WE HAVE TO CATCH UP. WE HAVE TO GET AHEAD OF IT.
JOINING ME NOW FOR MORE ON WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE, CONNECTICUT
GOVERNOR NED LAMONT.
GOVERNOR, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A
FEW OF THESE CRITICAL NEEDS.
I SAW YOU TALK ABOUT THE
STRATEGIC STOCKPILE OWNED BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT’S BEEN
GIVING OUT SOME EQUIPMENT TO
STATES.
STATES. WHAT IS YOUR INTERACTION BEEN
LIKE?
LIKE? HOW MANY VENTILATORS DID YOU GET
AND WHERE IS YOUR STATE NOW IN
TERMS OF WHAT YOU NEED?
>> IT’S LIKE ANDREW CUOMO SAID,
IT’S A SCRAMBLE TO GET THESE
VENTILATORS.
VENTILATORS. E SAID EBAY.
IT’S MORE LIKE SURGE PRICING ON
UBER, ONLY THE LAST MOMENT THE
CAR DRIVES AWAY BECAUSE THE CAR
OUTBIDS YOU.
OUTBIDS YOU. WE HAVE 50 VENTILATORS, I TOLD
YOU THEY’LL BE HERE ANY DAY.
WE PUT IN AN ORDER FOR 1500
VENTILATORS PROBABLY MONTHS AGO.
>> SO YOU ASKED FOR 1500 FROM
THE NATIONAL STRATEGIC STOCKPILE
AND YOU’LL GET 50?
>> I’LL GET 50, I THINK.
SHOW ME.
SHOW ME. >> THERE HAS BEEN REPORTING
INDICATING CONCERNS THAT THE
APPORTIONMENT OF THESE FEDERAL
BACKSTOP SUPPLIES, WHETHER FROM
THE STRATEGIC STOCKPILE OR NOT,
ARE HINGING ON POLITICAL
CONSIDERATION, MAYBE POLITICAL
CONSIDERATIONS WHETHER A
PRESIDENT LIKES A GOVERNOR OR
NOT.
NOT. THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT
OKLAHOMA, KENTUCKY AND FLORIDA
HAVE GOTTEN ALL THEIR REQUESTS,
AND OTHER STATES LIKE YOURS AND
MICHIGAN HAVE NOT.
ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THE
PEOPLE IN YOUR STATE WHO ARE
SICK AND MAY BE ON THE THRESHOLD
OF DYING OR SURVIVING ARE BEING
PUNISHED FOR THE POLITICS YOU OR
THE STATE HAVE?
>> I HOPE NOT.
LOOK, I’VE GOT CUOMO, I’VE GOT
MURPHY IN NEW JERSEY, WE’RE ALL
DEMOCRATS.
DEMOCRATS. WE’RE ALL PART OF THE SAME
EPICENTER.
EPICENTER. WE ALL HAVE A VERY HIGH
INFECTION RATE.
INFECTION RATE. SADLY, WE’RE THE FOURTH HIGHEST
INFECTION RATE IN THE COUNTRY.
IT’S NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY,
LOUISIANA, AND CONNECTICUT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO -- I THINK
IT’S MORE -- IT TOOK THE FEDS A
LONG TIME TO GET GOING.
NOW THEY’RE GOING AND IT’S STILL
A BIT DISCOMBOBULATED BETWEEN
WHAT THE STATE AND FEDS ARE
DOING.
DOING. THAT’S GOING TO BE A VERY COSTLY
MISTAKE.
MISTAKE. A VENTILATOR IS A LIFE.
EVERY VENTILATOR I GET CAN SAVE
MULTIPLE LIVES.
MULTIPLE LIVES. >> SO I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT
THE WEIRDNESS OF THIS MARKET
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. I HAVE NOW HEARD IN MY OWN
REPORTING FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE
ABOUT HOW HAYWIRE, NOT JUST FOR
VENTILATORS BUT PERSONAL
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THAT THE
MARKETS HAVE GONE HAYWIRE FOR
THE REASON YOU INDICATED.
THERE’S A FIXED SUPPLY, A SURGE
OF DEMAND AND PEOPLE BIDDING
AGAINST’M EACH OTHER.
HAS THAT BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE,
THAT IT’S A FREE FOR ALL AND
THERE’S NO PURCHASING ENTITY
THAT CAN APPORTION THIS MORE
RATIONALLY?
RATIONALLY? >> THE HISTORY BOOK ALSO SHOW
THAT WAS A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.
LOOK, WE’RE ALL THERE FOLLOWING
EVERY LEAD.
EVERY LEAD. CHINA, UKRAINE, ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. IT’S PROMISED, IT’S ON THE
TARMAC, GETS REROUTED AT THE
LAST MOMENT.
LAST MOMENT. AND IT’S TERRIBLY UPSETTING TO A
LOT OF OUR FRONT LINE WORKERS,
OUR NURSES.
OUR NURSES. YOU TELL THEM THE PPE IS COMING,
WE CAN SAVE YOUR LIVES AND THEN
THE TRUCK IS EMPTY.
>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I
UNDERSTAND THIS.
UNDERSTAND THIS. YOU’RE SAYING THAT YOU HAVE
PROCUREMENT OFFICERS AND PEOPLE
THAT WORK FOR THE STATE THAT ARE
TRYING TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS TO
PURCHASE THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED,
WHETHER THAT’S SAY PPE, MASKS,
GOWNS, AND YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S
THESE DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS, AND
BECAUSE THEY’RE SO SOUGHT AFTER,
THEY GET TO PICK AND YOU HAVE
CONTRACTS THAT LOOKED LIKE THEY
WERE HAPPENING AND THEY JUST
DON’T HAPPEN?
DON’T HAPPEN? >> WE HAVE CONTRACTS, SIGNED,
SEALED, DELIVERS, HERE’S THE
P.O., IT’S ARRIVING AT THIS TIME
AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING, THERE’S
NOTHING THERE AT THE WAREHOUSE.
I’VE HEARD THIS FROM GOVERNORS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT’S JUST A MAD HOUSE OUT THERE.
EITHER PEOPLE ARE OVERPROMISING,
OR WE GET OUTBID AT THE LAST
MOMENT.
MOMENT. OFTEN BY THE FEDS BY THE WAY.
THEY’RE OFTEN SWEEPING IN AND
PURCHASING.
PURCHASING. >> SO FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU IS
ABOUT OTHER STATES.
OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE IN THE
EPICENTER OF THIS.
EARLY CONFIRMED CASES, AN EARLY
OUTBREAK IN THE GREATER NEW YORK
AREA.
AREA. SOME STATES LIKE TEXAS AND
FLORIDA THAT HAVE BEEN SLOW TO
ISSUE THE KINDS OF ORDERS THAT
YOUR STATE AND OTHERS HAVE.
DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR THOSE
GOVERNORS, FOR THOSE TWO VERY
BIG AND IMPORTANT STATES ABOUT
WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT
NOW?
NOW? >> I DO.
>> I DO. YOU’LL NEVER BE FAULTED FOR
OVERREACTING.
OVERREACTING. YOU WILL BE FAULTED FOR
UNDERREACTING.
UNDERREACTING. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT
CONNECTICUT WAS VERY EARLY,
BANNING THE PARADES, ENDING THE
SCHOOLS, BE IT BARS AND
RESTAURANTS.
RESTAURANTS. AND I REALLY URGE THOSE OTHER
STATES, LOOK AT THOSE STATES
THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL IN BENDING
THE CURVE BY TAKING THE SOCIAL
DISTANCING SERIOUSLY.
DISTANCING SERIOUSLY. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU
CANNOT ERR BY OVERACTING TO THIS
CRISIS.
CRISIS. >> ACRISIS.
>> ACRISIS. >> ALL RIGHT.