A brief reflection on accountability during #COVID19. 1/x

Across the country, our leaders (city, state, & federal) have managed #COVID19 preparation & response in a variety of ways. When the dust settles, I do think each one will look back on this and see things that they did well, and what they could have done differently. 2/x

On a granular level, I am not interested in Monday morning QB’ing the very hard decisions that people needed to make with the information they had at the time.

What I do think is important is to ask our leaders the following questions:

3/x

1. To the extent that you could, did you build a government that was prepared to identify risk and guide a serious response to mitigate harm from a viral pandemic of this nature?

4/x

2. To the extent that you could, did you listen to your experts (and not pundits or conspiracy theorists) and respond in a timely fashion to start preparing for what might need to be done should things progress along a worst-case-scenario trajectory?

5/x

3. To the extent that you could, did you assess the need for things like testing, which if present earlier in the epidemic, might have guided distancing efforts and reduced need for full shut-down, and perhaps limited damages to the economy?

6/x

4. To the extent that you could, and guided by careful attention to international experiences w/ #COVID19, did you assess our material needs — PPE, hospital beds, ventilators, healthcare workers — and leverage your position to coordinate improved access to these resources?

7/x

5. To the extent that you could, have you messaged *honestly* & *clearly* to your constituents about the risks that we face, what we are currently doing to mitigate those risks, and what the future may hold?

8/x

6. To the extent that you could, have you expressed gratitude, empathy & respect for all those who have suffered, put their lives at risk, or died during this moment in our history? In other words, have you modeled seriousness, humility & humanity during a national crisis.

9/x

7. And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, have you worked over your career to build a just society that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Universal health care, racial equity, a just economy that protects its workers - these can all mitigate harm from disasters like #COVID19.

10/x

I think we are all focused on day-to-day survival right now, but when the dust settles — accountability will be important. And how our leaders managed this crisis should guide how much we trust them to manage our government, our resources & our lives moving forward.

/fin