Wasteful Government Spending-COVID insanity

[Common Sense]

Just got back from a night out with some friends - good food, delightful beverages, and interesting conversation.
One of those conversations involved obscene and abusive wasteful spending at all levels of government.
Congressional approval of what's being called an "infrastructure" bill that actually devotes only 11% to infrastructure, the money we spend on 535 members of Congress, their work palaces, staff, per diems, health care, benefits, offices; the do-nothing joke of a state legislature that we all pay for; Donna "Rubber Stamp" Lupardo's no-show job in Albany for how many decades...? ...that sort of thing.
Then one of the ladies in our group shared this little ditty to remind us that Broome County can more than hold its own with any level of government in misusing and wasting OUR money.
My friend was called for jury duty and reported this morning right on time.
She's a working person, so she had to take the day off to answer the jury call, as most likely the other people did.
After she managed to find a parking spot, she went through the security hassle to get into the court building.
She gets into the building, hands in some paperwork and is escorted to a seat in the courtroom. She estimated there are 150 people seated in the large opulently-appointed and well-staffed courtroom and some more people in an overflow courtroom, all waiting to be "interviewed" to see if they'll serve for a trial.
About 15 minutes after she arrives, a woman does a short welcome speech and plays two videos...chewing up another 20 minutes or so.
Lawyers and court staff trickle in and out. The court reporter arrives and sets up their gear. The clock ticks on...
An HOUR AND A HALF after she arrived, the judge finally emerges from his chamber to announce that the criminal trial those 150 or so people are there to perhaps be chosen to decide cannot proceed.
The reason?
The defendant was not allowed to enter the building.
Why? You might ask?
The defendant told security he had close contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID and that he was unvaccinated.
Therefore, under the county's "well-thought-out" and science-based COVID protocols, he could not come into the building.
Never mind that the county had to pluck names from its database and send out jury summons forms to hundreds of people, who then made arrangements to be there. Never mind that the operations of the court continued to go on as normal right up until the time the judge made his announcement.
I have no idea what it costs to run the county courthouse building for a day, but I can imagine it ain't pennies.
And some stupid, bordering on psychotic directive about a two-year-old virus that never reached the level of pandemic and is still being used to justify nonsensical rules and regulations all over the place wasted a not-insignificant amount of taxpayer time and money. And I can't imagine my friend's story is unique or all that uncommon.
At the very least, it seems like a pretty poor way to seat a jury. But beyond that, it represents a serious disrespect for the value of citizens' time and money.
My friend also says the experience actually clears her for six years from being called again.
Luckily, there was enough wine at the table for this infuriating story to evoke some laughter. But it isn't funny.
 

[thomas]

Must be they never heard of Zoom. Last year that DMV office by the bus station did not have internet. They have internet now?

[Common Sense]

6 hours ago, thomas said:

Must be they never heard of Zoom. Last year that DMV office by the bus station did not have internet. They have internet now?

Exactly. A simple phone call might have prevented a lot of people from wasting half their day for nothing. That's precisely the reason it's so infuriating. The government has endless supplies of our money to do whatever it chooses to do, like call a bill an "infrastructure bill" when it contains funding for very little actual infrastructure.

[SouthSider09]

I wonder if they really looked into this person actually having COVID or not. I mean that would be a pretty simple way to extend your freedom if you think you may get charged. Simply walk up and state you have had contact with a COVID person and prolly shouldn't be here. Most businesses now will just turn you away in "fear" of it all so that will be a new stall tactic for those not wanting to appear in court. 

But as mentioned before, a simple Zoom setup could have served the same purpose. IF you have had contact or need to quarantine and cannot be in the building than you must report that and sign into a Zoom session. They can easily setup that session in a matter of minutes (while watching that horrendous video they make you suffer thru) and the defendant can see and ask questions just as if they were sitting in the court room with them.