Swickard: The politics of I win and you lose

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. “People will tell you anything but what they do is always the truth.” P. J. O'Rourke It is true that politicians lie to constituents. And constituents fall for the lies almost every time because politicians are good liars. It is hard to discover the lies because politicians really do intend to do what they promise. But then stuff happens when they must follow their leadership.
     Only a fool believes that anyone elected to any office is going to do what they promised. It was just something said to get votes. I am very frustrated with our political class in Congress. They help themselves but not the citizens. Yes there are a few treasures who do what they say but they are always outvoted by the scum.
     Americans are looking in the eyes of our politicians and it is not a pretty sight. What we see is a sea of broken promises. We sent our representatives to Washington to make a federal budget but it has not happened for the last five years.
     Why? Because everyone is playing a political game of “I win and you lose.” That means very little of constructive value is done because someone has to lose for someone else to win. Win-lose is the mantra of dictators who win at the expense of others.
     We do not have to believe politicians, but even better we do not have to reelect them. We do have to quit just voting one party. One bumper sticker said, “Never reelect anyone.” Bingo! Read full column

Swickard: The politics of I win and you lose

Hospital employees told they must get flu shots

From KOB-TV.com - Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - Employees of the UNM Hospital system don’t have a choice about getting a flu shot this fall if they want to keep their jobs. A new policy requiring flu shots applies to everybody from janitors to brain surgeons, and all the jobs in between. Hospital administrators say it’s all about protecting patients and visitors and employees.
     “Research has shown that higher immunization rates among health care providers reduces the risk of influenza outbreaks in hospital settings, where patients may be at a greater risk of more severe disease,” said Dr. Meghan Brett, UNM Hospital Epidemiologist. A memo to hospital employees refers to “mandatory immunization”, and warns that if they don’t get the shot by Dec. 1, they will face “disciplinary action up and including possible termination of employment.”
     Employees may file for medical exemptions, but they will need documentation from a licensed health care provider. Ditto for religious exemptions. Leaders of Local 1199 of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Workers say were never consulted about any of this.
     More and more hospitals around the country are requiring the flu shots, and some employees in other states have lost their jobs. Here in Albuquerque the local union is considering legal action to block the new policy. More

Hospital employees told they must get flu shots

Former head of NMFA sues Gov.

Gov. Martinez

The former top executive of the New Mexico Finance Authority has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Susana Martinez and one of her cabinet secretaries for failing to release public records requested in April. 

Ex-CEO Rick May brought the lawsuit Wednesday in state district court in Santa Fe against Martinez and Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford. May was fired last year after the discovery that the authority's financial audit had been faked. 
The authority's former comptroller, Greg Campbell, later pleaded guilty to forgery and securities fraud. A state auditor's report determined that Campbell acted alone and took no money. 

The lawsuit seeks damages and a court order requiring the release of requested documents, including email and other correspondence between administration officials and NMFA board members since 2011.

Former head of NMFA sues Gov.

UNM Hospital faces lawsuit

A newly filed lawsuit accuses the University of New Mexico Hospital of providing substandard care to child cancer patients several decades ago. 

The proposed class-action suit filed Tuesday in state District Court in Albuquerque alleges that substandard care between 1977 and 1997 included patients receiving improper medications and treatments. 

The suit was filed on behalf of a woman and her son who died in 1988 at age 19 of complications from leukemia, but it says a class of plaintiffs could cover up to 1,000 children and their families. 

Hospital spokesman Billy Sparks told the Albuquerque Journal  that hospital officials hadn't been formally notified of the filing and hadn't had a chance to read the suit.

UNM Hospital faces lawsuit