Originally Posted by Pete F.
Obviously all government works like magic and administrations don’t matter.
Now I understand how you think that Trump* is competent.
Government is capable of fumbling along all by itself, good governance requires leadership
Sarcastic hyperbole can be a useful rhetorical trick to persuade without actual argument. It also can be a sign that you have no argument.
Federal executive agencies, like HHS and CDC, as well as all the other federal regulatory agencies, are meant to operate quasi independently and have what we would consider the trifecta of American government--legislative, executive, and judicial powers within the scope of their mandate.
Although the Congress has oversight responsibility to assure that these agencies are properly doing their job, and the President has the executive authority to direct them if so needed or so desired, the truth is that there are too many federal agencies for Congress to be able to truly have its finger on the operation of each of them, and the modern day President is daily burdened with so much other stuff that he can't possibly be aware of the problems even of the lesser number of executive agencies. So it is the responsibility of the executive agencies to report any problems it has to the President, otherwise, Presidents are too busy to be constantly, or even occasionally, monitoring them.
BTW, it is that total power, the trifecta, that these agencies have that makes them unconstitutional to begin with. But that's another story which I'm sure you don't want to hear.
None is apparent here
They had three years, that’s almost a whole term.
Bush and Obama had plans to deal with this, this fool threw them in the trash.
Actually, if Trump was not informed (at the time he took office until the pandemic happened) by an agency that it was understocked or had some operational problem, it would be normal for him to assume all was OK.
For instance, take the case of N95 respiratory masks shortage that occurred back in 2009 when the national supply was diminished by the swine flue. The Obama administration was notified of the shortage. It had seven years to replenish the supply but didn't do so. Who knows why? Just an oversight? Or not really considered important enough? Or just some glitch? When Trump came on the scene, was he notified? I don't know. But it would have been the responsibility of the proper agency to do so. The pandemic eventually woke everyone up to the shortage, and the Trump administration ordered 500 million masks in March.
But, even so, it is not the sole responsibility of the Federal government and the President to supply masks. Hospitals, and local, and state, regulators are required to oversee that hospitals are properly equipped for daily operations as well as potential crises. The Bush administration established a Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Response, and Recovery Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources. In that guide it said of STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL levels of gvt.:
"This level of government represents the nation’s front lines in the pandemic battle. They will face extreme challenges in maintaining normal operations in the face of widespread illness and increased demand on most government services. States are diligently updating their pandemic plans. As outlined in the Strategy, State, local, and tribal responsibilities include the following:
•ensuring all reasonable measures are taken to limit the spread of an outbreak within and beyond the community’s borders;
•establishing comprehensive and credible preparedness and response plans that are exercised on a regular basis;
•integrating non-health entities, including law enforcement, utilities, and city services in pandemic planning;
•identifying key spokespersons for the community, ensuring that they are educated in risk communications, and having coordinated crisis communications plans;
*establishing State and community-based stockpiles and distribution systems;
So why was, for instance, New York so woefully short on the ventilators that he complained Trump was not providing? Well, not many hospitals, state and local governments, were following the pandemic guidelines. Nor, apparently, was the previous administration. And Trump "inherited" that mess. And provided Cuomo the ventilators that he should have bought in readiness.
All that is not to point fingers, but to question why Trump is supposed to be this dangerous culprit that must be removed, as you claim.
The Stable Genius was so worried about maybe losing a billion to immigrants that he declared his fence an emergency.
His inaction here has cost Trillions
Keep believing
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