I wrote this as a Letter to the Editor today.
In Sunday, March 9, 2008, edition of The Las Vegas Review-Journal, reporter Molly Ball, when reporting on the Clark County Republican Convention held Saturday, March 8, 2008, decided to mentioned the recent discovery of needles and medical vials being reused in clinics in Southern Nevada. She said “A public health crisis in Clark County, where numerous health clinics have been found to be using unsanitary methods, has been partly blamed on Gibbons’ elimination of 10 health inspector positions from last year’s budget.” (read article here)
I don’t know which is worse, the bad reporting, or the bad facts. Yes, the Governor’s budget cut 10 health inspectors. However, who discovered the problem? The remaining health inspectors. How long has this problem been going on? Since at least 2004, well before the Governor’s term, which started in 2007. How can a responsible person even “partially” blame a problem that has been going on for 3-years before the governor’s term started. Remember, these health inspectors found the problem within a year of the Governor’s term starting. Perhaps the 10 health inspectors who were eliminated were not doing their job or this problem could have been discovered years earlier. Remember, the Endoscopy Center has not had a full inspection since December 2001.
To me, 100% of the blame is on the staff of the clinics. They should all be charged with attempted murder and reporter Molly Ball should apologize to the Governor for even attempting to give him any blame.
