Quick Takes (v75): Treat Everyone the Same

According to an article from one of my local news stations, Onondaga County, where I live, has received a renewal of a New York State Department of Health grant to help educate residents on the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise.

I'm fine with that; as the article notes, CDC data from 2023 indicates "around 37% of the county's population is obese and around 9-10% have diabetes."   Further, 

The northeastern and southwestern parts of Syracuse both have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the county. They also have the highest rates of physical inactivity.

And, 2022 data shows that around 4% of county residents don't have health insurance, so they're likely not getting the health care and education they'd typically get from a primary care physician. 

Taken together, my area is ripe for this kind of program, and hopefully the money will be spent efficiently and effectively, helping move the dial a bit. 

So what's the post about? Not the grant, but the comments from people inside and outside our community that belittle and denigrate others. Here's a taste:

Talk about throwing good money after bad, ridiculous waste. No amount of money is going to change the food choices of the obese population.

We could do a lot better if we did not allow people to use EBT on fast food, junk foods, soda, etc. A physical should have to be done. People who smoke should not be allowed EBT services.

Put the people that are on EBT etc.. Put them on MREs and watch what happens.

Now, in the overall scheme of things, these aren't half as bad as many comments that typically accompany stories about SNAP recipients or others, some of whom are living at 400% of the federal poverty level and are still eligible for government benefits. 

Bur whenever I see a comment on an article like this, or on MAHA statemenrs from RFK Jr., or Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, or Dr. WhoEver suggesting that folks who get food assistance should have a physical before they can enroll, or not get benefits if they're obese or a smoker, and not be allowed to get soda or snacks, or a steak, or lobster, or even a stupid birthday cake for their child, I think,

OK, let's do this! If we want strict rules for people who receive benefits paid for by us taxpayers, let's be fair and apply them to everyone.

I hope you're aware it'll be a LONG list:

• all federal, state, and local government employees, and their families
• all elected officials, from dogcatchers to governors to senators to the president, and their families
• everyone who receives a government pension, and their families.
• everyone on Social Security, disability, unemployment, and workers' comp
• everyone on Medicare and Medicaid
• everyone in the military, and our veterans, and their families
• everyone who works at any company, college, university, K-12 school, hospital, nursing home, rehab center, charitable organization, foundation, institution, many day care providers, or any other entity that receives government money through a contract, grant, reimbursement program, or bailout, and their families, and
• dairy farmers, crop farmers, and livestock farmers, and their families

This means everyone in law enforcement and their families; your kids' favorite teachers, lunch ladies, coaches, and bus drivers, and their families... It also means anyone who receives a tax benefit, on things like OT, tips, Social Security, mortgage interest, car loan interest, home office expense, 'stuff teachers buy' expenses, mileage reimbursement, property tax write-off, and so on - and their families.

Have you found yourself on the list yet?

Before you know it, almost everyone would be unable to have junk food, soda, lobster, energy drinks, or anything like that without a medical exam, and, (if we channel our conspiracy theorist gremlins), without a household visit; an audit of grocery purchases; a review of corner store, dollar store, bodega and gas station surveillance footage; a complete rmedical history and health insurance claim review; and so on.

And, if you're approved, you'll have a food intake monitor, an exercise monitor, and 24-hour monitoring via cameras in your cupboards, fridge, freezer, and on your stove.

All this, just to make sure you're not abusing your benefits by eating the wrong food and not working out, or treating your child to a birthday cake on the taxpayer's dime.

Is that really what we want? Is this really who we are?

Wondering on Wednesday 3/27/24

 

Ready... Set... Wonder!

I'd be hard-pressed to tell anyone what my favorite book is, and I'd be hard-pressed to think of a book that I'd want to own 'many' copies of.  I wonder how many of you are in the same boat? And I wonder how many people really believe that the Bible is Donald 'Orange Jesus' Trump's favorite book and that he has 'many' copies of it, even if you count the individual copies in each of his residences. The fact that, for his infamous upside-down Bible photo shoot, he had to borrow someone else's leads me to believe he's not being truthful. 

I also wonder who it was who declared Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA' America's most recognized patriotic anthem? Aren't the folks trying to sell us on this idea the same people who were apoplectic about folks not being respectful in the right way when the actual most recognized patriotic anthem - the National Anthem - was played? And I wonder, aren't they the same people who think we don't need no stinkin' Black National Anthem - but somehow, we need this country anthem put above the real thing? 

I also can't help wondering how big a licensing deal this is... how many pieces of silver does the OJ earn per book sold? And is Lee Greenwood fairly compensated for the use of his song?

I noticed on the God Bless The USA Bible website that you can also purchase a 'Make America Pray Again' hat, and I wonder if the OJ will pretend he originated that phrase. That's what he said with 'Make America Great Again,' even in the face of overwhelming evidence that he was wrong.

Of course, the GBTUSA Bible is not just a Bible - it also includes the Pledge of Allegiance, the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and even the Declaration of Independence. I wonder what the founders would think of the OJ packaging those documents together, or him saying "We have to bring Christianity back into our lives and back into what will be again a great nation."

In other head-scratching news, I'm having a hard time keeping track of how many reporters have asked city of Baltimore officials, state of Maryland officials, and Biden administration officials how long it will take to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by a cargo barge around 1:30 AM on Tuesday.  I wonder if they were all instructed to ask that?

And I wonder, I do, whether the folks asking the question have bets on the answers? Who'll get the answer first, who'll get the shortest or longest timeframe, maybe even which of their guesses will come closest to the official answer. In the first 36 hours after the accident, I'd be a bit skeptical of anyone who thinks they have the answer.

And speaking of having the answer, I wonder how many more weird explanations we're going to hear for the bridge collapse? It was the risks posed by our open border - or wait, it was DEI hiring policies - or wait, it was Israel attacking the US, No, wait - it was the US attacking itself -  or maybe it's the beginning of World War III. 

That's my favorite theory, so far anyway. I wonder, will anyone top it?

What's on your wondering mind tonight?

Quick Takes (v69): The Wrong Apology

Hmm... 

Some of the folks at Fox News seemed surprised that the newly-released videos of Paul Pelosi being attacked with a hammer showed, um, Paul Pelosi being attacked with a hammer.  

Here's the scoop from the folks at Mediaite:

Harris Faulkner, the host of Outnumbered, apologized after the footage aired without a 'graphic content' warning.

"The producers are apologizing to me, but I want to apologize to you,” Faulkner said immediately after airing the footage. “We had no idea what that was going to look like and that should have had a warning and a graphic warning before we showed it and then on screen.”

"We had no idea what that was going to look like." Seriously? 

Pelosi's attack and injuries were widely reported; Faulkner's network covered it, from every conceivable angle (and a few inconceivable ones), for days after it happened, with its usual level of seriousness and respect. Of course, I'm kidding about that last part; I'm sure you can imagine how the coverage went. 

Not only that, but before Faulkner's show aired, the network had already shared the video under this headline.  

If that wasn't enough of a clue, the article states that the video is "of the" attack, and it included commentary on what the footage included. There was also a little back-patting.

Fox News was among the news organizations pushing for the release of the videos.

Clearly, the video should never have been shown without a strongly worded warning'  -Faulkner was right to apologize for that. I think Fox should apologize for showing it at all - there's no 'news value' in it. Unless, of course, the intention was to prove how wrong the network's earlier coverage was. 

And by earlier, I mean as recently as just a couple of days ago.  

That would be an apology worth hearing.