Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
A few more short takes while I hope I don’t run out of toilet paper.
I didn’t realize it, but a smart aleck quip from late night host Johnny Carson in 1973 caused a run on toilet paper. He later apologized for the remark. The run wasn’t anything like it is today, however.
This is a strange time—something that I haven’t experienced. I’ve seen floods, tornados, civil disorders and the flu, but nothing quite like the coronavirus.
The word corona, according to the online Free Dictionary, is defined as “a halo appearing to surround a celestial body.” It is also a Mexican beer—which has suspended production. Wonder why?
When will the worst of the coronavirus hit Kansas? No one knows exactly when and how severe. However, Dr. Lee Norman, the secretary of Kansas Health and Environment, estimates the peak of the disease could hit here in late April and last for about a couple of weeks.
The problem is that there is no vaccine for the disease. Epidemiologists across the country, particularly at Emory University in Atlanta, are working day and night to find a cure and are making remarkable progress. However, until the vaccine is found, the outbreak will not be overcome in a grand scale. In the meantime, it is important to wash your hands, keep your distance and stay at home as much as possible.
A friend who is executive editor of The Wall Street Journal, Jerry Seib, recently commented on stimulus spending. After Congress passed a $2 trillion measure, Nancy Pelosi is talking about spending even more. Jerry questions whether the country can afford it. He also appeared on Fox News with the same message.
I listened in on a teleconference last Friday afternoon that State Rep. Ron Ryckman of Olathe and other Republican legislative leaders convened. Rep. Ryckman is Speaker of the Kansas House. This was the second of such recent conferences. The first teleconference was all Republicans. The second one had a more bipartisan flavor as Gov. Laura Kelly was one of the presenters. Much of the conversation dealt with what the state is doing to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and to help small business.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.