Governor-elect Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., joins President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, in the Cabinet Room of the White House Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018, during a discussion with Governors-Elect from around the nation. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
Florida Governor Rick DeSantis understands what many blue states leaders have apparently forgotten: COVID-19 restrictions without any proven public health benefits are neither sustainable nor wise.
“By any reasonable measure, the Sunshine State has been managing its affairs better than lockdown media stars like New Jersey and New York. Florida has plenty of elderly residents, yet it has suffered fewer deaths from Covid, and on a per capita basis has far less than half the Covid deaths suffered by either New York or New Jersey,” both of which are lockdown states, reports James Freeman in the WSJ.
Meanwhile Floridians have also been managing to fight the virus without destroying their economy. The Sunshine State has a much lower unemployment rate than either of the lock-downers.
Still, you can expect plenty of pandemic propaganda this weekend from news outlets suggesting that a horrific and deadly gamble is taking place in Tallahassee. Expect plenty of misleading and context-free reports intended to create the impression that Florida is the most dangerous place in the world.
Protecting Both Health and Liberty
So far Florida is achieving much better results on health and liberty than either the Empire State of Garden State, continues Mr. Freeman. According to Governor DeSantis: “In the state of Florida everybody has a right to work.”
Christina Hollerbach, proprietor of the Willow Tree Café in downtown Sanford, plans to be circumspect in attaining full capacity in her café. Hollerback is “hoping to reach 100% capacity around March,” reports the Orlando Sentinel.
According to the Sentinel, Ms. Hollerbach does not expect masks, sanitizing or social distancing to go away immediately, adding, “I’m glad the Governor is trusting restaurant owners to be responsible so that we can restore a good economy and bring jobs back.”
