May 23, 2020 Issue, Page 4 of 32

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, May 23, 2020 Google and Twitter are right: Opinion Page “ElkCituNews Workers should stay home Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 On Oklahoma By Sarah Green Carmi- chael, Bloomberg Opinion The more I read and hear social media channels, 52% to 63% of respondents said Since the start of the shut- Those of us downs, many cities have comfortably work from they’d rather keep working seen slower internet speeds. home should keep doing who can budget, system from home than return to Upgrading is tricky, how- about what offices will be so. And that’s where man- like as they reopen, the more the office. That mirrors Gal- ever, explains Bhaskar agers should put their ener- dystopian it sounds: empty lup’s findings: About half Chakravorti, dean of global gies - not in reopening office worked as buildings for people who desks, no meetings, every- of people surveyed want to business at the Fletcher one keeping their distance continue working remotely. School at Tufts University don’t need to be there. from one another. I miss the And why not? Allow- and director of its Digital They should consider it designed thrum and hum of the work- ing remote work is cheaper Planet initiative, because the first step toward keep- place, but the need to main- than arranging for office most connection problems ing employees safe. As Jo- tain social distancing means upgrades. By now, organi- occur between the curb and seph Allen, director of the reopening won’t bring that zations and employees have your house. Healthy Buildings Program From The Oklahoman back. already invested in essential Those problems are ex- at the Harvard T.H. Chan And for all that offices will remote-work gear: computer pensive to fix, and internet Some critics of Gov. Kevin Stitt compare him to Presi- be quieter and emptier, they monitors, ergonomic chairs, service providers have little School of Public Health, dent Trump, another businessman who made a successful may not be much safer. Erin sweatpants. incentive to fix them because emphasized in a recent in- foray into politics, Unlike Trump, however, Stitt is finding Bromage, a biology profes- That’s just the hardware. there is so little competition terview, the only employees considerable pushback within his own party. sor at UMass Dartmouth, Companies have invested at the local level. But if more who should be asked to re- compiled a useful list of in virtual collaboration apps people work from home, turn to the building are those George Will wrote recently that Trump Republicans “be- several known COVID-19 like Slack, Zoom and their high-speed internet access who need to be there to keep lieve nothing displeasing to him and everything convenient super-spreading events that rivals. Teams that have will become a greater neces- the business functional. for him,” and that the U.S. Senate is controlled by Republi- highlights the danger of be- grown accustomed to them sity, like reliable electricity Many companies are in- cans “who are controlled by the president, whom they fear ing cooped up inside with a will probably continue to or clean water, and public stead leaping ahead to so- sick person. If a 90-minute use them. pressure might force some lutions further downstream more than they value their institution.” restaurant meal, 120-minute Supporting work from level of minimum access. - improving ventilation and That is hardly the case here. The GOP-controlled Legis- choir practice or 180-minute home long-term requires a In the meantime, compa- air filtration, staggering lature has clashed with Stitt regularly this session, as have birthday party is enough for shift in the way many com- nies with employees work- employees’ schedules and some Republican elected officials such as Attorney Gen- one person to infect a room- panies think, explains Jen- ing from home will need to stocking up on personal pro- eral Mike Hunter. ful, how much more risk is nifer Kaufmann-Buhler, an find solutions that use less tective equipment, including in a 540-minute workday, assistant professor at Purdue bandwidth, whether it’s for masks. Those things should Some of the rustling began last summer when Stitt even with precautions? University who studies of- communication or data shar- be used only when working moved to renegotiate tribal gaming compacts. The notice Rather than bring employ- fice design. ing or something else. from home isn’t an option. surprised and angered many tribal leaders. Efforts to nego- ees back anytime soon, orga- Companies have long en- I know that not everyone By working from home tiate went nowhere - Hunter abruptly stepped aside as the nizations should settle into couraged employees to see can work from home in- as long as possible, we do remote work for the long the office as a kind of home, definitely. It’s much easier state’s point man - and now the issue is in federal court. more to fight COVID-19. haul - as some are beginning stocking kitchens with for those in what’s broadly After Stitt announced he had reached compacts with two The fewer people who re- to do. Google and Facebook snacks and providing seating known as the knowledge turn to work, the safer the tribes that initially were part of the lawsuit, Hunter issued a have gone this route, tell- that feels, if not exactly hom- transfer business - a category workplace will be for those formal opinion saying the compacts were illegal. The opin- ing employees to work from ey, then rather like a nice ho- that includes technologists, home for the rest of 2020. tel lobby. Now, homes have journalists, researchers, con- who do. ion had been requested by the Republican leaders of the Sarah Green Carmichael Microsoft is greenlight- become workplaces, even if sultants and lawyers. Still, Oklahoma Senate and House, who got along swimmingly ing WFH through October. it’s just a presentable cor- that’s a lot of people. In one is an editor with Bloomberg with Stitt during his first year and lauded legislation that Twitter has said employees ner of home, Companies survey, as many as a third of Opinion. She was previously expanded the governor’s power. can continue to log in from have always been happy for workers who once commut- managing editor of ideas This session, GOP lawmakers rejected the nomination home indefinitely. people to take work home, ed say they’re now work- and commentary at Bar- It’s a strategy that could be but when there are no alter- ing from home. Compare ron’s, and an executive edi- of Gary Cox to lead the state Health Department, leaving broadly popular. In an infor- natives it means rethinking that with only about 3% of tor at Harvard Business Re- Stitt to find a replacement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. mal poll Bloomberg Opin- some basics - such as inter- American workers who pre- view, where she hosted the (Citing concerns about COVID-19-related expenditures by ion conducted across our net access, for starters. viously worked from home. HBR Ideacast. the agency, Hunter requested an investigative audit. That When bodies go unclaimed audit is underway.) Lawmakers drew Stitt’s ire when they didn’t appropriate funds for one of his priorities while filling a $416 million after COVID-19 deaths shortfall. A few weeks later, they announced a budget plan for fiscal year 2021 with no involvement from Stitt’s of- fice. The chief budget writer in the Senate said Stitt’s people By Mary Peeler, The Bal- window, the body is desig- lic schools and gyms, and for the use of unclaimed timore Sun nated “unclaimed,” and the providing honest and re- bodies with COVID-19 in walked out of budget negotiations; the governor insists that As the coronavirus con- state assumes the cost of its alistic warnings about the medical research and pub- never happened. Stitt wound up vetoing four budget bills, tinues its spread across our transportation and disposi- severity of the coronavirus licly disclose this informa- including the general appropriations bill. Republicans nation, it is not only over- tion. The State Anatomy pandemic. He should also tion. It is possible, due to promptly overrode all four - in eight years with a Demo- whelming hospitals and Board is tasked with man- mobilize state funds to in- the unknown risks of post- crat-controlled Legislature, former Republican Goy. Frank health care providers, but aging the disposition of un- crease the capacity of the humous coronavirus trans- also many other valuable claimed bodies as well as anatomy board to ensure mission, that the anatomy Keating had none of his 302 vetoes overridden. sectors that maintain our those which are deemed to proper disposition of bodies board decides that no bod- Veto concerns weren’t an issue a year ago, when law- public health. be biohazards. This impor- considered biohazards, and ies with COVID-19 can be makers had a record sum to appropriate and collaboration In Italy and Iran, the fu- tant role protects the public all unclaimed bodies in the used in research until more and goodwill were the order of the day. This year, law- neral and disposition servic- health of all Marylanders state. is known about safety. That es have become completely and respects the dignity of Under normal circum- plan should also be publicly makers had $1.3 billion less to spend, the result of the eco- flooded, unable to cope with the unclaimed. stances, once the anatomy communicated. nomic fallout of COVID-19. Stitt last week used “mind- the increase in bodies that Though it is not yet clear board has possession of a Although difficult to think boggling” to describe events and says GOP members in the are the unfortunate result of whether COVID-19 can be body, if family members are about, or talk about, un- Legislature will “have to answer to Oklahomans, why they the deadly COVID-19 dis- spread posthumously, inter- found, they can reclaim their claimed bodies need to be ease. In New York, refrig- national governments -in- relative’s body by paying a an important consideration did these certain things in the budget.” erated morgue trucks show cluding the early-hit Hong transportation fee. Although A Republican lawmaker, meanwhile, told The Oklaho- during the pandemic. Those that hospitals’ capacities to Kong - have created regula- these fees can be waived due who died without anyone to man recently that some relationships need to be shored up care for the dead are severe- tions regarding the disposi- to financial hardship, fami- “or it’s going to be a rough next two years dealing with the ly strained, and images of tion of COVID-19 victims. lies should not have to worry grieve them or pay for their funeral were often the most governor and the governor dealing with the Legislature.” mass graves on Hart Island Maryland should have clear about navigating a bureau- shocked many around the instructions for disposition cratic process during this vulnerable in life. Unlike with Trump in Washington, members of Stitt’s pandemic. A Maryland state As we come together to nation. of bodies with COVID-19, party here are not worried about getting crossways with the In states not as badly hit and the anatomy board will bill, Senate Bill 917, was protect one another through social distancing and hand- chief executive. This should be seen as encouraging, not yet, preparations must be play an important role in introduced during the most made for the pandemic’s managing the deceased. recent legislative session washing, we should extend cause for concern, because it shows lawmakers value the full arrival, including the Unclaimed bodies, often that would have prohibited that solidarity after death. roles of their respective branches of government. The safe and respectful dis- difficult preparations for in- overlooked by society, can- charging transportation fees creased mortality. not be neglected as we pre- to claim a body. Since the position of the dead will be Under normal circum- pare for their numbers to bill did not become law, an acrucial mark of our respect Have something stances, many people unfor- tunately die without family almost certainly increase in the coming weeks. We must emergency measure should be considered to waive all for our fellow Marylanders during the coming months, to share? or friends to pay their fu- look this hard, unfortunate fees from the anatomy board and we must act now to mo- neral costs. In Maryland, all reality in the face and make during the state of emergen- bilize resources prevent the bodies are legally required emergency preparations. cy. tragedies of other regions. Send your editorial to to be transported to a funeral Mary Peeler (mpeeler2@ Gov. Larry Hogan has home or the State Anatomy taken many important steps bodies can be used for medi- jhmi.edu) In our state, unclaimed is a fourth-year to prepare Maryland for the [email protected] death. If no family can be pandemic: declaring a state tion. The State Anatomy Board within 72 hours after medical student at Johns cal research before crema- Hopkins and a resident oj contacted within the 72-hour of emergency. closing pub- Board should create a plan Baltimore.