After nearly a year of the coronavirus pandemic, the evidence from the states suggests that when it comes to economics, the “cure” is worse than the virus.
In the early stages of the pandemic there was a debate over whether economic damage would be even worse without lockdowns, arguing under the assumption that lockdowns would mitigate damage to the economy done by the virus. The evidence now suggests that lockdowns only compound the economic damage caused by the virus rather than mitigate future damage.
According to The Federalist:
States helmed by Republican governors are leading the nation’s recovery from the lockdown-driven recession that is strongest in blue states led by Democrats, who imposed the strictest pandemic restrictions that suffocated small businesses and eroded jobs.
States dominated by Republicans led with the lowest unemployment rates, while states governed by Democrats suffer the most.
“Republican trifecta” [having a Republican Governor and Congress] states had better outcomes than all the other electoral combinations. While some Republican governors have been noted for their extraordinary leadership in allowing their citizens to keep working and going to school in the face of a disease that is most dangerous to the very elderly, others have dictated crushing pandemic policies little different from their blue-state counterparts.
States where Democrats control the governorship and both houses of Congress averaged unemployment rates of 7.5%. States where Republicans control the governorship and both houses of Congress averaged unemployment rates of 4.9% – or 40% lower.
The top eleven states with the highest unemployment rates all have governments dominated by Republicans. Of the ten states with the lowest unemployment rates, only one (Vermont) has a government dominated by Democrats (a Republican governor with Democrat control of both chambers of Congress).
California, ruled by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who locked his state down into oblivion while blowing off his own rules, has run the West Coast paradise into 9 percent unemployment, the third-highest in the country. Meanwhile, California’s kingmakers are fleeing in droves for red states that foster friendlier business climates, such as Arizona, Texas, and Florida.
New York, on the other hand, is not far ahead of California’s unemployment rate. There, Emperor Andrew Cuomo has run the state to 8.2 percent unemployment. Thanks to Cuomo, together with Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, residents are fleeing just as they did in California, taking many jobs and taxpayer dollars with them.
Kristi Noem’s South Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, at 3% – lower than before the pandemic.
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