Anonymous
04/30/2020 17:09
Subject: Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Even if he miscalculated, I believe he's acting in good faith and performing admirably in the face of a total vacuum in federal leadership.
Agreed. And since there were stories that the tests are being hoarded by the feds, states were having to bid against each other for supplies, and no real urgency to get testing kits manufactured (such as the order to keep meat plants open), Hogan took decisive action. I’m happy there are that many tests available for Marylanders.
This. I completely understand why a state would do this, with so much uncertainty and the knowledge that the feds aren't helping (and, in some cases, were seizing PPE purchased by the states). I bet a bunch of deals fell through, too, so you'd have several irons in the fire and hope that some of them panned out. Competent, organized federal coordination would have been enormously helpful, but we didn't get that.
I agree. The correct response would be for the Feds to procure tests for the entire country, then have FEMA distribute them to each state. Instead, the states were left fending for themselves and trying to out-bid each other.
The price MD paid for the tests was not out of line with the market price at the time they started negotiations weeks ago.
The delay in testing is that they lacked the supplies to conduct them -- swabs and things like that -- which again the federal government should be providing given the shortage (and now is, I believe).
Hogan did what was right for Marylanders. It's a pity governors are having to step up to fill the gap in leadership left by the federal government.
You are right about the reason for the delay. Hogan says the kits lack swabs and regents. Probably I spelled that wrong.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 16:52
Subject: Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile the Maryland National Guard is guarding them at a secret location so that the federal government doesn't seize them.
I heard that's part of the reason the shipment landed directly at BWI instead of Dulles, and was kept quiet until it was on land. They were worried about the Feds seizing it. It was the first time Korean Air has landed a plane at BWI -- they operate out of Dulles (for passenger flights) normally.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 16:50
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:You realize that Trump and Pence only released the information about those private labs and test availability the day after Hogan announced they had received the test kits from S Korea (which took several weeks to arrange).
You mean the list of labs in each state that can do tests? That was a total joke. Like the state doesn't already know where the labs were in their state already.
Even more of a joke, as Hogan noted (but nicer than I'm saying it), was that half the labs listed for MD are federal sites like military bases and the like -- places with restrictive security in place so the general public can't go there anyway.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 16:35
Subject: Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Meanwhile the Maryland National Guard is guarding them at a secret location so that the federal government doesn't seize them.
Imagine how the US media would have covered this, if it had happened 20 years ago in a Third World country.
Imagine how the US media would have covered this, if it had happened 20 years ago in a Third World country.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 15:50
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
I read the article and my understanding is that Maryland is short on nasal swabs and reagents like RNA-free buffer for negative controls. So I presume the governor is now trying to procure those.
It would have been nice to have a federal coordinated response and a White House team to track testing supplies but absent of that it’s going to have to be piecemeal.
At any rate, those test kits will likely be all used especially if there will be a second wave later in the summer and/or next Fall.
It would have been nice to have a federal coordinated response and a White House team to track testing supplies but absent of that it’s going to have to be piecemeal.
At any rate, those test kits will likely be all used especially if there will be a second wave later in the summer and/or next Fall.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 15:37
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
You realize that Trump and Pence only released the information about those private labs and test availability the day after Hogan announced they had received the test kits from S Korea (which took several weeks to arrange). And to date, no other state has actually received any of those test kits. As is typical, Trump only does things that are advantageous to himself or his allies. He only released the information about test kits in direct response to Hogan's press release that they had received the new test kits. He had no interest in actually doing something for the public good, he only released that information to make Hogan look bad. He's using the pandemic response purely as a political tool rather than actually trying to help people. The way he has managed the stockpile of national resources, the way he treated Massachusetts, has shown that his ultimate goal is to make himself look good rather than to actually prioritize an appropriate health response.
Fortunately, Hogan and the governors are prioritizing the public good and the public health.
Fortunately, Hogan and the governors are prioritizing the public good and the public health.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 14:00
Subject: Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/hogan-south-korea-coronavirus-tests/2020/04/29/978ca8d6-8572-11ea-878a-86477a724bdb_story.html?fbclid=IwAR3s-zyhH49uLz5imnGVYMW4Kl5vA3SjoGFxZsMOQkfEJxnOW61x1S_6QAw
"...despite the fanfare surrounding Hogan’s $9.4 million deal with LabGenomics, the test kits from Seoul were not in short supply in the United States, according to interviews with industry experts. Domestic manufacturers were producing millions of them per week when Maryland struck its overseas deal. Some firms sell the kits for 20 to 30 percent less than what Hogan paid."
You omitted...
"Ricci said the state picked the Korean company weeks before the shipment arrived, when market conditions were different, “based on a number of factors, including compatibility with our labs, market availability, reasonable market price, delivery methods and coordination, and overall trust and communication with the vendor.”
Anonymous
04/30/2020 13:58
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:You both must be paid by Trump or Russian Trolls. Where are all these tests that you speak of? I for one am still grateful for Hogan because we all know Trump and co are untrustworthy. Just because you say so doesn't make it so.
Facts matter. Prove it or shut up.
+1 Trump got his panties in a bunch and has to bring Gov. Hogan down now.
Go Gov. Hogan. So grateful to his competent leadership during this crisis.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 13:56
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:I am confident that, when the current chaos is over, we will found out that, in hindsight, Governor Hogan made some mistakes. But I also am confident that Hogan will be found to have done, in substantial part, an excellent job handling the chaos. Mistakes will open in chaos. But Hogan took generally decisive actions, and I respect him for that. In contrast, we have a little man in DC who spends his time ignoring the problem and blaming others. BTW. I am a moderate Democrat.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Agree, and I'm a moderate former R.
If we had so many tests here then why wasn't everyone able to get tested? Where's the holdup? NY only JUST stated that they will be testing all nursing home patients. We have enough tests then why isn't every state doing this?
Anonymous
04/30/2020 13:51
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
I am confident that, when the current chaos is over, we will found out that, in hindsight, Governor Hogan made some mistakes. But I also am confident that Hogan will be found to have done, in substantial part, an excellent job handling the chaos. Mistakes will open in chaos. But Hogan took generally decisive actions, and I respect him for that. In contrast, we have a little man in DC who spends his time ignoring the problem and blaming others. BTW. I am a moderate Democrat.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Anonymous
04/30/2020 13:39
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You both must be paid by Trump or Russian Trolls. Where are all these tests that you speak of? I for one am still grateful for Hogan because we all know Trump and co are untrustworthy. Just because you say so doesn't make it so.
Facts matter. Prove it or shut up.
You will call out a Trump troll every chance you get. Even when it makes absolutely no sense. Don't you see that the OP posted a Washington Post story? A story which was written to discredit a Republican governor? Why would a Trump troll repost a liberal media story discrediting a Republican governor.
Ha! You must have missed my followup where I said "ignore that last sentence" LOL
FACT Trump doesn't love all Republicans: I can name many whom he dislikes or hates! John McCain, Mitt Romney, Larry Hogan ( who has called Trump out) George Conway etc etc Trump loves Trump. Full stop.
Trolls want to cause chaos and lack of faith in your government. If we turn on Hogan it would make Trump and the Russian trolls, like the op very happy indeed.
You're suggesting anyone who criticizes someone Trump doesn't like is a Russian troll?
Hogan is holding you idiots hostage but do continue to worship your heathen false idol. I'm sure that he has your best interests at heart. Sure he does.. Sleep well tonight lab rats.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 13:39
Subject: Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Even if he miscalculated, I believe he's acting in good faith and performing admirably in the face of a total vacuum in federal leadership.
Agreed. And since there were stories that the tests are being hoarded by the feds, states were having to bid against each other for supplies, and no real urgency to get testing kits manufactured (such as the order to keep meat plants open), Hogan took decisive action. I’m happy there are that many tests available for Marylanders.
This. I completely understand why a state would do this, with so much uncertainty and the knowledge that the feds aren't helping (and, in some cases, were seizing PPE purchased by the states). I bet a bunch of deals fell through, too, so you'd have several irons in the fire and hope that some of them panned out. Competent, organized federal coordination would have been enormously helpful, but we didn't get that.
I agree. The correct response would be for the Feds to procure tests for the entire country, then have FEMA distribute them to each state. Instead, the states were left fending for themselves and trying to out-bid each other.
The price MD paid for the tests was not out of line with the market price at the time they started negotiations weeks ago.
The delay in testing is that they lacked the supplies to conduct them -- swabs and things like that -- which again the federal government should be providing given the shortage (and now is, I believe).
Hogan did what was right for Marylanders. It's a pity governors are having to step up to fill the gap in leadership left by the federal government.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 13:33
Subject: Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Even if he miscalculated, I believe he's acting in good faith and performing admirably in the face of a total vacuum in federal leadership.
Agreed. And since there were stories that the tests are being hoarded by the feds, states were having to bid against each other for supplies, and no real urgency to get testing kits manufactured (such as the order to keep meat plants open), Hogan took decisive action. I’m happy there are that many tests available for Marylanders.
This. I completely understand why a state would do this, with so much uncertainty and the knowledge that the feds aren't helping (and, in some cases, were seizing PPE purchased by the states). I bet a bunch of deals fell through, too, so you'd have several irons in the fire and hope that some of them panned out. Competent, organized federal coordination would have been enormously helpful, but we didn't get that.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 08:50
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You both must be paid by Trump or Russian Trolls. Where are all these tests that you speak of? I for one am still grateful for Hogan because we all know Trump and co are untrustworthy. Just because you say so doesn't make it so.
Facts matter. Prove it or shut up.
Ok ignore that last quote. I still think he did the right thing.
Of course he did. How quickly we forget. Three weeks ago DCUM was screaming for more testing more testing more testing- as if that was the answer. So we get tests. And now? Big shrug.
We do need more testing. Having test kits apparently does not equal more testing.
This! END OF STORY.
If we could just look beyond the politics and blame game for a second, we would recognize this simple fact. Our country is AWASH in test kits. We have test companies that are going out of business because they have so many test kits and not enough people to test. The issue is coming up with a mechanism to move forward and test increasing numbers of people with the growing mountains of test kits. This has morphed from an availability issue to a massive LOGISTICS issue that needs to be solved.
Anonymous
04/30/2020 08:50
Subject: Re:Hogan overpaid for 500,000 test kits that are not being used
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You both must be paid by Trump or Russian Trolls. Where are all these tests that you speak of? I for one am still grateful for Hogan because we all know Trump and co are untrustworthy. Just because you say so doesn't make it so.
Facts matter. Prove it or shut up.
You will call out a Trump troll every chance you get. Even when it makes absolutely no sense. Don't you see that the OP posted a Washington Post story? A story which was written to discredit a Republican governor? Why would a Trump troll repost a liberal media story discrediting a Republican governor.
Ha! You must have missed my followup where I said "ignore that last sentence" LOL
FACT Trump doesn't love all Republicans: I can name many whom he dislikes or hates! John McCain, Mitt Romney, Larry Hogan ( who has called Trump out) George Conway etc etc Trump loves Trump. Full stop.
Trolls want to cause chaos and lack of faith in your government. If we turn on Hogan it would make Trump and the Russian trolls, like the op very happy indeed.
You're suggesting anyone who criticizes someone Trump doesn't like is a Russian troll?