Essential Pay & Protections for Essential Workers

Thank You Essential Workers 

Inspired by the words of Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor:

• Delivery drivers and truckers are ALWAYS essential.
• Farm workers are ALWAYS essential.
• First responders are ALWAYS essential.
• Grocery store workers are ALWAYS essential.
• Nurses, doctors and medical personnel are ALWAYS essential.
• Postal workers are ALWAYS essential.
• Billionaires are not.

Parents of school aged children would likely add teachers to list of essential workers, especially after weeks of home schooling.

Greg and I have always shown appreciation to workers in the service industry, always been good tippers and courteous customers. Now more than ever we appreciate each and every person along the supply chain bringing food and supplies to local grocery stores and restaurants.

Doctors, nurses, and all the medical staff working tirelessly to save lives are human super heroes, as are police, fire, and EMT crews. Special thanks also to postal workers and personnel at FedEx, UPS and other delivery businesses. Let’s not take for granted utility workers, garbage collectors and other unsung workers who make all our lives better.

In addition to better pay and safer working conditions, essential workers deserve respect. As essential employees, most of them don’t have a choice whether or not to work. Some have already contracted and recovered from COVID-19, and some have died. We owe them all, each and every one, our heartfelt gratitude for their dedication and sacrifices.

Essential workers have been in the news a lot since the economy slowed down. Top headlines include:

• Alicia Keys thanked front line essential workers with “Good Job” song.  
• Amazon told investors profits will be spent on safety measures for workers and customers. 
• Bezos called to testify before Congress over misleading businesses practices.  
• Careless customers are biggest threat to store employees.
• CNN investigated safety measures at grocery store cash registers.
• Daily Show host Trevor Noah pays salary of furloughed crew during shutdown.
• Economic shut down and forced unemployment: Is it a blessing or a curse?
• May day protestors want better safety protections, working conditions, and pay.
• NY Gov Cuomo responded to pro-reopen reporter, explained death is worse than economic suffering; encouraged unemployed to apply for essential jobs. 
• OH Senator Sherrod Brown supports pandemic premium pay and health protections for all front line workers.  
• Poor are getting poorer as creditors pursue debts during coronavirus crisis.
• Poor People’s Campaign calls for moral response to crisis; online march June 20.
• Senators introduced Paycheck Security Act to ensure workers maintain health insurance and keep getting paid until the pandemic subsides.
• Problems with online unemployment applications led to long lines for paper filers.
• Trash collectors overwhelmed by rising amount of household garbage.
• Veteran truck driver described chaos.
• Walmart gave over $500 million in bonuses to employees.

In a tale of two economies, Main Street is experiencing the pandemic very differently from Wall Street.

30 million Americans have filed for unemployment assistance within the past 6 weeks, erasing all job growth since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Analysts believe the true number of unemployed is actually higher. A survey conducted in mid-April by the Economic Policy Institute found that for every 10 people who successfully filed a claim for unemployment insurance, three to four tried to file but were unable to get through the system. In addition, two more didn't try to apply for UI at all because it was too difficult. 

Meanwhile Wall Street recently capped its best week since 1974 after the Federal Reserve announced emergency steps to release $2.3 trillion into the economy last month. Billionaires continue to get richer during the COVID-19 crisis while most people suffer. 

Now corporate lobbyists are pressuring republicans to shield companies from lawsuits as they reopen. Democrats, labor unions and trial attorneys oppose liability shields for businesses. Riddle me this: If it’s truly safe to reopen and for people to go back to work, then why would employers need immunity from litigation? That don’t make no sense.

Enough is enough. It’s time for significant reforms to protect workers, not just corporations. Thankfully November 2020 is only 6 months away.

In the spirit of sharing softer news and/or silly vibes:

• Jim Gaffigan shared distance learning lessons. 
• Parks and Rec cast reunited online to sing 5,000 Candles in the Wind.
• Trump and China: on again off again love story for the ages.

Daily pandemic update:  

Australia, India, and Malaysia are among countries in Asia that will begin to ease parts of their lock down. Several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon have lifted partial lock downs but bans on public gatherings remain in place. Despite there being between 8 and 11 vaccine candidates in early stages of testing in China, the US, Britain and Germany, the global hunt for a vaccine will most likely take longer than expected, researchers said.  Aljazeera.com timeline

4 May 2020	Cases		Deaths		Recovered
7:24 GMT*	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today
World	3,506,398	3,567,561	245,193	248,346	1,129,810	1,157,275
US	1,161,109	1,188,421	67,448	68,602	173,725	178,594
NY	319,213	323,883	24,368	24,648	50,567	52,791
CT	29,287	29,287	2,436	2,495	65	65
NC	11,579	11,743	430	432	1,808	1,808

*Documenting time of day because real time data updates continuously.
Tracking specific states:  NY is US epicenter, son Reid lives in CT, and I live in NC. 
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/     https://www.coronainusa.com/  

A moment of silence for those we’ve lost to coronavirus, including the first 100 in the US.

In the news:  

• AP Fact Check: multiple examples of misinformation during Trump interview at Lincoln Memorial.  
• China-US rivalry was explained by Ian Bremmer, USA Today.
• CNN’s Don Lemon rhetorically asked Trump why he hates Obama.
• India saluted coronavirus heroes by air, land, and sea.
• Invasive murder hornet spotted in Washington state, first confirmed US sightings. 
• Larry Kudlow defended Feb 25 claim that coronavirus was contained; said administration is on pause while considering additional stimulus relief. 
• Lawyer dressed as grim reaper protested reopening of FL beaches. Thousands protested CA beach closures. 
• Man arrested for trying to quarantine on private Disney island.
• Nicolle Wallace, a republican, believes the right is orchestrating a smear campaign against Biden.
• OK city nixed face mask rule after threats from angry citizens.
• #PastorTodd, #RelationshipGoals, #RipUpYourList and #TransformationChurch trended.
• Tractor Supply is outperforming Amazon in the US heartland.
• Trump claimed China made mistake with coronavirus, then tried to cover it up.
• UPenn Wharton model: reopening states could cause 233,000 more deaths.  

NC legislature unanimously passed $1.6 billion COVID-19 recovery plan. Two bipartisan bills were approved to spend federal funds on the following priorities:

• $125 million to expand a low-cost small-business loan fund run by Golden LEAF Foundation,
• $85 million for five universities for COVID-19 research and treatment,
• $95 million to help rural and teaching hospitals,
• $50 million to purchase personal protective equipment,
• $35 million to purchase computers for students and staff in K-12 public schools,
• $75 million to sustain school nutrition programs,
• $44 million for online summer school for the University of North Carolina system,
• $150 million to local governments, and
• $25 million to expand testing and tracing after DHHS releases more coronavirus data. 

  

Following Kenny Beck’s lead to share a few signs of hope:

• Cincinnati OH shoe store uses release of new Nikes to raise money for homeless children.
• GM and Ford lay out plans to restart US factories.
• Mattel toy company is launching #ThankYouHeroes action figures honoring front line essential workers.
• N95 mask inventor Peter Tsai came out of retirement to help researchers develop ways to disinfect and reuse masks.
• WI retired fire chief received ladder truck visit with family during cancer battle.

In my personal life…

May the Fourth Meme

Today is May the Fourth so I feel obliged to include at least one Star Wars meme. This one was chosen specifically with sister-friend Tonya in mind because she loves movies, especially big blockbuster fantasy flicks. And here’s a link to more May the Fourth memes for bonus entertainment.

My personal favorite film franchise is Planet of the Apes. The original 1968 Charlton Heston film is a beloved classic though the 1971 Escape from Planet of the Apes is my all time favorite. It explored the love story between Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter) when they time travelled to 1970s America, including the birth of their son Caesar (originally named Milo, in homage to Sal Mineo’s lab partner character). The 2001 remake by Tim Burton starring Mark Wahlberg was interesting but not quite franchise worthy despite stand-out performances by Helena Bonham Carter, Paul Giamatti and Tim Roth. I was initially skeptical of the 2011 reboot because of performance capture acting technology but Andy Serkis quickly won me over.

In the mid 1980s I won a Halloween costume contest dressed as an ape-human hybrid; wore a monkey mask, hands, and feet with human clothes. I am such a super fan of Planet of the Apes that I bought a painting by a local artist several years ago. Greg thinks it’s weird so it hangs behind our bedroom door; out of sight, out of mind. I have no regrets about it though. Just wish I could find the artist (Russell) to see what else he/she has painted.

Planet of the Apes fan art

In the garden I continue to pull weeds by hand and hoe. Greg, however, is tired of hoeing so he sprayed herbicide on the weeds in the driveway. Last year he used Roundup. This year he bought RM18 from Riverside Farm & Garden Supply here in Pfafftown. He left home in a hurry and forgot to take a mask; was the only person in the store without a mask, extra careful to keep a safe distance.

Son Austin was having intense stomach pains Sunday evening so he asked Greg to drive him to the hospital emergency room. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis. The ER doctor gave him fluids and medicine, along with a note to stay home from work for a few days.

After dropping Austin off at his apartment, Greg stopped at Taco Bell for a late night snack. He had been craving a Meximelt and attempted to hack an order since they are no longer on the regular menu. He also picked up two tacos and a burrito for me. #FavoriteHusband #CodependentFoodEnabler #YoQuieroTacoBell

We watched the season finale of Westworld together when he got home, right up until Spectrum Cable prematurely cut off the DVR. Grrrrrrrrr. I loathe Spectrum Cable, hate that company with a white hot passion much the same as John Oliver hates AT&T cellular phone service. We had AT&T U-verse at our Croydon home and it was soooooo much better than Spectrum. Unfortunately U-verse isn’t available where we live in Pfafftown. Anyway, I read about the Westworld season finale online so I would know what we missed in the second post credits scene. F.U. Spectrum. F.U. and the horse you rode in on.