NJ Gov. Murphy’s Lame Response To COVID Failures Recycles Former Gov. Codey’s Task Force
Gov. Codey Executive Order Created A Public Health Planning Task Force Back In 2002
That Task Force Was Abolished By Gov. Christie
Still No Mention Of Liability Immunity Law Murphy Signed
I read today that Gov. Murphy’s response to a 900 page consultant’s $9 million Report on COVID failures is to create a Task Force: (NJ Spotlight):
He pledged to create a task force to examine the recommendations and develop lasting reforms, with help from lawmakers, noting that “statutes have a permanency to them that will help cement practices and preventions in place.”
Murphy said the task force — to be led by the state health commissioner and the state police colonel, who was a major player in the COVID-19 response — is also charged with ensuring that state officials are trained to implement the response plan if an emergency strikes.
That is almost verbatim from Acting Gov. Codey’s Executive Order #140, issued in 2002 in the wake of the 9/11 disaster prevention planning failures and suspected public health threats of terrorism.
I wrote about that just 2 weeks ago, and tweeted it out to Lilo Stainton the NJ Spotlight reporter on this issue, see:
So I can’t understand why there is not a more critical report on Murphy’s lame response.
Readers also are told that the State had a pandemic plan that was not implemented:
According to the report, the state had a pandemic plan and other crisis guidance in place when the virus emerged, but few leaders were aware of its existence.
Again, I reported that FACT at the outset of the COVID pandemic.
In March 2020, I wrote about that pandemic plan and warned that State officials ignored it, see:
You don’t need a $9 million consultant Report to know that. I did it for free and the incompetent journalists and State officials just ignored it.
And I Tweeted that March 2020 post to Spotlight reporter Lilo Stainton too. So she and Spotlight editors are part of the problem as well.
And, although I have not yet read the $9 million 900 page report ($10,000 a page!), I still see nothing about the criminal scandal of the liability immunity law Gov. Murphy signed. I hope repeal of that law was included in the 33 recommendations in the $9 million Report ($272,727 each!).
A similar NY State liability immunity law triggered an investigation and Report by the NY Attorney General which led to the repeal of that law and was part of the downfall of Gov. Cuomo. NY AG issued that Report over 3 YEARS ago, so where has everyone in NJ been?
How could this issue not be a prominent part of the coverage?
Seems like we have a pattern of failure not only in State government, but in NJ media circles as well.