While NJ fails, these states are doing great (Opinion)

Florida, Texas, Alabama, Tennessee, South Dakota, Sweden, South Korea, Japan...just to name a few of the places almost fully back to normal. People are dining out, meeting friends at bars and working off the meal at a local gym. The economies in these states are coming back strong, unemployment is dropping, business is growing again and government revenue is on the rise. What a contrast to New Jersey.

In the Garden State, restaurants continue to suffer and students remain isolated, distant and guilty based on the fear and panic among adults, certainly nothing grounded in science.

It’s Day 325 of 15 days to stop the spread. Nearly zero cases from people going to restaurants reported across the nation. People are inside, eating, without masks, talking, coughing, chewing, all the things people do when they go out to eat and drink. Yet New Jersey limits capacity to a profit-crushing 25%. Instead of fighting like hell, the GOP opposition is asking for a couple hours on Sunday. It’s hard to watch. Beyond the destruction of our restaurant industry, there's the disaster that has become our public schools.

How are your kids doing with isolation learning in the ongoing "remote captivity," which has become our public schools?

Beyond the documented safety of in-person learning and the dangers of remote isolation, New Jersey continues to bow to corrupt NJEA leaders and weak superintendents.

New Jersey is failing miserably when it comes to small business and education. The rest of the nation started to get back to normal six months ago. And they did it without the need for a vaccine.

Even in New Jersey, as of Wednesday, Feb. 3, according to our morning news anchor Eric Scott, approximately 681,000 people have received the full vaccination. That's less than 8% of New Jersey residents and less than 15% of the governor's goal of 4.7 million people. Yet, the rate of transmission had dropped below "1" all summer long. Even when the rate of transmission was higher than 1, meaning each person with the virus would spread it to more than one other person, there was no need to worry as the survival rate for most people is around 99.8%. Beyond that, we know that there are precautions and even treatments available, which will prevent most people from needing a visit to the hospital, even if they are old and sick in the first place.

So what is going in in New Jersey?

The entire public policy of the "lockdown," which I contend is not just immoral but totally illegal based on even the loosest interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, was about "freeing up medical facilities." We never had an overrun on our hospitals, never ran out of equipment, had ample treatment drugs, kept extra medical supplies boxed up, sent the temporary hospitals packing and even saw medical staff furloughed. All the while, the rate of transmission fell and the rate of survival stayed north of 99%.

The entire lockdown policy is about control and government power. The incompetent and ignorant GOP opposition in Trenton have never questioned the metrics. The legislative leaders are now pushing to open restaurants for an hour longer on Sunday so they can have customers stay through the Super Bowl. This is the equivalent of a kid asking mom or dad to stay up for an extra five minutes at bedtime.

You have been betrayed. Betrayed by corrupt Democrats in power and weak Republicans who have done nothing to stop it. You have also been betrayed by the cowards who refuse to recognize the absurdity of being afraid of a virus like this and continue to buy into the media fearmongering. How much more will you take?

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.