COURIER L 12 IFE, AUG. 28-SEPT. 3, 2020
OPINION
Let us choose how we want to live
De Blasio needs a lesson from his
teachers on school reopenings
We’re not too far away
from the start of another
school year for
New York City’s students,
but no one can honestly say
they know what will happen
this year or even what’s going
on right now.
I’m a childless 30-something
and no education expert
(disclosure: my father
is a retired professor of education),
but it seems clear to
me that throughout the pandemic
and especially this
summer, the parents and
the teachers have understood
the situation better
and reacted faster than the
teachers union, which in
turn has reacted faster than
Bill de Blasio’s mayoral administration.
It’s sort of incredible to
me that this city made it
through six years of his lethargy
before encountering a
major crisis. Maybe that period
when all the cops were
turning their backs on him
was also a crisis, though
— if so, much smaller than
what we are in now. In private,
Mayor de Blasio’s
aides seem to dwell mostly
in reality, but they must be
totally unable to reach him
in his filter bubble on his
circuit of Gracie Mansion
to motorcade to City Hall
to Prospect Park. To his
credit, Mayor de Blasio submits
to interviews from major
journalists every week.
Frankly, that’s how we’ve
been able to gauge how out
of touch he is.
This column was supposed
to be about education,
not the mayor’s incompetence,
but unfortunately he
runs the schools here ever
since Bloomberg decided at
the dawn of the century that
was a good idea. (In normal
times, it probably is.) After
parents, teachers, and politicians
called on Mayor de
Blasio for months, he finally
agreed that schools could
plan classes outside, but
gave the schools only a week
to get such plans in order.
Just like the whole school
reopening process, results
are haphazardly planned
and grossly unequal.
New York exceptionalism,
the cause of so many
deaths this year, still reigns
supreme, though it now
comes with a hard lesson
and better evidence. For
many months now, we’ve
had a markedly lower positive
coronavirus rate than
almost everywhere else in
the country. So perhaps it is
okay or even good that unlike
most other large public
school districts, New York
City plans to continue to offer
some in-classroom instruction
to students who
desire it. But not much inclass
instruction. And it’s
not at all clear staying open
will end up being a good
idea.
For Mayor de Blasio and
his Department of Education’s
strategy to work, they
must be extremely vigilant
and rapid in closing
schools that turn into viral
hotspots.
Have they ever given us
any indication that vigilance
and rapidity are concepts
they understand?
Nick Rizzo is a Democratic
District Leader representing
the 50th Assembly
District and a political consultant
who lives in Greenpoint.
Follow him on Twitter
@NickRizzo.
WORDS OF
RIZZDOM
Nick Rizzo
In my opinion, Democrats
are using the coronavirus
outbreak as an opportunity
to exert iron-fi sted control over
our personal freedoms and
businesses, while also using it
to try and take down President
Donald Trump in November.
For example, Gov. Andrew
Cuomo’s executive orders tell
us exactly what types of “substantial
foods” must be ordered
at restaurants and bars in order
to be served alcohol. Sometimes
one just wants to grab a
beer without being forced to
buy food also.
His reason is that it helps
prevent people from congregating
just to drink together.
However, the gov stays mum on
mass protesters congregating
to march through our streets.
And now, Gov. Cuomo and
Mayor Bill de Blasio insist
there is no time frame for indoor
dining to return to New
York City. Hizzoner says it may
not be until a vaccine is available.
How many more vacant
storefronts and unemployed
New Yorkers this will lead to is
anyone’s guess.
We can’t go to ball games,
Broadway shows, or any other
event that keeps Americans
thriving and millions employed.
I understand the precautions,
but at some point we have
to make a choice in how we want
to live. Do we want be in seclusion
and fear, or do we want
to return to normalcy, with
proper safeguards for the most
vulnerable citizens threatened
by this virus — specifi cally seniors,
and those with pre-existing
conditions? My hunch is
more Americans are now leaning
towards the latter.
Whenever President Trump
offers hope for effective treatments,
he is lambasted by the
press and the Democrats. It
seems like they do not want any
progress on this front until after
Election Day.
We all recall the attacks
President Trump took for touting
Hydroxychloroquine as an
effective treatment, including
from New York City Democrats.
However, Queens Councilman
Paul Vallone, a Democrat, said
it saved his life after a near-fatal
battle with the virus.
He told The New York Post,
“I couldn’t breathe, very weak,
couldn’t get out of bed. My doctor
prescribed it. My pharmacy
had it. Took it that day and
within two to three days I was
able to breathe. Within a week I
was back on my feet.”
Of course, there were crickets
in response from other local
Democrats. You would think
they would be happy that his
life was saved — but it would
mean saying maybe President
Trump was right. This was not
an option.
Just this week, POTUS announced
that the federal Food
and Drug Administration
(FDA) has issued an emergency
authorization for convalescent
plasma to be used against the
coronavirus. You would think
this would be good news, too.
Not to Democrats.
Once again, epitomizing
the Democratic response,
Brooklyn Councilman Justin
Brannan offered conspiracy
theories tweeting, “FDA was
unwilling to green light convalescent
plasma just a few
days ago. Now, on the eve of
the Republican National Convention…
Commissioner issues
emergency authorization.”
If President Trump did
push the FDA to cut some red
tape to potentially save American
lives we should applaud
him for it. Something tells me
that if a President Joe Biden
did the same thing he would
be hailed as a conquering hero
by these same naysayers criticizing
the president today.
Bob Capano has worked
for Brooklyn Republican and
Democrat elected offi cials, and
has been an adjunct political
science professor for over 15
years. Follow him on twitter @
bobcapano
Editor’s Note: The effectiveness
in treating COVID-19 and
lasting effects of convalescent
plasma and Hydroxychloroquine
remain undetermined.
They are not yet proven cures
for COVID-19.
THE RIGHT
VIEW
Bob Capano