‘Ask Me Anything': NJ shutdown & continuing financial crisis

We had a lively conversation on Facebook Live this week, covering everything from the hypocrisy from Governor Murphy to the very real crisis of our state finances. Questions ranged from everything from how the state should restructure debt to a drastic change in how we fund pension and health benefits for government workers.

What was interesting to me was the change in tone and questions regarding the health crisis, that is clearly over. Since February, I’ve been advocating against a shutdown, recognizing that many top epidemiologists were using actual science to show how fast the virus was spreading and how many people would get it regardless of what we did as a society. Even Judy Persichilli, NJ’s Health Commissioner, said publicly that we would all eventually get it.

Despite these facts, Judy ordered long term care facilities and nursing homes to admit and re-admit patients who were positive for the virus. If there was any group which should have been isolated and infected people quarantined away from healthy people, you’d think the nursing homes would have topped that list. Instead government did exactly the opposite and approximately 6,000 of our friends, parents, grandparents and siblings lost their lives.

The reality for our state and our country is that until people decide they are no longer scared of the virus, things won’t return to normal. Outside of people in a vulnerable category, health compromised and elderly, most people will be mildly affected, if at all, even if they get it. Even the WHO has admitted it is very RARE for an asymptomatic person to spread the virus.

So yes, it’s time to put down the mask and start gathering with friends and family and strangers at our malls and retail stores. Bottom line is we are trending toward normal. When I first started talking about the panic and fear being worse than the virus, our Facebook Live conversations were dominated by haters and panickers. Now as more people see the truth, the conversation has flipped and most of the comments are in support of reopening and getting back to normal.

Join me every Tuesday at 10am on Facebook LIVE and ask me any questions you have about New Jersey  - Facebook.com/NJ1015

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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