Gov. Lujan Grisham’s amended Public Health Order announced today defies logic and suggests that she’s making panicked changes by throwing darts at a dartboard. We all want New Mexicans to be safe and healthy, but the governor’s moves now are not only inequitable but illogical.
As her economy collapses before her eyes, Gov. Lujan Grisham now decides to reverse course and again stop dine-in service at the state’s restaurants. This, as more than 210 eateries in New Mexico have already shut down permanently. Does she think hurting more businesses in New Mexico is the answer, when she has allowed protests in our streets and thousands of other people literally rubbing elbows in aisles at Walmarts and Targets?
Where’s social distancing there?
Again, there’s no equity or logic to the governor’s decisions: now some businesses must remained closed, others at 25% capacity and others at 50%. There’s no fairness, and her one-size fits all decisions regarding COVID-19 are killing the state’s economy. She bases her actions on “science” but here is the science reported daily that shows accurate measurements.
Remember, New Mexico’s mortality rate is falling, and stands at 3.7% South Dakota, which has chosen to remain open all these months has a mortality rate of 1.3%. Think about that.
“The governor’s amended order today continues to hurt the little guy and the main streets of our state,” said Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce. “People again can’t go inside a restaurant, but they can crowd the aisles at big-box stores that are taking New Mexico’s hard-earned dollars out of state. So this is okay now? The governor’s Order makes no sense, and our citizens are paying the price. Many will never recover. The governor doesn’t have any real answers, no concrete strategy to this serious economic crisis.”
