The Biden/Harris Administration has had enough of Doug Ducey wanting to use American Rescue Plan dollars to award millions of dollars in grants to schools that do not encourage the wearing of masks to protect students and staff from the Coronavirus.
After informing Mr. Ducey and his team in October, 2021 that this $163 million grant program ran counter to the American Rescue Plan purpose and CDC health guidelines, the Biden/Harris Administration informed the Arizona Governor’s office last week, via a Department of Treasury letter that they had sixty days to correct the problems associated with both the $163 million maskless program and another $10 million effort to promote school choice options from schools that put in place COVID 19 health and safety mandates or the federal government would seek to recoup the funds (probably by withdrawing future payments in American Rescue Plan allotments.)
In reporting from AZCentral, the Arizona Governor displayed his zeal to cater to his fringe base and lack of leadership/ concern for public health and safety by posting on Twitter.
When it comes to education, President Biden wants to continue focusing on masks. In Arizona, we’re going to focus on math and getting kids caught up after a year of learning loss. 4/
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) January 14, 2022
This is the same Doug Ducey who is  proposing to use Biden/Harris American Rescue Plan monies to fund summer school opportunities for children to get caught up in reading and math.
What is wrong with wanting people to wear masks to help stem the spread of the Coronavirus Mr. Governor?
And a newsflash, you can focus on both safety and getting children caught up from what they lost last year at the same time.
Mayor Gallego slams Governor Ducey.
Embracing science, health, safety, and reality, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego slammed Governor Ducey for using COVID relief funds to award grants that encourage people to not wear masks, be unsafe, and risk the health and lives of others. She posted on social media:
COVID relief funds should be used to prevent COVID. That means kids wearing masks at school. I support the President’s efforts to compel Arizona’s governor to do the right thing.
— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) January 14, 2022
Mayor Gallego is right: “COVID relief funds should be used to prevent COVID.”
In a word: duh.
Governor Ducey has 60 days to do the right thing and stop this madness of rewarding schools that promote unsafe policies during a pandemic.
He should have done this in October when the Biden/Harris Administration first told him this was against the guidelines for the American Rescue Plan.
Hopefully, he will finally see reason and reality.
Hopefully.
