Mitch McConnell’s preoccupation with release of any liability of corporations during this pandemic is dangerous in a marketplace rife with lies, denials, and corruption.
While the Democrats have passed the Heroes Act in May designed to help workers, local governments, and states with budgets woes, no one has staked out a “no” vote as starkly as Mitch McConnell. Weeks ago, when it was barely a twinkle in Nancy Pelosi’s eye, he asserted that “we can’t pass another bill unless we have liability protections.”
Democrats adamantly oppose removing a critical incentive for businesses to keep employees and communities safe. Meatpacking employment, anyone? Mr. McConnell is saying that the next round of COVID-19 relief should be based solely on this gift for his wealthy donors. In other words, when it comes to his donors, all the rest of us are expendable.
The Trump/McConnell approach to this pandemic is to force a “blitzkrieg” reboot of the economy and schools, and recklessly gamble on penniless states and municipalities “to go along, to get along.”
Trump/McConnell walking away from their responsibilities has pushed the burden of pandemic control onto states with budgets in crisis. Yet Republican leadership holds that states shouldn’t get a dime of additional aid unless they agree to liability reform. Extortion, anyone?
Don’t let the masks they’ve started to wear fool you.
Trump/McConnell’s goal is to break America’s lifesaving resolve. Federal inaction in the past 2 months has starved all the “expendables” and compelled governors and mayors fearing fiscal ruin and popular uprising to reopen. Just look at Florida, Texas, and Arizona, where reopening too soon has been a disaster!
Further, as Republicans see it, some business owners will hesitate to reopen if there’s a risk that “expendables” who catch COVID-19 on the job will sue them for failing to take reasonable safety precautions.
You’ll notice that the Republican call for liability protection is an admission that in hurrying back to re-open shops, offices, factories, showrooms, and schools – many more Americans will die.
It’s a signal that the risks of rushing to reopen will outweigh the rewards. If it were safe to reopen, Republicans wouldn’t need to use this signal to con us to accept the risks and deaths.
Here is one example of why corporations need to be held accountable. The General Manager of WPSDTV, Paxton Media Group and owners of many news outlets in the state, sent a memo to “expendables” that a COVID-19 test could NOT be done without the permission of the management.
When a positive COVID-19 case was discovered at WPSDTV, that memo put a “chill” on testing, out of fear of being punished by management for having to potentially miss workdays until receiving a test result. In other words, the health of the station is more important than your health – you’re one of the “expendables.”
“We’re in a life or death situation, and you’re telling us that we have to seek approval to get tested for this? It’s just insanely reckless. It’s kind of like we’re playing ‘Red Rover’ with the coronavirus, and this isn’t a type of game you play for fun. Coronavirus is a life or death situation, and we should have been taking this way more seriously,” a WPSD source said.
“If an employer issued a memo, internal or otherwise, that discouraged employees from getting tested, they have endangered their employees and the public at large, and have violated the ‘Healthy at Work’ guidance that has been published since early/mid-May,” stated Dr. Steven Stack, Commissioner of Kentucky Department for Public Health.
That executive order states that employers should have all employees experiencing COVID-19 symptoms receive a test within 36 hours at a minimum, with employees trained on how to isolate certain cases, and make accommodations for employees at higher risk.
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet enforces non-compliance of the “Healthy at Work” guidance. Cabinet employees can serve “Orders to Cease Operations” to companies for failing to follow requirements.
Now, Gov. Beshear’s face mask executive order will help protect our children and our community from being “expendables.”
This fall, reject the Trump/McConnell give-away of corporate liability – or become another “expendable.”
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