We do need to stay home, but the way Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Governor Greg Abbott have been handling this crisis is less than stellar. Social distancing, wearing a mask outside, and staying at home when possible are necessary for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and flattening the curve. However we cannot ask people, especially those out of work or cannot work at home to do this for months on end, no amount of eviction bans, are gonna pay rent/mortgage and put food on the table. But opening the economy back up this early with no data to support a decrease in cases/deaths is just as irresponsible no matter how well thought out the plan is.
We need solutions that really help the common man. A $1200 check from the federal government every once and a while isn’t going to help Austinites. We need real, and speedy financial support for those effected most by this crisis, so they can do the right thing and stay home until the curve is flattened. Then we can actually reopen in the stages described in the governor’s plan.
The cities/counties and state need to be working together in a spirit of solidarity and subsidiarity to come up with solutions that best fit communities not one-size fits all solutions imposed from top down.
Travis County Solidarity Party 