Gov. Wolf’s shutdown 2.0 is now underway. We are hoping that it will not be as devastating to the local economy as his first effort to flatten the curve and manage the pandemic.

If it wasn’t such a serious issue we could make all kinds of comparisons to the Steelers’ December offensive production or the Pirates any time since 1979’s performance. There are a few slight differences in this control of the masses movement but there is no explanation as to why.

We are glad real estate offices, hair salons and state liquor stores weren’t padlocked this time, and it looks like dentist offices made the pass list as well. But as usual there is no rhyme or reason to his thinking.

Organized school sports are shut down, but athletic organizations such as AAU sports and club cheerleading and gymnastics can continue as if the world was still sane. It wasn’t permissible for kids to have breakfast with Santa yesterday, but the parking lot at Walmart was packed at both entrances, not just at the grocery and pharmacy areas.

It would appear toys and electronics are essential, even if eating at a restaurant is not.

One totally unfair aspect of the mandates Wolf again issued was the short notice given to businesses that buy and sell products that expire or spoil if not used in a timely manner. Giving one day’s notice didn’t give the food and beverage industry a chance to judiciously manage inventory.

He also gave no consideration to how well the tourism and food industry had adapted to and followed the mandates and recommendations from the previous closure of legally operating businesses.

Why are state and county offices, even courthouses and prisons, all operating under their own sets of rules? Why nothing uniform and inclusive? Didn’t he have enough time while he was in quarantine to get together with his advisors and think this through any better? Or is he that overwhelmed, which wouldn’t be a sin to admit?

The most confusing part of all of 2.0 is that he set a finite time period of three weeks for it. Does he have some information that the rest of the world doesn’t?

We hope his crystal ball is in perfect focus and we bury all traces of this virus as we turn into 2021. Absolutely no health organizations are predicting that, but it’s possible.

We would suggest that in the meantime someone gets to work on a bigger long-range plan. A second PPP might save some of us again for another six months if the silliness in Washington ever wraps up and some of our elected people start acting like adults instead of spoiled children.

But six months won’t fix what has been done to this economy this year. A better, more comprehensive plan must be prepared and instituted. And that won’t happen in three weeks. Hope for the best, but prepare for much worse. And please, wear your mask.

— RV