Thread by @dougducey

I hear @JoeBiden is out there attacking the “Republican governor of Arizona.” I guess he *does* see “red and blue” states after all. But if you’re going after AZ, Joe, get your facts straight… 1/

Early in the pandemic, I prohibited cities from implementing onerous shutdowns on local businesses and citizens as some local politicians threatened to bring our entire economy to a complete halt. 2/

It’s paid off. Arizona’s economy is recovering faster and stronger than states that took the extreme approach. Unemployment is down, and jobs are growing. 3/

When mayors later asked for the ability to enforce mask mandates, I responded swiftly — issuing an executive order allowing them to do so. 4/

We have promoted mask use and common sense. Masks work. Today we see masks worn statewide in nearly every setting as part of reopening guidelines. Our focus has been on compliance and public health education. 5/

Our goal from the beginning has been to protect public health and at the same time keep things moving in AZ — schools, universities, businesses. 6/

Our economy is open and our citizens’ health and safety is prioritized. 7/

We are data and fact driven; not politically driven. That’s clearly not the DC-way, but it is the Arizona way. 8/8

"The unemployment rate in September was 12.6% in Nevada, 11% in California, 10.5% in Rhode Island, 10.2% in Illinois, and 9.7% in New York compared to 6.7% in Arizona, 6.4% in Georgia, 5.4% in Wisconsin and 5% in Utah." wsj.com/articles/red-a… @WSJ

@WSJ “Daily coronavirus cases in Arizona fell by 75% by late August, possibly in correlation with stricter mitigation measures, per a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

foxnews.com/health/arizona… @CDCgov

@WSJ @CDCgov “When the dust settled as the second quarter ended, June 30, 2020 –  also the first quarter for the pandemic – Arizona saw a net increase of nearly 20,000 new businesses, according to FRED.”

bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2… @phxbizjournal

@WSJ @CDCgov @phxbizjournal "Arizona is positioned for a faster economic recovery than the rest of the nation, and with some strategic moves on the part of state policymakers and citizens, it should jump back to a leading spot within next year or so,"  

chamberbusinessnews.com/2020/09/03/ari… @chamberbiznews

"They put in three things: mask requirements, limiting large public events and certain businesses closing.

75% reduction following those basic public health measures.

...This should inspire people." @CNN

@CNN Dr. Birx: “Governor Ducey's directives to not only increase our respect for one another, but that clear communication coming from his health team that made it clear that wearing a mask will change the spread of this virus.”

“AZ’s healthier data is due in part to being one of the fastest-growing in the country pre-pandemic, & industries like construction & remote retail remain strong. Ducey’s early & gradual reopening of the economy also contributed to jobs & economic growth” azbigmedia.com/business/heres…

"...the economy has remained open as we have slowed the spread of the disease. The governor’s declaration of essential services... became a national model, ensuring continuity in sectors as varied as manufacturing to telecommunications to construction." azcentral.com/story/opinion/…