Governor Sisolak had been in office for a little over a year, and he still didn't have a clue about how to improve the lives of the people of Nevada. Every day, he would sit in his office and flip through reports, trying to find some way to make things better, but nothing ever seemed to stick. The economy was struggling, the infrastructure was crumbling, and the schools were ranked among the worst in the country.
Frustrated, Governor Sisolak called a meeting with his team of advisors. “We need to come up with something,” he said. “The people are starting to get restless.”
His advisors nodded in agreement. One of them spoke up. “What about education reform?” it was suggested. “We could try to increase funding for schools or create new programs that would help students succeed.”
Governor Sisolak considered the suggestion for a moment before shaking his head. “I don't think that's going to be enough,” he said. “The people want more than just education reform.”
Another advisor spoke up then. “How about jobs?” she asked. “We could try to attract new businesses or support existing businesses' growth.”
Again, Governor Sisolak shook his head. “That's not going to be enough either,” he said tiredly. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment before continuing to speak. “I don't know what it is that we need to do, but we need to do something soon.”
And then it came to him, “I know, I'll shut down all businesses across the state in the name of COVID!”
Everyone in the room stared at him in disbelief. “Are you sure that's a good idea?” one of his advisors asked cautiously.
Governor Sisolak nodded confidently. “Yes, I'm sure. It'll show the people that I'm serious about making Nevada a better place.”
And so Governor Sisolak announced that all businesses in Nevada would be shutting down for two weeks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. He was confident that this would be the solution to all of Nevada's problems.
However, two weeks later, it was clear that his plan had not worked. The economy had ground to a halt, people were out of work, and the state was in chaos. Still, Governor Sisolak just knew it would work, the plan just needed more time and so he extended the shutdown.
Time after time the governor kept extending the shutdown until he was forced to admit that his plan had been a failure.
But he was not ready to give up yet. He still believed that Nevada could be saved. And so he continued to search for a solution.
And then, one day, he found it. He came across a report that showed how businesses in other states were starting to reopen despite the pandemic. He realized that this was what Nevada needed to do.
And so, Governor Sisolak announced that businesses in Nevada would be allowed to reopen in a staggered and controlled way. He was confident that this would finally be the solution to all of the state's problems.
However, it quickly became clear that his new plan was not working either. The economy continued to struggle, people were still out of work, and the state was still in chaos.
Governor Sisolak was starting to lose hope. He had tried everything he could think of, but nothing seemed to be working. He was starting to wonder if maybe Nevada was just beyond saving.
But then, one day, in early November, the votes had come in and the people had spoken. Finally, it seemed like Nevada was on the road to recovery. Sisolak had tried everything he could think of and something had worked. He was no longer Governor of Nevada.
Nevada was saved.
