Gov. Gavin Newsom (Photo: youtube screen capture)
Who Gave Gov. Newsom the Power to Decide Which Jobs Are Essential?
Why no ‘non-essential’ government jobs or agency shutdowns?
By Katy Grimes, November 28, 2020 4:12 pm
Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest half-baked coronavirus lockdown orders, Los Angeles County issued another stay-at-home lockdown order Friday, jerking around businesses in-and-out of “essential” and “non-essential” status: you can still shop at the mall, ride public transit, get your nails done, hit balls at batting cages, go to the library, but you can’t gather in your home with people who aren’t members of your household.
Playgrounds and card rooms are also closed.
Public Health to Add Additional Safety Modifications to Health Officer Order – Targeted Safer at Home Order Comes After 5-Day Average of New Cases is 4,751. View https://t.co/CfWbZdkIZH pic.twitter.com/RAZRpJUcxK
— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) November 27, 2020
Many employers and employees in the state want to know just what is considered an “essential” and “non-essential” business.
What is open in LA County?
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- Essential retail – 35% maximum occupancy
- Non-essential retail (includes indoor malls) – 20% maximum occupancy
- Personal care services – 20% maximum occupancy
- Libraries – 20% maximum occupancy
- Fitness centers operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
- Museums galleries, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
- Mini-golf, batting cages, go-kart racing operating outdoors – 50% maximum occupancy
Outdoor activities like going to the beach or playing baseball require masks.
- Outdoor recreation activities all which require face coverings (except for swimming) and distancing:
- Beaches, trails, and parks remain open; gatherings at these sites with members outside your household are prohibited.
- Golf courses, tennis courts, pickleball, archery ranges, skate parks, bike parks, and community gardens remain open for individuals or members of a single household. Pools that serve more than one household may open only for regulated lap swimming with one person per lane.
- Drive-in movies/events/car parades are permitted provided occupants in each car are members of one household.
One Tweet summed it up well: “You can get your nails done and go to the mall but your kids can’t play outside at a playground – makes perfect sense.”
This is arbitrary and non-sensical. And you will notice that not one city, county or state job or agency has been deemed “non-essential.” This is ironic given that private sector businesses must succeed based on marketplace demands, and government just creates agencies and jobs in an attempt to grow.
Most people are still confused over the concept of “essential business,” and “non-essential business,” and why Gov. Newsom and his Secretary of Health and Human Services (CHHS), Dr. Mark Ghaly get to pick and choose.
Perusing the California State Agency Listing is enlightening (not really), but it does show the gross exponential growth of the administrative state, with more than 230 state agencies.
The Office of Digital Innovation jumps to the front of the list of obviously “non-essential” agencies, given the many state agencies with 19th Century IT messes.
Or the eight different “health” related agencies.
Maybe the Bureau of Household Goods and Services should take a “non-essential” hiatus since we don’t really know what they do. Same with the Landscape Architects Technical Committee, and Ocean Protection Council – we already have a Coastal Commission.
The Department of Parks and Recreation was caught in 2012 sitting on nearly $54 million in “surplus money,” while soliciting private donations to keep state parks open, and as top agency employees were bilking the state for vacation pay buyouts… it’s not hard to imagine that this agency is still a mess today and ripe for a “non-essential” designation.
The ludicrous orders are tough enough to take in the ninth month of this absurd lockdown, but when public officials flaunt their own orders as Gov. Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and many other elitist politicians have done, the orders become even more stupid, as the politicians make a mockery of this supposed public-health crisis… which they apparently don’t really believe is a crisis.
It makes one wonder just how long Californians are really going to tolerate this fraud, as their businesses and employees are deemed “non-essential,” as their children fall into deep depressions while “distance learning” from home, as their sports and clubs and social lives have been also been deemed “non-essential” by uncaring politicians.
Think about this: You are ordered to wear a mask while walking on the beach (hint: outdoors). You must wear a mask while playing golf (outdoors), playing tennis (outdoors), or riding a bike (outdoors).
What is “essential retail?” Why is a pot dispensary essential but gyms, fitness centers and game stores aren’t? Smoking and ingesting pot is “necessary” for your health but working out isn’t?
What about essential churches? Doesn’t the soul need essential maintenance? Why is it essential to go to a museum at 50% capacity, or to Walmart or Target, but not to church?
Liquor stores are “essential.” Go figure.
Why are dog groomers essential but the hair and nail salons next door are not? Hair and nail salons were forced to move outdoors, but dog groomers were not.
Why were gyms forced to open outdoors, and only at 50% capacity?
Why can a grocery clerk refuse to bag my grocery items in my reusable bags after just touching all of the items as she rang up the order? Where is the sense in that?
Think people.
And if porous masks really work at keeping the coronavirus at bay, then why is there a “surge” in “cases?”
Answer: because the governor ramped up testing.
Californians, as with Americans across the entire country, are not only capable of assessing their own risk, they already do it every day.
Gov. Newsom’s scheme for re-opening the state includes four color-coded tiers:
Purple (widespread), Red (substantial), Orange (moderate), and Yellow (minimal). Instead of varying metrics and factors between counties, only two metrics will be used to move states up or down tier levels: daily new COVID-19 case rates and positivity rates.
Even with these color-coded tiers, counties were making enough headway and re-opening, so naturally the governor locked them down once more by changing the rules again.
California’s lockdown is not about public health.
Full dose of hypocrisy
Remember, while California was in full lockdown in July, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring the month as “California for All Small Business Month.” Yet beaches, restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums, card rooms and bars in 19 counties were all closed – most of which were small businesses.
All irony was clearly lost on the governor. But he did it again today in this Tweet, after locking down most of the state:
“Today is Small Business Saturday. California is home to over 4 million small businesses. This holiday season, shop safe and shop local to help support our economy and the over 7 million workers that help keep our small businesses going.”
Today is Small Business Saturday. California is home to over 4 million small businesses. This holiday season, shop safe and shop local to help support our economy and the over 7 million workers that help keep our small businesses going.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 28, 2020
Here we are in November, still in various punitive stages of lockdown since March 4, with many predicting that 50% of the state’s restaurants will never re-open because of Gov. Newsom’s random, arbitrary orders declaring which businesses are “essential” to keep open during his lockdowns.
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I love this. It’s the PERFECT time to take a blue pencil to the government’s non-essential agencies and bureaucracies. Wouldn’t it be great to dismantle these ridiculous and duplicative and expensive and unnecessary government bureaus? Think of how much money could be saved, too! And having to work for a paycheck would give the unnecessary and duplicative employees at each of them a taste of what their fellow Californians are going through during this absurd and cruel COVID clampdown. What’s the downside of facilitating an increase in empathy?
Thank you for another excellent article Katy and praying for all! Another so called gov essential, many of us don’t understand why are allowed to stay open, are strip joints….more proof our gov is dirtier than ever. Nahum 1:3, “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked: The LORD hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet.” Psalms 148:8, “Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling His word:” Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Revelation 14:7, ” Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
Comrades
Big Box globalists push much much non essentials like candy, yoga pants, coffee mugs etc etc.
No human is non essential though…..chumps wise up. If you feel deplorable do something about it.
Katy, thank you again for a well written article! You touched on the question I have had about grocery bags. Small and trivial in the schemes of this plandemic (no spelling error) but I can never figure out which stores allow reusable bags, which ones do not, which ones make you leave your bags outside and bag yourself but they all still charge 10 cents a bag. If a plandemic doesn’t allow us to use our reusable bags why am I paying ten cents a bag? If touching bags is such a concern then why isn’t it a statewide mandate no bag charge? OH, I guess so they can continue to gather the revenue on the bag charge? Hmmm. You are right you just touched all my purchases but can’t touch my bag. We sane people know this is just ONE example of the NON science mandates. Just makes no sense at all. Further confused that now we are in such an “emergency” to close outdoor dining, but we can still get our nails done, a massage and other “essential” services. You are right, WHO defines essential. Why is essential today different than July?????? They say OMG a spike worse as ever, hospitals are full, you can get a massage but don’t go outside?? In July, numbers were lower and we couldn’t get a massage? Who make up this science? I complain, I talk, and am shocked that I see Gavin’s sheep doing what he asks…..I keep thinking I can’t be the the only sane person but it looks like I am when I drive around.. Just so odd….
The people in california deserve this man and his rule. You complain and moan about him but when there is a easy way to get rid of him you do nothing. I have signed the petition to recall him and had my family, friends, and most my neighbor’s as well. Filling one sheet with signatures is not difficult.. You would think reading great articles like this would motivate people to get off their fat behinds and do something as simple as printing out a form and getting some signatures. Sadly that is not the case. If the deadline passes without enough signatures to recall Newsome, then articles like this seem pointless and will show how the majority of people in california are stupid and simply do not care. You want change its your job to make that happen. I have little faith in the people of California to do anything. Guess we shall see.
We never voted him in….SHUT YOUR TRAP you have no idea how strong Californians are. You are ignorant period.
The statewide lockdown obviously didn’t work. Why not try something novel like NO lockdowns or restrictions and more publicity on how to stay safe, publish cases by zip codes, and reward good behavior (such as FREE admission to a state park if you are “caught” socially distanced and wearing a mask by a cop or security guard).
Marcia for Governor! 🙂
Newsom has no power to shut you down, stop giving in to him. I also want to address small businesses. Remove your sign telling us to wear a mask. We now have the yearly death totals. We lost the same amount of people in 2019, 2018, 2017 etc….Covid has added ZERO to the death toll. It’s a FRAUD. We should have had numbers to prove 225k EXTRA died of covid instead the numbers remain unchanged…..hospitals and doctors got paid more to say you died of covid you cannot trust them anymore…..WAKE UP PEOPLE
I suggest everyone read the 14th amendment the way things are looking Trump is going to have to invoke the insurrection act……It’s over jail time….
“Liquor stores are “essential…”” because they sell lottery tickets, collect booze tax and cigarette taxes. Money makers for the state.
I can think of one job that not only is not essential but is exceedingly damaging.
Me too.
https://recallgavin2020.com
https://recallgavin2020.com/
I understand the frustration but this is not the best article. Teacher still need to teach online and I’m sure many parents need help.
You don’t need to be in church to pray …
Very short sighted article….
No offense meant, but would you mind sharing with us what’s in it for you to want to continue this unconstitutional lockdown and to take aim at Katy Grimes’ article which, after all, is only imparting useful information? Are you a teacher? A public union member? A non-essential government worker? A politician’s aide? It would be helpful to know where you are coming from.
You don’t need to be in the street to protest either. In fact you don’t need to ever leave your home with food deliveries.
Healthcare worker here. I’ve been wearing a mask at work every day, eight hours a day, since the beginning of the lockdown, for nine months. I wear them on my day off, to do chores while social distancing. At work, I wash my hands until they are so dry, they hurt, and then I wash them again when I get home. I change out of my work clothes in the garage, because when I’m not making thousands of Covid kits by hand, I’m handling the samples that come back. All my coworkers do the same, every day, since this began, back when Trump could have done something about it. And you don’t hear us whining about it. No sympathy here.
I’m sure most of you posters have boycotted any information from so-called “liberal” media, not because you decided on your own to stop watching, but because you were told to stop (if you ever watched politics before 2016.) It is easier to have someone else just give you their opinion on where the mob should march with their tiki torches next. But what if they’re marching you off a cliff?
Trump and his Republican enablers bear 100% of the blame for this disaster. Even after being infected and then getting the best cutting edge care available (including stem cells), Trump not only downplays the deadly virus, but holds multiple no-mask rallies, while STILL trying to take away healthcare from millions of Americans. Their incompetence in handling the virus – and their denial of it for political gain – has killed as many Americans as NINE Sept 11, 2001. Their inaction and outright lies have destroyed the economy, shuttered businesses (some forever), and put millions on unemployment benefits, which McConnell refuses to bolster with additional aid.
And you’re pissed at Newsome??
You folks all spout the exact same rhetoric: Trump good! Newsome bad! Masks Won’t Stop A Virus! My freedom! I can’t breathe! Antifa! Snowflakes! Sheeple! It’s a hoax! My Constitutional Rights! Stop the Steal! Etc.
I’m allergic to Kool-Aid, so I don’t swallow a lot of overwrought nonsense, like the blather in this biased article. Opening everything up will cause more deaths, period. Not everything is a plot. This is science, and we’re still learning about this virus. It’s new, hence the word “novel” in front of it. But some things are proving undeniable: masks and distancing work. The longer you guys keep up this ridiculous, childish resistance to fact, the longer and more deeply this virus will continue to hurt us.
Just calm down and put the petitions away. Your house is on fire; worry about that first.