Greg notes that the Chron is running op-eds with ridiculously underinformative bylines. Again. The piece in question touts the "success" of Prop 12, the ridiculous tort "reform" measure passed last year, and was written by the Chairman of the State Republican Executive Committee, not that you'd know that from the Chron.
Be sure to follow the other link to this Statesman piece, which tells of the other side of Prop 12.
In 2003, the Legislature, led by Republicans, took the wrong approach to the problem by passing Proposition 12. That constitutional amendment, later ratified by voters, puts a $250,000 cap on damages in malpractice cases for anything other than direct financial losses. That means my damages would have been limited to $250,000. Why? Because I am a full-time mother and housewife and therefore do not make a direct "financial contribution" to my family. My lasting physical pain, as well as the emotional scars that I confront every day, apparently mean nothing to our legislators and their friends in the insurance industry.
Doctors are not perfect-shit happens.
Excessive payouts from malpractice suits and malpractice insurance help drive up health care costs (and put more money in the pockets of lawyers and insurance companies!)
Check out my post on Iran that I wrote yesterday.
Tom
Posted by: Tom on September 14, 2004 6:43 PMThere's absolutely no evidence to back up that claim. Tort "reform" is a myth, and so is the claimed health care savings associated with it.
Posted by: Charles Kuffner on September 14, 2004 10:25 PMHi Kuff.
I've also noted the Chronicle sometimes running op-eds without bylines. I thought it was just a mistake. You know, like the night the page designers all came to work stoned or something.
Not like that would ever happen at a real paper, or anything (and to be clear, didn't happen. I can't afford to offend former paper-mates, either, since the wonderful young lady who co-edited the high school paper with me is now at UH too. As are several contemporaneous Daily Texan alumns)...
At any rate, it pisses me off. If I'd done that, I'd have gotten bitched at. And I was only a college kid the last time I committed an act of journalism (for pay).
Also Kuff...
I got deputized to do voter registration to-day. Dean Rappoport is going ga-ga over this democracy thing. Go figure.
But anyways, if you're ever in the UH-campus/Third Ward area, I'll be the guy who looks suspiciously like Barney Fife! :-p
Posted by: Jim D on September 14, 2004 11:30 PM