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Because the nature of response varies so much in between different locations and local expertise is often best poised to deal with local problems. Federal reso

Because the nature of response varies so much in between different locations and local expertise is often best poised to deal with local problems. Federal resources are better for things like logistics (ship 500,000 masks to where they're needed), but New York probably knows how to get aid to New York best. Ignoring local expertise to blindly chase efficiency of large-scale enterprise is perilous.

untog 7y ago
> Because the nature of response varies so much in between different locations and local expertise is often best poised to deal with local problems. Is that really true here? I can certainly see an urban vs rural divide, but beyond that I can’t see what makes individual states all that different.
- ReptileMan 7y ago
  Population density. Climate - so far COVID 19 seems to thrive better in cold and dry conditions. Culture - not all measures will be easily sold to all. Medical fatalities - availability and capacity.
  - untog 7y ago
    Most of those are true within states as well, though. Most contain both cities and rural areas. So why is it better to separate one state’s rural areas from anothers?
- dave5104 7y ago
  Don't want to get too political here, but if you consolidated the response to COVID-19 to the federal government and didn't allow states and county public health officials to act, we'd probably be in much worse shape. I don't like the idea of consolidating pandemic readiness to a single entity that may or may not be up to the challenge of addressing it.
- i_am_proteus 7y ago
  It's really true everywhere. Think about: Setting up temporary hospitals; where is the available capacity, where is the existing capacity. Knowing where people live and how they move around. Who in the area is most at risk and how can their needs best be met? Knowing what logistics capabilities exist. Speaking the local dialect and being able to effectively communicate emergency plans such that they're followed. Who do you talk to to mobilize some local resource? These are all things that are best implemented locally.

untog 7y ago

> Because the nature of response varies so much in between different locations and local expertise is often best poised to deal with local problems. Is that really true here? I can certainly see an urban vs rural divide, but beyond that I can’t see what makes individual states all that different.

ReptileMan 7y ago
Population density. Climate - so far COVID 19 seems to thrive better in cold and dry conditions. Culture - not all measures will be easily sold to all. Medical fatalities - availability and capacity.
- untog 7y ago
  Most of those are true within states as well, though. Most contain both cities and rural areas. So why is it better to separate one state’s rural areas from anothers?
dave5104 7y ago
Don't want to get too political here, but if you consolidated the response to COVID-19 to the federal government and didn't allow states and county public health officials to act, we'd probably be in much worse shape. I don't like the idea of consolidating pandemic readiness to a single entity that may or may not be up to the challenge of addressing it.
i_am_proteus 7y ago
It's really true everywhere. Think about: Setting up temporary hospitals; where is the available capacity, where is the existing capacity. Knowing where people live and how they move around. Who in the area is most at risk and how can their needs best be met? Knowing what logistics capabilities exist. Speaking the local dialect and being able to effectively communicate emergency plans such that they're followed. Who do you talk to to mobilize some local resource? These are all things that are best implemented locally.