Conservatives Should Demand Coronavirus Reparations From Cuomo

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has shown no remorse for his reckless COVID-19 policies which likely resulted in the avoidable deaths of thousands in his state. Despite growing pressure to resign, Cuomo said the only way he’d leave his position is if the state’s lawmakers impeached him. Unfortunately, nothing can bring back those New Yorkers who are no longer with us, but the state could pursue one course of action to try and right the unjust wrong imposed on its citizens: reparations.

Prominent Democratic lawmakers, such as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler have called for Cuomo’s resignation, not because of his COVID-19 leadership but accusations of sexual misconduct. Those currently demanding that Cuomo resign his post shouldn’t cease those calls, but they should be aware of the political reality facing them, especially since he chides those calls as a symptom of “cancel culture.” 

In 2019, Cuomo explicitly announced his intention to run for governor in 2022. He reportedly said, “I believe I am making a difference in the State of New York. I believe that in my heart. When I look at my daughters’ faces, I believe that I’m leaving this state better for them.” 

If he is not impeached and removed from his office, Cuomo will likely be the Democratic party’s nominee for the state’s governor. He could then proceed as the state’s top public executive without being held accountable for his actions. 

We shouldn’t call for a policy position like reparations as a general political solution every time a politician exhibits incompetence. We hold elections regularly, providing people with the opportunity to decide if their elected official has adequately performed their duties. But in certain instances, we should advocate for reparations, and Cuomo’s actions as the state’s governor is one such instance.

In May of 2020, the Daily Caller reported that the state of New York had “omitted an unknown number of coronavirus deaths in recent reports regarding residents of nursing homes and adult care facilities.” Cuomo had ordered nursing homes and long-term care facilities to accept COVID-positive patients from hospitals. Despite claims that his policies may have led to the deaths of thousands of seniors in nursing homes, Cuomo paraded the state’s “success” in preventing the spread of COVID-19. He even went on to write a book titled, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” apparently trying to make a profit from his performance. 

In private, Cuomo’s aides were at war with the state’s health department, according to the New York Times. In 2020, the New York health department was compiling data in a report that revealed the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes to be 50% higher than the number Cuomo’s administration publicly referenced. His aides reportedly re-wrote this report to exclude those nursing home residents who died in the hospital.

The degree to which Cuomo’s administration lied about nursing home deaths in his state was documented in a report by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Her office found that over 13,000 nursing home patients died as a result of New York’s handling of COVID-19. 

“As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate,” James said in a statement. “While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves and to spur increased action to protect our most vulnerable residents.”

Why did New Yorkers have to “unnecessarily suffer,” as James said? The New York Post reported that top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa privately told the state’s Democratic lawmakers that they feared criminal prosecution. 

“So we do apologize,” she reportedly said. “I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intention to put you in that political position with the Republicans.”

If these reports are true, Cuomo was content to keep New Yorkers with family members killed by his policies in a perpetual state of confusion, and was even willing to profit — both monetarily and politically — at the expense of their emotional despair. He showed no contrition. 

Cuomo’s alleged misdeeds are beyond the realm of incompetence. They are an example of cognizant maliciousness in pursuit of profit and popularity. After all that’s been reported and revealed,  it’s insufficient for Cuomo to simply issue a public apology. New York families affected by his policies deserve more. Conservatives who call for Cuomo to sign COVID-19 reparations would force him to tacitly accept responsibility for his actions. And it would achieve some form of political step toward making right what was knowingly done wrong to New York citizens and their families. 

The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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