Raleigh, NC – Today, Civitas Action President Donald Bryson issued the following statement in response to Gov. Roy Cooper’s announcement regarding his extension of North Carolina’s “stay at home” order and plans for an economic phase-in:
“North Carolina workers, business owners, families, and job creators received very little to be hopeful about from Gov. Roy Cooper’s statement today. The governor continues to rely on blanket orders for a large and diverse state. One-size fits all policy does not work for North Carolina. Currently, seven counties have no cases of COVID-19, and workers in all of those counties are at home without paychecks to pay for family necessities.
Gov. Cooper’s version of phased-reopening is a slow-walk into a deeper economic recession. If the most hopeful part of Phase 1 is that parks can reopen and possibly some retailers, although that remains unclear, then I question whether the governor’s administration understands the financial strain that the state’s citizens are under.
The governor’s plan is still a vague outline without specific trigger points that our state needs to have some economic certainty. Constructing windows of two to three weeks and four to six weeks, without specific requirements for infection rates, the economy cannot plan for recovery.”
Civitas Action has a few questions which still need to be answered by Gov. Cooper’s COVID-19 Task Force.
1) Gov. Cooper referenced members of the business community providing advice. Who are these members of the business community?
2) When did planning for the phase-in begin?
3) Is Gov. Cooper consulting with other states?
4) Is Gov. Cooper consulting with the Department of Agriculture for the needs of the agricultural community?
5) Outside of stimulus spending, what policies would Gov. Cooper like to see to spur the economy back to life?
Civitas Action is a 501(c)(4) non-profit that educates and informs North Carolinians on policy issues and the actions of their elected officials.