LockerK
5166
Ok, I’ve been convinced that the extra bureaucracy of figuring out who “needs” it isn’t worth the time right now - along with those who do really need it but would be too stubborn to ask for help falling through the cracks. So sure, roll it out to everyone and we can worry about scaling back later as needed.
A few extra donations to our favorite charities of choice would do some good.
Oghier
5167
Honestly, I can’t imagine a better way to spend the money. In addition to any economic stimulus these payments may cause, they’ll prevent us from having freaking riots when people start to starve.
Nobody makes it through this OK if the grocery stores get looted.
If this UBI program carries on for more than a couple months we will never get rid of it. And that will certainly be interesting.
Quaro
5169
Yes. This is one of those situations where every day it’s delayed or every bit of of extra bureaucracy that hangs it up has a huge cost. They need something immediate, even if it’s less than this amount and the rest is means tested.
I’m seeing so many children in Discord chat talk about their extremely high risk parents are forced to work in very public crowded settings because they can’t afford to just not work, or the mother works in a restaurant which just just shut down and there’s no timeframe where they will reopen so they have zero income and they don’t know what to do. And it’s the KID freaking asking if there’s anything they can do or someone to call about their family and parent situation. Breaking my heart. Just write a check RIGHT NOW. Just fucking DO IT.
Matt_W
5171
Some goods aren’t going to be produced because the virus makes it impossible. A reduced pool of goods with a massive injection of cash is going to cause inflation. I mean I hope we’re just going to fill up the demand collapse, but I fear we’ll see inflation skyrocket, then the Fed will chase it with interest rates, then the housing and credit markets will collapse (helped along by moratoriums on collections) and we’ll be back in recession anyway. I’m in favor of shoring people up, and even of spending massive amounts to do so, but we’re flailing, acting without careful consideration of consequences.
If you figure that it will only be available to adults over the age of 18 and under the age of 70, it’s probably $280 billion per month. Still lots of money, but if they cap it at two or three months…
(My quick math: There are 209 million people over the age of 18 in the US. 60 million of those are over the age of 70 and eligible for social security. But if they don’t put an age cap on it, then it’s closer to 418 billion.)
Menzo
5174
Any test at scale is going to be swabs and not blood. Drawing clean blood is very, very difficult, and shipping it is harder. Almost certainly more difficult than jamming a swab up your nose.
All those drive-up tests in other countries are swabs.
Oghier
5175
I believe it’s a swab test, not blood. They’re also collecting spit and sputum, but the FDA hasn’t approved those tests yet. Evidently, the biggest swab manufacturer is in Italy (because of forking course it is), so we’re soon looking at a swab shortage.
Oghier
5176
OK, is there any evidence to support a reasonable-best-case scenario in which this thing is in control within three months?
No idea. But you can certainly re-evaluate in that time.
Oghier
5178
I assume that trials and scaling up manufacturing will go a lot faster for drugs already in use for other purposes. But most of my medical knowledge comes from watching every episode of House ;)
Quaro
5181
Serology tests (to find people to keep society going) and rapid diagnosis + antiviral interventions (of existing drugs) could all be done on a 2 or 3 month timeline. Add 3 more months for newly tweaked antivirals if nothing we already have works.
If we could actually get a mask culture going and make enough, that might allow us to open quite a bit too.
Rent protections introduced, evictions banned.
- Emergency legislation to suspend new evictions from social or private rented accommodation while this national emergency is taking place
- No new possession proceedings through applications to the court to start during the crisis
- Landlords will also be protected as 3 month mortgage payment holiday is extended to Buy to Let mortgages
Then you know that the scientists have likely missed some simple bit of information, and Covid is probably cured with a simple pill of vitamin b6 :)
Alstein
5184
This is why we have to get this to happen. UBI would change America for the better massively.
Kinda a reverse Shock Doctrine.
MrTibbs
5185
“I’ve been increasingly concerned visitors to New Zealand are not adequately self-isolating or refusing not to and that is an unacceptable risk that we must end,” she told media.
Some exceptions to the rule will remain in place.
“A small number of exemptions will remain around the Pacific Islands, especially those who must travel here for humanitarian reasons,”
Fiji and Samoa had their first confirmed cases today, too.
Each of these “mail a check” plans seem woefully short on details, which doesn’t instill much confidence in me that any will see the required votes and signatures. I like the general idea, but right now it just seems like PR exercises to me.
ShivaX
5187
Iowa did the same and we have less than that.
Also local businesses even out here in the relative sticks are taking it very seriously. The bank no longer does business inside without an appointment. The local grocery store cut it’s hours so they’d have more time to clean (this one I’m iffy on, it makes it harder to get in when things aren’t busy). Hell gas stations aren’t allowing people to use reusable coffee mugs.
Little shit to be sure for the most part, but they’re not laughing about how it’s all a hoax or anything. They’re taking action almost across the board.
Reynolds saw where things were going and dropped us straight into no school, no gatherings, etc even though the state as a whole has like 20 case or something (and most are from the cruise ship as I understand it). So good on her for once.
