The Washington Post - 14.03.2020

A20 eZ Re THE WASHINGTON POST.SATURDAy, MARCH 14 , 2020

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HE WASHINGTON area’s Metro system is already heavily supported by state and local governments, whose subsidies amount to more than half the agency’s annual $2 billion operating b udget, far more than passenger fares. Now members of the D.C. Council are considering fatten- ing that subsidy, indirectly, by making subway and bus rides free for most residents of the District of Columbia. That’s taking a good idea too far. Council member Charles Allen, a Ward 6 Demo- crat, proposes to give a $100 monthly credit to virtually every D.C. resident who has a SmarTrip card and doesn’t already ride for free (like most students) or receive a commuter subsidy (like federal workers). Whether bus and subway passen- gers used the full amount, they would be topped up to $100 each month. That’s a sweet benefit that probably would, as Mr. Allen says, make life more manageable for low-income residents struggling to find and hold jobs and make ends meet in one of the country’s most expensive cities. It could also give some employers a recruiting edge and might even take a

few cars off the road, thereby reducing traffic and emissions. At the same time, Mr. Allen would earmark a $10 million annual fund to improve the city’s bus service, beset by falling ridership and route cuts. Those are admirable goals, and they’re in line with what is starting to look like a national trend, driven partly by the liberal idea that mobility is a right as well as a recognition that Americans spend more than 15 percent of their household budgets on transportation. Kansas City, Mo., and Olympia, Wash., both decided to make bus service free this year — neither has a subway — and other, smaller towns are making similar moves. However, no U.S. city of Washington’s s ize, nor one with a subway system, has gone as far as to provide transit gratis for everyone, and there’s a reason for that: It’s expensive. Unfortunately, Mr. Allen’s plan ignores that, and, with a price estimated at $54 million to $151 million, stretches what’s plausible to the breaking point. Rather than find a dedicated source of revenue to pay for it, Mr. Allen says the city, r iding a decade-long

boom, would absorb the program’s c ost into a budget sustained by year-on-year revenue growth. But it was just over a decade ago that the District’s budget took a hit from the Great Recession, and it’s easy to imagine another one arising from the coronavirus, including its likely impact on tourism. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) recognized as much last year: “We’re not recession-proof in this city,” she said. It also defies common sense that Mr. Allen would direct his subsidy at rich and poor residents alike — including the city’s nearly 30,000 millionaire house- holds. New York City launched a targeted, smarter approach last year by making half-price Metro cards available to residents with incomes below the poverty line. Experiments with free transit elsewhere have yielded mixed results. Ridership has generally increased, which is good, but not many cars aban- doned the roads. In some places, longtime riders complained buses and trains had been colonized by vagrants, homeless people and young vandals. As economists note, things that are free are often treated as being of little value.

A step too far

A proposal for free bus and subway rides has admirable goals but would be costly.

I

N THE aftermath of federal indictments that charged more than two dozen people in or associated with horse racing in “a widespread, corrupt” doping scheme, the industry rushed to put on a good face. The arrests, said the head of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, show that the system works, and that will have “a cleansing effect” on racing. “Let’s face it. It’s like any sport,” said one leading horse trainer. “We’re no different.” Let’s be charitable and chalk up such comments to self-delusion, because anyone who thinks horse racing is like any other major sport is lying, ignorant or kidding themselves. No other accepted sport exploits defenseless animals as gambling chips. No other accepted sport tolerates the cruelties that routinely result in the injury and death of these magnificent animals. The rot in horse racing goes deep. It is a sport that has outlived its time. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York on Monday announced the arrests of 27 racehorse trainers, veterinarians and drug distributors on charges of operating a massive international scheme to drug horses to make them run faster and to cheat the betting public. “What actually happened to the horses amounted to nothing less than abuse,” said William F. Sweeney Jr., assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York office. “They experienced cardiac issues, overexertion leading to leg fractures, increased risk of injury and, in some cases, death.” Among those indicted were some big names of racing — such as Jason Servis, who trained Maxi- mum Security, winner of the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified for interference and winner of four of five subsequent high-profile races, including last month’s $10 million Saudi Cup. The series of indictments unveiled in Manhattan makes

clear that it is money like that in an industry valued at $100 billion that has given root to a culture of increasingly sophisticated performance-enhancing drugs that disregards the health and well-being of horses. That one of those indicted, trainer Jorge Navarro, openly embraced his nickname as the “Juice Man,” speaks volumes about the indifferent attitude of racetrack operators and regulators who allowed the abuses to flourish. That some of the conversations caught on the federal wiretaps are eerily similar to the callous way horses are discussed and discounted

on an undercover video taped by PETA in 2014 m ake clear that for all the talk about the love of horses, they are just commodities that are used and abused until they are sent off to the slaughterhouse. Increased attention to the deaths of racehorses, on average nearly 10 horses a week, has shined a spotlight on horse racing’s d ark side that is changing public attitudes. Activities involving animals that used to be tolerated — even revered — like circus elephants or killer whale shows ended as people learned of their terrible toll. Horse racing awaits a similar reckoning.

A sport that’s

outlived its time

Indictments show how horse racing exploits defenseless animals.

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The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a collaboration among Maryland, the D istrict and 11 other Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from transportation. Transportation is the No. 1 source o f climate pollution in Maryland, and, b ecause climate change is an urgent crisis, it is imperative that we reduce emissions. Air pollution from our transportation sector also directly harms human health and the health of the natural environment. This air pollution should worry all of us, because it affects our own health and the health of our children. The TCI would provide the Maryland state government with the funds it must have for the transportation infrastructure that can make a real difference in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If Maryland joins other states in adopting the TCI

policy, fuel suppliers would buy allowances from the states to emit the carbon dioxide their fuel produces. States would put the proceeds from the sale of the permits into investments to reduce carbon emissions from transportation. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) should support a cap of at least 25 percent on emissions from transportation fuels by 2032. A 25 percent reduction in emissions could bring in an estimated $500 million for transportation investments in Maryland in 2022 alone. The states could put these investment dollars toward public transit, electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and infrastructure for walking and biking. This is how we will gradually decrease greenhouse gas emissions and avoid climate catastrophe. Susan Nerlinger, Olney

Maryland should support a cap on emissions

JonatHan newton/tHe wasHIngton Post The racehorse Anothertwistafate gallops during a workout days before the Preakness in May 201 9.

Covid-19 causes economic problems, but the economy did not cause coronavirus. We should first concentrate on the medical problem — and, without a doubt, solutions will be achieved. A fter the medical issues are clarified and improving, then the economic fallout will be more readily ad- dressed. Premature use of financial weapons is less likely to result in a satisfactory result. Emergency lowering of the Federal Reserve interest rate last week caused only brief respite for the stock market. Further l owering (negative r ates have been suggest- ed) could result in jeopardy to the $3 trillion Americans have in money market funds. Waiting to unleash the financial firepower until after the medical problems are dealt with would prevent a lack of ammunition when needed, and a successful result would look much better. John Bodine, Millersville

Regarding Barry Svrluga’s March 12 Sports column, “NHL must be next to act amid worsening situatsion”: Professional sports’ response to covid-19 by restricting access to locker rooms is like using a tissue as a shield against a dragon’s fire. The team owners and league officials seemed to forget it’s only a game. Professional sports events should have been i mmediately canceled, and thankfully now mostly are. The owners could say the fans can choose to attend or not. But the workers — ticket takers, hot dog sellers, custodians and security guards — would not have had that choice. Jeffrey Geller, Holden, Mass.

Tom Bossert was right on target in his March 10 op-ed, “It’s now or never for the U. S.” B y contrast, public officials are not taking a very scientific approach when they justify not responding aggres- sively to the coronavirus. (President Trump has never sounded scientific, ever, so I am not talking about him.) They say they are “looking at the data” to justify not closing schools, theaters, museums, sports arenas and other places where large crowds gather. When did politicians ever start looking at the data when justifying their decisions? I n any event, the data they are supposedly looking at are probably two weeks out of date and understated because of the lack of testing. More- over, if you think about the math, this could be an incredible disaster. For example, if 20 percent of the population (66 million) gets the virus with a modest mortality rate of 0.5 percent, then we are talking about 330,000 related deaths. That is an incredible number. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and other local leaders, are you listening? Bernard S. Sharfman, Bethesda

When I was in college, a dormitory burned down. The fire had begun the previous afternoon. The fire department had been called and the fire put out, o r so everyone thought. T he dorm had been renovated several times, with new layers of drywall installed over old. T he outer layers seemed fine, but, beneath, the fire crept on. I was reminded of this fire while talking to a neighbor about the advancing coronavirus epidem- ic. Like the fire, the virus is spreading silently. People with few or no symptoms are going about their business, unknowingly infecting others. When one or more of these others show more serious symptoms, cases are i dentified, but, b y then, the virus has infected dozens more, who infect others. After the dormitory burned, investigators found that the fire spread unchecked because there were no fire stops inside the walls. For a virus, social distancing plays the role of a fire stop, breaking potential chains of transmission and slowing the spread of disease. As noted in the March 11 front-page article “Social distancing could buy U.S. valuable time a gainst contagion,” avoiding crowded places s uch as l arge gatherings and public transportation “could mean the difference between a manageable surge of patients and one that over- whelms scarce resources, resulting in unnecessary deaths.” Action is required now. Employers should begin encouraging employees t o telework, avoiding transmission not only at work but also on public transportation. State and local governments should discourage the public from attending concerts and other large events. If we wait to smell smoke before we install our fire stops, it will already be too late. Deborah Ottinger, Arlington

The public is aware that the president of the United States has been exposed to s omeone who has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Ameri- can p eople have a right to k now his c oronavirus test results if or when he takes a test. We need to know if he is quarantining himself to limit exposure to White House staff, media and other government civil servants, especially those who are leading the coronavirus fight. Surely his personal physician has a dvised him of his exposure, the potential risk to his health and the risk of exposing his family and staff to the virus. Revealing how he is handling his exposure and his test results will demonstrate a level of transpar- ency that the American people need in this time of great public health concern. Michelle Culp, Gaithersburg

The March 11 news article “Trump allies received tests despite lack of symptoms” reported that Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Mark Meadows (R -N.C.), close allies of the president, got tests for the novel coronavirus even though they admitted showing n o symptoms. B asic medical ethics require that these too-scarce resources (thanks, in part, to the administration’s initial bungling concerning test production and distribution) should be distrib- uted solely on medical bases, bearing in mind in particular those people 60+ and/or immunocom- promised. This administration’s early, major missteps and any distribution of tests based on non-medical reasons endanger our public health, national security and economic vitality during this pandemic. Judy Hippler Bello, McLean

The coronavirus is here

A

MID DREAD and uncertainty, t he American people are displaying extraordinary pur- pose and motivation to meet the coronavirus threat head-on. From darkening Broad- way to silencing professional and amateur sports leagues, from closing Disneyland to shuttering cathedrals, we are witnessing the response of an open democratic society, with unfettered news and social media, and civic and political institutions and leadership ready to make hard decisions. This is America at its best. Ever since experts began calling for social distancing to reduce transmission of the respiratory virus, people in the United States have demonstrated they were listening. Their actions have ranged from small acts of kindness, such as a young woman buying groceries for an elderly couple, to disruptive decisions that until recently would have seemed un- thinkable, such as emptying sports stadiums and turning out the lights at universities. Costly, emo- tionally fraught choices have engendered remark- ably little complaining or bitterness. The response is all the more remarkable given the absence of credible leadership from President Trump. Though he declared a state of emergency

Friday, he generally has taken the negligent approach that people shouldn’t worry; everything is “totally under control.” This is hardly an ideal situation for a nation in crisis. But it is heartening, three years into Mr. Trump’s presidency, to see that society is capable of navigating these rough seas based on collective common sense and despite this president’s lies, hatreds and distractions. Or at least, beginning to navigate the crisis — because this is only the early start of the challenge. Continuing sacrifices will be called for. The virus transmits from person to person through aerosol droplets, broadcast in a cough or lingering on a surface, requiring us to keep a distance, avoid large crowds and wash our hands to reduce the chance of infection. China’s experience suggests that the pandemic will last longer than two weeks. Everyone will be frazzled, impatient and feeling cooped-up long before the all-clear signal. It will demand persever- ance and civility. This moment also summons us to volunteer as neighbors and citizens like never before. I n normal times, the elderly are disproportionately the volun- teers in our society. But the elderly are disproportionately at risk from the virus. For young people

who are out of school, this offers an opportunity to pitch in, fill in and help the elderly stay s afe. Offering to babysit the children of a health-care worker will be a service to society. This national emergency can be ameliorated — and confronted — if every capable person contributes. A looming danger is that the covid-19 illness will swamp hospitals in the United States, as it has in Italy and China. There are about 924,000 U.S. hospi- tal beds, about two-thirds of them occupied. The remaining beds may be insufficient if the pandemic strikes hard, not to mention possible shortages of ventilators and intensive-care units. Doctors may face agonizing choices about who gets treatment with scarce resources. Every infection that can be avoided now will help avert this later on. This may be the most significant challenge of the coming weeks: preventing the health-care system from being over- loaded. After a slow start, the nation is mobilizing impressively. We will all be called on to show patience, resilience and determination. There’s no way to know how long the test will last, but we have the capacity, as a nation and a society, to make it through.

America is up to the challenge

The coronavirus crisis is only beginning, and it will demand much from us all.

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The Washington Post - 14.03.2020

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