John Locke Foundation CEO Amy Cooke issues the following statement in response to Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest COVID-19 executive order. It orders people across North Carolina to stay at home as of 5 p.m. Monday.
Gov. Cooper has essentially shut down daily life for every North Carolinian. He’s using blunt force when maybe a surgical tool would be appropriate. Raleigh and Charlotte aren’t like Avery and Pasquotank counties. Even worse, he has done it without releasing any kind of study suggesting that such an extreme measure is necessary. He failed to provide an opportunity for those who may have questions to have their voices heard. He hasn’t even provided the data on which he is basing this decision. What if a thorough analysis and critique would lead to a more targeted approach? Instead North Carolinians will suffer the economic fallout – for which we’ll have plenty of data – because of the Governor’s emergency mentality that doesn’t allow for any other option. Good decisions die in data darkness.
