Is The Government Too Busy Whining About Debt To Protect Us From Death?

While they whined about the “debt crisis,” 76 people were sickened and one person died. The news came out of nowhere. With “debt ceiling” nonsense and “we can't agree” hyperbole ruling the airwaves, the Internet, and all other forms of news distribution, few people were aware of our nation's latest salmonella outbreak. The problem dates back to March, but never mind that; spring was reserved for QE quackery, nothing more. According to the Huffington Post, ground turkey has been implicated in what can only be described as a massive outbreak, killing one person and sickening 76 others across 26 states. Michigan and Ohio led the pack of reported illnesses with 10 each. Considering that the first reported illness came more than four months ago, you might be wondering why the public wasn't notified sooner. Art Caplan, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, wonders the same thing. "You've got to protect the public health,” he told the Huffington Post. “That's their first and primary value – not industry, not any other goal. They have to warn as quickly as they think there's reasonable evidence for concern.” Caplan also said that uncertainty regarding the outbreak's source could have prevented the government from making an announcement. But with daily debt talk, weekly tax talk, and frequent who's running for President talk, who can blame our elected officials for ignoring an actual crisis? It's not as if we can expect these people to multi-task. In the government's defense, a spokesperson for the CDC insists that it can take three to four weeks to confirm just one case. She told the Huffington Post that identifying a full outbreak can take “considerably longer,” especially when cases of foodborne illness have occurred sporadically across several states. Ah, wonderful! The government has an excuse. Now it can get back to posturing, pandering, and planning for the next election. Follow me @LouisBedigian