Doing His Best Checkpoint Chickie: De Blasio Imposes COVID Checkpoints for Travelers, Fines May Reach $10,000

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
AP featured image
Mayor Bill de Blasio, third from left, participates in painting Black Lives Matter on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower, Thursday, July 9, 2020, in New York. The mayor’s wife, Chirlane McCray, is fourth from left and Rev. Al Sharpton is second from left. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
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Bill de Blasio’s an unusual guy.

Just as of late, the Big Apple mayor’s early-released prisoners from Riker’s Island in the name of health, taken the advice of rioting millennials and managed a $1,000,000,000+ cut of the police budget, championed empty jails as a sign of safety, broken the law by painting on the street, and shrugged it off with this:

“That is something that again transcends all normal realities because we are at a moment of history when that had to be said and done, that’s a decision I made.”

In July, he said anti-police protests could continue, and that large events were banned:

“This is a historic moment of change. We have to respect that but also say to people the kinds of gatherings we’re used to, the parades, the fairs — we just can’t have that while we’re focusing on health right now.”

Back to his prisoner-release program, in May, the New York Post reported results:

At least 50 of the 1,500 inmates cut loose amid fears of the spread of COVID-19 behind bars in recent weeks have already landed back in jail — and in some cases were set free yet again, according to police sources and records.

The re-offenders…include a Rikers Island inmate initially jailed for allegedly setting his girlfriend’s door on fire and choking her mother, who was released early only to return to the Bronx apartment and allegedly threaten to kill the whole family.

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Bill’s a fan of no-bail; apropos, the Post posted the following in March:

Since Jan. 1, 482 suspects busted for serious felonies were released without bail only to commit another 846 new crimes. Over a third were arrested for one of the seven most serious crimes: murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto.

Being he’s such a quirky fella, I can totally imagine de Blasio dressed as Barney Fife, laying down the law at his own Checkpoint Chickie:

Unfortunately, Bill won’t be doing that; but he is ordering someone else to: On Wednesday, the mayor announced the city will (Trigger Warning) man bridge-and-tunnel checkpoints to force compliance of a two-week COVID quarantine among those coming in from dozens of designated national hotspots.

He told reporters:

“They (visitors) will be reminded that it is required not optional. This is serious stuff. If we’re going to hold at this level, the quarantine is going to have to be enforced.”

As part of the plan, deputies and other officials will be stationed at airports, tunnels, bridges, major roadways, and Penn Station to question travelers.

Sounds like fun for all involved.

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Dr. Ted Long — overseer of the city’s contact tracing program — asserted that around a fifth of all new NYC coronavirus cases come compliments of carriers from other states.

Of course, if de Blasio wanted to learn more about who gets what and how, he could’ve allowed contact tracers to asked those who tested positive if they’d taken part in protests.

But alas — as observed by RedState’s Bonchie — no dice.

At least they’ll have Checkpoint Chickie.

And don’t worry — Bill’s looking out for everyone:

“The idea is we don’t want to penalize people. We want to educate them, we want to make sure they’re following the rules.”

That’s good.

Out-of-state travelers who break the quarantine rule could face a $10,000 fine.

They may get billed by Bill, and to some, his no-bail policy may be bull…but the mayor championed success for all:

“New York City is holding the line against COVID-19, and New Yorkers have shown tremendous discipline. We’re not going to let our hard work slip away and will continue to do everything we can to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy.”

-ALEX

 

See more pieces from me:

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