White House seeks control on health, safety

[missile_bender]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Under a new proposal, the White House would decide what and when the public would be told about an outbreak of mad cow disease, an anthrax release, a nuclear plant accident or any other crisis.

The White House Office of Management and Budget is trying to gain final control over release of emergency declarations from the federal agencies responsible for public health, safety and the environment.

The OMB also wants to manage scientific and technical evaluations - known as peer reviews - of all major government rules, plans, proposed regulations and pronouncements.

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Remember, these are people who think science is leftist politics. The politization of health warnings has dire consequences. Remember when Oprah was sued in Texas for criticizing beef? That's just the tip of the hoof. How many religious nuts are at OMB? Next thing you know faith-based healing will be the rage of the right. I can just hear Herr Rove: "When I hear the word science I want to reach for my luger."

Unembedded.com

[patdem]

1. Did I move to the USSR in some life of which I am not aware?

:shrug:

[central scrutinizer]

3. Yes, Lysenko is the new commissar of science

nfm

[acmavm]

2. That would be, in a rational, sane United States, the proverbial

straw that broke the camel's back. But this is NOT a sane or rational country anymore. There is no way that we, as a country, should be expected to entrust our health and safety to a bunch of money grubbing lying sacks of shit. Every person in this country who cares about their own health, the health of their children, grandchildren and other family members, should be screaming their heads off. Every human being who feels that we, as human beings, are deserving of a society free from the fear of what they're poisoning us with, should be screaming their heads off. (Poorly written sentence, but you get my meaning I hope.)We have to make a choice soon. Tolerate the conditions that this administration is forcing upon us, or decide that the quality of life is just as important as life itself.

People are so intimidated and afraid that this country reminds me of the stories that they used to tell about the old Soviet Union. Well, that's us now.

[pinto]

5. I think I get you. The implied trust we hold with the federal government,

the basic "apolitical" functions are being incorporated (and I mean that word specifically) into poltical operations.

[pinto]

4. the Office of Management and Budget? Public Health alerts? amazing.

Someone will need to fill me in on the experience OMB has for a PH alert. Obviously, the CDC can not be trusted, though they have hundreds of Masters in Public Health, thousands of epidemiologists, and an established network with state and local officials. The OMB makes the call?

So, how's it go? They run a cost analysis?

[Rex]

6. So, in theory, they would control the nations airwaves?

I suspect there will be no election.

[RhodaGrits]

7. this terrified me

The thought of these politicians deciding what we are allowed to know and when we are allowed to know it gives me a bad case of the horrors. Look what happened when Chinese politicians squashed the SARS story for political reasons. aaarrrggghhhhhh please tell me that they don't have the legal right to grab this power?

[salin]

8. China... heck look at the EPA reports re: air quality/safety in NYC

after 9-11. Do we trust this administration to act in the public's interest? If they could, would they have squelched any Mad Cow Disease stories/alerts to protect the cattle industry?

Absolute power, corrupts absolutely... again.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi RhodaGrits!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[gate of the sun]

9. count on it they will probably put this in place

and you will never know how many people got mad cow disease or how many service men were made sick by their vaccines. Sickening that's what it is...what's next I ask you what's next?


they will probably sink any news and reports regarding global warming as well....so while the earth slowly falls apart no one will know what's going on until it's too late.....hey wait It might allready be too late in those regards..

I am outraged by this.....what else can I say?

[burrowowl]

10. I am agast

and if Congress lets them do it, we may be sunk.
This is pretty damn serious.
Looks like the beef, chemical, etc. industires are getting their way.

[nansocal]

12. do these people sound.....

like they are going to give up the white house in 2004. I have to agree with whoever it was here who said the fix is in. they are siezing too much power for the white house to give it up.

[54anickel]

13. This idiot son of an a$$hole is trying to undo 60 years of social progress

in the next 10 months.

[bobbieinok]

14. I think it's more like 100+ years of progress

Back before T Roosevelt and National Parks...

Back to zero unions...

I always knew they wanted to undo civil rights and women's liberation from the 60s, but it took me a while to realize how far back they want to go.

With this indentured servitude/slavery of W's immigration proposal - back before the Civil War?

But then with the undoing of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution (separation of powers, checks and balances) - back to pre-Revolution colonies? This would also get us 'safely' back before the dangerous ideas of 'liberty, equality, and fraternity' (and sorority) of the French Revolution.