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Gov. Kathy Hochul just reupped her eternally extended COVID “emergency,” though any actual emergency ended months ago at the latest.
So her order’s main impact is to feed lingering hysteria — and to let her end-run state rules to the benefit of some big Hochul donors.
The order, dating to the Omicron surge of late 2021, suspends competitive bidding for some state contracts as well as the state Comptroller’s Office’s review before payments go out.
This let medical device exec Charlie Tebele — whose family donated nearly $300,000 to Hochul’s campaign — grab state business worth a mind-boggling $637 million for rapid tests. --->READ MORE HERE
Ho hum. Another month, another “emergency” in Kathy Hochul’s New York.
On Monday, with zero fanfare, the governor renewed her pandemic emergency declaration for 30 more days, through Sept. 12, even though the Omicron wave that initially inspired the order was largely over by March.
Because it focused on technical rules for state purchasing rather than mask mandates or business closures, the decision made few waves with the public. But declaring emergencies that don’t exist is a dangerous abuse of gubernatorial power — and it’s sadly becoming a pattern.
In recent weeks, Hochul has quietly extended three other emergency declarations that originated in 2021. One focuses on shortages of hospital and nursing-home staff, another on deteriorating conditions at Rikers Island. The oldest, addressing gun violence, was first issued by ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo more than a year ago, shortly before he resigned to avoid impeachment.
The underlying issues are legitimate enough — but they’re persistent problems in need of permanent solutions, not short-term crises to be fixed on the fly.
So why would Hochul pretend otherwise? The real pathogen at work here is Albany-itis, which has been endemic at the state capital for generations. It gives politicians an uncontrollable urge to cut procedural corners, evade accountability and subvert ethical guardrails.
Consider the details of the order renewed on Monday. Its most important provisions suspended enforcement of certain state purchasing laws. This allowed the Hochul administration to buy pandemic-related supplies without the usual precautions, such as getting soliciting bids from multiple suppliers or submitting contracts for vetting by the Comptroller’s Office. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
Zeldin, GOP accuse Hochul of abuse of power with latest COVID emergency extension
COVID Lockdowns, Crime Kill New York’s 9/11 Museum
USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates
WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates
YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates
NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest
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