Lockdowns in the Bronx: A Public Administration Perspective

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a response from public administrators that was never seen before: a near global lockdown whose effects are still being felt in the economy, the healthcare system, in society, and in politics. A local examination of the situation in the Bronx, New York, reveals a story of contention between citizens of the borough and public administration which has been sued on multiple fronts for what has generally be described as COVID tyranny, consisting of businesses being shut down, vaccine mandates, jobs being lost, and so on. These lawsuits are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, dozens of NYC workers have filed a $250 million lawsuit to end COVID vaccine mandates: the lawsuit contends that many of the fired employees from the NYPD, FDNY, Department of Education, Department of Health and other agencies worked for the city for over 20 years, still they were thrown to the curb and callously terminated, the suit claims (DeGregory, 2023). These are public worker grievances over the handling of the pandemic by the public administration. This is but one example of what the response to COVID has led to.

Other issues include a housing crisis that was already bad but was made worse by the COVID lockdownsas reported: in the Bronx, tenants who are not receiving rent relief may struggle for years to emerge from debt accumulated during the pandemic. Mercedes Escoto, 63, has not paid rent on her two-bedroom apartment in the High Bridge neighborhood since April 2020. As of October, she owed more than $43,000, according to a letter from her landlord, which had filed court papers seeking her eviction in May (Barron, 2021). Escoto represents merely one of 26,000 renters who had been sued by their landlords by 2021 following the lockdowns (Barron, 2021).

Lockdowns were implemented swiftly and initially proposed for only a few weeks. That proposal was extended into what amounted to a months-long exercise of control over residents lives. Did public administration allow itself too much liberty in this respect? To what extent does a perceived common good run afoul of the individuals personal liberty? Furthermore, what if the perceived common good is highly debatable and very controversial at best? This certainly characterizes the COVID lockdowns for its critics.

Background and Context

The Bronx is one of New York City's five boroughs and is home to a diverse population of over 1.4 million people. It is characterized by a vibrant and diverse culture, socioeconomic diversity, healthcare disparities, and high immigrant population. The Bronx has historically faced challenges in healthcare access, quality, and outcomes due to factors such as poverty, racial and ethnic diversity, and social determinants of health.

The Office of Comptroller (2021) reported on the demographics and unique situation of the Bronx with respect to COVID. The following points come directly from the website of the Office of the New York State Comptroller:

More than 90 percent of Bronx residents are minority residents, a higher share than any other borough.

From 2009 to 2019, private sector employment in the Bronx grew by 20 percent to reach 248,800 jobs.

Prior to the pandemic, more than 70 percent of the Bronx work force worked in essential or face-to-face industries.

Although the Bronx did not have the highest rate of COVID-19 cases among the Citys boroughs, outcomes in the Bronx were more severe, with the highest hospitalization and death rates.

By the second quarter of 2020, employment had fallen by 18 percent in the Bronx compared to 2019, with unemployment peaking at nearly 25 percent in May 2020, the highest rate among...

…transparency and accuracy of information, as political considerations may lead to the dissemination of narratives that align with political goals rather than factual information (Boin et al., 2005).

Crises often require coordination between different levels of government, including local, state, and federal agencies. Political dynamics can influence these relationships, affecting collaboration, information sharing, and the implementation of coordinated response efforts (Boin et al., 2005).

The Role of Public Administrators

Public administrators are responsible for translating political decisions into actionable plans. They oversee the process of developing and executing strategies that align with policy directives while considering the unique needs and challenges of their communitieslike those of the people in the Bronx. Public administrators have finite resources and must think carefully and ethically about how to use them. Effective resource management is necessary for crisis response and there is a political dynamic to this process (Boin et al., 2005). Strategies have to be balanced and logical to say the least.

Public administration must also manage crisis communication by giving accurate and timely information to the public. This should not be sensational or hysteria-inducing (Boin et al., 2005). Public administration has an ethical duty to balance political messaging with the need for transparency and trust, openness and honesty in communicating with the public and managing the publics needs. Public administrators will have to collaborate with various stakeholders, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups to handle situations that are seriousso it is very much a situation of relationshipsbut this does not mean there are not guidelines and best practices to follow in a pandemic situation. Public administrators are guided by ethical principles that prioritize the public's welfare. During crises, they must make decisions that uphold these standards, even when facing political pressures that may conflict with ethical considerations. The question iswhat is the greater good at…