The SEIU Miracle Masks and the Failure of Charlie Baker [OPINION]

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker keeps grousing that he is having a difficult time locating personal protective equipment, or PPEs, for victims of the COVID-19 coronavirus here and every time he does manage to locate something, he is outbid by the federal government.

Hey Charlie, stop your whining and do your job.

Maybe Governor Baker just hasn't tried hard enough. Or perhaps he just doesn't have the right connections.

I awoke this morning to the news that a coronavirus miracle had occurred. Breitbart reports the Service Employees International Union says "it has found 39 million masks and has since found another supplier who says his company can produce 20 million more masks a week. The union also has found a supplier who can deliver millions of face shields."

Imagine, tens of millions of masks million masks just like that.

The union says it will sell the masks to states, counties, and hospitals for five bucks apiece. Breitbart says similar masks are available on the Home Depot website for $23.97 for a box of 20 or about $1.20 each. In fairness, I checked and the masks listed on the company's web site are out of stock or not available currently.

So why is it that the SEIU can miraculously find not only a seemingly endless supply of masks and face shields and a supplier that can produce millions more weekly, and Charlie Baker can't seem to find anything? I mean, Massachusetts is a huge labor union state and a big supporter of the SEIU, no?

Hey governor, rather than whining that the federal government is not doing enough for you, get out there and hustle for the people of Massachusetts. Get us some of those masks, Charlie. Just do it.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.