Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places, Steady Suicide

December 3, 2008 · 2 Comments

The American Public Health Association (NPHA) has released it’s annual America’s Health Rankings for 2008.

The South Carolina data is here, but following are the main points [emphasis added]:

Ranking: South Carolina is 48th this year; it was 42nd in 2007.

Strengths: Strengths include high immunization coverage with 81.1 percent of children ages 19 to 35 months receiving complete immunizations, a low prevalence of binge drinking at 13.7 percent of the population and moderate public health funding at $81 per person.

Challenges: Challenges include a low high school graduation rate with 60.1 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate within four years, a high violent crime rate at 788 offenses per 100,000 population, a high prevalence of obesity at 29.0 percent of the population, a high infant mortality rate at 8.6 deaths per 1,000 live births and a high premature death rate with 9,559 years of potential life lost before age 75 per 100,000 population.

South Carolina ranks lower for health determinants than for health outcomes, indicating that overall healthiness may decline over time as was the case this year.

Significant Changes:

  • In the past year, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 15.6 percent to 21.0 percent of persons under age 18.
  • In the past five years, the rate of uninsured population increased from 11.9 percent to 16.2 percent.
  • Since 1990, the rate of deaths from cardiovascular disease decreased from 458.9 to 316.1deaths per 100,000 population.
  • Since 1990, the infant mortality rate decreased from 13.0 to 8.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Health Disparities: In South Carolina, cardiovascular death rates vary by race, with all races experiencing 316.1 deaths per 100,000 population in contrast to blacks who experience 398.6 deaths per 100,000 population. Access to health care varies significantly by race and ethnicity in the state; 42.0 percent of Hispanics lack health insurance compared to 16.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

The state of South Carolina dropped six places from last year.  Mississippi and Louisiana are keeping it from the bottom.

It seems the Palmetto State is a bunch of poor, fat, violent, uninsured dropouts.  And though far too many babies are dying, at least it’s not as many as it used to be.

Government can do only so much about these things (though I’d bet it’s not doing enough).  Most of these problems are due to personal behaviors that the population has to handle.

Pass the ribs.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: South Carolina
Tagged: ,

The Boy Who Whined

December 3, 2008 · No Comments

Recent articles and blogs by The State newspaper’s editorial page editor, Brad Warthen, complaining about Governor Mark Sanford’s stand on Congressional bailouts make for some really strange “journalism.”

Governor Sanford has been consistent in his call for a stop to the stupidity of the bailouts.  He said it in the Washington Post on September 26, in the Washington Times on October 29, in a 7 November letter to the Secretary of the Treasury and in The Wall Street Journal on November 15 and December 2.  But what has Warthen’s criticism been?  That Sanford is thumping his chest in a “look at me” campaign and crying wolf (or, as he puts it, “big government!”).

Mr. Warthen doesn’t argue that the Governor’s points are wrong.  Rather, he chides Sanford for being self-righteous and, oddly, brings in an example of a grocery store to illustrate - what, exactly?

When his 23 November column was challenged (ably) by the Governor’s Communications Director, Joel Sawyer, Mr. Warthen took the strange approach of writing about how to edit.  Again, no real counter to the points Mr. Sawyer was making, just a blustering swipe at - what, exactly?

In the column in question, Mr. Warthen refers to one of the Governor’s Wall Street Journal articles, but, as Mr. Sawyer points out, it wasn’t published hard copy so readers would have the advantage of both.  Oh, it was posted on the web!  Well, zippity doo dah!  Mr. Warthen and his increasingly irrelevant newspaper know that most readers aren’t going to run to the Internet and check up on the article.  His was a cheap journalistic trick designed to knife the Governor’s argument while claiming minimal professional protocol.

Clearly, for months Governor Sanford has issued constructive, well thought and, most importantly, necessary debate on a critical national and state subject.  Like those who, two years ago, warned of this crisis but were ignored, Governor Sanford is doing what he was elected to do - use his judgment to analyze a situation and make the tough call.

If Mr. Warthen, The State or any other person or entity want to argue the merits of the bailout based on economic and social realities, fine.  Rather, Mr. Warthen has a hard time staying on message … which is - what, exactly?

This is an excerpt from the latest WSJ piece by Governors Sanford and Rick Perry of Texas:

One fact that’s been continually glossed over in the bailout debate is that Washington doesn’t have money in hand for any of these proposals. Every penny would be borrowed. Estimates for what the government is willing to spend on bailouts and stimulus efforts for this year reach as much as $7.7 trillion according to Bloomberg.com — a full half of the United States’ yearly economic output.

If Mr. Warthen wants to disagree with Governor Sanford about the bailout, he should give us something to counter that.

He gave us one piece of insight, though: “I don’t know whether the federal government should help out the states or not” he wrote in his 23 November column.  Well, that kinda wraps it up, doesn’t it?

→ No CommentsCategories: South Carolina · economy · mark sanford · politics
Tagged: , , , , ,

Triage

November 20, 2008 · 1 Comment

After the bloodshed of 4 November, the Republican Party needs to practice some political triage to get ready for 2010 and beyond.

The first states to be treated are those lost in 2008 that were red in 2000 and 2004.  That means Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.

Next are those that voted Republican in either of the two previous elections, but crossed over this year: Shorter list - Iowa, New Hampshire and New Mexico.

Picking the “wounded” is the easy part.  Harder to determine is the proper treatment.  What will not only repair the damage, but sustain for a full recovery?

A change in platform isn’t necessary (or wise), but a complete overhaul of GOP branding is. To get started, here are 10 questions the Party needs to address.  Not spin, waffle on, blather about, mull, consider, hem-and-haw over, debate, ponder or study.

  1. What do voters think when they see/hear “Republican?”
  2. What does it mean to be a Republican?
  3. What’s the difference between the GOP and the Democrats?
  4. NEOCONS and RINOs.  WHO are they and what do they stand for?
  5. What does the Republican Party stand for?
  6. Why would I be better off voting for a Republican?
  7. What’s wrong with the Democratic Party platform?
  8. Are true Republicans also true Conservatives and, if so, what does that MEAN?
  9. Liberals and Democrats: Are they the same and, if so, why is that a problem?
  10. Why should minorities and women vote for a Republican?

The campaign for 2010 has already started, so the GOP needs to get to work on this stuff - STAT!

→ 1 CommentCategories: 2008 election · Conservatives · GOP · Republicans · campaign · democratic party · election · liberals · politics
Tagged: , , , , , ,

Mark-Mike: Mike-Mark

November 18, 2008 · 2 Comments

michaelsteele20031105_9963_jgst_web

Governor Mark Sanford, meet GoPac Chairman Michael Steele.  Mike, Mark Sanford.

You two need to talk - MS to MS.

You have a lot in common.  Both unabashed conservative Republicans, both recently getting national attention.  Both WAY out of the old GOP mold.

And what with the Governor being named Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association and Mike being rumored as the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee, you’re both in prominent positions in the Party right now.

Yeah, there’s stuff you need to discuss.

Governor, Mike here was Maryland’s Lt. Governor.  Yep.  A REPUBLICAN Lt. Governor in Maryland!  And he made a heckuva run for the Senate against Ben Cardin.

He’s quoted as saying:

I get a question all the time, ‘Are you going to run again for office?’ And I’ve thought about that, and I’ve come to realize that there’s still some Democrats out there that I haven’t ticked off yet. So, yeah, we’re gonna do it again. We’re gonna do it again, and all I have to say is, they haven’t seen anything yet.

But, since you’re such a devoted reader of The Spy, you’ve read about Mike here and here, so you’re no doubt aware of his credentials.

Mr Chairman, the Governor is an unrepentant fiscal conservative who bucked the trend last month and testified AGAINST a new stimulus package.  On deficits, he’s said:

Politicians in our nation’s capitol were unable–or unwilling–to control spending. Federal borrowing to cover the deficit was competing with the capital available for the private sector, which consequently was making it tougher for me to earn a living. The more money the politicians sunk into their schemes, the more expensive it got for the rest of us to borrow money. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I couldn’t expand my businesses because the politicians kept expanding theirs.

Yeah.  Y’all got stuff to talk about.  Like how to re-engineer the Republican Party into the successful GOP of Ronald Reagan.  How to capture the ideas and needs of the majority of the American citizenry and package them into an honest and viable party platform.  The two of you - both touted as “the future of the GOP” - need to start now devising a plan for that future as a counter to the coming socialism of a rejuvenated Democratic Party.

Have your people call your people.  Maybe lunch at the Blue Marlin in Columbia.  Mike, the shrimp and grits alone are worth the trip.

And Governor, The Spy will pick up the tab.

Maybe y’all could invite the other MS - Ms Sarah.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: Conservatives · GOP · Republicans · South Carolina · african americans · mark sanford · michael steele · politics · sarah palin
Tagged: , , , , ,

Sanford and Crist Disagree …

November 14, 2008 · No Comments

The Republican Governors Association announced its new leadership team today as the group prepares to grow the Republican Party through its Governors.

Governor Mark Sanford was voted Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Governor Haley Barbour became the new Vice-Chairman. Governor Rick Perry is the Finance Chairman. Governor Charlie Crist will chair the Annual Gala and Governor Sonny Perdue will serve as Recruitment Chairman. Governor Linda Lingle, Governor Jim Douglas, and Governor Tim Pawlenty will also serve on the Executive Committee.

Sanford and Florida Governor Charlie Crist disagreed on how the GOP should move forward:

Governor Charlie Crist of Florida said the party nationally should follow Florida’s example and reach out to minority voters.

“The most important thing is to make sure that we reach out to Hispanic voters, to African-American voters,” Crist said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing today.

Sanford said he takes “a different tack toward getting there, but we’re after the same objective.” He urged fellow Republicans to do a better job of defining themselves as the party of limited government and lower taxes.

“The problem to a degree we’ve had as Republicans has been running on one message of conservatism and then governing a very different way,” Sanford said. “I think that the way that you appeal to blacks or Hispanics is to first of all carefully define what you’re about.”

“There are a lot of blacks, there are a lot of Hispanics that very much agree with that idea of limited government, less in the way of taxes,” Sanford said, because “it has everything to do with their respective hopes and dreams.”

→ No CommentsCategories: GOP · South Carolina · mark sanford