"Reopening" the USA without CA and NY (and NJ) would be pointless

[stopbush]

You’re not going to restart the economy by reopening sparsely populated red states. Without the economic powerhouse states nothing will change except the spread of the virus to more RWers.

[customerserviceguy]

1. While you may think that flyover states are useless

they are where goods are shipped to and distributed from. If you've ever driven on I-81 through Carlyle, Pennsylvania, you'd know what I was talking about.

There may be ways of keeping some things open safely, or your supermarket will be out of way more than just toilet paper.

[stopbush]

4. Yes, as in shipped from the big coastal ports in CA, NY and NJ

to distribution centers in flyover land. Last I heard, those distribution centers are essential businesses that have remained open.

Has nothing to do with my OP.

[customerserviceguy]

8. True, for the stuff that's imported

Right now, we need to keep our focus on US businesses and farms. I really don't care if another damned thing comes from China.

It would not be pointless to open up the middle of this country, if it could be done in safe ways.

[stopbush]

12. Or the 25% of US produce that comes from CA.

[customerserviceguy]

13. I think we can categorize California by counties

If Governor Newsom isn't into that, he can take it up with voters in the agricultural regions.

[stopbush]

14. I see the ag workers out in the fields near my home in SoCal every day. Harvesting crops

is an essential service. BTW - I live in heavily populated area about 20 miles south of Disneyland.

Opening up the economy means opening up those things that are actually closed right now, and that ain’t ag.

[WA-03 Democrat]

2. Washington and Oregon too!

The east and west coast states who are following through with the “you are on your own” truth from the Dump Admin. This represents 33% of the US population. Nothing will happen as this will burn through the lower population states causing death. With no cure there is no immunity. Antibodies...maybe, perhaps, oh hell- it’s new we don’t know shit.

Think we should figure how to manufacture massive amounts of a $0.06 ASTM Level 3 mouth masks and get 1 billion rapid test line up. Then we have protection and an aqueduct supply of tests. Turn it over to Military logistics and Trump should focus on cheerleader uniform fabric swatches and get out of the way.

Life vs. death is not a hard question for most.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. And Illinois

Smack dab in the middle of the country.
I don't see Colorado cooperating much either!
These states will do it on their own timelines.

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

5. In my opinion Texas and Florida are the key states to watch.

Both states have big populations, as well as a lot of jobs relating to agriculture, manufacturing, and natural resources.

So far these two states apparently haven't been hit very hard by the virus, at least compared to New York and some other northern states. Although most likely it's worse in them than it looks due to probable under-reporting (hiding) some of the effects of the virus.

So what would happen if these two states start re-opening everything?

There may be a lot of potential for big virus "hotspots" to develop if they do so.

.

[GulfCoast66]

6. Floridian here. The only thing that has kept us from being a hotspot

Are our Democratic Mayors in the big cities that got on this pretty quick.

If DeShitis overrules them we will soon have several NYs.

And most large business will do what is best for their employees, customers and bottom line.

No entertainment company in Central Florida is reopening before June at the very earliest. And without them there is no economy in Central Florida.

I guess the right wing nuts think Palatka and Port St. Joe will carry the state.

[lindysalsagal]

7. True.

[jmg257]

9. Rural states don't have restaurants, entertainment venues, bars, stores, other non-esential

industries that are now closed?

That sucks.

[0rganism]

10. who are the customers we're supposedly "reopening" for?

first thing you'd need to reopen are schools and daycares, so people with children can go back to work

and who's ready to all-you-can-eat some fine buffet-style King's Table food? no? how about China Moon? no?
dining and entertainment sectors need to rethink their business models. hint: takeout is going to be much more popular and table servers are going to be SOL.

how about a nice cruise? no? maybe an airplane flight? no?
aw shit, guess that applies to travel and hospitality sectors too.

gas is really inexpensive now. ready to go get you some of that tasty cheap-ass self-serve car juice? maybe, driving's still kind of necessary, but you can damn well bet people are going to take precautions while doing so. Oregon's model of "no self-service" might have to go national.

and so far i'm only talking about our internal customers.

[lunatica]

11. The devil is ever in the details

We are all too interdependent for halfway, slapdash, panic actions. Like it or not we’re in this together.

Trump unleashed this on us by keeping his head firmly planted up his ass. There is no closing that door now. He can’t just say, “Oops! Let me just do a do over!”

His boneheaded insistence to get back to normal will serve to kill more people. And it won’t do much to fix anything.