Washington Post: WH nixed plan to distribute 650 million face masks through USPS

[tulc]

Washington Post: WH nixed plan to distribute 650 million face masks through USPS - CNNPolitics

The United States Postal Service had planned to distribute 650 million face coverings for the Trump administration in April to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to newly obtained internal documents reviewed by CNN.

But those plans were scrapped by the White House because it didn't want to spark "concern or panic" among Americans, senior administration officials told The Washington Post.
"There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic," one administration official told the Post.

tulc( )

 

[Hank77]

More proof that they knew earlier on that masks would help curb the spread of this virus.

Trump knew it was airborne and many times more contageous than the flu sometime between Jan. 1st and Feb. 7th.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Correct... When you’re at home, masks optional. When you’re anywhere else, masks good (and common sense).

 

[renniks]

Correct... When you’re at home, masks optional. When you’re anywhere else, masks good (and common sense).

Someone actually wears a mask at home?

 

[Redwingfan9]

Washington Post: WH nixed plan to distribute 650 million face masks through USPS - CNNPolitics

tulc( )

Why should the Federal government (ie taxpayers) pay for these ridiculous masks that as it turns out have done nothing to curb the spread of Chinese Coronavirus. Despite the "experts" insisting they work and 90% of the country under outrageous mask orders, at a minimum there are 40k new cases daily. (There are likely 10 times that many who are new positives daily but they aren't getting tested because they're asymptomatic or have mild symptoms) Twice as many as there were before mask mandates.

It is not the job of the Federal government to provide for us.

 

[Arc F1]

Washington Post: WH nixed plan to distribute 650 million face masks through USPS - CNNPolitics

tulc( )

Good. Anything the government touches costs a fortune. By getting a 50 cent mask we would probably have to pay back 500 dollars.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Seems to me everyone has been able to provide their own masks, so I don't see why the Feds should go that much more into debt by giving them away. At some point, this excessive over spending by the several US governments will lead to their inevitable consequences. Probably much more harmful to the citizenry than this one virus's consequences.

 

[Jamsie]

Washington Post: WH nixed plan to distribute 650 million face masks through USPS - CNNPolitics
tulc( )

It seems the point is, as trump was well aware, that masks were of critical import. So the WH nixed the idea, for those concerned with cost, however, the very fact that trump and WH downplayed the importance of masks and such shows a total disregard for what was known as a serious consequence.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Someone actually wears a mask at home?

I did when I had contractors do work on my home... But my point was actually that when you are in your own home, their requirement (or not) is optional. If you are not at home, they are not.

 

[FreeinChrist]

ADVISOR HAT

This thread had a clean up of problem posts.
Trump supporters should not be referring to Trump with a derogatory name unless they want everyone else to call him that name, too.​

 

[Fantine]

There was a great shortage of masks at the outset of the pandemic. Stores were out of stock and Amazon was 4-6 weeks backordered. My daughter made masks for our family, but elastic was out of stock and back ordered, too. She took an old pair of tights, cut them, and twisted them into mock elastic for the earpieces.

And all that time the White House had bought up all the masks and had hundreds of millions of them in some Post Office vault while the president was deciding if it would be better for his reelection chances if he downplayed the dangers.

As a frank talker, I would call that "criminal negligence" and, considering that 203,000 Americans have died, "criminally negligent homicide."

 

[renniks]

I did when I had contractors do work on my home... But my point was actually that when you are in your own home, their requirement (or not) is optional. If you are not at home, they are not.

Apparently that's not true here. I can go into the store without one and no one arrests me.

 

[Fantine]

I would be embarrassed to admit if I went to stores and other places without a mask. I care too much about the safety of other people to do so, and I expect the same courtesy in return.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The original plan in the article said the USPS was going to deliver mask to every address in critical areas. Gee, why would taxpayers pay for masks to be delivered to addresses that don't need them ?

What's also missing is this part of the article which is at the very bottom.

The Post said that in place of the planned effort to widely distribute masks, "HHS created Project America Strong, a $675 million effort to distribute 'reusable cotton face masks to critical infrastructure sectors, companies, healthcare facilities, and faith-based and community organizations across the country.'"

In other words, they'd distribute mask to the places that requested them rather than just across the board to every address.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Apparently that's not true here. I can go into the store without one and no one arrests me.

Around here, you are denied entry to stores without masks, and rightly so. If one is unwilling or unable to conduct themselves in a safe manner, they need to stay home.

 

[renniks]

I would be embarrassed to admit if I went to stores and other places without a mask. I care too much about the safety of other people to do so, and I expect the same courtesy in return.

That's your perspective. I have another perspective.
I do respect every one's personal space and have had no real issues.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

People continued to catch the virus while on total lockdowns and wearing required masks.
Inconvenient truth for those advocating total control.

We haven't had a total lockdown

Try staying with reality for a while.

 

[renniks]

We haven't had a total lockdown

Try staying with reality for a while.

So, your solution would be what? No trucking, no essential business?
We have had cities locked down as much as possible, and it didn't work.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

So, your solution would be what? No trucking, no essential business?
We have had cities locked down as much as possible, and it didn't work.

I didn't suggest a lock down nor do I see any.

There have been restrictions, but a total lock down ? No we haven't had that yet and I don't believe we need it.