New York’s dictatorial governor announced on Monday that he is killing the 2020 New York State Fair.
New Yorkers who have sacrificed tremendously and lost much to the current health crisis are devastated by the unwarranted surrender of our greatest event. 
The facts support the substantial progress New York has made, especially upstate where the Fair is staged annually. The opportunity to hold the festival mostly outdoors made it possible to minimize the risk to patrons and workers (See Out of the Box, June 27). But Cuomo lacks the vision and will to fashion the modified-but-fun event so badly needed by deprived and depressed citizens.
Politically, Cuomo values his image as our savior, drawing a stark contrast to the psychopath in the White House when it comes to pandemic response. But we’ll all pay the price emotionally and economically for a canceled Fair.
We can just sit around the house wearing masks forever, but that’s no way to live. While there’s no justifying reckless disregard for the undeniable risks, careful planning can make the Fair relatively safe, just as it has allowed movement toward normal life in so many areas without significant negative affect.
Labor Day will arrive on time and it will be tough to face without having had the State Fair to soften the blow of summer ending. Maybe Chevy Court concerts and elbow-to-elbow crowded buildings were too risky, but a modified Fair was possible, if only the Gov had made the effort.
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