File this under the infinite monkey theorem, I suppose. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for perhaps the first time in her life and certainly her first time since being “inaugurated” as a member of Congress asked an intelligent question.
See for yourself.
If it’s not safe enough for indoor dining, what makes it safe enough for indoor schooling?
(…and restaurants actually have soap in the bathrooms)
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 8, 2020
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Notice that even her parenthetical, which is obviously meant as a whimsical jab at the subpar conditions found in public school bathrooms, makes sense!
Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet followed an announcement by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the effect that schools in the state would reopen for in-person instruction but that indoor service at restaurants and bars would remain off-limits to customers.
New York remains one of the last states in the union to deny conspicuous consumption to restaurant patrons, though many eateries have opened sidewalk cafes. While this contingency and the capacity for customers at home to order in via services like GrubHub and Seamless, the continuing closure is placing a financial burden on New York restaurants. A recent survey by the New York City Hospitality Alliance found that 83% of city restaurants were unable to pay their entire rent bill for July, while 37% paid no rent at all. One of the restaurateurs interviewed estimates that her restaurant’s revenues are down a whopping 68%.