Archive for Sam Ervin Jret.
mom, teacher, chemist, learner, antique lover, history lover, lover of philosophy(isn't that redundent? ?) , non -speller but avid reader
Red Light Cameras. There to protect you?
Researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health are calling into question some accepted science data about red light cameras and safety. In the view of lead author Barbara Langland-Orban, professor and chair of health policy and management at USF College of Public Health, “The rigorous studies clearly show red light cameras don’t work.”
“Instead they increase crashes and injuries as drivers attempt to abruptly stop at camera intersections. If used in Florida cameras could potentially create even worse outcomes die to the states high percent of elderly who are more likely to be injured or killed when a crash occurs.” This was reported in Science Daily(mar 12,2008)
The logic behind cameras at red lights is of course, to try to get people to obey the law for fear of getting a ticket in the mail. The reality, the research suggests, is less clear due to “research design flaws” like incomplete data and perhaps more importantly and more pertinent to this post the connection with funding from the insurance industry.
Now what would the insurance industry have to do with this research and why would they “slant” the evidence in a way that would in any way increase accidents? Well, while even the most jaded amongst us might not be able to believe that an industry that has been proven capable of denying rightful compensation to its insured( no, no liver for you) and has been accused of having systematic “McKinsey documents” for systematically denying compensation to victims in car crashes, it seems hard to believe they would want to cause more car crashes. Hard but not impossible.
But you don’t have to believe that “crazy” idea to believe that the insurance companies have some financial interest to gain from the cameras at red lights. Does your insurance go up if you get a citation?
And where the money interests drive the study of science and not the hunger for knowledge the outcome of that science must be questioned.
It is thought by some that these cameras may case more accidents when motorist stop when they should not in an attempt to NOT get a citation and in doing so cause an accident. In the interest of public safety more studies must be done on this before these camera become more widespread. The studies should be done by independent sources and the insurance company should not profit from any new citations from these cameras until this is resolved.
For the insurance company to make money from a creation of their own with dubious health benefits would be, dare I say it, hypocritical.
The Kennedy Mystique is alive and well, but where?
As the Caroline and Ted Kennedy announcements came out I remember feeling that it would be a help to Senator Obama. I do believe it was. I watched the MSM last night and channel surfed from MSNBC, CNN, and just to see if Carl Rove finally was going to put FOX on his official resume and thus his tax form, I checked that site as well.
I do believe the media has declared the death of the Kennedy mystique prematurely. Although the MA state vote did not go to Obama, I do not believe it was the reason for the endorsement. No one knows the peculiarities of the Kennedy family and most especially Ted Kennedy better than the MA voter. We know him. We respect him for what he does and has done for us through many years of hard work. We do not however, look to Ted for the future direction of the Democratic party. Nor do the people of MA see the family itself the same as the democratic party as a whole may.
Exxon Mobil makes record profit, gets huge tax break and still cries poor me?
As Exxon reveals the largest profit in it’s company’s history, no wait IN ANY company’s history, ever, in the whole world, it calls poor mouth and has it’s public relations machine in full swing telling us why? Why, we should not be MAD at them for having all this money as we struggle to pay our bills and fill our cars with over priced gas.
First of all, oil is getting hard to find. They have to dig in deeper and deeper to find this ever more expensive oil. They need to dig in more sensitive areas of the planet. Which costs more, why?