Trump uses the DPA not to force companies to produce corona tests but to order meat packing plants not to close

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brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
27,653
26,753
136
The underlying truth is that food processing of all types is essential industry. It just is.
Absolutely, doesn't mean though that we can't bring back meatless Mondays and Tofu Tuesdays so meat packing plants can run their lines slower with fewer workers to create safer working conditions.
 
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hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
24,225
10,878
136
Just watching about this on MSNBC. They are talking to a union guy. He says that many of these plants had to shut down because you cannot operate a plant with 20% of the workforce out sick. So without proper PPE supplies and real testing, this will be a raw deal. Once again, people waited for the house to be fully engulfed (and whistling pass the graveyard with no testing) before calling in the fire dept. So getting back to normal workflow is going to be difficult.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
Trump is so full of himself, and full of shit, but I repeat myself.

In late Marching he was crowing about 'forcing' GM to make ventilators through the DPA, when in reality GM and Ventec were 10 steps ahead of him, and the plan to ramp up and build ventilators was in motion. GM was using a plant that had previous made circuit boards, but trump had a fit they use a different plant that was completely unsuited to make ventilators.

But he hates the CEO of GM, a woman, but again I repeat myself, he hates all women unless they are on their back with their legs spread.

You just don't understand. He had to fuck up the deal to save it. Makes him the center of attention, as always.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
Just watching about this on MSNBC. They are talking to a union guy. He says that many of these plants had to shut down because you cannot operate a plant with 20% of the workforce out sick. So without proper PPE supplies and real testing, this will be a raw deal. Once again, people waited for the house to be fully engulfed (and whistling pass the graveyard with no testing) before calling in the fire dept. So getting back to normal workflow is going to be difficult.

I never said otherwise. I just know that food processing must be maintained as well as reasonably possible. We should dedicate extraordinary resources in testing & tracing to make it happen, plus whatever can be figured out at the personal protection level.
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
24,225
10,878
136
I never said otherwise. I just know that food processing must be maintained as well as reasonably possible. We should dedicate extraordinary resources in testing & tracing to make it happen, plus whatever can be figured out at the personal protection level.
Seems the hottest spots for the outbreaks now are in the communities with meat packing plants. Be great if it'd just stay at the plant. Per TRMS, the medical facilities are hitting overrun mode. 13 deaths in Waterloo, IA.
 
Feb 4, 2009
35,248
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While it’s shitty for the folks that work there and even more shitty since their employers treat them like crap, I want to say I’d do the same thing if I were President. We cannot have food riots.
I would do something extra like have the military help with cleaning and screening employees, maybe send some Gov money their way to offer hazard pay or something.
 
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feralkid

Lifer
Jan 28, 2002
16,616
4,705
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While it’s shitty for the folks that work there and even more shitty since their employers treat them like crap, I want to say I’d do the same thing if I were President. We cannot have food riots.
I would do something extra like have the military help with cleaning and screening employees, maybe send some Gov money their way to offer hazard pay or something.


User name checks out.
 

Viper1j

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2018
4,264
3,840
136
Everyone knows we have a severe shortage of COVID test kits. What may not be known to everyone the Defense Production Act could have been used to mandate companies, switch to producing these test kits. To date Trump has refused. In WW2 the DPA forced companies to produce items needed for war like planes and tanks. Anyone doubt almost 80 years later this country couldn't mass produce corona test kits and necessary reagents?

When does Trump decide to flex his PDA? To force meat packing companies to remain open and to reopen. Even when they have becoms corona hotspots. The really bad part these same companies are not mandated to enact safety precations and social distancing. Enacting the DPA not only forces plants to remain open but gives them legal cover against their own employees. Any safety requirement for these employees is only "under consideration"

One again, economy yes, people no.


People might drink Corona beer, but no way in hell are they going to buy Corona meat.
 

dawp

Lifer
Jul 2, 2005
11,347
2,709
136
People might drink Corona beer, but no way in hell are they going to buy Corona meat.
you'd be surprised, and we generally don't know what plant our meat comes from tho it probably doesn't matter since they all are likely affected to some degree.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,022
2,872
136
The underlying truth is that food processing of all types is essential industry. It just is.

I'd like to see more analysis on this particular issue and a presentation of multiple strategies to balance infection risk with production. I don't think I'm going to get any of that, though, which is the real travesty of our current administration.

Otherwise, while I clearly agree with the overall statement, I'm skeptical that a reduced production for one piece of the supply chain has impact enough to justify Trump's action -- or at least to justify it in favor of alternatives (e.g. assistance in PPE, capacity to comply with social distancing guidelines, partial subsidies to offset losses incurred for operating at reduced capacity, efforts to beef up supply of other foods and offset any disparities in access to foods among consumers).

I think it ought to trouble people more that even when Trump does something reasonably helpful, he does it lazily and with active disregard of assistance from others.
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
36,735
28,908
136
Going on about Trump not invoking the DPA wrt medical supplies isn't productive. He didn't have to. They were already running full throttle. Maintaining the food supply really is an issue of national defense against the pandemic. They're essential workers, same as the rest who provide the necessities of life. In my pre-retirement existence, I joked that I crawled around on the floors of transit vehicles for a living. It was literally true sometimes. My former co-workers still are, because a lot of people depend on them to do it.
as to your second part I agree but here is what occurred

Plants remain open - mandated
plants maintain CDC guidelines on protection and distancing - not mandated.
testing for workers - not mandated.

You are completely wrong about the first part. I don't care if the current producers are running full throttle, we did not mandate by law enough companies transition their manufacturing so we have an adequate about of test kits. Dr. Fauci himself said based on our current production we don't have enough. If workers could be tested daily they would be greatly protected from spread within the plant. Many of these meat production plants have become hotspots.

Worker safety was NOT mandated and that is the problem. I understand these factories were initially testing but that isn't happening now. If workers don't feel safe at a particular factory they may not be eligible for unemployment (based on state).
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
as to your second part I agree but here is what occurred

Plants remain open - mandated
plants maintain CDC guidelines on protection and distancing - not mandated.
testing for workers - not mandated.

You are completely wrong about the first part. I don't care if the current producers are running full throttle, we did not mandate by law enough companies transition their manufacturing so we have an adequate about of test kits. Dr. Fauci himself said based on our current production we don't have enough. If workers could be tested daily they would be greatly protected from spread within the plant. Many of these meat production plants have become hotspots.

Worker safety was NOT mandated and that is the problem. I understand these factories were initially testing but that isn't happening now. If workers don't feel safe at a particular factory they may not be eligible for unemployment (based on state).

I suspect that maintaining distancing in the plants is simply impossible if production is to even approach normal output. They're just not built & organized that way. It just won't work. Can't be that way with the infrastructure in place. That's likely true all across the food processing industry.

It's impossible to say what sort of precautions & safety measures are in place for re-opening. We can but hope for the best. Perfection is not possible.

Reagent manufacturing is clearly an extremely technical & precise endeavor requiring highly specialized knowledge, infrastructure & supply chains. Ramping that up is easier said than done, I'm sure. We apparently don't have the capability at a domestic level. It's perfectly obvious that the EU, China, S Korea or anybody else who has it will take care of their own people first.
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
36,735
28,908
136
It's impossible to say what sort of precautions & safety measures are in place for re-opening. We can but hope for the best. Perfection is not possible.
The only thing that comes first in Trump world is Trump. What we do know is additional safety measures were not a requirement while keeping the plants opened were.
 

Viper1j

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2018
4,264
3,840
136
as to your second part I agree but here is what occurred

Plants remain open - mandated
plants maintain CDC guidelines on protection and distancing - not mandated.
testing for workers - not mandated.

You are completely wrong about the first part. I don't care if the current producers are running full throttle, we did not mandate by law enough companies transition their manufacturing so we have an adequate about of test kits. Dr. Fauci himself said based on our current production we don't have enough. If workers could be tested daily they would be greatly protected from spread within the plant. Many of these meat production plants have become hotspots.

Worker safety was NOT mandated and that is the problem. I understand these factories were initially testing but that isn't happening now. If workers don't feel safe at a particular factory they may not be eligible for unemployment (based on state).

Plants can stay open 24/7. What's Trump going to do? Send a soldier to every house to make people work at gunpoint?
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
36,735
28,908
136
Plants can stay open 24/7. What's Trump going to do? Send a soldier to every house to make people work at gunpoint?
If plants are closed either because of an outbreak or local govt mandate, employees qualify for unemployment. Employees are pressured to work in an unsafe environment.
 
Feb 4, 2009
35,248
16,716
136
Just watching about this on MSNBC. They are talking to a union guy. He says that many of these plants had to shut down because you cannot operate a plant with 20% of the workforce out sick. So without proper PPE supplies and real testing, this will be a raw deal. Once again, people waited for the house to be fully engulfed (and whistling pass the graveyard with no testing) before calling in the fire dept. So getting back to normal workflow is going to be difficult.

BTW
Fuck the Union Guy. They literally voted for this. They want a big strong Daddy in the White House, Hillary cannot be a Daddy.
Fuck his whining, fuck him. Get back to work and shut up. This is what he wanted.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
The only thing that comes first in Trump world is Trump. What we do know is additional safety measures were not a requirement while keeping the plants opened were.

That's true of Trump but not necessarily of plant operators or govt employees involved in the effort.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
BTW
Fuck the Union Guy. They literally voted for this. They want a big strong Daddy in the White House, Hillary cannot be a Daddy.
Fuck his whining, fuck him. Get back to work and shut up. This is what he wanted.

There's a whole lot of unwarranted attribution in that.
 
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dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,635
3,509
136
Plants can stay open 24/7. What's Trump going to do? Send a soldier to every house to make people work at gunpoint?

They'll just deny any type of leave or unemployment to workers. So they can either go to work and die, or go broke and let their families starve. Trump sticking up for corporations over workers for the gazillionth time.

I never imagined Trump would be able to turn us into such a horrible shithole country in three years.
 

soundforbjt

Lifer
Feb 15, 2002
17,788
6,040
136
They'll just deny any type of leave or unemployment to workers. So they can either go to work and die, or go broke and let their families starve. Trump sticking up for corporations over workers for the gazillionth time.

I never imagined Trump would be able to turn us into such a horrible shithole country in three years.
And the dumb base thinks he's for the little guy/workers...can't make this shit up. And they think Democrats would be worse for workers...read some history books.
 

MtnMan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2004
8,960
8,195
136
I never imagined Trump would be able to turn us into such a horrible shithole country in three years.
Last night Stephen Colbert had Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar on (remotely from their homes). One of them, I think Amy, gave the best description of why people voted for Trump.

The reasoning is that the US is a huge powerful ship, and what can one man do in only 4 years that would sink that ship? Now they are saying OMG, what have we done, the ship is sinking fast.
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,635
3,509
136
Last night Stephen Colbert had Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar on (remotely from their homes). One of them, I think Amy, gave the best description of why people voted for Trump.

The reasoning is that the US is a huge powerful ship, and what can one man do in only 4 years that would sink that ship? Now they are saying OMG, what have we done, the ship is sinking fast.

We are the Titanic of countries.
 
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MtnMan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2004
8,960
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We are the Titanic of countries.
1nkfia.jpg
 
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