Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
There is much confusion with the reopening of OC– are we open? Are we closed?
Maximum thank-yous are necessary to County Board of Supervisors Michelle Steel and Don Wagner. It needs to be made clear: Don Wagner and Michelle Steel were in favor of opening OC earlier and releasing citizens from government mandated shutdowns, but they simply did not have the votes. They worked their tails off and did the research that is only now finally beginning to percolate into the mainstream, early. They deserve as much credit in this as the small business owners themselves who threatened to open no matter what the cost on the May 1st deadline, increasing the pressure to the other three members of BoS.
From the press release:
“As we transition back to business as usual, we must do so in a manner that is conscious of the public health but also addressing the needs of businesses and their employees who need to put food on the table. When we talk about the business impact of COVID-19, we’re not just talking about money, we’re talking about people and their ability to provide for themselves and their families,” said Chairwoman Steel. “These guidelines were put together over many long meetings to ensure that all industry representatives, medical professionals, and our legal counsel had input in order to best reflect business needs while simultaneously keeping in line with public health recommendations.”
“The latest data shows the County has had a significant increase in layoffs and unemployment claims. With the curve trending down and OC healthier than surrounding counties, we don’t want to trade one problem for a bigger problem,” said Supervisor Wagner. “These guidelines are to give businesses the confidence to function within the state recommendations but with necessary safety precautions. We want to let the public know if they visit a business, there are ways to protect themselves and those around them.”
Supervisor Wagner, in agreement with Chairwoman Steel, gave direction for staff to distribute these guidelines to Sacramento, showing that it is possible for policymakers, medical professionals, and the business community to be effective in a crisis.
See the original document, here: http://savenewport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/News_Release_Steel_Wagner_Release_Business_Guidelines_for_OC_04-28-2020.pdf
But perhaps most importantly of all were Don Wagner’s comments that made it into a Newsom interview, where he said “The Orange County Order satisfies Orange County; The Sheriff will NOT come and ticket you, but the state orders and any city orders remain in place”
This means that– as we previously reported— cities can still require shutdowns on their own and can enforce them with their local police, but the county will not be enforcing.
Yes, this sets up a battleground for state forces, and while I am sure we have not heard the last of them, I encourage you to send this to every business owner you know. The more businesses that open up, the safer we all are from the long and irrational arm of state government that is wildly over-reacting with an inflated one-size-fits-all solution to this pandemic.
