Texas Lawmakers Sue Gov. Abbott over Contact Tracing Deal

[Grayling813]

Texas Lawmakers Sue Gov. Abbott over Contact Tracing Deal
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/micaelabu ... t-n2573844

Five GOP lawmakers filed a lawsuit against Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott (R) over a contact-tracing contract signed with MTX Group in May. The Frisco-based private company agreed to a $295.3 million dollar deal after defeating several well-known corporations. But lawmakers argue that the bidding process bypassed constitutional requirements and voice concerns about the ability of MTX to mitigate privacy concerns.

Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster on March 13 and has since directed the state’s response to COVID-19 via executive order. Both Republican and Democrat officials have criticized his seemingly disjointed mandates.

Not sure why King Abbott is in such a rush to track the movement and interactions of Texans. Texas is becoming less free under his rule.

[TomV]

Contact tracing has been used for a very long time as a public health measure to slow or stop the spread of many communicable diseases. It in no way impinges an anyone's freedoms.

[chasfm11]

Contact tracing has been used for a very long time as a public health measure to slow or stop the spread of many communicable diseases. It in no way impinges an anyone's freedoms.

I'll respectfully disagree. There is a difference between a manual process of talking with someone who has a communicable disease and the $350M contract that the Governor signed without legislative approval. Preliminary indications are that the company involved has a predominate workforce in India and that the app involved collected random phone data. There are a lot of open questions about how it can even work when potentially exposed people don't have phones.

[ScottDLS]

Contact tracing has been used for a very long time as a public health measure to slow or stop the spread of many communicable diseases. It in no way impinges an anyone's freedoms.

Fine for diseases with a high mortality and relatively limited spread. Example, I contracted hepatitis A in 1994, like e. coli, it's often food borne and hence outbreaks are often triggered by food preparation and 'ahem' poor hygiene therein. Through contact tracing it is useful to try to identify a restaurant or grocery or food manufacturer that may be the source. A nurse from Dallas County Health Dept. called me and asked a series of questions to try to help determine the source. Now I was probably one of less than 100 people in the whole county that contracted it. Now take influenza or influenza "like" viruses like SARS2-COV2 (Wuhan Kung Flu ). Every year somewhere around 20-40 million people get the flu (in one of its forms). The reason for such a range is that there is really no way for the CDC to test everyone for such a widespread disease, with low mortality, and huge numbers of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic cases...Now think of trying to "contact trace" 20 million people...Well did you go to this Wal-Mart or that Wal-Mart? Which gas station pump handles did you touch... Starting to sound familiar? Millions infected. Easily spread, low mortality, asymptomatic spreaders, airborne droplets, etc. We're going to "contact trace" half a million people in Texas who tested positive? For what purpose?

Editors note There is a vaccine for Hep A now, there wasn't in 1994. If you eat out a lot or travel and dine in many places...I highly recommend getting it. Or if you work in the plumbing/sanitation business.

[ELB]

The Kung Flu genie is so far out of the bottle that it's way past contact tracing, lockdowns, and general mask use in public. Public health theater. Happily it is far less deadly than originally touted. Focus resources on protecting those who are actually at risk (like the elderly and people with compromised health), focus resources on beefing up the hospital treatment for the small percentage who end up needing it, and everyone else get back to work. If you get sick, stay home for two weeks and get well. Then come back. Be like Sweden.

[WildBill]

Editors note There is a vaccine for Hep A now, there wasn't in 1994. If you eat out a lot or travel and dine in many places...I highly recommend getting it. Or if you work in the plumbing/sanitation business.

I worked in Mexico for several years in the late 90s. My doctor suggested hepatitis vaccinations, which I got.
When I was working there a co-worker's daughter got hepatitis from eating a taco from a street vendor.

[anygunanywhere]

Contact tracing has been used for a very long time as a public health measure to slow or stop the spread of many communicable diseases. It in no way impinges an anyone's freedoms.

Right. Keep telling yourself that.