Representative Dooley August 7th COVID-19 Update

Yea!!!! it’s the weekend. I hope everyone is able to relax and do something fun (but no having fun in Rhode Island). I, for the first time in forever, do not think I have any plans. I’m sure my bride will tell me what my plans are as soon as she reads this, but here I sit, typing away, sipping on a margarita, blissfully unaware of what my tasks will be.

Unfortunately, 18 people passed away in part due to covid19 and we saw 320 diagnosed as positive. Not horrendous but still can’t seem to break the steady level of deaths. I would love if they would quantify the percentage that covid19 was a factor to better quantify the results. I was just with a family who had a loved one who had stage 4 terminal cancer and had already lived beyond the doctor’s prediction and they were shocked that the death certificate had the virus listed as her primary cause of death. This just adds to the conspiracy theories and is so frustrating when we are touting that we are basing everything on facts. I mention that because I got a call from a nurse today, she and two of her co-workers went in to get a test but after they signed in it was taking too long so they decided to leave and come back the following day. Wouldn’t you know it - they got contacted that they all tested positive. When they explained that they hadn’t been actually tested the lab was dumbfounded. It is off, I have heard this sort of story before but I just chalked it up to fantasy. So, if anyone out there in Facebookland has experienced such a thing - please let me know and I promise to keep it totally confidential.

****** WARNING******* Political Commentary Ahead:

Well, King Charles was at it again today. A few people dared to disobey his order so he is going to punish all the rest of us as outside gatherings are being ordered dropped from 100 to 50. So if you have a wedding planned and did everything around the guidelines - too bad - and the Governor is going to fine you to boot. That’s the part that bothers me the most is the almost gleeful approach to enforcement - as if our police have nothing better to do than break up a wedding reception with 75 people that are there by their own accord. Ugh.

And while I’m on my bashing the Governor rant (and this is my opinion, if you don’t like it that is fine, I’m not attacking him as a person - I’m frustrated with his tyrannical decrees, lack of checks and balances, and randomness of who is on the naughty list and who is a-ok.) Anyway, I digress - a few days ago Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Baker (that’s one of those uber fancy little dogs) decided to decree that Massachusetts residents couldn’t go to Rhode Island for anything but for official business. Hmmm, maybe since he killed our economy he is now is trying to spread the love? So- no out to dinner, no shopping, no beach, etc. On it’s face I was ok with it until I started reading into the specifics and began to think of different scenarios where he was depriving Massachusetts residents of their personal liberty by this completely subjunctive edict. I had always said we should build a wall on our southern border (Rhode Island not Mexico) - they talk funny, steal our jobs, can’t drive worth poop, and add to the congestion on our highways - but that was just in jest.

While he backed off his poorly thought out order earlier this afternoon for some things like baking and grocery shopping - he still kept in place most actions that if he would just treat us like adults - would not be a problem. So, let's look at his highness’s royal proclamation: if I’m a Rhode Island resident and happen to work in Massachusetts - I have no restrictions at all. I can go to the beach, party, lick shopping carts in the grocery store, whatever and still come to our state every day to work, mingle, go out to lunch, etc. I can live in an apartment building that has covid running rampant and I’m still good to come to the Bay State.

But the Massachusetts resident that pays taxes that keeps our state running is treated like a pariah by our own government that we fund. Let’s say I go to Newport to visit my Marine before she ships out to her next duty station - even though I’m not going in public and just visiting with her and then come right back home - I either have to quarantine for 14 days or get a test (and quarantine till the results come back in), or Baker’s Stasi will come and round me up levying a $500 a day fine for daring to ignore his order. BTW- I firmly believe this is unconstitutional and I’m trying to find an attorney to help me file suit in federal court - so if you know someone, please let me know.

But let’s talk about other real world situations - I have a friend that has a boat at a slip in RI since it is the closest marina to his house. He typically goes down, drives to the pier, walks down to his boat, and goes fishing with his kids. Never sees another person - and certainly not closer than 6 feet. If one of his neighbor’s would rat him out to the Governor - this would be a high crime - think about it, 10 days =$5,000. You can throw a molotov cocktail at a cop in Boston and burn out his cruiser and your punishment isn’t nearly as harsh. What about the family that is fortunate enough to have a second home at the beach? To no fault of their own, and despite them doing everything right, wearing masks, social distancing, no parties, lots of hand washing and sanitizer - Charlie can just randomly take their property rights away? How is this right or fair - how is this America that one man has this much power. If President Trump was pulling this bullshit it would be the rise of the 4th Reich - but here we just let it happen? Next thing King Charles will be levying a tax on out tea - and we will just smile and say - but he knows best and is doing thins for our own good. That’s ridiculous. WE THE PEOPLE should be able to live free and not be told that if we have the audacity to go for a bike ride that crosses over an imaginary line we must surrender that freedom. Maybe I’m being overly dramatic but it is a slippery slope and this over reach has continued to grow. Remember when we just needed to suck it up for a couple of weeks and be team players so the hospitals wouldn’t get over run and then everything would go back to normal. This is NOT back to normal. Someone is going to or having a party with a ton of people and not wearing masks and doing all sorts of other irresponsible things - fine - hammer them. But if you tell me that if I follow all these CDC, Fauci, DPH, WHO, WEbMD guidelines then I will be fine but King Charles Duane (not the rock) Baker, IV will punish me anyways - then it isn’t about the guidelines and safety it is about power and control.

Well, no more tequila while I’m writing my evening narrative - I have no filter normally and when it comes to tequila any pause goes right out the window. I’ve had so many people reach out with 100 other scenarios that are being affected by this big government power play and I am frustrated that I have nothing to say to them except the King thinks he is smarter than us commoners and he is saving us from ourselves - freedom be damned. And it really bothers me. And seriously, if anyone knows someone that can do the federal court thing (my lovely bride can help me file for divorce from Charlie - but I don’t think that is going to do the trick) please let me know.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I’m hopeful he reads this and knows that his nonsense is hurting people and only causing people to say - well, these rules are now stupid - so I’m going to ignore all of them - truly throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Have a great weekend! Keep doing what you are doing and no matter where you end up going this weekend - be awesome and do your very best to stay safe and do everything you can to protect one another.


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