Abbott’s Consistency
Like most of the nation’s governors, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency when the pandemic first started. He then promptly shut down much of the state’s economy in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. A year later, Abbott was one of the first governors to remove mask mandates and the forced closure of businesses. These moves might seem contradictory, but they are sadly consistent.
Abbott was also one of the first governors to prohibit businesses from requiring “vaccine passports” for employees and customers. That executive order, like the orders that shut down many of the state’s businesses, was founded on the premise that government should dictate how individuals behave.
Rather than allow businesses to remain open and seek innovative ways to keep employees and customers safe at the beginning of the pandemic, Abbott forced businesses to act as he thought proper. Today, rather than allow businesses to require employees or customers to be vaccinated because they think that will keep employees and customers safe, Abbott wants to force businesses to act as he thinks proper. Businesses in Texas, according to Greg Abbott, should not be allowed to operate as they think best. Businesses in Texas, according to Greg Abbott, should only be allowed to operate as he thinks best.
More fundamentally, these paternalistic dictates imply that Texans are incapable of deciding how to live their lives and protect themselves. We can’t judge for ourselves whether we should wear a mask, what precautions are wise, or what risks we are willing to assume. We need our overlords in Austin to make those decisions for us.
Many Texans believe that Abbott is pro-business. His consistent willingness to dictate how businesses can operate shatters that belief.
Businesses and individuals can and do find innovative solutions to problems. That is how they survive and thrive. But Abbott doesn’t want to allow businesses and individuals to innovate. He wants them to act as he demands. His actions over the course of the pandemic consistently demonstrate his power lust.