CHAOS, CONFUSION, CONVOLUTED, CALAMITY CONTINUES ON COVID VACCINE DELIVERIES

Ongoing Federal Mismanagement of Virus Persists

Exactly What is the Biden Team Going to Do Better?  

                                                        by Brian Hampton    

     Who can be surprised?  How could anyone paying attention, be surprised that the federal government's projection of 20 million people be vaccinated by the end of 2020, turns about to about four million? 

    The American people are a brave and resilient and as a nation we will survive this too.  But amid the anguish, agony, and death, what have we seen from the start from the federal government?  We have seen a debacle of chaos, confusion, and scatter gun pandemonium.

                   Riding Off In All Different Directions

     We should have seen a systematized, coordinated unity of a response from the Executive Branch; instead, we have seen a federal government belatedly responding by finally jumping on dozens of horses and riding off in all different directions.

     Over and over again we thought it might get better, but it gets worse and worse.  Fool me once, shame on them, fool me twice, shame on us.  Just what is the Biden Administration going to be doing differently?  We must not be hoodwinked again.

     The President-elect spoke many times during the campaign about how he will listen to the scientists.  He told us what we should be doing to stop the spread of the virus.  There is something he has not told us.

                             Have You Heard This Yet?

  

     Let's ask ourselves the critical question:  What is the new federal administration going to do to manage and coordinate the manufacture and delivery of health care equipment, services and vaccines?  How is the federal government going to coordinate with states and cities for a smooth national campaign reaching all the people?  

    The key words are  FEDERAL MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION.   Have you heard of such a plan? I have not.  Have you even heard it talked about? I have not.  We cannot assume there is such a plan.

     Amendment X of our Constitution says that the powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states. However, consider that the "Vesting Clause" in Article II Section 1 of the Constitution says that "The executive  power shall be vested in the President of the United States."

                     The Power is There;  Is the Will? 

     Few disagree with the concept of a "Unitary Executive" who has vast powers to direct executive officers, to issue Executive Orders to create rules, regulations, and instruction.

    So, no more accepting this idea that most things to be done have to be left to the states.  Our President has the right in law and conscience to take bold and organized actions, in coordination with the states.

     Because of the daily news reports of the escalating misery, we have almost become desensitized by the reality:  20 million in the US have caught COVID and 360,000 have died. 

     If we do not learn from the past, we are destined to repeat it.  Let's start with the old White House Coronavirus Task Force which first had 22 members, including a couple of very eminent scientists.

                        Why the First Task Force Failed

     We remember the briefings and being told what was happening and what we should be doing, but try to remember if you ever heard what they said they were doing to manage the crisis?

   The old Task Force was a horizontal organization of spokespeople considering what should have been done.  What we need going forward is a vertical task force to manage and coordinate virus care and deliver it to us in an organized and timely fashion.

     We know the media is unlikely to keep a new administration Task Force accountable.  The talking heads are too busy pontificating, telling us what we already know and failing to ask incisive questions.

                     How to Appraise the New Task Force

     What should we look for in the new Task Force?  Each member should have a clear area of responsibility.  If everyone is responsible for everything, nobody is responsible for anything.

     Repeated research has demonstrated that the most efficient number of people in a working group is three to five people.  The management Task Force could be composed of 20 members, each heading a Division and each having four operational staffers.

     The Divisions could include:  Vaccines, Vaccines Distribution, Treatment, Prevention, Testing, Equipment, Doctor Services, Mental Health, Hospital Services,  Insurance,  Food Distribution, Stimulus Coordination, States Liaison and Cities Liaison Divisions.

       When these new Task Force members start giving TV briefings, they will be telling us details on the march of COVID throughout the country.  Then they will be telling us what to do, that we have heard hundreds of times, wear masks, social distancing and wash our hands. 

     But let's listen carefully, to What They Are Doing? How are they managing and coordinating the federal government to deliver protective equipment, vaccines, and other services to the people?

                        How Will We Get a Vaccine?

     Consider this: we do not have enough vaccines or an efficient distribution system.  We think these vaccines will end up at doctors' offices and places like CVS and Walgreens. We have heard ranked categories of who is to get the vaccines, but try  finding out How to apply for your eligibility to get a vaccine.  It is nowhere to be found.

     History will ask, what did we do?  Our future family should ask, what did their forefathers do? Have you noticed how resigned people are, as in what can we do?  When we take bold action, powerful forces will come to our aid.  No effort is too small. 

     We need to add our voice demanding accountability and unity of coordinated action.  Abraham Lincoln said public opinion is sovereign in our great country.

                                

                       Let's Take Action and Be Empowered!

     We can reach out to elected officials, opinion leaders, the media, use our social media, our neighborhood community board.  We want to relate the simple concept:  Unity of Action, Coordination, Communication,  Federal Management. 

     We need to make sure the new White House team actually manages this health crisis.  Being President is a leadership and a management job.  What are they going to do?

    Sure, we need to concentrate on staying alive and sane and healthy and take care the best we can of our human needs, especially family

  But NOW is the time to come to the aid of our Great Country and its  people.  We the people must demand our government acts.

                Brian Hampton has written a new book on life empowerment that will be published in 2021.  The book shares techniques about how readers can successfully deal with predicaments and distressing people we all encounter far too often.