Greg Abbott announced a federally-backed, small-business loan program that includes no apparent involvement from the state. The program is far from a Texas-sized solution considering its Rainy Day Fund holds over $8 Billion, even after accounting expenditures have already been authorized.
Abbott’s drop-in-the-bucket cheerleading of Goldman Sachs should not divert attention from his failed leadership in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Abbott has led from behind through this entire crisis. Today’s announcement is another reaction to leadership coming from urban counties led by Democrats. His press conference came less than a week after the Democratic-controlled Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $10 million forgivable loan program from county resources..
The eyes of Texas are upon Greg Abbott—and we are seeing how badly he has mismanaged a crisis that is costing Texans their lives and livelihoods.
What would a stronger Governor do?
Abbott could call a Special Session and appropriate $1 billion to ramp up testing and track exposure to the virus. He could also create incentives for Texas businesses to innovate mitigation techniques. Both options are real measures that would help provide the certainty and security needed to make Texans safer and put our economy back in motion.
Holding a press conference highlighting what someone is else doing is more about P.R. and C.Y.A than getting the Texas economy back on its feet.
From the beginning, Abbott has dithered and delayed. While updating the public at a press conference in March, he was asked whether we should implement measures like China with regard to mass fever testing. Abbott shrugged his shoulders and said there was no need considering the amount of cases. He was caught unaware and ill-prepared.
Abbott can try to press conference his way to rewriting his sorry record, but the Texas public should not be fooled.
Abbott Follows:
- Issues ‘Stay at Home’ order 7 days AFTER Dallas and Harris County orders are in place.
- Issues Small Business loan program 4 days AFTER Harris County issued its own
Abbott’s Failures:
- No widespread testing: 2nd-worst rate of testing per capita in the nation
- No real supply line for PPE: Masks were promised; doctors say they were waiting
- Hiding information: State won’t release infection rates at nursing homes
- Issued order limiting women’s healthcare
- Ignoring reasonable calls for voting-by-mail
