Normally this blog posts articles related to distressed companies, management concepts and financial management or activities.
This week is different.
This blog is about the country, which is in as much difficulty as any distressed company.
BOMBARDED WITH MISINFORMATION …
Recently I heard a story from a close friend of mine.
Her son, who is in his 50’s living in California, refuses to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
His girlfriend has been bombarding him with misinformation regarding problems and side effects.
He believes this despite the fact that his father and stepmother are both in the hospital with Covid-19 as this is written.
Some states and the federal government have worked tirelessly to convince unvaccinated people to get the shots.
There have been incentives, lottery’s, free tickets, paid time off, etc.
Despite these incentives, 74% of unvaccinated people state they are unwilling or probably unwilling to get vaccinated.
TAKING THE WRONG APPROACH …
Obviously, these entities are taking the wrong approach. Many of these unvaccinated people state that they don’t trust the government or don’t want the government to tell them what to do. And we certainly do not want yet another government bureaucracy.
But maybe it’s time for the stick instead of the carrot.
What those of us who are vaccinated have heard from those unvaccinated is that they’re not worried about getting sick and if they do, they’re healthy and will recover.
And if that was all that would happen, it is their right to get sick.
But the new variants of this virus are highly transmissible and what about the other people that someone infects who may not be as healthy as they are.
Do they really have the right to potentially cause another person’s death, without any accountability, because of their own beliefs?
A POLITICAL FOOTBALL …
The sad part is that what should be a medical emergency has become a political football. Our politics and the courts are cluttered up with issues of the constitutionality of mask mandates.
Safety issues on public transportation lead to fights about someone’s right to not wear a mask. In these cases, an incentive clearly doesn’t work. We’re just dealing with stupidity.
The positivity rate of Covid-19 has more than doubled over the past three weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. In certain states, hospitals facilities are stretched to their maximum and beyond.
WHO PAYS?
One question we should all be asking is:
Who pays for the care of these people that
could have been vaccinated but refused?
If they have insurance, then all of our insurance rates will increase.
If not, maybe we should ask those state legislators about who’s paying the bills for those unvaccinated, uninsured very sick people.
Maybe we should start asking businesses why they aren’t taking more action to keep the rest of us safe. And then start supporting those that begin doing so.
Why should we all take a risk of becoming sick or dying because some people don’t believe in science?
SOME WORK TOWARDS A SOLUTION …
We have seen some businesses work toward a solution. Airlines enforce the mask mandate. Concerts and 
Broadway shows only allow those vaccinated attendees.
Even cruise lines operating out of Florida where the legislators passed state laws that conflict with science, have found a way around the issue by requiring unvaccinated people to carry trip insurance and submit to additional testing. And bear the costs of these things.
When members of Revitalization Partners have served in interim management capacities, we focus on the problems in a given situation and how best to fix them. But no matter how good or experienced we or those trying to help with this situation are, as that famous saying goes:
“You can’t fix Stupid.”
Revitalization Partners specializes in improving the operational and financial results of companies and providing hands-on expertise in virtually every circumstance, with a focus on small and mid-market organizations. Whether your requirement is Interim Management, a Business Assessment, Revitalization and Reengineering, a State Receivership or Bankruptcy Support, we focus on giving you the best resolution in the fastest time with the highest possible return.
