3 Million American Political Prisoners

First, I want to declare that I do not care if you are on the right or the left. I do care, but this is not the forum for taking sides so I will try to keep this neither liberal nor conservative.

That said, Fox News on Thursday, January 26th. carried a story under its Junk Science column about the FDA and their recent vote to ban asthma medications. It seems that the FDA Advisory Panel has voted to take the ‘essential use” designation off over-the-counter asthma medications, namely Primatene Mist, which allows them to be sold. For over 3 million asthma suffers it is an effective medication at low cost and without a doctor’s visit.

The ‘essential use” designation is because the propellant, the stuff that makes them spray out, is a CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon). This is the stuff that used to be in your air-conditioners, refrigerators etc. Because of the Montreal Protocol signed by the United States, CFC’s have been banned. CFC’s are said to deplete the ozone layer increasing global heating. The ‘essential use” allows Wyeth Consumer Health Products to continue making the product.

So far not a big deal until you hear the comments about why and who is getting hurt. The FDA wants to abide by the “Protocol” and remove the product. The environmentalist after all, including Al Gore, pushed the agreement. So the present Administration wants to help Mr. Gore out. He and other environmentalist have been hitting this Administration rather hard lately and this is just a good faith environmental gesture. Or is it?

Let’s look at who these 3 million people are. Over 700,000 of these 3 million users can’t get prescriptions medications. Inhalers which use CFC’s under the same “essential use” provision as the non-prescription, because they do not have health insurance and are poor.

Admittedly, these 700,000 plus poor asthma sufferers could die without this medication and the entire 3 million will have to see a physician and pay for the office visit, additionally they will pay for the much higher cost prescription asthma inhaler. Who wins in this deal? Think about it 3 plus million people will have to go to the doctor to get prescriptions at least annually at about $100 a visit plus any tests, then go get a prescription inhaler at four to six times the cost and bill it to insurance, if they have any. The insurance companies can cite greater losses and raise rates. The winners, physicians, drug companies and insurance companies. Losers….The Poor.

The conservative administration wants to support CFC elimination and support the Montreal Protocol. Fox News, who by anyone’s evaluation except the most right of right conservative, would be considered a conservative news media, points out that these poor people are going to suffer and perhaps die because of these environmentalist, but the FDA is just trying to play fair. They also, quickly and quite convincingly point out that there has never been anything beyond ‘Junk Science” behind the claim that CFC’s do any damage to the atmosphere. There you have it. All these people are going to suffer because of Mr. Gore and company.

What we have here is a conservative FDA holding 3 million people hostage, perhaps causing as many as 700,000 poor to suffer and perhaps die to make a point. They hope to stir up 3 million people who may be upset with the conservatives and thinking about voting for the left later this year. They expect an outcry from these 3 million denouncing the action and the environmentalist. If the left makes it an issue the right can say we are just doing what you asked for.

The miscalculation on this one is the poor have little or no voice. If they happen to African-Americans they have Al and Jessie, but for the just plain old poor rest of American there isn’t a national voice. Keep an eye on the media. See if anyone else looks at this political maneuvering and spin and how the American’s poor are being held hostage with a death sentence hanging over their heads for a political “got-cha”. You won't see it. You do remember all the press about the poor whites who didn’t get out of New Orleans. Imagine if they recommended taking all inhalers off the market, prescription and nonprescription, which would hurt rich and poor alike. Now that would at least be bipartisan and hurt all sectors. It will never happen and you know it.

Please do not misread us, this it isn’t about poor African-Americans, Whites, Indian, Hispanic or any other race or religion. It is about all poor people in our Country. When will the politicians learn? Being poor, hungry, homeless and used as an expendable political pawn is unacceptable. And to not care for those who suffer is not Christian either. Shame on you FDA.

E-mail me if you see anything about this issue from the vantage point of the poor in the press…