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WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT. By John F. Bailey. January 17, 2022:

Editor’s Note: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is today. However, his spirit  could not appear at the usual King breakfast in White Plains cancelled  because of Covid.

There was a more important proceeding that is actually not proceeding why his spirit is dimmed this day .

He is in the Nation’s Capitol before a joint session of congress called at Dr. King’s request. 

He had to appear in Washington D.C. today to address a joint session of the United States Senate on a situation of utmost importance to every man and woman of any color, position and race.

 The man who spearheaded the civil rights movement in the 1960s has traveled on our behalf to address the President, the Senators, the Congress on the impending roll back of voting rights that could apply to every person, no matter who they are, unless the Senate acts to vote on the bill.

The session has been gaveled to order by the Vice President. President Biden is standing awaiting for Reverend King’s introduction. It will be interesting how Dr. King approaches the divided Senate which is at an impasse on the Voting Rights bill.  It has been striking how few members of the joint houses of issued statements on Dr. King’s Birthday.  Dr. King has appeared a solo figure at the entrance to the Senate chamber. Applause starts. Here is the President:

“I am proud to welcome to the Senate chambers, The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.”

(Applause sustained, rising to a crescendo. Dr. King in black suit, clerical collar is walking slowly down the aisle hands at his sides turning his head left to right acknowledging the Senators with nods of his head. He looks the same as he did when when we lost him to an assassin’s bullet in 1968. The steadfast eyes that appear always focused on the sky, the big hands at his side. The  din of applause is unlike any this reporter has ever heard in the Senate chamber. Dr. King approaches the podium circles and is welcomed by President Biden. Then Dr. King turns and approaches podium, rises. Looking at Senators, he acknowledges his accolade. He has no notes. No teleprompter. Now, Reverend King is about to begin. Here we go:)

“President Biden, Distinguished Senators, Republicans, Democrats, Vice President Harris, thank you on this historic moment in the history of the United States for inviting me to address you today. Today is a time where  to paraphrase Charles Dickens observer of another tumultuous time that is the best of times it was the worst of times.

In my life on Earth I was fortunate to advance the cause of the Black Man resulting in the desegregation of schools, and emboldening more awareness of their rights and a new effort grew more fairness, restricting segregation in employment, housing, and increased programs for the Black Man.

This era since the mid-1960s has seen the greatest expansion of the economy, housing, education and success America has ever achieved.

I ask is it just a coincidence that this prosperity has come parallel to expanding education for those long denied equal education, training, and equal opportunity employment, and has seen more leaders of minorities elected to offices  for the first time?

  Parallel to this came the move for women’s equality that has greatly  fueled the American Economic Engine  the last 60 years.  Our workplaces became more like the faces of America: white, Irish, Jewish, black, Latino, Asian, Muslim, Indian. More than at any other time, America today is the work of  the votes of these citizens, because they could hold politicians accountable.

They voted for Republicans for President, Democrats for President, they decided.

You sit there before me and I ask you to dream another dream of the future of what will happen if the voting rights being denied by some 36 states through selective rules for registering voters and how votes are done are not preserved in the Voting Rights Bill you have before you. 

I have a very different dream for states applying measures denying votes, requiring identification, proof of citizenship, all designed to make it impossible for persons present elected officials feel would not vote for them.

Let us tell it like it is:  not vote for white politicians— would suffer a departure of persons of all nationalities (targeted by these measures) that would hurt the state workforce quality, ability and earnings potential.

(A wash of boos ,with vigorous applause)

How are you going to entice persons of the race you want in your workforce if they are going into a state that harasses Mexicans, Haitians, Muslims, Blacks, Indians, Asians for identification, restricted voting hours, only in-person voting. I see a vast declaration  of independence by persons blatantly targeted by states seeking to preserve their whiteness in government and politicians in office who think that way and exclude persons of other races from voting.

(Catcalls, mixed with applause, applause slightly louder)

Senators and Congresspersons, I direct you to other consequences of suppression of voting rights: economics.

If you restrict voting  and gerrymander districts to create a state unfriendly to change or to address their needs they are going to be poorer and not spend as much money. Your economies will not grow. Without a workforce educated and successful and involved, you will have nothing to offer companies. Your ability to tax will decline because you will have less people.

(Boos cascade)

I have a greater dream today. When I and you see where America is today, what a more equal fair and accepting society we built the last 50 years, that I believe is what you have to see.

American is not worse for bringing the oppressed from other countries into our country. The facts are there to prove it. They build businesses, they serve in our restaurants, they host television shows, become doctors and nurses who have fought us through Covid.

The politics of hate and division have been with us just five years. Enyoying a horrifying atmosphere reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.

The endorsement of hate was introduced by the worst President of this country ever, Donald Trump, who sparked mass shootings of minorities ,school children. Instead of lynchings we now do shootings. We have heard on this Senate floor heinous threats of Senators on Senators.

(Wait Dr. King is raising his hand, pointing his finger. You can hear a pin drop, ladies and gentlemen.)

Now, I have a dream that must become real, this body should not be remembered as the one that took away voting rights in the United States of America.

This Senate should not be the one that strikes from the Constitution, Article 15, ratified in 1870 on February 3, 152 years ago. 

(Voices are buzzing in the crowd, the tension is thick.)

1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude
2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

(Roars, boos, applause intense, impassioned, vigorous fills the chamnber, I do not believe what I just heard, ladies and gentlemen.)

Is this Senate going to take the responsibility for surpressing the vote in elections this fall?

Ask yourself Republicans who have stood on the side of decency before, can you not summon an ounce of courage to vote to eliminate the filibuster. It just takes 2 of you, How about you Mitt Romney and Susan Collins? Just two.

Send it to the floor. Let the Senate have its say

Then you all will own it.

There’s a dream I want you to realize tonight. Better yet all Republicans should vote yes to eliminate the filibuster, then bring the Voting Rights to the floor, with the proviso that the filibuster will be reinstated. There I have given you a way to do it.

There’s even a greater dream. The Republicans can all vote to eliminate the filibuster and then repudiate the hate I saw in the 1960s by unanimously approving the bill, shaming the two Democrats refusing to vote to preserve voting rights.

(There is awed silence, ladies and gentleman.)

You do not have to be afraid, Republicans and Democrats. It is the easiest and the right way out of this fear of Trump wrath. He has no power unless you give it to him.

Right now he is a plantation owner who has enslaved you to do his bidding under threat of flogging. You are as enslaved as the Negroes of yore

(A din of angry boos coming from the Republican side of the Senate, ladies and gentlemen, some are walking out. Dr King waiting until the din subsides. He is reaching under the podium, he is withdrawing a book. It is The Bible)

I dream that all 100 of you have a sense –conscience and an awareness of history. An awareness of the holiness of the vote.

I suggest you listen to your mind tonight the voice within telling you what you should do.  Please do not send America back to repression of the past and pave the way for God knows what.

May the almighty guide your decision.

I know, I KNOW, this dream has to come true, for persons white, Negro, Latino, Indian, Asian, Muslim, Arabic all the citizens and people who are in America because they love what it stands for and will always stand for –for them

Thank you.

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 NEW CASES PLUNGE FROM 25,294 TO 16,782

WPCNR COVID MONITOR. From the New York State Covid Tracker. Analysis by John F. Bailey. January 16, 2021:

.The  number of persons infected by the 26,002 new cases the week of December 26 through January 1 did not materialize  in the numbers expected two weeks later, (the time when the infectiousness of those tested positive the last week in December would start propelling the infections this past week to levels Westchester hospitals could not handle.)

The 26,002 infected  16, 782 December 9 through December 15, Saturday’s covid pass-along rate  from those infected two weeks ago falls  to  spread rate to less than one other person. Vaccines  continue to demonstrate the  power they are giving Westchester vaccinated residents what they need to be covid-stoppers, resisting getting the infection in the face of  94,080 new covid cases in three weeks.

In Governor Kathy Hochul’s update this afternoon she demonstrated how non-vaccinated patients with Covid are filling up hosptals region by region.

“Below is data that shows how many hospitalized individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 were admitted for COVID-19/COVID-19 complications and how many were admitted for non-COVID-19 conditions:

Region	COVID-19 Patients currently hospitalized	Admitted due to COVID or complications of COVID	% Admitted due to COVID or complications of COVID	Admitted where COVID was not included as one of the reasons for admission	% Admitted where COVID was not included as one of the reasons for admission
Capital Region	400	293	73%	107	27%
Central New York	322	246	76%	76	24%
Finger Lakes	732	424	58%	308	42%
Long Island	2,063	1,261	61%	802	39%
Mid-Hudson	1,273	804	63%	469	37%
Mohawk Valley	154	111	72%	43	28%
New York City	5,806	3,086	53%	2,720	47%
North Country	97	48	49%	49	51%
Southern Tier	211	127	60%	84	40%
Western New York	655	415	63%	240	37%
Statewide	11,713	6,815	58%	4,898	42%

In the Mid-Hudson region, made up of Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster Putnam and Sullivan Counties,  there are 1,273 patients currently hospitalized, 804 of them are admitted due to COVID or complications of COVID, 63%.

A total of 469  were admitted to Mid-Hudson hospitals for reasons other than Covid, 37% The state fails to break this down by County in their news releases, so we cannot  tell. Last week Westchester had 625.

This figure is usually given by Westchester County Executive George Latimer in his weekly covid briefing which this week does not take place until Tuesday due to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday observance.

The Hospitalization Rate last week was.5.5% on 11,450 infections the week of December 19 .The number of persons hospitalized  last Monday was 625.

If the 26,002 COVID POSITIVES two weeks ago, hospitalize at that rate you may have approximately 1,430 hospitalizations from that massive record infections two weeks ago going into Westchester hospitals.

There has been little or no reporting on the  hospitalizations on Long Island, where Nassau and Suffolk County have been  infecting at 15 to 20% rates of all tested.

The 51.296 positives  December 26  through January 8 will not reach that level. It should be noted that not all positives  get infected at the same time or get hospitalized at the same time, these are just approximations of what these record infections for Westchester mean.

If, the 26,002 infected two weeks ago, hospitalize at 2-1/2 %  there would be approcimately 700 hospitalizations.

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE GEORGE LATIMER issued this statement Saturday evening on the passing of Reginald Lafayette., Democratic Commissioner of the Westchester County Board of Elections. He was 69 years old:

“Today, the entire County of Westchester mourns the death of Reginald A. LaFayette.  Reggie had a long and distinguished career as a public servant.  He was politically brilliant, and it is without doubt that no person did more to bring diversity to City and County government than Reggie.

 He was insightful and tempered; he was my friend for nearly 50 years starting when we were both young men in Mt. Vernon – where we both first became active in the community. We shared meals, advice and even coached a little league team together. 

Today, the news of his passing seems surreal; tomorrow we go forward and we carry on and remember his legacy of working for voting rights, diversity and equal opportunity for all in government. 

I grieve with his children, his many friends and colleagues.”

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WPCNR COVID VIRUS MONITOR. From the New York State Covid Tracker. With Analysis by John F. Bailey. January 15, 2021:

A 5,000 + ? CASE DROP IN ONE WEEK? 35,297 TESTS SHOW 4,811 POSITIVES–13.6% –HAD BEEN AVERAGING 22% WESTCHESTER IS CUTTING DOWN THE COVID TOLL WITH FIRST WEEK IN MONTH OF 2,000 NEW CASES A DAY SINCE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

The Westchester County Covid Test Results of Westchesterites from Friday are in and they show the County dropping 5,000 cases or more from the 25,000 plus new covid cases a week, the county has seen in the last two weeks.

The first 6 days of the second week of January is another first: 6 days under 3,000 positive cases. In the six days through Friday, Westchester had 14,611 test positive an average of 2,435 testing positive a day.. The Saturday test results will be in Sunday afternoon, and now that the state is back to their 24 hour posting of results we do not have to guess using 2-day lag figures.

Even if Saturday tops 3,000 the county will still be under the 20,000 mark, snapping the unspportable 51,296 new cases the first two weeks of January. Masking and distancing and vaccinating may continue this very positive trend.

The figure of 18,300 tested Thursday and 16,997 covid tests is a record total– the last time the county tested this many persons was on January 14,2021, when they tested 16,000, and January 13, when the county tested 18,300.

As my colleague Brenda Starr of The Flash observed , this extradinary drop to 13% from the 20% the county had been averaging may be because many people are traveling and want to test positive. Tests were low the beginning of this week. However, the fact that the infection rate is lowering in with record numbers testing is showing that the vaccinations work.

Previously it was axiomatic that higher test quantities meant higher significantly higher covid cases. Thursday and Friday have stood that old reliable negative spin on its head. I take from this that persons without symptoms are testing more and vaccinated persons are testing which would prove that vaccinations work.

Now the county has to keep up its good behavior over the rest of this 3-day weekend, which may get a good assist from the big white headed Westchester Way.

The hospitalizations figure Monday to show another key indicator –how many of the 26,002 positives from the first week and the 25, 294 from last week will be affected by their covid infections.

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