis’s argument has been that the state needs to transition to a more sustainable level of social distancing, and long-term shutdowns are anything but sustainable given their disastrous economic effects, he explained.
Murphy received an “F” for dismissing the legitimate, constitutional concerns of his citizens while refusing to give an end date for the state’s stay-at-home order. He has continually pushed back the reopening date, claiming that “there will be blood on our hands” if he lifts the order too soon.
Northam also received an “F” for prematurely extending the state’s shelter-in-place order till mid-June without any real reason to do so. This grade could change over the next week, however, since Northam announced on Tuesday that he will allow businesses to begin to reopen on May 15.
Cuomo and Newsom, two of the most outspoken governors throughout the crisis, received lower grades because of the skyrocketing unemployment in each state. New York’s unemployment numbers increased by 2225.63%, according to FreedomWorks’s report, and California’s increased by 1693.91%.
Neither governor has lifted the state’s shelter-in-place orders. In fact, Newsom just extended California’s until June 1.
Surprisingly, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, who has been considered the most authoritarian of all state executives during the crisis, also received a “D.”
Whitmer blatantly disregarded the will of the state legislature in extending her draconian orders last week, even as armed protesters stormed the state capitol in Lansing.
“Whether you agree with me or not, I’m working to protect your life if you live in the state of Michigan,” she said during a Sunday appearance on CNN.
Whitmer is among presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden’s top picks for a vice-presidential running-mate—which could potentially usher her into the White House if the septuagenarian Biden were ever rendered unfit or incapacitated.