Janelle Irwin Taylor
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor wants school reopening decisions to happen at the local level.
Speaking on CNN Tuesday morning, Castor addressed worries Gov. Ron DeSantis is basing reopening decisions on scientifically unproven claims that children are not “vectors of transmission.”
“I can’t see anyone forcing classrooms full of 30 children that, as the science indicates, are definitely transmitters of a number of different viruses,” Castor said.
Castor, however, refused to take the bait from interviewer Poppy Harlow, who was clearly looking for Castor to take the opportunity to bash her state’s Governor.
Harlow asked whether she was concerned about DeSantis dismissing concerns about viral spread in schools.
“Are you concerned that it doesn’t appear that the Governor of your state is fully aware of how much is unknown about how children can transmit this?”
Castor initially demurred, pointing instead to local decision-making, before Harlow interrupted to expound on her question.
“Doesn’t it matter when you have the Governor of your state saying something that is patently just not based in science?”
“Yes, of course it matters,” Castor said.
Still, she looked instead toward national policymakers.
“Look at all the misinformation that’s going on nationally with this pandemic,” Castor said. “We need to get back to making decisions that are based on the data.”
Castor said left to the locals, “those decisions will be made on the science.”
That may be difficult to achieve in a state where the current state guidance requires school districts to open for the full five-day school week with plans in place for full reopening. Though the state guidance does allow parents to continue with distance learning if they choose.
As the Mayor of Tampa, Castor does not have the direct authority to affect school decisions, that authority lies with the county School Board. However, she does have something of a bully pulpit from which to affect local decision-making.
3 comments
Susan W Long
July 14, 2020 at 3:25 pm
I totally agree with you Mayor Castor.
Sonja Fitch
July 14, 2020 at 3:28 pm
Vectors of transmission! Wtf. Duffus Desantis little Marco and cockroach Corcoran describe our CHILDREN in the most degrading inhuman terms! Cancel the RNC! Our children will be trying to transition back into school !
kenneth
July 14, 2020 at 8:26 pm
Democrats want to make this election all about President Trump. NOT their platform & Goals and Joe Biden for obvious reasons.
Democrat Platform & Goals:
*Citizenship for 20 to 50 million illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients their families with a cost of billions.
*Massive tax increases. All Democrat candidates have committed to tax increases of various amounts. Biden has stated he will raise taxes.
*Sanctuary Cities & States. Joe Biden supports sanctuary cities.
*Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Green new deal.(which would create massive unemployment, 100,000 jobs estimated in the transportation industry alone.) Joe Biden supports.
*De-fund & terminate border patrol & ICE.
*De-fund Police. “reimagin law enforcement” (the left’s new term.) Basically BLM is determining where your taxes go and it’s not to law enforcement. Biden recently stated his endorsement of “redirecting law enforcement finds.”
*Free Healthcare for Illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients (taxpayer funded with one estimate at 52 trillion) Joe Biden endorsed.
*Ending of all private / employer based health care. “Medicare for all”, Feds run everything.
*Illegal Aliens eligible for welfare & food stamps. (Elizabeth Warren’s plan adopted) Endorsed by Biden.
*Reparations for race’s harmed by Caucasians. Joe Biden committed to support Sheila Jackson Lee’s reparations bill in the House. Basically a tax will be levied on all Caucasians in America. (you can’t make this stuff up)
*Free college for all, including illegal aliens (taxpayer funded with estimates in the billions. Bernie Sanders plan adopted.
*Decriminalization of illegal entry into our country.
*Open Borders.
*End all deportations of illegal aliens, if you get here, you stay. Bernie’s website calls it a “moratorium” on deportations.
*Drivers Licenses for illegal aliens (already happening in states with Democrat leadership. Biden endorsed
*Late term abortions up to 9 months.
* Destruction and erasing our history.
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