What is Wrong With Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo?

What is wrong with Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo?

On Friday, Raimondo announced measures in which state police will pull over motorists from New York and force them into quarantine for 14 days as well as conduct house to house searches for New Yorkers in an effort to slow the Coronavirus. At the time, Raimondo stated, “Right now we have a pinpointed risk. That risk is called New York City.”

Needless to say, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wasn't pleased with his fellow Democratic Governor and threatened to sue the Ocean State. Cuomo has since announced that Rhode Island will no longer be pulling over motorists from the Empire State.

However, Raimondo says quite the opposite. RI state police will be pulling over New York motorists as well as motorists from every other state as well. This strikes me as an overreaction. I mean how many people from Wyoming are saying to themselves, "Damn!!! I had my heart set on going to Rhode Island." It seems to me that Rhode Island's resources could be put to better use than having the police knock on every door in the state to forcibly quarantine non-residents.

Yet Raimondo's singling out of New Yorkers is peculiar when you consider Rhode Island shares a border with Massachusetts whose Coronavirus cases surged by more than 1,000 people yesterday.  Providence and Warwick (including the TF Green Airport) are connected to the Bay State through the MBTA Commuter Rail. I can tell you that Rhode Island gets a lot more traffic from Massachusetts than it does from New York. In light of Raimondo's nationwide directive one wonders if the final stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail will now be in South Attleboro.

Whatever the revision to her edict, Raimondo made a point of singling out New York City. And after the Coronavirus has passed (God willing) I think a lot of New Yorkers will think twice about visiting Rhode Island. Myself included.

It's a shame because under other circumstances I might be living there as I had a job interview for a paralegal position with a law firm in Providence several years ago. Alas nothing came to pass. Rhode Island has an abundance of green space and beaches (Lincoln Woods is quite beautiful). Did I mention duckpin bowling? Of course, my former roommate Christopher Kain lives there. Indeed, you can live in a one bedroom apartment in Providence for under $1000 a month.

But the actions of Governor Raimondo leave a very bad taste in my mouth. This a time when our country should be pulling together. Governor Raimondo's actions are not helpful to the country, let alone to the people of Rhode Island.