For Release Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Capitol View
Commentary by J.L. Schmidt
Statehouse Correspondent
Nebraska Press Association
So, HowÕs Your 2021 Been? Compared to What?


      If you thought 2021 was going to be better than 2020, the year of the Pandemic, let me know how that worked out for you.
      Coronavirus has turned out to be a cruel mistress. Just when it looked like masking and vaccinating was going to win the day, along came the Delta Variant. And some others the names of which I canÕt remember because I donÕt spend my days glued to the television set or wading in the muck and mire of social media. But IÕve heard they are out there, just in time for booster shots and flu shots.
      IÕve lost friends over this thing, people I havenÕt seen since March of 2020. Simply because IÕm vaccinated, and they believe that vaccinated people give off some kind of hideous protein residue that will harm them. Really? You canÕt make this stuff up.
      Then there are a few who still claim that the government wanted these vaccines to inject nanobots into our bodies. Whatever they are. Some claim that it amounts to planting tracking devices in us. Seriously, do you believe the government needs something else to track us with as we walk around every day with cellphones clutched in our hands or our pockets or our cars? 
      The government has been tracking my boring life ever since I received high Secret Service clearance to cover national political campaigns back in the late 70s. Just in case you wondered, no, I donÕt care. 
      So, just when it looked like the world was open for business again, things changed. Movie theaters, arenas, stadiums, schools and restaurants were available for at least limited use as we learned the nuances of social distancing, or not. 


For Release Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Š Page 2

      Aside from the surges in positive Covid cases, which extended mask mandates in some areas, some unexpected things happened. When the government offered stimulus checks to individuals, many employees quit their jobs. Others showed up for work when and if they felt like it. Restaurants were forced to close or restrict menus and hours of operation because of a lack of workers. Some very popular and longtime restaurants closed their doors, for good. 
      Is the end in sight anytime soon?
      Again, letÕs listen to reputable local health authorities and not depend on the talking heads or the ŅexpertsÓ on social media. IÕd say the odds of things getting back to normal are as good as the odds of the University of Nebraska Cornhusker football team winning a national championship next year. Or the Nebraska Legislature truly reforming the stateÕs flawed tax structure. 
      Band-Aids arenÕt going to work in any of this. We canÕt cobble together an end to the Pandemic. Just like football and taxes, itÕs going to take a Herculean effort by those in control. The football players and coaches, the elected lawmakers, the scientists and the politicians listening to Š and respecting Š one another.
      Maybe thatÕs a lesson we can learn from this never-ending, controversial, frustrating public health event. LetÕs listen and respect.
 
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J.L. Schmidt has been covering Nebraska government and politics since 1979. He has been a registered Independent for more than 20 years.