What makes Mayor Nutter Proud?

Mayors Nutter of Philadelphia and Bloomberg of New York City seem to be engaged in dueling silliness unless you take a moment to ask...what's in it for them?  These two distinguished guardians of our City dwellers seem more like parents than public servants.  Mayor Nutter, recently elected President of the United States Council of Mayors, emphatically asserted at the First Annual Soda Summit, that he is "proudest of successfully implementing a smoking ban in Philadelphia." I can understand this.  If 182 murders and 442 rapes had occurred in my city by June 24, 2012, I too would be proud of my smoking ban...is my sarcasism too subtle?

Then there is Mayor Bloomberg.  Yes, I am embarrassed that we are both Johns Hopkins University graduates.  And yes, if they had to choose who to claim I would be left out in the cold.  I have to date donated no buildings to the university.  Mayor Bloomberg proudly attacked sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces. He proudly implemented the legalization of marijuana.  Let's also remember that this staunch environmentalist had room air conditioners installed on his official vehicles.  Plugging in the window air conditioners is supposed to produce less pollution than idling his Chevy Suburbans...or he could just start the air conditioners when he gets into the car like us mere mortals.  Or may I suggest the Prius that automatically cools itself if the temperature exceeds a certain level.  Did I forget to mention that there have been 179 murders and 670 rapes in New York City year to date June 24, 2012?


"I am sorry madame, but please give me that 32 oz soda.  I must write you a citation.  Yes, I hear the screams.  Yes, those are gunshots.  Yes, someone has been knifed next door. Yes, there are legally using stoners on your doorstep, but I need to focus on that large, non-diet soda." Would you like to be the police officer with this job?


Oh, did I mention that the in Mayor Nutter's case, sugary drinks would be taxed at 10 cents an oz...I smell a tax with some heavy cha-ching.  


So health aside, education aside, parenting classes aside, personal responsibility aside...lets make some income here. Makes me want a Big Gulp to help fund Philadelphia's deficit.

Fear More than the Mandate in Health Care Reform

The June 13th issue of USA Today (or as I prefer--Useless News Today) had a cover story entitled, "Calcium, vitamin D benefits disputed (for some unknown reason this newspaper does not use capital letters in their titles)." This article quoted the findings of the august U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concluded that "existing research was insufficient to assess the risks or benefits of taking vitamin D--with or without calcium to prevent cancer in adults." Note this is based on a literature review not primary research.

You may recall that this is the same group that told us in 2011 that women between 50-74 years of age did not need annual mammograms; and in 2012, that men did not need PSAs to find prostate cancer in the early stages.  Why?  It grows so slow, why treat it?  Too expensive, little return...unless it is your prostate or your husband's or your father's...

The health care reform legislation gave the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force the power to decide what qualifies as evidence as the PPACA moves us to the point where insurance and the government will only pay for evidence-based health care services.

In short, if the research is inconclusive then you don't get the service. Think carefully about all the treatments and cures we now benefit from that are not clearly proven by research--bone marrow transplants for certain cancers, off label uses of certain drugs, the accidental discovery of treatment side effects that improve the quality of life for patients with a disease for which it was not meant to be used. Then think carefully about this as a slippery slope issue--do you need a prosthetic limb when a wheelchair or walker will do as well at getting you around? After all the wheelchair costs $1000 and the walker costs $200. Are you worth the $5000- $10000 for the prosthesis? How many preventive service could that pay for? After all, you've already lost that limb.

Do you need a hip replacement at 75 years old? Society can immunize 500 children for the price of your hip replacement.

Who are these people who have been empowered to make decide your health care fate? They are a panel of academic-based physicians and one medical products vendor. Not one is a physician in private practice. A physician not based a facility dependent on government $s to support their practice and research.

Why are they now supported by a division of the federal government call the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHCRQ)? When you pass a bill with 1000s of pages you can hide a lot. When Sarah Palin said death panels and everyone laughed...well, maybe not death. But this group will decide how valuable you are to our society... and the acceptable cost of your quality of life. Hey, old guy! Are you earning wages through an approved government activity? Just golfing and playing with your grandchildren? Then give back that hip!

Conservative Black Barbie has to apologize to my readers for being away for so long.  All I have wanted to do is stand and walk. But I am back-- tomorrow "Mayor Nutter and YOU!