Just The Facts...
By Damon McCullar
I saw this article over at the Chris Bell Blog. I thought was interesting enough to toss up on BOR. Mark McDonald over at Texas Lawyer scored Rick Perry's television commercial on a scale of 10 (fact) to 1 (pure fiction). Funny how there are facts and then there are "facts".
The rate of growth in the number of new doctors by region in traditionally underserved areas such as rural Texas and South Texas is lower now than it was before Prop 12. Only the major urban areas have seen any increase in the rate of growth. That largely may be due to factors not linked to medical malpractice, namely better facilities, fewer Medicaid patients and physicans' lifestyle choices. Even if more emergency room doctors are practicing in Texas, it doesn't mean they are delivering "better health care." According to a state-by-state report card conducted by the American College of Emergency Services, the state received near-failing grades in three of four categories: a D+ access to emergency care; a D+ in care/patient safety; and a D in patient safety. The state's overall average was helped by its grade in medical liability reform: A+. Because of tort reform, Texas ER physicians only can be sued for gross negligence rather than simple negligence. Supporters of Prop 12 claimed during the 2003 campaign that 60 percent of Texas counties were without obstetric and gynecology services. Today, more than two years after Prop 12 was implemented, roughly 60 percent of counties are still without those services.
The Index: Accuracy index rating — 2.4
Sorry Guv, but cause and effect on this issue is near-impossible to prove. And how can you say that lawsuit reform is bringing better health care to millions without acknowledging that one out of four Texans remains uninsured (highest rate in the nation), state spending on hospital care ranks near the bottom (41st in the nation) and there are huge shortages of board certified ER docs (44th) and registered nurses (48th)? We know you only had 30 seconds to make your pitch, but half the facts are worse than no facts at all.
Posted by Damon McCullar at January 30, 2006 05:22 PM
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Sometimes changing the subject doesn't divert attention from the subject.
How about someone from the Bell campaign finally answering some questions? For starters, the questions raised about the campaign contributions from Republicans like John Nau. Or the reimbursement to Alison Bell from campaign funds.
Or any number of other questions that have been raised about the "poster boy" for the "new" Democratic values of the "new" Democratic "mainstream" which seems not to reflect that actual mainstream of the Democratic Party of Texas?
BS for one is tired of the "BS" from the Bell supporters.
Our cheerleading Governor Rick,
is surely a re-born old prick.
A fool thick as a brick,
he needs some new tricks,
to gull our moonbatical hicks.
