Some bad but not unexpected jobs numbers along with the service industry taking a beating were announced today. Of course, Trump’s opponents will blame him for this bad economic turndown, but I would like to remind everyone that this is not a ‘natural’ recession or depression. This is artificial. This was not created by market forces but by governmental action taken in response to a pandemic.

Some of you will point to the underreported oil war going on between Russia and Saudi Arabia that has caused the price of oil to plummet to $20 a barrel as an economic reason the economy might have suffered a downturn without the governmental over reach. I disagree. I have watched with some incredulity a shift in the perception about cheap energy’s effect on the economy.

Historically, having cheap energy powered our economy making it the strongest in the world. Over the last 2 decades or so, people believe that having higher oil and gas prices powered our economy. The argument is that stock prices and income to oil companies has increased along with high wages for employees due to high oil prices. High oil prices did make it feasible to begin fracking which made America the largest oil producer in the world.

But I will stay with the idea that lower energy prices power the rest of the economy. It lowers production and delivery costs significantly. Since just about everything we buy or use must be produced and moved, that reduces the cost to the consumer, which expands what we can purchase with our limited dollars. I’m getting into the weeds a bit too much.

I have an idea for restarting our economy without significant long-term damage that will no doubt occur if we stretch this shutdown any further. Despite what you hear from the media and left-wing politicians, we know what it takes to limit the spread of the virus. We also know that 85-95% of people who die after contracting the virus had significant pre-existing conditions making them much more susceptible to becoming infected.

We can let businesses re-open, allowing those with underlying medical conditions to stay home. Those people will be eligible for the ‘stimulus’ benefits while everyone else will be able to go back to work and earn an income, decreasing the need for handouts. Businesses can take steps to protect their employees and customers. This helps smaller businesses more than large companies. This would greatly reduce the potential for permanent closings and bankruptcies.

You are also not hearing about the negative effects of the stay at home orders. Suicide hotlines are swamped as people are not coping well with isolation and boredom. Domestic violence incidents are increasing exponentially as people are stressed not only by the isolation but worry about being able to pay their bills, which increases the tension. Neither are people getting medical care they need to maintain their health. For example, people with gum disease, which can lead to heart disease or other conditions, cannot see their dentists to monitor and control the condition. And don’t get me started on early detection and treatment.

It is quite possible that the cure for the coronavirus could be worse than the disease. I am not downplaying the Chinese virus, but we have to consider what we are doing to the 98% of people that will not get the virus or will completely recover if they do contract the virus.