Cox Crow

Merck & Company, Inc., has a vaccine which may prevent certain diseases caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Out of the goodness of their hearts, and in the interest of $4 billion in estimated sales, Merck is asking the government to require that this vaccine be given to all girls between 11 and 26 years of age.

What passes for public debate in this country has settled on the trivia that HPV is transmitted sexually, and the question of whether mandating the vaccine would appear to constitute approval of sexual intercourse by minors. This is inconsequential, but does prevent the polity from discussing the more important question of whether the state should act at all.

I fail to see why the States should mandate this vaccine. HPV causes no immediate threat to the public health. It requires intimate contact to spread, something I doubt you’ll find often in public places.

It’s that time of the year when a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of monetary rewards. In celebration, The Economist discusses executive compensation. Here’s a picture.

Edward Carr asks,

The arguments about pay are subtle and complex. They start with that moment in the 1980s when the long-established relationship between workers’ and managers’ pay began to break down. What could explain such a turning point?

The cat sat on my lap.
It must be time for a nap.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a draft assessment of the risks of food from cloned animals. Which begs the question, why? As far as I can tell, one would ingest the meat and fluids of cloned animals only so they would not go to waste.

Why clone the animals?

Zimran just pointed out the most interesting presentation I have seen a long, long time, in which Hans Rosling discusses global development trends over the past forty years. The data are just fantastic, but so is the animated display of the trends. Given the proper tools, it’s remarkably easy to see how the world has grown healthier and wealthier — though doubtfully wiser — over time.

More information is available at Gapminder.org.

Gillen asks, “Why the sudden increase in the incidence of peanut allergies?” But he neglected to cite his sources for the statistics, like a typical Johnnie, so we’re left to argue with sophistry.

When I was a kid, the only people I knew with allergies were adults who had hay fever. Everybody in my class ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and had a thermos of milk for lunch. Nobody went into anaphylactic shock. …. Between 1997 and 2002 alone, the rate of children suffering from peanut or other nut allergies in the US rose from 0.4% to 0.8% – doubling in only five years to one out of every 125 kids – and up from practically 0% in the 1970s-1980s. It’s gotten so bad that some schools are considering adopting official “nut-free” policies. Gluten intolerance now effects [sic] 1 out of every 133 Americans. Lactose intolerance is up from 1 in 19 in 1983 to 1 in 9 (11%) just 25 years later. By some estimates, Irritable Bowel Syndrome now affects almost 10% of Americans to one degree or another.

Well, maybe “[n]obody went into anaphylactic shock” because if they did they died, and took susceptibility to that particular allergy out of the pool. So, the reason we’re seeing more chronic health problems is simply that we’re better able to prolong life.

I was under the impression that hospitals in New York were, in general, private entities, but it appears that I was mistaken. The New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century recently released a report containing recommendations which, if not rejected by the State legislature, require the closure or merger of a number of hospitals throughout the State. Again, I was under the impression that recommendations were not mandatory, and that a report was not legislation, but apparently I was mistaken.

§ 9. Implementation of recommendations. (a) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, … the commissioner of health shall take all actions necessary to implement, in a reasonable, cost-efficient manner, the recommendations of the commission … including, but not limited to: … (ii) the rescission of operating certificates and establishment approvals issued to those facilities selected for closure by the commission; [emphasis and link mine]

Most of the discussion I’ve heard on this matter concerns whether or not certain hospitals should be closed, merged, or not. Perhaps I’m alone here, but if the State is intent on “right-sizing” health care facilities in the public interest, then perhaps the State should simply appropriate said facilities and operate them as public hospitals, rather than proceeding with this farce.

As Larry pointed out,

It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.

It seems that Congress will work a full week during the next session. I’m not so sure this is a good idea. More days in session approximately equal more chances to make mischief. On the other hand, anyone who has attended meetings knows what effects the frequency and duration of meetings have on Getting Things Done.

Are they allowing time to read the bills before they vote on them?

“The Impossible Planet” settles it. This season Doctor Who is fighting the Elder Gods.

The Poughkeepsie Journal quotes a spokesman for Sue Kelly’s campaign who seems to have forgotten how representative democracy works around here.

Kelly’s campaign spokesman, Jay Townsend, said nationwide voter dissatisfaction with Republican control of Congress seems to have hurt Kelly’s bid for re-election.

I was under the impression that citizens in New York’s 19th Congressional District voted last Tuesday, not a nationwide sample.

One of the topics under consideration for prompt action once the 110th Congress take their seats is the minimum wage. The discussion so far has assumed that the incoming Democratic majority will raise the Federal minimum wage. I would like to suggest that instead they remove the Federal minimum, and allow, to such an extent as allowance is necessary given current interpretations of the commerce clause, the States to do what they will in this area.

The problem I see with not having a minimum wage is that it will aggravate the effects of monopsony, but that does not make setting the price floor a Federal responsibility.

The final results in New York’s 19th Congressional district have not been certified yet, so it’s still too early to compare the numbers, but the preliminary results are pretty revealing.

A whole lot of voters decided they couldn’t vote for either candidate.

Table 1 shows Sue Kelly vs. the Democrat from 1998 to 2006. Table 2 needs some work, but will eventually be similar, but broken down by county.

About 20,000 more people cast votes for either the Democrat or the Republican this year, compared to the previous two mid-term elections, in 1998 and 2002. However, none of those additional voters cast their ballot in favor of the Republican candidate. Assuming that all of those who voted for the Democrat in 2004 voted for the Democrat this year, the additional 5,085 votes for John Hall were all annoyed former supporters of Sue Kelly. The rest couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a Democrat and abstained.

In an effort to prevent those of us who have voted for her before from voting for John Hall, Sue Kelly‘s campaign is pulling out the big guns. I received a robo-call from the National Republican Congressional Committee the other day, warning me that John Hall would roll-back the tax cuts this Republican Congress has enacted. That might bother me, if I were a billionaire looking to prevent my estate from being taxed, but I’d really rather that this so-called conservative Congress bring their spending in line with their income. I understand the necessity for deficit spending, but it’s become wholly unrealistic. Maybe nobody will notice how many zeros there are if we say “all figures in billions.”

Then last week we got a piece in the mail alleging that if Mr. Hall is elected, then Kim Jung-Il will drop The Bomb on the United States. Judging from the pictures, Mr. Hall’s lack of support for a missile defense program that has been subject to an appalling lack of success is because he’s a puppet of Dear Leader.

Perhaps Rep. Kelly should, instead of these attempts at fear-mongering, give us an adequate explanation of why she has consistently voted against civil liberties and for an increase in Big Government.

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How many pints are there in the 5 liter Heineken mini-keg? Google:pints+to+5+liters.

Yep, that’ll do for the party.

Oops. Read that label incorrectly. I bought more than 10 pints.

This month in Cato Unbound, the Cato Institute hosts discussion of the question, “Should Libertarians vote Democrat?” I expect this is to coincide with their piece on the libertarian voter, whom they feel is somewhat influential.

The libertarian vote is in play. At some 13 percent of the electorate, it is sizable enough to swing elections. Pollsters, political strategists, candidates, and the media should take note of it.

I’ve been suggesting that for at least six years now, and since I’m one of the most influential people on the Internet, you can see what kind of effect I have had. Perhaps the similar suggestions from Mr. Moulitsas will carry more weight. The suggestion is not that classical liberals should vote for Democrats, but that the Democratic Party needs to remember classical liberals.

The question for me, however, is not whether I should vote for the Democratic candidate, but whether I am well-represented in Congress. Luckily, the votes of Sue Kelly (R-NY) are a matter of public record. Now, if I were actually to read the bills before casting judgment on her vote, I would be more responsible than most members of Congress.

Rep. Kelly’s competition for the seat is John Hall. On the issues we don’t see eye-to-eye. However, I’m feeling anti-incumbent this year even more than usual. This game is about the balance of power, not between Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, but between the government and me.