George III Redux: Governors and Their Emergency Powers

It is a heady day to be a Governor.

A Governor has daily televised press conferences.  Everybody watches them because it’s a time of emergency and Governors have enormous – even plenary – powers.   They can de facto suspend Constitutional rights, like the right to gather in groups, the right to go to public areas (even alone, apparently), the right to work (even mostly alone) at certain occupations, and even the right to buy garden seeds and paint.  (That’s a reference to the illogical conclusions of the Governor of Michigan.  In her defense, she had to make sudden decisions in a culture of panic and delicious opportunity, and she made understandable illogical decisions.)  This is (mostly) justified by medical science given the nature of a pandemic and (mostly) necessary to maintain public health.  And some of it is driven by what drives the IRS, “because we can do it, screw you.”

The Governors are exposed to considerable dangers and you and I are exposed because Governors are exposed to temptation.  They make important decisions, ostensibly on advice of experts, but we have only their word for it.  Ultimately, “the buck stops here,” on the Governor’s desk, so they can do as they like.  The temptation is that they actually have power and naturally believe that they have the wisdom to use the powers wisely, more wisely than the unwashed masses.  And they know that they Have The Best Interests of The Public At Heart.  (Oh, the same thing applies to the President and Cabinet, but they have much stronger national political checks than does a Governor.)

This is all tolerable in short spurts.  Not even a Governor with extraordinary power can screw the people long term with a brief emergency.  An incompetently handled hurricane or tornado justifies only a couple of weeks of emergency powers.  Then, the emergency vanishes and powers vanish.

The virus is different.  Governors have already had 45 days of this inebriating power.  With the phased-in return to work, they have the power to slow the process and prolong the power.  Mind you, in their mind, they are pure public servants.  It's in the public interest, isn't it?

When do they turn into George III?  And when do the protestors pass from “nuts” to “patriots.”  It’s the itchier parts of society which drives opposition to government overreach.  Government is starting to overreach.  To what extent will Governors - and the President and the Cabinet and FEMA and mayors and city councils and everybody who is wise and unappreciated – willingly give up their emergency powers. 

   

We live in interesting times.

Mizpah!