Simon says “kerfuffle” - Malls won’t reopen
Friday, May 8, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* David Roeder and Mitchell Armentrout at the Sun-Times…
Is the nation’s largest shopping mall owner, Simon Property Group, planning to open malls soon regardless of government orders that most stores stay shut? Emphatically not, Simon said late Thursday, shooting down media reports.
The Indianapolis-based company said it had publicly posted instructions to tenants about preparing for a possible reopening. Spokeswoman Ali Slocum said those instructions were interpreted as announcing mall reopenings. They have been pulled from Simon’s website.
Orland Park Patch carried a story that said Simon’s Chicago-area malls would be back in business May 31. No such decision has been made, Slocum said. “Simon will comply with all state and local orders and only reopen properties when permitted to do so,” she said.
The Patch story linked to company announcements that have been taken down. Similarly, the Rockland/Westchester Journal News in upstate New York said Simon had announced, then retracted, plans of reopenings. It was all a “kerfuffle,” Slocum said.
- Pundent - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 9:05 am:
The message from consumers, employees, CEO’s, governors, and senators (across both aisles) is the same. You can’t reopen without adequate testing. The only person that seems to disagree with that assessment is our President.
www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/politics/republican-reaction-trump-covid-testing/index.html
- efudd - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 9:21 am:
Might have been a “kerfuffle.”
Might have been the attorneys for this property group telling the executives, “ahem, this is how and when we will decide to open.”
- Burgee - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 9:27 am:
Pundent
While I would agree most consumets employees, CEO’s, governors, and senators would agree, not all are. There are many Governors and local officials beginning to open up regardless of their current testing levels. While the President may play a significant role in all of this, many of these Governor’s and local officials are going beyond even what the President has recommended in reopening areas of the country.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 9:40 am:
Oh boy…
=== There are many Governors and local officials beginning to open up regardless of their current testing levels.===
Those are ideological divides, not science divides. As the Texas Governor on his phone call lamented the possible/probable increase in infections or worse, the ideology is driving the opening, not ignoring the testing adequacy or even the flattering of curves.
Decisions based on the amount of fallout, politically, not an ignoring or dismissing the science. That’s what’s scary to the process. I can rationalize in my mind, for me, ignorance to science and decisions, I’m struggling with thus idea of grasping the dangers… and opening anyway due to ideology.
=== While the President may play a significant role in all of this.===
Yeah, here’s my “Oh boy” moment.
This president has dismissed his own role, this president has dismissed any responsibility, this president even tried to end the pandemic commission he wanted. This president… ushered out a plan that he now won’t follow in his cheerleading for money over lives. Dr. Fauci, other scientists, the White House plan is *not* this president.
The only role this president has played? Not recognizing an emergency that needs federal management, done by one agency.
=== many of these Governor’s and local officials are going beyond even what the President has recommended in reopening areas of the country.===
… encouraged by this president, while this president and these leaders ignore the White House benchmarks.
Has *any* state hit 14 consecutive days of lower numbers?
The answer is no. None have. Zero.
This president is not a helpful actor.
But… the president’s party wants legal immunity for businesses opening… when they want people to feel safe… visiting those businesses.
That’s how warped this whole thing is…
… and how terribly warped a mall… a mall… thinks being open when consumers aren’t in any hurry to be shopping… thinks it might work to be open?
No legal immunity… then let’s see their thoughts.
- Mr. K. - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 9:42 am:
I understand Pritzker’s ordering state workers back on June 1. How can this even be possible?
The last thing I want to do is ride the Chicago Metra in order to do a job I’m doing fine at home.
Is this true? If malls aren’t opening, how in the world can a governor expect state workers to go back to offices?
- Not a Billionaire - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 10:05 am:
I think they will have serious liability issues inn The open states. It’s still reckless not following CDC. That’s why the slaughterhouses wanted Trumps EO. To avoid liability. Time will tell if it worked.
- Annonin - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 10:29 am:
Kerfuffles for all
BTW in case no one has noticed these malls are generally empty, But older Americans do like to walk indoors during too cold, too hot weather.
Maybe add some tall tables to lean on while doing Amazon orders
- Pundent - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 10:43 am:
=There are many Governors and local officials beginning to open up regardless of their current testing levels.=
A partial opening of the economy without adequate testing will likely make matters worse. It will increase the spread of disease while providing a negligible benefit. We can’t rebuild the U.S. economy off of outliers. We need to facilitate the full reopening of the economy otherwise we don’t have an economy. And we can’t do that without testing. Most, but not all, recognize that. An economy that doesn’t work for most of us just doesn’t work.
- PublicServant - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 10:44 am:
Kerfuffle: The outcome of your insurer telling you that you’re at liberty to exercise your free association rights on your own.
- Give us Barabbas - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 11:15 am:
Nobody was going to malls *before* the pandemic.
- njt - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 11:38 am:
Pundent, most ID experts back up your statement:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/infectious-disease-experts-think-texas-will-see-an-increase-in-cases/
- Mr. K. - Friday, May 8, 20 @ 1:13 pm:
The best shows on YouTube are the folks going into “dead malls” and filming the remnants — overgrown fountains, old Musicland stores with 45s and LPs still in the bin, food courts with rusted soft serve machines.
So, yeah, this will hasten the death of whatever malls are still open.
Hopefully, they, too, will be featured on one of the ‘dead mall’ YouTube shows.