Not surprising for educated, informed people, my friends have opinions about reopening the economy. Mostly they, as do I, think that it’s too soon to ease up. But we do need to acknowledge that we’re privileged.

Seniors are the greatest beneficiaries of the lockdown, since coronavirus is deadlier for us than for younger age groups.

My retirement income hasn’t changed.

None of my nonretired friends has lost a job. They are among the white-collar professionals working in the safety of home now. When April’s job report came out last Friday, the unemployment rate for college graduates was relatively low, 8.4 percent, compared with the overall rate of 14.7 percent.

Contrast that with the rates for Latinos, 18.9 percent, and African Americans, 16.7 percent. African Americans and Latinos who haven’t lost their jobs make up a disproportionate share of those who are performing the “essential” jobs — such as grocery and drug store cashiers, transportation workers, and deliverers of food. They do not have the luxury of earning their pay in front of a home computer.

When asked how I am, I could answer, “Tired of this,” which would be honest, but the better answer would be “I’m grateful.”

Other than boredom, why wouldn’t retirees want to continue to be protected? I’d like to hear more from the people who aren’t as fortunate as I am. What goes through their minds when they hear “We’re all in this together”?

*****

WHY CAN’T WE TEST MORE?

Some commentators have argued that lives versus jobs is a false debate. We could save both if we do enough testing. Those who test positive should isolate themselves; everyone else can return to business as usual but should be retested periodically. Only the infected instead of the whole population would be shut down, so businesses could operate.

We’re not testing enough is the catchphrase from everyone but Donald Trump and his toadies. I understand why we can’t have a vaccine or effective treatments at the snap of our fingers, but what’s the deal with testing? The problems are mostly with supplies, it’s reported. How can the world’s greatest economy not produce and distribute enough test supplies? Other countries have done it.

I’ve read the explanations, including unpreparedness, botched starts, regulatory barriers, breakdowns in supply lines, shortages of money and staff. But these needn’t have existed if the federal government had developed a national plan and coordinated the implementation.

Prognosticators from all over the political spectrum say that testing is the buffer until we have a vaccine. Without testing, we either continue locking down and crippling the economy, or states open up and expose hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, to unnecessary sickness and death. The latter, unfortunately, is what many states are doing.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to say that massive testing isn’t needed. He’s covering up the shortage of tests and trying to cover up how many more people are infected — both of which would make him look bad.

*****

MOM FINALLY GETS RELIEF FROM ISOLATION

My mother’s first Mother’s Day as a widow looked to be sad and lonely. Like others in long-term-care centers across the country, she has been sequestered in her apartment in an assisted living community. She isn’t allowed visitors. Because she doesn’t have internet access, she hasn’t seen us via Zoom or FaceTime. We only communicate by phone.

The residence, American House–Cedarlake in Plainfield, has been preparing to permit residents to sit outside on warm days, with visitors allowed as long as they keep social distance. Mom was oblivious about the plans when a nurse came to her apartment last Wednesday, a sunny, mid-60-degrees day, and asked her to put on a sweater because they were going out.

Waiting outside the main entrance was my brother. Even though Rick lives only a half-mile away, it was the first time she had seen any of us for two months. We learned of his visit when he texted a photo of Mom standing outside with her walker and wearing a face mask. Rick went again late Saturday afternoon with his son. By that time chairs were out. Mom needed a warmer coat, but she was thrilled to sit and chat with Rick and Matt for more than a half-hour. She celebrated Mother’s Day about eight hours early.

Since it’s likely that long-term-care residences will be among the last facilities to reopen, we’re happy to have warm weather arriving so that we can visit Mom outdoors. My sister Nancy is even talking about making the three-hour drive from suburban Indianapolis, visiting for an hour, and driving three hours home. “I don’t have anything better to do on a weekend,” she said. “Why not?”

•••••

ANTI-TRUMP COMMENTS: 113TH IN AN ONGOING SERIES

“The [federal government’s] response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty. . . . It has been an absolute chaotic disaster.”
— Barack Obama

In Sundays  Chicago Tribune, Columnist John Kass probably hit on a theme that most people are thinking about but not actually saying it for fear of sounding either sympathetic or cruel.  His headline says “AMERICANS ARE TOO AFRAID OF RISK. WE NEED BALANCE.”  That balance will depend on one’s perspective of Illinois lockdown and massive restrictions in a state that has seen over 3,406 deaths due to the Coronavirus. Over 70,000 Americans have died from the virus (if one can believe the figures being released) make no mistake lots of folks are in doubt of some of the numbers. In Illinois alone the dead has surpassed 3,406 souls who have died. Add to that an economy countrywide that has collapsed to its lowest point ever. Over 20 million jobs were lost in April alone and many predict it is even worse than that and headed downward.

He goes on to say, “that all the economic ruin is due to the Governors shutting down commerce to fight the Coronavirus, but maybe the extreme social isolation of the young and healthy wasn’t the wisest course.”  He asks how many more will die of alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide, stress, domestic battery, and on and on.  Shamefully, even the horrendous violence amid this total shutdown has escalated to the point of being called an epidemic. Chicago’s killings and shootings are showing no effect from any of these restrictions.

John breaks it down as only he can, in simple and easy to understand points of view. First, we have those of us who want to get the country back to work, who are portrayed as selfish fools who just want people to die. Then we have those who will never want the lockdown to end and are dismissed as fearful Coronavirus Karens, peering out their windows, calling the police if they see someone walking on the street without wearing a mask. Seek Balance is the Kass theme. In my opinion, whoever coined the phrase, “WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER” SPENT WAY TO MUCH TIME AT DISNEY WORLD.

Neither John Kass or myself for that matter has criticized either party, the rushers who want the return to the only normal they know, or those who tend to ignore the other victims who are losing jobs and the disasters of losing one’s income can and will cause the longer this isolation continues. Critics are a part of almost any decision when there is doubt about an outcome. An old Irish philosopher once described critics that seemed to me to nail it, “CRITICS ARE LIKE EUNUCHS IN A HAREM: THEY KNOW HOW IT’S DONE, THEY’VE  SEEN IT DONE EVERY DAY, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO IT THEMSELVES.”  So here we have a house divided, no way out for some, most certainly we are not all in this together.

Is there a balance to be had that John Kass says we need? While Illinois is still in a lockdown and its residents are required to wear masks, I can tell you here in Florida and in Georgia that normal that some folks are longing for back in Illinois has resumed for about a week, with very few restrictions with the exception of social distancing recommendations. Restaurants are open both inside seating (25% capacity) and outside, the beaches are open, the bars are doing a great business, no liquor stores are closed at 9 p.m. and to be honest that social distancing recommendation is just not happening.

Yesterday I was in a Walmart shopping, unmasked folks were in a vast majority over those few wearing masks. Granted all the employees were masked up and they were applying a sanitizer to the shopping carts but social distancing was nowhere to be found. Crowed aisles, check out lanes and parking lots, the goings-on showed no visible fear of the virus whatsoever. Call it what you want reckless, progressive or what Kass called for BALANCE. Three states whose rules are so far apart, we will probably have to wait years to discover who was wise, who was overly cautious, and indeed who might have been foolish, maybe at a great cost.  The question is what cost?  We are in a great unknown.  I can hear the voice of Rod Serling from the ’60s.   The Twilight Zone. We are actually in a friggin twilight zone.

John Kass has had the guts and courage to ask some hard questions, now it’s up to us to be heard from. We are not in a Harem.  We are being critical one way or another because our lives are being dictated to.  One way or another if we all are thinking alike then nobody is thinking.  Let’s hope for the Kass mantra WE NEED BALANCE. Richard Dawkins the great scientist always preached being open-minded but not so open-minded that our brains fall out. No doubt the future will record how we react to this challenge. Will they see the ugly side, the toilet paper, and hand sanitizer hoarders, the people who are convinced rules and decency do not apply to them, or will they see a generation that “produced persons of true character that was revealed in times of crisis or temptation.”Make sure you have what it takes to be your best in such times.  A wise man once said.

A great breakfast is an essential part in the nourishment of those in and out of the home. Oatmeal has been heralded as a wonderful early morning option with great nutritional value and is loaded with fiber, protein and minerals. I remember growing up, this breakfast meal was one of my father’s favorites. He’d be sure to have us eat oats as children and would declare, “eat up, sons, it’ll stick to you your bones!” Turns out, dad was actually correct. The fiber in oatmeal is what keeps you feeling fuller longer and is great for digestion. It also regulates blood sugar, absorbs water and helps to lower cholesterol.

Oats are a great breakfast base and are incredibly flexible and are a great choice for a quick and healthy meal. The key to a fantastic bowl of oats is to layer and load the grains with fresh or dried fruit and seasoned, toasted nuts. For this breakfast, we’ll begin by toasting shaved almonds. Add a dash of salt, pepper and olive oil to the almonds and place in a 400 degree oven for 10-13 minutes until toasted. Set aside and let the almonds cool.

Next, you’ll need either steel cut oatmeal, if time is a luxury, or quick rolled oats, if not. Follow the directions on the package and split the wet ingredient requirement with ½ water and ½ milk or a milk substitute. Oat milk is best if dairy is a dietary restriction. I’ve found this split in wet ingredients creates a great final consistency. If too much water is used, your grains won’t be creamy enough. However, utilizing too much milk will cause the oats to become stiff. Remember, as the oats cool, they will thicken, so we want the oats to be slightly wet when cooking so we have a great consistency at the point of service.

Bring your wet mixture to a boil in a saucepan and immediately add your measured dry oats to the pot once a boil is reached. Be careful here, as milk or milk substitutes will rise rather quickly and overflow the saucepan if not attended. At the point of boil, temporarily remove the pot from the heat source should the liquid quickly rise; then, slightly reduce the heat to a medium or medium-high setting and stir often to ensure the oats cook evenly and don’t stick to the pan.

Once the oats reach the desired level of consistency, remove the saucepan from the heat and add a pat of butter and roughly a third of a cup or less of brown sugar per serving.

Immediately transfer your oats to a serving bowl and add the fruit of your choice. Blackberries or raspberries are great choices, while dried cranberries and fresh-sliced bananas round out a wonderful flavor profile. Remember those shaved almonds we toasted? Add them on top and you’ve got some good breakfast eats!

Ingredients:
• Oatmeal: Steel Cut or Quick Rolled
• Shaved Almonds or Nuts of Your Choice
• Fruit of Your Choice
• Brown Sugar & Butter or Vegan Butter
• Salt & Pepper
• Milk or Milk Substitute
• Water

Note: All recipes on Building Chicago encourage you to estimate ingredients where possible and tap into your inner food artist to create wonderful nourishment for yourself and loved ones. Use your senses of taste, vision and feel to create dishes that you like and love. In order of progression, take a look at the photos and follow along…and remember: get creative, builders!

Rolled Oats

Salt & Pepper Those Almonds

Bake Until They Look Like This and Let Cool

Decide What Fruit You Enjoy

The Good Stuff

Equal Parts Water and Milk or Milk Substitute

Add Wet Ingredients and Bring to a Boil and THEN Add Oats

Add Butter and Brown Sugar

Now Dress Those Oats and Enjoy, Builders!

Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.

You haven’t received a bill for it, so it’s invisible to you. No one will be knocking on your door or grabbing your wages to collect the $52,000.

Nevertheless, the debt still is yours. It’s what every taxpayer in Illinois would have to cough up to pay off the state’s bills.

The latest figure comes from Truth in Accounting, the Chicago-based nonpartisan, non-profit watchdog, in its Illinois analysis portion of the group’s Financial State of the Union 2020. And Illinois’ indebtedness is shocking; if a business was this far in hock it no longer would exist.

But this is No Fault Illinois, where the politicians can get away without accepting blame for anything, including an indebtedness that is far beyond what most people would expect. We often hear about the $140 billion of unfunded state employee pension funds. (Actually, if stricter accounting rules applied, it would be closer to $200 billion, but what’s a dozen billion here and a dozen billion there matter?)

That’s not all of it. According to Truth in Accounting, Illinois’ debt amounts to $226 billion or $52,000 for every state taxpayer. It says:

Illinois’ financial problems stem mostly from unfunded retirement obligations that have accumulated over the years. Of the $292.1 billion in retirement benefits promised, the state has not funded $144.2 billion in pension and $56.1 billion in retiree health care benefits.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker continues to use bad budgeting practices that allow him to claim he has “balanced” the budget while underfunding pension systems. A recent Illinois bond offering stated that “The State’s contributions to the retirement systems… have been less than the contributions necessary to fully fund the retirement systems as calculated by the actuaries of the retirement systems.”

And everyday as the coronavirus pandemic cuts ever deeper into the state’s tax revenue, Illinois’ financial crisis worsens.

But, not to worry. Pretend there’s no problem.

[email protected]

www.dennisbyrne.net 

My historical novel: Madness: The War of 1812

To subscribe to the Barbershop, type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.