BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY. FEB. 1, 2021) — One of the areas Syracuse Joe Biden and the Democrats hammered President Trump was Trump’s handing of the pandemic. Biden called it “dismal” and promised to hit Day One with a plan ready to go and go smoothly.

The President did come in with a 200-page book pertaining to COVID-19. Promise made, promise kept. As he probably knew would happen but wouldn’t dare admit in the campaign, the plan has run aground. It reminds THE PLANET of boxer Mike Tyson’s quote: “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

Perhaps the biggest concern are missing doses of vaccine. More than 20 million doses have vanished, unaccounted for and no trace. That’s not in Biden’s playbook. The Administration blames part of the loss on “lags in data reporting,” but those familiar with the supply-line logistics say this could only account for 2 million doses, max. Where are the other 18 million?

It doesn’t take Mickey Spillane to suspect (and likely find) organized crime’s fingerprints. On the black market, doses go for anywhere from $200 to $1000. This compares with the actual cost of the vaccine, which ranges from $3 to $37 dollars, depending on the manufacturer and dose. For example, Moderna’s two-dose system ranges from $32 to $37. If only 10% of the 20 million missing doses have been cornered by the black market that’s two million times the going price. Not a bad haul.

For Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski, the Administration said the federal government would pick up all costs. It’s what Big Government calls “free.” That’s not how it’s turning out. From abc7news: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website’s FAQ section says everyone gets the vaccine at ‘no cost,’ but keep reading deeper and you’ll find this: ‘providers will be able to charge’ for their services. Digging through government web pages, it appears health insurance companies will be required to pay for vaccine expenses picked up by the federal government.”

Hang on to your wallets.

Another issues has been sporadic reports of placebos in the supply chain. There are a number of ways this could happen, but it essentially works like it does with all counterfeit goods such as the cheap knock-offs of Gucci, Luis Vitton, and Rolex. You manufacture, package it so that it looks like the original’s twin, and rake in the profits.

Another mystery relates to the national stockpile of the vaccine. Wire reports say the supply is “almost empty.” Where did it go? Then there are the new and troubling mutations of the virus. New strains pop up, and it’s too early for science to determine the level of risk. Researchers fear a mutation that will prove resistant to the current vaccine — and perhaps all vaccines.

The waiting lists? Don’t ask. Politicians, jailbirds, smokers, and hospital board members and their families got it first. The elderly? The sick? Grab a ticket and wait for your number to be called — and make yourself comfortable.

Syracuse Joe promised daily briefings on the pandemic to keep the process open and transparent. While the meetings have happened, they have been vague and lacking specifics. Biden’s C-19 czar, Jeff Zients, is not a doctor or a scientist. He was President Obama’s assistant director for economic policy. The updates haven’t shared details of what’s going on, and we know where the devil usually hides. They make fuzzy references to things “not going as well” but leave America in the dark about what, specifically, are the problems and how serious. Zients, a “big picture” guy, seems to have little knowledge of how the insanely complex distribution channels work for getting the vaccine into the right arms.

None of this bodes well.

A profile by ABC News two days before the inauguration shared this tidbit: “The logistical hurdles of ending the pandemic will undoubtedly be the largest challenge of his career, which Zients faces with no direct experience in public health. As a product of elite private schools with wealthy friends, his actions will be closely watched by advocacy groups who say the pandemic response must address decades-long health disparities seen in Hispanic and Black communities.”

This all comes as Bay State Gov. Charlie Baker opened up the known hot spots to the public again, caving in to pressure from special interest. This type of spineless action, combined with the stupidity of so many people, probably means the virus will be with us for a long time to come.

Feel as you will about the soon-to-be impeached ex-president, but you can’t deny Trump cut the red tape to enable the development of the vaccine in record time. What would have normally taken years, perhaps a decade, was accomplished in seven months.

Now it looks like we’ve lost those seven months in just one.

THE PLANET hopes we are wrong.

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“Old age is the right to be absolutely ourselves” — Writer Jan Morris.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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