September 26, 2007

Richard F. Daines

Dr. Richard F. Daines is the New York State Health Commissioner -- and unlike the ideological quacks in the Bush Administration, he is willing to take a stand on behalf of effective public health policies, untainted by the blindness of religious zealotry.

In short, Dr. Daines refused to accept $3.5 million a year for Bush Administration "abstinence only" programs in the Empire State.

Daines was lacerating in his criticism of such bogus efforts to appease the fantasies of the far Christian right: "The Bush administration's abstinence-only program is an example of a failed national healthcare policy directive." He added that the policy was "based on ideology rather than on sound scientific-based evidence that must be the cornerstone of good public healthcare policy."

According to The New York Times, "Dr. Daines said that existing state programs include discussion of abstinence. But he said the state made the decision based on evidence that the abstinence-only program did little to prevent teen pregnancies. He said he also objected to the program's 'narrow ideological view, which is not the direction we want to go in for sexual health.'"

Furthermore, according to the NYT, Daines cited "cited recent studies, including one by the federal Government Accountability Office, which concluded that abstinence programs have not proven to be effective and have sometimes taught teens inaccurate medical information about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy."

For taking his job as a public health professional seriously, Dr. Daines deserves the week's BuzzFlash Wings of Justice Award. He turned down a few million dollars in our taxpayer money because the Bush Administration was asking him to participate in a fraudulent program.

For that, Dr. Daines dearly deserves our thanks.

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