This too is Yonkers- by Eric W. Schoen
The power struggles taking place right now remind me of when President Reagan was shot and Secretary of State Alexander Haig stepped up to the microphone and said, ‘I’m in charge here.’ In the heat of the moment there was absolute chaos, and though he really was a low man on the totem pole, he threw out the constitution and tried to take the reins.
What prey tell is going on in this country? All of a sudden everyone is turning into a constitutional scholar. People are doing some pretty dumb things. All of this crazy behavior where people should be working together is causing confusion and fear just at a time when people don’t need anymore of it. They are trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage and pay the grocery bill.
That is if they can find the groceries they want. Service deli departments have been turned into grab and go. Meat department selections are not what they should be. Don’t bother looking for a dozen eggs or a bottle of Purell to cleanse your hands when soap and water are not readily available.
And don’t bother looking for a roll of Charmin or Scott toilet tissue. The Harmon Brand of paper towels will have to do and I was lucky to find rolls of toilet paper at the dollar store. Between plain folded tissues and the adult wipes I will have to survive!
Dr. Sherlita Amler, Westchester County Commissioner of Health says people should go shopping at off hours when they know supermarkets will not be crowded. Does she realize that there will be little on the shelves during that time period? Maybe she uses Fresh Direct or Peapod or one of those services that pick out your groceries and bring them to your house. But even those services are booked with time slots impossible to get.
Late last week, Governor Cuomo closed the state golf courses. New Jersey did the same thing. Did the Governors expect their residents, at least in Westchester to not go to county run golf courses? Andrew Cuomo, Westchester County Resident for many years knows the county has golf courses. So Saturday night at 6 p.m. County Executive George Latimer closed the Westchester County golf courses.
Also on Saturday, Easter Saturday in fact, 9:30 a.m. in New York City we have Mayor Bill deBlasio holding a press conference stating that schools in New York City will be closed for the remainder of the school year through June. A couple hours later Governor Cuomo holds a press conference to say that he, yes Andrew Cuomo is the only one that has authority under Education Law to close the schools.
Does deBlasio or Cuomo realize how this state of confusion is unsettling for New Yorkers. Couldn’t the Mayor and Governor have gotten together and agreed to work in unity to decide when schools will reopen or remain closed through the end of the school year? People are upset enough as it is, distance learning by computer is new and complicated for many, graduation and testing calendars have been tossed out the window. Do we really need this petty bickering for power by our politicians?
The same nonsense, there is no other word for it happened on Monday. The Governors in the New York metro region agreed that because their economies are so dependent on each other, they would form a regional council to decide when it was best to restart their economies. People are still getting the virus and dying but some numbers are starting to go down and look better. Everyone wants to get back to work, back to school, back to a normal lifestyle.
But we don’t want a repeat or reinfection of those who have recovered and have to shut the economy down again. For the last week we have been hearing President Trump say that one of the most important decisions that he will have to make is when to get the economy rolling again and that he hopes he makes the right decision.
So was it any surprise to you when he gave the old Alexander Haig command, ‘I’m in charge here’ on Monday night when he heard the governors in the East and the West were forming regional councils to figure out when to reopen the economy?
Trump was acting like a King Monday evening. We don’t elect Kings in our country. We elect Presidents. I’m not going to give you intelligent readers a history lesson here but we all know that powers not granted to the President in the constitution are given to the states.
We don’t like to hear that infection rates and deaths from Coronavirus in Westchester are highest in Yonkers. Hello! Yonkers is the largest city in Westchester county. In many areas of Yonkers people live in close proximity to each other. Large senior population in Yonkers as well as large African American population, two groups that have been hit hard by the Coronavirus.
You wonder why the unemployment claims system is not working. Have we ever had large numbers of people applying for unemployment as we have now? Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner wants people’s temperatures checked before they enter grocery stores. Are we going to put this extra burden on the already burdened cashiers? I might love the deli man but I am not having him take my temperature!
Some say Coronavirus got its start in the wet markets of China. Why are wet markets the same exact thing as in China open for business in Manhattan. Haven’t we learned our lesson yet?
I can’t get my haircut but the Mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot can? And she goes on television to defend herself? Another person acting like King while her city crumbles around her.
I’m over everybody grabbing for power. Maybe we need to take another look at Rodney King’s famous words: Can We All Just Get Along? Better yet, Can we all ‘just grow up’ and get along?
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
