One of the least controversial, most cost-effective roles of government is regulation of health and safety. It's also a function that enjoys broad, bipartisan government support.
What could be more important to us than the food and medicines that we depend on? We need to know that foods are nutritious, that pharmaceutical products are safe and effective.
A new report from the Woodrow Wilson Center, written by former FDA deputy commissioner Michael Taylor, warns that the agency's $1.9 billion budget is less than half what it needed to do its 'old' job. The report focuses on its new responsibilities: microencapsulation technology that promises to deliver medications where they are needed, to enhance the effectiveness of everything from cancer therapies to skin creams. This is a very promising but untested area of technology, and the FDA simply doesn't have the funds to begin the job of managing or regulating it.
Conservatives are eager to trim government waste and inefficiency. Conservatives want a vigorous economy, with robust competition on a level playing field.
Once again we see that 'Conservatism' has lost its roots, and is now just a fig leaf for corporate license to maximize short term profits, even at the expense of public health and safety.
Josh Mitteldorf was educated to be an astrophysicist, and has branched out from there to mathematical modeling in a variety of areas. He has taught mathematics, statistics, and physics at several universities. He is an avid amateur pianist, and father of two adopted Chinese girls. This year, his affiliation is with the University of Arizona, where he studies the evolution of aging.
