Why I Hate Local News

By Jeff Simpson 

The Fetal Tissue research bill(AB30%) will be brought up in Committee on Wednesday.  Our friends at MALcontent blog had a great summary of this bill.

  The fetal tissue and stell cell issue epitomizes the phenomenon of know-nothing state legislators, like State Representative André Jacque (R-De Pere, Wisconsin), assuring the Wisconsin people their religious-inspired expertise in biomedical research surpasses that of Dr. James Thomson and young scientists' for the moment drawn to an innovative and thriving Madison-based research community with the promise of verdant interdisciplinary and innovative lines of stem cell investigation that one day might rival the magnitude of Dr. Salk and the polio virus vaccine.
By the way, Salk and his colleagues (oh, conspirators) relied on cells derived from fetal tissue in developing the polio vaccine.

Can you imagine if Salk had to contend with the laws now being contemplated by Jacque and his band of know-nothings who want to make Dr. James Thomson and his colleagues criminals, felons?
Dr. Jonas Salk a felon? He would be if Republicans' proposed legislation were in effect in the early 1950s and Salk worked in Wisconsin instead of Pittsburgh and New York.

Then, the Madison CBS affiliate - WIFR-TV covered the story also:

The organization Wisconsin Family Action has lobbied in support of the bill in the past several months and says it’s an ethical issue.
“[Lawmakers] want to make sure… that the most vulnerable and innocent of us are at least respected as human beings, and their body parts aren’t sold or used for experimentation,” says President Julaine Appling.
Researchers disagree. More than 700 University of Wisconsin professors have signed a letter against the legislation, offering up their own ethical argument.
“The bill will do nothing to reduce the number of abortions going on,” said UW Biochemistry Professor Michael Sussman, one of the co-authors of the letter. “The bill, though, will make it illegal for anyone in Wisconsin to utilize the tissue that is available.
“We believe it would be perhaps very unethical not to allow fetal tissue that is available legally and ethically… to be available to help people with very serious diseases.”

Does anyone see the problem there?  What does not quite fit?

To get "both"sides of an important bill(that with nuanes has about 500 different sides, they discuss it with Bob Jones graduate  Julainne Appling - head of a very extremist right wing organization Wisconsin Family Action. gave her uneducated, unqualified view of this bill.  

This was then followed up as "the other side" with decorated UW Biochenistry Professor Dr. Michael Sussman, who just happens to also be director of UW Biotechnology Center for his incredibly qualified and competent stance on this bill(who has the backing of 700 other professors),

Now the story is balanced and its time to run it?   One crazy lady from a joke of a university V a well decorated, renowned expert in the actual field of the bill?  

What is next?  calling up Fred Phelps for comment, next time you have a story on the pope?  

Is this the best you can do?  

Wisconsin Citizens Need Cancer Drug Bill; No Vote Planned

By Jeff Simpson

H/T our friends a Malcontends:

Update - Woke up to a scathing editorial this morning in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau, Wisconsin) "taking extraordinary measures to block" Senate Bill 300, a measure requiring "oral chemotherapy drugs to be covered the same way as IV treatments."

Despite overwhelming support, Fitzgerald is blocking the measure from coming to a vote, with Scott Walker's approval.

A vote. Voting for stuff; it's what a democratic Republic is designed to do.

Who besides Fitzgerald, Scott Walker and the health insurance industry comes out in favor of blocking cancer treatment?

While I always recommend reading Macontends blog, I believe he gives the Journal Sentinel Editors a bit too much credit!

Let's look at their editorial  

  More than two-thirds of GOP senators and four-fifths of the state Senate now publicly support a bipartisan bill to help cancer patients get critical treatments, but the measure is still being blocked by the head of that house.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said Wednesday he's going to unusual steps to block the proposal because a majority of his GOP caucus opposes it, not because his brother is lobbying on behalf of influential insurers to kill the bill.

But a review by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shows that as of Friday, at least 13 of the 18 Republicans in the state Senate and all 15 Democrats have taken a public stance in support of the legislation. In the Senate, Fitzgerald is now the main force holding back the bill, drawing on one of his body's most arcane rules to keep the legislation trapped in the committee he chairs.

"The result of that bill passing would be chemotherapy would be cheaper for many families and people would have healthier lives," said Senate Minority Leader Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), asking why Fitzgerald was using the rare maneuver to prevent that. "He and his (Republican) caucus owe families an explanation for why that is."

 Ok, they spell it out clearly that a majority of Senators support it, it has bipartisan support and Scott Fitzgerald went to great lengths to block a vote.   Now lets get to the kicker, the scathing words condemning Fitzgerald and Vos for these despicable actions. 

You can read every word here!   

Now you ask yourself: Why is  there no vote scheduled(besides the obvious that Fitz the elder is protecting Fitz the lesser)?

You can ask yourself,  Why won't Scott Walker condemn this attack on our democracy and on the people of WI?  After all Scott Walker recently came out and said the MOST pressing issue for the people of the state of Wisconsin is that we need to enact obstacles for the poor and minorities to vote.  He should know, if he ever talks to his Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, that if you are a cancer survivor and need Chemo, than the last thing on your mind is voting.   


The answer is simple.  It boils down to pleasure and pain. While there are dire consequences for the people who will suffer for this bill being blocked, there are NO consequences for the despicable people blocking this bill.  

In a "scathing"editorial, not a single bad word about Fitzgerald or Vos, that comes from someone other than a Democrat.  Fitzgerald, Vos and Walker know that come November, the papers of record will endorse them, the Democrats will not use it as a campaign issue and the voters will not hold it against them. 

Sure some people will be very sick and might even not make it through because they can not afford this treatment, but they will be too busy trying to find other ways to fight cancer or mourning the loss of their loved one to speak up. 






 For all of the non-doctors out there(and in the legislature), here is a quick reference guide to what oral chemotherapy is:

What is oral chemotherapy?

Today there are many types of chemotherapy (chemo). Oral chemo is any drug you are taking by mouth to treat cancer. Oral chemo is not put into the body with a needle, but is taken as a liquid, tablet, or capsule that you swallow.

Chemo taken by mouth is as strong as the other forms and works just as well. One of the best ways you can help fight the cancer is by taking your chemo exactly the way your doctor or nurse tells you to.

Some chemo drugs are never taken by mouth because the stomach can’t absorb them. Others may cause harm when swallowed. In fact, most chemo drugs are put in through an IV (intravenous) line in a person’s vein. The chemo you take by mouth is easier because it can be taken at home. You don’t need to go into a hospital or clinic for every treatment.

Still, oral chemo drugs cost a lot. Many times you have to pay more out of pocket for them than the IV drugs. If you have insurance, this might mean a higher co-pay. Make sure you know how much you will have to pay for each treatment.

Sometimes chemo is given in cycles. This cuts down on the harm to healthy cells and allows the drugs to kill more cancer cells. Your doctor will decide if you need to get your treatment every day, every week, every few weeks, or every month.

Liberating!

By Jeff Simpson

H/T to Malcontends! 

 In a victory for voting rights, Wisconsin State Senator Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) announced he will vote against a bill attacking early voting in Wisconsin.

Schultz announced his opposition to AB 54 and Senate Bill 324 through an aide in a phone conversation with Mal Contends this morning, effectively killing the anti-early voting legislation.

Schultz cited conversations with local election officials and small-town Wisconsin clerks who say they "prefer the flexibility they now have and are tired of Madison (the legislature and governor's office) trying to control and tell localities how to do their business."

  


Good for Dale Schultz!  It must be so liberating to finally be outside the oppressive ALEC stooges regime that is currently running our state!   Senator Schultz can actually do what his constituents sent him to Madison to do - Govern! 


Senator when you declare your run for Governor - Sign me up! I am all in!