Daily Archives: Monday, August 24, 2009

Republicans Propagating Falsehoods in Attacks on Health-Care Reform

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Earlier this month, Steven Pearlstein wrote in the Washington Post, “As a columnist who regularly dishes out sharp criticism, I try not to question the motives of people with whom I don’t agree. Today, I’m going to step over that line…”

I was late to the party; comments on the Post site are already closed.

Mr. Pearlstein propagates three significant falsehoods in stepping over his critical line.

(1) It may be true to say the recent attacks by the ideological right … [are] a flat-out lie whose only purpose is to scare the public and stop political conversation, but Mr. Pearlstein ignores the fact that the recent attacks by the ideological left … [are] the same lies whose only purpose are to scare the public and stop political conversation.

(2) The vast majority of Americans will likely not be able to to buy health insurance from private companies when, as happened in Vermont, the ever tightening rules run private insurers out of town.

(3) The centerpiece of all the plans is not a new health insurance exchange. The centerpiece of all the plans is a new trillion dollar tax, a fact Mr. Pearlstein calls “Another lie.” The fact is, Mr. Pearlstein, that health care in America is a TWO trillion dollar annual expense. If the government raises that amount in taxes and dispenses it for health care, that makes it a TWO trillion dollar annual tax.

I agree that “Health reform is a test of whether this country can function once again as a civil society.” One that both sides have failed. It is a test, in fact a war, that so far only the media, the lawyers, and the politicians have won.

Sorry, Mr. Pearlstein, but fighting a war with fiction isn’t right no matter which side of the angels you think you are on.

Read all about ObamaCare here.

Vermont Police to Curb Profiling

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For the past three years, a “blue ribbon” committee of Vermonters has studied the possibility of racial profiling by police officers in this state.

Hello? Vermont is, of course, the least diverse state in the Union. The Census Bureau reports that 2008 population of the state is about 621,000, up from 609,000 nine years ago. The population breaks down as 96.4% white and 0.9% black which means that if one non-white person is ticketed, it must be profiling. The community group Uncommon Alliance raised the concerns about racial profiling.

The committee report says Vermont minorities believe they are the victims of pervasive racial profiling by police on traffic stops. The report also shows there is absolutely no data anywhere that support the idea. None.

The Vermont state police say they do investigate about ten racial profiling complaints out of thousands of traffic stops each year.

Reminder: The report shows there is absolutely no data anywhere that support the perceived profiling. None.

Law enforcement leaders have chosen “pro-active responses.”

Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Tom Tremblay said, “We recognize that law enforcement in Vermont needs to address the perception and/or the reality of racial profiling.”

Reminder: The report also shows there is absolutely no data anywhere that support the perceived profiling. None.

Police will create yet another new data collection system and document each person’s race, gender and age at traffic stops. We can expect video cameras in all police cruisers as well as more anti-racial-bias training for cops.

Meanwhile, pigs are a Vermont tradition at county fairs but kids won’t chase any pigs at the Caledonia County Fair in Lyndonville this year. “No swine at the fair,” said Richard Lawrence. It turns out the public could be afraid of pigs because people think the pigs could spread the flu. (The fact is that pigs should fear the people, not the other way around.)

Fair officials say they know that pigs are not spreading the H1N1 virus but they banned them anyway. State and county fairs came to life to promote science and agriculture.

The Fair made its decision “not based on sound science but based on public perception,” Vermont state veterinarian Dr. Kristin Haas told WCAX TV. “In this instance we have an example of a pretty big difference between the two.”

As an aside, a federal program later this month will focus exclusively on drunk driving. By women.

News reports show a host of community forums on profiling will begin Wednesday.

Reminder: The report shows there is absolutely no data anywhere that support the perceived profiling. None.

Don’t confuse me with the facts. It is crucial that we sacrifice truth and dignity on the altar of the politically correct. And left-leaning public perception.