Wows and Scowls
May 9, 2003 Scowl: So the doctors blame greedy lawyers. Lawyers blame bad doctors. The insurance industry hovers on the fringe, hiking doctors’ malpractice insurance premiums. And everyone with money lobbies the governor and Legislature to repair the crisis but leave their profession alone. So who should pay? The little guy. Gov. Rendell is floating a couple of trial balloons – increasing the cigarette tax and surcharging patients – that ought to burst before lawyers, doctors and insurance execs latch on and demand these measures as reform. Patients already pay dearly for medical care, whether in direct payments to physicians or in ever-increasing health insurance premiums. The government has no business levying a tax on people simply because they’re sick.
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Wow: If only the imbeciles who are launching attacks under the cover of darkness against politicians they don’t like knew about this. A Hollidaysburg doctor has been charged with altering a billboard and faces a $900 fine and three months in jail. Apparently the doctor climbed onto a sign paid from the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association that suggested one way to improve Pennsylvania’s health was to “Regulate Insurance Industry Greed.” The errant doctor edited the billboard to read “Regulate Malpractice Lawyers’ Greed.” There are laws against defacing signs (something lawyers most likely know about, so it was probably a stupid idea to deface one of their signs). Too bad no one is being held accountable for writing obscenities and drawing profane images on some of the political signs dotting our county’s landscape.
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Scowl: Think of how much money you could make if there were more than 24 hours in a day or eight days in a week. A school solicitor for the Upper Darby School District found out it could be rather lucrative. The Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed the district’s accounts and found that Barry Van Rensler was paid for working more than 24 hours in a day. Twice he billed for 75 hours of labor instead of 0.75 hours, or 45 minutes. And four other times his 15 minutes of service or 0.25 hours was billed at 25 hours. After the Inquirer’s report, state Auditor General Bob Casey moved in to investigate, and Rensler has resigned his solicitor post. While Casey’s office is still looking hard at Rensler, we can’t help but wonder if anyone in the school administration, or even on the school board, bothered to use their brain and do a couple of elementary calculations. How could overbilling of such magnitude not be caught?
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Wow: Since the closing of Ames, Greene Countians have had two choices: do without or get into the car and drive, drive, drive. So it is welcome news that Wal-Mart has finally announced that it plans to construct a store in Franklin Township. While it will take about two years before the doors open, at least residents know that the day is coming again when they can run out quickly and buy a pair of socks or a last-minute birthday gift.
Wow: By this time of year, classrooms are filled with students and teachers anxiously waiting the summer recess. It’s wind-down time. But it is also a time to acknowledge those special teachers that give more than what is asked and who are exceptional in their jobs. The Fayette Chamber of Commerce this week presented its annual Educators of the Year award and recognized nine such teachers. Kudos to Mary Ellen Jones, Valerie Bacharach, Mary Seelye, Barbara Vance, Mary Lee DeCarlo, Donna Clark, Jeremy Leasure, Christopher Hornick and James Tobal.
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Scowl: The Presidential Race 2004 kicked off this past weekend during the first Democratic Party debates in South Carolina. Once again the race will be decided long before Pennsylvania voters are courted. The way the primaries are stacking up, the Democrats will have picked their nominee long before our primary. It’s time that our own legislators look at altering the primary schedule during presidential years to give Pennsylvanian voters some leverage on the national political scene.