Mount Pleasant Tribune (Mount Pleasant, Tex.), Vol. 146, No. 28, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 18, 2020 Page: 4 of 10
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PERSPECTIVES
Page 4 • TribNow.com
March 18, 2020
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Governor issues statewide disaster declaration
warrant,” Hegar said.
nuity plan under controlled conditions,” Hegar said.
collaboration of health insurers operating in Texas to
enhance our states proactive approach to addressing
any potential outbreaks of COVID-19,” Abbott said.
Mount Pleasant Tribune
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The Mount Pleasant Tribune and www.tribnow.com,
as well as any reasonable derivative of these names, are
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express permission of Northeast Texas Publishing, LP.
by LEON ALDRIDGE
leonaldridge@gmail.com
Revenue to be distributed
Comptroller Hegar on March 11 announced he
Texas joins consortium
The Office of the Secretary of State on March 9
announced that Texas will become the 30th state to
join the Electronic Registration Information Center
Important weapons for survival
during times of adversity
Hegar: Economy is strong
Texas faces current weaknesses in financial, com-
Capital
Highlights
by ED STERLING
Texas Press Association
—Contact Leon Aldridge at leonaldridge@gmail.
com. Other Aldridge columns are archived at leon-
aldridge.com
Abbott said agency actions would include:
—Provide immediate ability to move resourc-
through the Strategic National Stockpile, an emer-
gency supply of pharmaceuticals and medical sup-
plies;
—Restrict visitations at nursing homes, state-sup-
es around the state, including resources obtained updates to lawmakers and the public as conditions
MPMEEL-
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TONI ROWAN
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MIRANDA OGLESBY
Managing Editor
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• 7.Digital Services
day-to-day functions of
state government than
it has been historically.
Additionally, the state
leadership has numer-
ous financial manage-
ment tools that allow
the state to react to and
contend with economic
pressures.
“Having said that, we will continue to monitor the
economy and state revenues closely and will provide
The human race has one really effective weapon,
and that is laughter.” —Humorist Mark Twain
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg
Abbott on March 13 de-
clared a state of disaster
in all Texas counties and
listed actions agencies
are taking to contain
and minimize the spread
of the COVID-19 novel
coronavirus, a contagious
flu-like respiratory disease.
.ANDCANCELLATONS
OF EVERY SPEcTATOR
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MANKIND.
—7
FEARS of-Ve VIRUS N
SPREADING TO I
HUNVREDS of THOUSANDS /
OF PEOPLE... /
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A Story
) Worth Telling
I’m convinced that times of adversity call for three
weapons. They are faith, a positive attitude, and the
weapon that Mark Twain pegged when he penned
the words above: humor.
Times of adversity definitely abound as news of a
worldwide virus about which little is known and for
which there is no vaccine has Americans in a panic.
Admittedly, it’s confusing and scary with conflict-
ing messages about the illness and how bad it could
be. It also doesn’t help when the mainstream media,
like it does with many facets of life today, politicizes
what little information is available.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Friday’s figures on COVID-19,
the official name for “coronavirus,” reports total U.S.
cases as 1,629; total deaths 41; and jurisdictions re-
porting cases totaling 47 (46 states and the District
of Columbia). Since this missive was drafted during
the weekend, by the time you read it mid-week, that
number will have no doubt changed. Updates are
found at cdc.gov.
For updates on adversity, one need travel no far-
ther than local stores. There you will find the mass-
es buying according to their perceived concepts on
how to prepare for a nationwide quarantine that the
U.S. has said thus far it will not consider. Make no
mistake, the adversity of the virus is very real. But
the best medicine for the hoarding hysteria prompt-
ing crazy consumer habits is a dose of Mark Twain’s
touted humor.
Making the weekly pantry restocking trip last
week, I found the more highly trafficked aisles in
town stripped of anything resembling bottled wa-
ter. A trip down the street to the aisles less traveled
found four one-gallon containers labeled as “Nurs-
ery Purified” water sitting all alone on a long stretch
of floor-to-ceiling empty shelving. Deciding that
water for babies was as healthy as any, I observed
the store’s posted limits of two per customer and de-
pleted half their remaining inventory.
A couple of minutes later found me in the check-
out line behind a customer carting boxes of beef
jerky, cases of canned soup, and a bushel of ba-
nanas. I smiled wondering whether this motivated
consumer had considered what she would do when
every one of her half-a-buggy of bananas all reached
the ripened state at the exact same time.
I was still smiling when a neighbor fell in line
behind me and a conversation on comparisons of
observed shopping hysteria ensued. Mid-stream
in one sentence, her eyes focused toward my items
as she asked, “Do you have news that you want to
share?”
Scanning my scant collection of one bleach spray,
some sparkling water and two gallons of bottled
water, my mind struggled for clues. Nodding, she
added with a smile on her face and a question in her
tone, “Nursery water?”
“Oh that,” I laughed. “No, no news and no danger
... the only news is that’s the only bottled water of
any kind left on the shelf.” My smile grew wider at
the thought of the old timer’s saying, “that’s caused
by something in the water,” having been why this
was the only water left behind.
Social media has not left anything behind in its
role of heightening tension as well as interjecting
humor into every situation. The best example of the
latter was the lady attending a luncheon hosted by
a friend who had expressed concern prior to the
event about running low on toilet tissue. So, what
did this kindhearted and creative soul with a sense
of humor do? She took an appreciation gift to the
luncheon hostess: a roll of tissue discretely wrapped
and tucked into a gift bag.
Were he here today, Mark Twain would have no
doubt loved the luncheon lady and also favored
my friend who offered the following thoughts after
marveling at the shopping mayhem.
“The Bible says in Mark chapter 13,” she offered
regarding the end of time, “But of that day and that
hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are
in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
“In His wisdom,” she continued, “God knew that
if He were to announce the date and the hour, we’d
be overrun by panicky people in line trying to gas
up cars filled with bottled water and toilet paper.”
•06).
o
ported living centers, hospitals, daycare facilities, would send cities, counties, transit systems and spe-
prisons, jails and juvenile justice facilities, while al- cial purpose taxing districts $766.2 million in local
lowing limited exceptions for situations such as end- sales tax allocations for March.
of-life visitations; The dollar amount is 7.7% more than in the
—Direct state agencies to take any action necessary amount distributed in March 2019.
to facilitate telemedicine and to provide flexible work The allocations are based on sales made in January
and tele-work policies; and by businesses that report tax monthly.
—Empower the Texas Attorney General to pursue Details may be found online in the comptroller’s
cases of price-gouging and ensure that offenders are monthly sales tax allocation comparison summary
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. reports at comptroller.texas.gov.
modity and energy markets but the fundamentals of (ERIC), a non-profit consortium that assists member
the Lone Star State’s economy remain strong, Texas states in increasing voter participation and improv-
Comptroller Glenn Hegar said on March 9. ing the accuracy of voter rolls.
Texas has exposure if oil prices remain depressed Governed and managed by member states, ERIC
for a sustained period of time, and slowdowns in was formed in 2012 with assistance from The Pew
economic activity related to the COVID-19 outbreak Charitable Trusts. During its 2019 session, the 86th
could also be a headwind, Hegar said. However, he Texas Legislature appropriated $1.5 million for Texas
added, it is now only six months into the state’s cur- to join the consortium.
rent budget cycle, so it is too early to tell how current Participation in ERIC will assist Texas elections
fluctuations might impact long-term economic per- officials in identifying and conducting outreach to
formance and state revenues. eligible but unregistered voters to encourage them to
Hegar also pointed out that the Texas economy is register to vote, according to the Secretary of State’s
less reliant on oil and gas severance taxes to fund the Elections Division.
Cost waiving requested Agency conducts exercise
Earlier last week, Abbott and the Texas Department Comptroller Hegar on March 11 said his office
of Insurance asked health insurers and health mainte- conducted an agencywide telework exercise on
nance organizations operating in Texas to waive costs March 10.
associated with the testing and telemedicine visits for In the exercise, some 1,800 employees representing
the diagnosis of COVID-19. the majority of the comptroller’s staff worked regular
Additionally, TDI requested that insurers report hours from home. Critical operations of the agency
their actions related to consumer cost-sharing and functioned normally, including call center agents
access to services so that the department can ensure who handled normal call volumes while teleworking,
consumers are aware of their available benefits. “I want to stress that this was a scheduled business
“Consulting a physician from home is a practical continuity exercise designed to simulate a scenario
way to avoid getting sick, prevent the spread of the vi- in which comptroller employees were required to
rus and help ensure that emergency rooms are avail- work from home. This exercise will allow the agency
able for those who truly need them. We appreciate the to identify and address any weaknesses in our conti -
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Oglesby, Miranda. Mount Pleasant Tribune (Mount Pleasant, Tex.), Vol. 146, No. 28, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 18, 2020, newspaper, March 18, 2020; Mount Pleasant, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1429342/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Mount Pleasant Public Library.