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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Key court decision on mandates expected next week

Uploaded: Dec 30, 2021
This week and next week are shaping up to be pivotal for President Joe Biden’s attempts to impose a federal vaccine mandate after earlier saying he would not go there.
In a bipartisan virtual meeting with governors Tuesday, Biden seemed to wash his hands of the Covid challenges saying it will not be solved at the federal level—it will be the states that do it.
Next Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear challenges to Biden’s mandate about federal workers and contractors that was wide ranging. Depending upon the court’s finding, it could have profound implications at the state level.
Pacific Justice Institute attorneys, on a pre-Christmas Zoom call, said, “you could have a situation where their initial (media) reports about the mandates being struck down, but in deep blue states like the West Coast, like in the Northeast, that could actually strengthen the hand of some of the politicians, the governors who have been so tyrannical with their mandate.”
Institute lawyers have been representing employees who lost their jobs or had their jobs threatened by asking for a religious exemption to the mandate. For the record, I write this as a guy who sought vaccines as soon as they were available and did the same with the booster. That’s my choice. It’s the mandate that raises my hackles as well as those of others.
The same federal versus state authority could well emerge next summer when the Supreme Court will decide a landmark abortion case that could overturn Roe vs. Wade. Justices heard oral arguments earlier this month. If the federal decision is overturned—and it’s questionable legally based on the 14th Amendment and an invented right of privacy—then the authority will revert to the states. You can expect red states to establish much more restrictive laws, while blue states such as California and Gov. Gavin Newsom already are planning to welcome abortion-seeking women from elsewhere.
Reading Dr. John Jackson’s latest book, “The Prevailing Church” this morning, he brought the issue home when he pointed out that 65% of women who have had abortions self-identify as Christians. He also wrote about 60 million babies have been aborted since the Supreme Court decision in 1973. Abortion also is far more prevalent in the Black community, which makes about 13% of the population but accounts for more than one-third of the abortions, according to Centers for Disease Control stats.
It is notable to see how authoritarian most blue state governors have been. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who replaced the disgraced Andrew Cuomo, ordered a statewide indoor mask mandate when there were only 20 cases of omicron variant in the state.
Newsom issued a new mandate this month that all health care workers must get booster shots. He also re-established the indoor mask mandate as well as mandating that all school children must be vaccinated. By my reading, there’s solid science that Covid is not a threat to elementary students and the mask mandate certainly is not enhancing their education or socialization.
It’s also notable that Newsom continues to maintain the state of emergency that gives him unfettered power without any requirement to win legislative approval.
By contrast, consider that Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, refused to establish statewide mandates and was willing to trust local elected officials and health departments to take appropriate actions. Oh, for a governor who does not want to be king.

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Posted by Dirk Svensen, a resident of Country Fair,
on Dec 30, 2021 at 10:40 am

Dirk Svensen is a registered user.

You have correctly stitched together a number of COVID-related issues here. People often lament that the pandemic has become "so political". Well, many of us see the Governor's Emergency Order as the ultimate Trojan Horse. One of many examples relates to the changes to our voting procedures. Originally claimed to be because of the pandemic, some have now become permanent (or are currently proposed to be), such as sending ballots to every registered voter, whether requested or not. While this sounds like a great idea - there were good reasons why this never happened before COVID. These issues transcend the pandemic.

On mandates: I have received every vaccination before the pandemic, including for shingles. But all of these went through long-term trials to ensure they do not have other significant risks, such as creating other long-term conditions far in the future (i.e., cancer, reproductive issues, neurological damage, etc.). This injection is different - it has not gone through any long-term trials. How can one mandate such an injection? This must remain a personal choice.

If you fear sickness or death, get the injection (it does reduce symptoms and death, for a period of time), but not your ability to spread it. Don't limit the movement and activity of 80%-90% of the population who have little risk of death - focus on the highest risk (elderly, those w/pre-existing conditions, obese, etc.), and keep your house heating system on circulate while stuck indoors with others. Government is currently stuck here - they dare not make changes due to possible blow-back from their base. We the people must make the choice to stop the madness - the government is now the wrong tool for the job.


Posted by Jennifer, a resident of Danville,
on Dec 30, 2021 at 10:11 pm

Jennifer is a registered user.

Return to normalcy would be nice.


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