Grumpy Editor

Taxpayers to foot $20 million ObamaCare PR push

While the U.S. government over the years has run TV/radio public service announcements (PSAs) --- at no cost to taxpayers --- to inform or educate the public about an issue, now, in promoting ObamaCare, the public relations price tag to taxpayers will be $20 million, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Surprisingly, few newspapers this week mentioned the costly promotion. 

The Health and Human Services Department handed the task to global public relations firm Porter Novelli. 

Based in New York, the PR agency, part of the Omnicom Group international marketing communications firm, maintains 90 offices (13 in the U.S.) in 60 countries. 

What’s interesting about the assignment is that Porter Novelli co-founder (in 1972 with Jack Porter) is William Novelli, who retired in April, 2009 after eight years as AARP chief executive officer. 

His departure came at a time when AARP, representing 40 million people 50 and older, was running into unexpected PR problems with some members stemming from its stance backing what was to be labeled ObamaCare. 

“Health care reform is AARP’s top priority,” declared incoming AARP CEO A. Barry Rand in the July, 2009, AARP Bulletin.  “We simply can’t fix the economy without restructuring the delivery of health care, expanding access and cutting costs."

The lucrative ObamaCare account was being kept secret on the Porter Novelli website.  As of yesterday, no mention was made. 

However, the opening page noted in bold letters that Porter Novelli is “Named Top PR Agency in Spain.” 

The site described what Porter Novelli is all about: 

“Combining the power of immersion with the rigor of data, we create a deeper human insight that transforms the opinions, beliefs and behaviors of those who matter most to our clients.” 

That’s what probably moved HHS to sign the firm.

 

Writers quickly label Breitbart died of ‘natural causes’

A few hours after conservative blogger and Tea Party favorite Andrew Breitbart collapsed on the sidewalk shortly after midnight near his home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles last Thursday, news stories attributed the 43-year-old’s death to “natural causes” --- indicating the writers never worked on police beats, notes Grumpy Editor.

Long before official findings from an autopsy, reporters --- without raising an eyebrow --- almost immediately pinpointed the cause of death. 

Results of a Friday autopsy by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office will not be known until early to mid-April, when toxicology and other lab tests are finalized.

"It's standard procedure," said Craig Harvey, coroner’s office spokesman.

"We have a very young man who died suddenly and unexpectedly, so we want to make sure we cover all the bases,” he added.

Highly-active Breitbart collapsed while walking home from a bar-restaurant where he sipped red wine and spent almost two hours in what has been termed “a friendly debate” with a marketing executive.

Breitbart entered journalism editing the Drudge Report in 1994.  Eleven years later Breitbart and Arianna Huffington founded the Huffington Post. 

On his own, he later started several news websites including breitbart.com, bighollywood.com and biggovernment.com. 

Along with that, in recent years he became a favorite target of liberals in the media.

 

Kiplinger’s future lighting story skips toxic CFLs mention

A glowing story in the January issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine on the upcoming replacement of the long-used traditional incandescent light bulbs overlooked mention that compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, one type of substitute, contains toxic mercury that can pose problems, notes Grumpy Editor.

Under the headline, “Incandescents Take the Heat,” CFLs, Halogen bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are cited as replacements when new energy standards go into effect next month. 

But the main concern, not touched on in the article, focuses on the replacement CFLs, produced mostly in China.  They are being promoted in efforts to go more "green” and conserve energy.

A few vigilant newspaper editorial writers in recent months have alerted readers to problems with CFLs which entered the future lighting picture when Congress four years ago passed an energy bill that essentially banned the traditional incandescent light bulb that received a major thrust in 1878 from Thomas Edison’s research. 

Many officials apparently remain unaware that when a CFL bulb (a small glass tube twisted into a spiral) shatters, mercury escapes as vapor that can be inhaled, and as a fine powder it can settle into carpet and other textiles.

A Scientific American posting three years ago was among the first to point out highly toxic mercury is especially harmful to the brains of both fetuses and children. 

The director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division at that time recommended opening windows and stepping outside, then quickly ventilating the room when a CFL bulb breaks. 

"Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out,” was the warning.  

In July, U.S. House efforts to repeal use of CFLs fell short of the two-thirds majority vote needed for passage --- without a peep from the current EPA.

 

New tests back up Dr. Oz’s apple juice/arsenic findings

With orange juice and its arsenic content back in the news, most print and broadcast media yesterday missed an important element that was spotlighted by Dr. Mehmet Oz 11 weeks ago on “The Dr. Oz Show” on television --- most apple juice distributed in the U.S. is imported, observes Grumpy Editor. 

In his September TV show, Dr. Oz revealed 60 percent of the juice concentrate comes from China.  He commented on arsenic content in apple juice after testing samples from some of the nation’s best-known brands.

The Food and Drug Administration at that time immediately disputed the findings. 

After Consumer Reports this week announced its own tests on several apple juice brands and called for stricter standards, the FDA said it will examine whether its restrictions on the amount of arsenic allowed in apple juice are stringent enough. 

Arsenic, not always regulated in other countries, is a toxic heavy metal known to cause cancer if consumed at high levels or over a long period. 

TV channels yesterday placed a variety of doctors, nutrition experts and medical/health correspondents before cameras.  But their apple juice comments focused on such things as sugar content, high calories, danger to waistlines, lack of fiber vs. whole fruit and tooth decay in small children. 

Deep in an Associated Press story in some newspapers today, Marilynn Marchione, AP’s chief medical writer, reported “only 17 percent of the apple juice sold in the U.S. is produced here” with the remainder coming from mostly China, Argentina, Chile and Brazil, according to the Juice Products Association. 

Indeed, a close look at apple juice containers’ fine print on labels will most likely indicate a foreign source. 

Sadly, the number of U.S. farms producing apples --- mainly in Washington State, New York and Michigan --- has continued to slide, tumbling from nearly 34,000 in the late 1990s to 25,600 in 2007, the most recent year tallied.

 

Connecticut Senator seeks federal funding for diapers

While much of the U.S. is focused on creating jobs, lowering taxes, improving education, thwarting terrorism, avoiding foreclosures and observing pre-election action, Connecticut continues to get to the bottom of things, dwelling on --- diapers, finds Grumpy Editor.

On the heels of last Thursday’s Diaper Need Awareness Day, observed solely in Connecticut after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy issued a declaration, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) yesterday introduced legislation, adding child-care services funding to purchase diapers and diapering supplies.

At the Oct. 27 diapers event in New Haven, activists and advocates gathered for a panel discussion on diapers as a public health issue.  It was followed by a fundraiser.

As explained by Pete Kasperowicz, writing in The Hill, Blumenthal’s bill, S. 1778, would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to allow diapers and related supplies to be bought with grant money provided to states. 

A summary of Blumenthal's bill, Kasperowicz added, indicated it would "include the provision of diapers and diapering supplies among the activities for which funds may be employed to improve the quality of and access to child care." 

Diaper makers Pampers, a Procter & Gamble Co. product, and Huggies, manufactured by Kimberly-Clark Corp., should be delighted by the move.

 

Connecticut today observes Diaper Need Awareness Day

Adding to the list of the year’s special days --- ranging from Administrative Professionals Day to Armed Forces Day --- is today’s Diaper Need Awareness Day, but observed only in Connecticut, notes Grumpy Editor.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, obviously one who seeks to get to the bottom of things, issued the declaration.

So, today at 5 p.m. Eastern, activists and advocates will gather at Foundry Square in New Haven for a panel discussion, open to the public, on diapers as a public health issue --- and a fundraiser follows.

Diapers are a big deal in the Constitution State.

So look for heavy media coverage.

Hartford Courant writer Susan Campbell mentions that earlier this month, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D., Conn.) introduced the Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery Act (cleverly contracted to spell out DIAPER).

The bill would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to allow funding for diapers and diaper supplies.

For today's event, looks like someone overlooked booking a spokesperson from Pampers, a Procter & Gamble Co. operation with products that include disposable diapers, as a key speaker.

 

Washington, D.C., leads U.S. in alcohol and drug abuse

A new report finds adults in Washington, D.C. abuse alcohol and drugs more than anywhere else in the U.S., causing Grumpy Editor to wonder if some of that activity may influence goings on with some government workers, leading to wordy legislation out of Congress, often difficult to comprehend, along with long-running fuzziness on expenditures, budget and --- as in the news lately --- debt. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds 11.3 percent of people 12 and older in the District of Columbia abused or were dependent on alcohol or drugs in the past year, well above the national average of 8.9 percent, reports Emily Babay in the Washington Examiner. 

“Drug and alcohol problems have long been a problem in all corners of the nation's capital, from drug deals on street corners to college binge drinking to the White House,” adds Babay. 

Politicians, lobbyists and others regularly attend functions where "work is socializing," according to Babette Wise, director of the alcohol and drug abuse program at Georgetown University Hospital. 

Other findings: 

+   D.C. ranks among top 10 states where residents most frequently reported smoking marijuana within the past month.  

+   District adults are among top cocaine users in the country --- 3.78 percent say they used the drug over a one-year period.

 

House effort to repeal curly fluorescent bulbs flickers out

U.S. House efforts this week to repeal curly, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which contain toxic mercury and are slated to replace long-used traditional incandescent bulbs, fell short of the two-thirds majority vote needed for passage --- without a peep from the Environmental Protection Agency, notes Grumpy Editor.

The EPA, with 17,000 employees at Washington headquarters, 10 regional offices and 27 laboratories, is charged with protecting human health and the environment. 

A few vigilant newspaper editorial writers in recent days alerted readers to problems with CFLs which entered the future lighting picture when Congress four years ago passed an energy bill that essentially banned the traditional incandescent light bulb that received a major thrust in 1878 from Thomas Edison’s research. 

While CFLs, made mostly in China, got the green light with new energy standards set to go into effect next year, officials have curtailed or banned mercury use in other applications, including thermometers and automotive and thermostat switches. 

Many lawmakers apparently remained unaware that when a CFL bulb (a small glass tube twisted into a spiral) shatters, mercury escapes as vapor that can be inhaled and as a fine powder that can settle into carpet and other textiles. 

A Scientific American posting three years ago was among the first to point out highly toxic mercury is especially harmful to the brains of both fetuses and children. 

At that time, the director of EPA’s Hazardous Waste Minimization and Management Division recommended opening windows and stepping outside then quickly ventilating the room when a CFL bulb breaks. 

"Get all the people and pets out of the room for 15 minutes and let the room air out,” he said.  With central heating system or an HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) system, he warned, “you don't want it sucking the fumes around, so shut that down.”

 

New anti-smoking push will lead to taxes elsewhere

News reports in today’s newspapers relating to upcoming revamped anti-smoking messages on cigarette packs and advertising in efforts to deter puffing fail to mention that governments --- from federal to municipal ---  will lose millions of dollars in tax money collected from cigarette sales, observes Grumpy Editor. 

That lost tax money will have to be made up elsewhere.  So look for an upswing in new strange and unusual tax targets. 

The federal cigarette tax rate, upped last year, is $1.01 per pack, reflecting a 62-cent increase that President Barack Obama signed into law in February, 2009. 

States also slap taxes on cigarettes.  In addition, several municipalities, including New York City, Chicago and Anchorage, also tack on a cigarette tax. 

The new anti-smoking labels must be on cigarette packages and in advertisements no later than September, 2012. 

The warnings also are to take up the top 20 percent of tobacco companies’ ads. 

One scary message (out of nine selected), unleashed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, shows a label with, “Warning: Cigarettes are addictive” alongside a graphic of a male smoker holding a cigarette as smoke spews through a dime-size hole on his neck. 

The FDA says the messages are intended to help prevent children from smoking, encourage adults who already do to quit and ensure every American understands the dangers of smoking.

 

Obama, media fail to note legal vs. illegal immigrants

Some print and broadcast media plus many politicians --- extending all the way to President Barack Obama --- seem to have an increasing problem in making a distinction between legal and illegal immigrants, finds Grumpy Editor.

Simply put, “legal” means much time and many steps some immigrants take to achieve U.S. citizenship, also known as naturalization, that allows individuals the right to participate fully in the U.S. democratic system.  Others who hold “green cards” are lawful permanent residents.

On the other hand, “illegal” stems from entering the U.S., including crossing northern or southern borders --- often under the cover of darkness --- against the law with no papers, no passport, no documentation. 

For Obama, in a speech at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast Thursday, he referred to "immigrants" six times and "immigration" seven times while declaring the United States is a "nation of laws” --- but he did not use the words “legal” or “illegal,” observes writer Penny Starr at CNSNews.com. 

Starr notes the president said we should “look at that migrant farmer and see our own grandfather disembarking at Ellis Island, or Angel Island in San Francisco Bay and to look at that young mother, newly arrived in this country, and see our own grandmothers leaving Italy or Ireland or Eastern Europe in search of something better.” 

However, one cannot compare those who legally passed through Ellis Island in Upper New York Bay, site of the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 to 1954, with those who now illegally enter the U.S. 

“People who immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island had to have proper documents and have the ability so they would not become ‘a public charge or an illegal contract laborer,’” reminds Starr. 

Indeed, U.S. Public Health Service doctors on Ellis Island inspected all the millions of immigrants processed through the facility.  Passing a health examination was the first of many hurdles every immigrant had to clear. 

Obama is pushing for immigration reform that he says should involve a “pathway to citizenship” for the 14 to 20 million illegal aliens estimated to be in the U.S.