UW study proves “cure worse than problem” argument is a falsehood. I hope Gordon is listening

          “Governor Gordon: As more and more evidence comes out that the COVID-19 has been highly overplayed, the true threat is being revealed. You took an oath to protect our Constitution and I think that it’s clear that the stay at-home-order is unconstitutional. … Our livelihoods and our civil liberties are at stake. … Please open the state back up and advise those who are most at risk according to the CDC to continue to protect themselves. As President Trump has stated, ‘We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem.’” — A concerned Wyoming citizen

BY D. REED ECKHARDT

As Wyoming enters its second month — has it really only been five weeks? — under Gov. Mark Gordon’s COVID-19 restrictions, the natives are getting restless. Demands from state residents, generally from the political right, are growing for the governor to reopen the state for business.
The above post is from Gordon’s Facebook page, where on Tuesday he announced the first death in Wyoming

Michigan residents clog traffic in protest of stay-at-home orders there.

from the pandemic. A second death, this one from Laramie County, was reported on Wednesday, and the state now has 287 confirmed and 105 suspected cases.
         As the numbers continue to mount, it is past time to put to death the myth that the current “cure” — restrictions on travel, the closing of businesses, bans on public gatherings — is worse than the problem and so it is time to get back to making money.
        Enter a new study from the University of Wyoming. Yes, THE University of Wyoming, the one state residents swear by and from which many graduated. It has just issued a study that devastates the argument about reopening anytime soon.
        What UW economist Linda Thunstrom and her team tried to figure out was: Which is more costly — the impacts of social distancing on the economy or the economic cost of lives lost if those measures were lifted. Her conclusion: The economic benefits of lives saved is greater than than the losses of GDP (gross domestic product) through distancing by $5.2 trillion. Yes, that’s trillions with a “T.”
         Oh, and Thurnstrom’s analysis also indicates that more than 1.2 million lives can be saved through continued social distancing. That would come both in a reduction in the direct deaths related to COVID-19 and by preventing the healthcare system from being overrun.
The economist admits that she herself had doubted the benefits of social distancing vis a vis the economy. Now?
         “Stay home, stay home,” she told the Casper Star-Tribune. “You see the cost. You might lose your job; you might lose your income. You might see local businesses you love really suffering. It’s really easy to imagine: ‘This makes no sense.’ Even if the costs are large, it’s a sensible policy by the best type of analysis that we can make.”
         Of course, those who cast social distancing efforts as a restriction on their rights are not going to accept these facts any more than they have accepted any other expert data up to this point. They will attack the assumptions — and probably the economist and her team as socialist stooges — because that is what they need to do to maintain their denial. To accept that she is correct would force them to reconsider their role as Americans, perhaps seeing themselves less as defenders of their “rights” and more as a members of of a country whose top priority used to be the common good.
         No, the hope here is that while the political right continues to deny facts, Gordon won’t be sucked into the political vortex.
         I have disagreed with the governor’s decision not to put a stay-at-home order in place (https://bit.ly/2xPc69O), and I still do. Especially since he continues to beg Wyomingites to follow his guidelines. Here is a recent Gordon Tweet:
         “Our case numbers continue to rise. All communities — even those with a handful of confirmed cases — must remain diligent with social distancing and stay the course to #SlowTheSpread and make a difference in our future.”
         One might also consider this report from the Star-Tribune Wednesday in which the Natrona County health officer indicates at the Cowboy State has not even begun to flatten its curve. (https://bit.ly/3epiuFB)
         Regardless, what the governor has done is certainly better than nothing. And the fact that top federal health official Dr. Anthony Fauci has praised Gordon’s efforts certainly makes this writer feel better.
The challenge for the governor now will be to stay the course. Right-wingers across the nation are getting louder and louder, and Wyoming is no exception. The pressure on Gordon will be to act, and act now.
         The myths that social distancing is wrecking the economy and rights are being trampled on will only continue to be peddled, particularly by Wyoming’s legislators who have angry constituents to answer to and who also worship at the alter of right-wing politics. And, of course, those who are angry always speak louder than those who are satisfied with current actions. (If you’re interested, the issue of the common good versus those who see “rights” being trampled was discussed in a previous post. (It can be found at https://bit.ly/39oYf75)
         So far, it appears that Gordon is hewing to the course he set for himself. No Trump-like bull manure coming from the governor. Here’s praying he hangs in, even if he makes no effort to toughen things up.
         The UW analysis clearly shows the value of what this nation’s rational leaders are trying to accomplish. May Gordon not fall sway to those who seem so willing to sacrifice the lives of their Wyoming family, friends and neighbors in pursuit of a few dollars more.

         D. Reed Eckhardt is the former executive editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.