Some Texas leaders are experiencing a failure to communicate. Republican Governor Greg Abbott's office sent Democratic Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins a letter warning Jenkins that failure to use a convention center as a makeshift hospital in response to the COVID-19 pandemic would cause Dallas to lose federal funds for medical purposes. Judge Jenkins responded that the county indeed intended to use the center but as a backup facility once hospital beds are used up. Hence the confusion.
So did the governor take this opportunity to clarify, grandstand, or remind Dallas County he is the boss? Hard to say but the conflict merits out attention going forward.
I really think that right now, it's so hard to make the right call, government-wise. And right now, even if the decision has good short-term benefits, long-term repercussions are posisble.
I believe it was a really smart idea not to use the convention centers until the hospital beds filled up first. The judge seems to be prioritizing instead of rushing into things. I also believe that Greg Abbott was not so much telling the judge "I'm the boss," however I do think he was frustrated with the leaders of Dallas due to the fact that the judge disagrees with the governor's decision to open "retail to-go."
This makes me wonder if there are going to be any sort of attempts at transporting patients to other hospitals or trying to contain them and keep them in one place without regard to the overcrowding.
It is very interesting that Abbott sent this message to Dallas County. It seems to me that it was more to show Dallas that he is boss, and it simply seems to me that Abbott is attempting to stay ahead of the curve in the COVID-19 pandemic. I do not think there is anything wrong with what he did. in a time like this, it seems fitting that authority figures step up, take charge of what they have authority over, and run a tight ship. Until this pandemic has ceased, we should continue having a mindset as far ahead as we can, and continue to prepare for the worst and hope and pray for the best.
It seems interesting to think that Judge Clay Jenkins would defy the governor, but it is equally interesting to think about what would happen if Judge Clay Jenkins continued to defy the governor.