Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

Everyday we hear of governors going on TV and stating all the things the Federal government isn’t doing. Many also let us know, because there is no national leadership, they are each bidding against one another for needed supplies to treat COVID-19. There is a National Governors Association to which I believe all governors belong currently headed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. With this organization, why are they competing against one another?

I will admit I’m growing weary of them complaining every day and not taking action to solve issues. They all, and yes I mean all governors, know the man in the Oval Office is not going to do anything to help save us.

Questions I have had are:

• Why have they not taken action as a team to save all U.S. citizens?
• Why do they continue to bid against one another?
• Why have they not created their own database and supply chain, and begun to ship equipment where it is most needed at this moment in time (I know some states have begun to do this now on a limited basis)?
• Why have they not taken direct action to make companies switch to making, with supports from state governments, face masks, swabs, and other much needed personal protection equipment and ventilators?
• Why did individual states not purchase tests directly from the World Health Organization?
• Why aren’t they just plain old cooperating, coordinating and supporting one another?
• Why have they not intercepted and confiscated medical equipment companies are shipping out of the country, and then pay the companies fair market value for said equipment, then get it to where it needs to go due to medical need?

Other wonderings include:

Is it more politically expedient to complain rather than act?

Are they afraid whomever begins to lead cooperation will get all the credit?

Do they not have anyone in any of the 50 states who can handle logistics?

Are they not able to cooperate when what affects one state affects all states?

Any governor(s) out there have answers to any of these questions?

My advice, for what it’s worth, is stop competing, stop complaining, and take action as a team and as our leaders (and stop kowtowing to #45). In the absence of national leadership, we need state and local leadership to step up, now more than ever, and sooner rather than later.