• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Obama and Swine flu

boloboffin said:
LOL. I just saw quotes from people saying that pork like this had been cut.
Click to expand...

Well duh, if we allow them to do this the next thing you know they'll be wanting to monitor volcanoes or something.
 
Is 780 billion dollars typical for preparedness for dealing with a potential future disease outbreak?
 
INRM said:
Is 780 billion dollars typical for preparedness for dealing with a potential future disease outbreak?
Click to expand...

No but 780 million is a fairly reasonable figure depending on the degree of preparedness you want.
 
Robster said:
I hate it when people play politics with science and public health funding. :hb:
Click to expand...


Agreed. And both sides do it.
I can understand some of the objections to including it in the stimulus bill....just on the grounds I sort of like honesty in funding, you really have to strectch it to make the Vaccine funding any kind of a meaninful economic stimulus...but to vote it down on the grounds of "waste of money" is stupid.
(unless it that the program is badly administered, which is another topic altogether).
 
780 million is like $2.50 per person. Not wholly unreasonable compared to some of the federal government's other expenses. I mean, a B-2 bomber costs about 2.1 billion per unit in 1997 dollars factoring in development costs.
 
Oh, fun. Michelle Bachmann, R-East Gobstobistan, chimes in:

I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence.
Click to expand...

The Politico notes that the swine flu scare was in 1976 under Republican Gerald Ford.

ETA: And, dulalb, I believe Schumer was one of the ones racing to a microphone back then to proclaim that this money was cut.
 
Last edited:
dudalb said:
I can understand some of the objections to including it in the stimulus bill....just on the grounds I sort of like honesty in funding, you really have to strectch it to make the Vaccine funding any kind of a meaninful economic stimulus...
Click to expand...

Well, not so much. That employs scientists, technicians, public health professionals, statisticians, epidemiologists in both the field and lab, etc. They use all kinds of manufactured goods from the technical to the mundane.
 
Robster said:
Well, not so much. That employs scientists, technicians, public health professionals, statisticians, epidemiologists in both the field and lab, etc. They use all kinds of manufactured goods from the technical to the mundane.
Click to expand...

Problem is you can justify ANYTHING as an "Economic Stimulus" under those conditions. You have to draw the line somewhere or every single item on every congressman's wish list will be a "economic Stimulus".
I fully support Flu Vaccination, but think it should be sold on it;s own merits, not as a economic stimulus where is status is borderline in that it might not have that much of a positive impact.
 
Last edited:
dudalb said:
Problem is you can justify ANYTHING as an "Economic Stimulus" under those conditions. You have to draw the line somewhere or every single item on every congressman's wish list will be a "economic Stimulus".
Click to expand...

Perhaps, but the real costs of a normal year of the flu is way more than you may expect.

In the US the annual direct medical costs (hospitalization, doctors’ office visits, medications, etc.) of influenza are estimated at up to $4.6 billion. Furthermore, each year, up to 111 million workdays are lost because of influenza and this costs American businesses more than $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity. Total direct and indirect costs (work days lost, school days lost, etc.) of a severe influenza epidemic are at least $12 billion.
Click to expand...

Our economy can't afford to have what manufacturing, service and tourism industry that is doing well right now shut down for several weeks. Being able to blunt that would be the best move possible.
 
boloboffin said:
Oh, fun. Michelle Bachmann, R-East Gobstobistan, chimes in:



The Politico notes that the swine flu scare was in 1976 under Republican Gerald Ford.

ETA: And, dulalb, I believe Schumer was one of the ones racing to a microphone back then to proclaim that this money was cut.
Click to expand...

Tha woman deserves her own TV show.

It would be like a political version of The Office
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom