Senator Dick Durbin gave a good speech in the capitol the other day. He said the underfunded “trust fund” for asbestos victims, proposed by some lawmakers, would end up as a corporate bailout at the expense of taxpayers and victims. Durbin pointed out that as early as 1934, some of the companies that were making… Continue reading A voice of reason on Capitol Hill
Month: February 2006
Anticipation of Senate vote
Writing in The New Republic blog, Michael Crowley says asbestos is not mind-numbingly boring. Its good to know some political reporters appreciate this issue, although as Crowley points out, the media has largely ignored it, probably because it is so complicated. Sen. Harry Reid was quoted as saying he “can’t stand this legislation“. The bill… Continue reading Anticipation of Senate vote
Outsourcing death?
The public health blog Effect Measure has a post on the difference in asbestos use between the developed countries and the developing countries. Apparently, in the 1980s the Canadian government actively sought new markets for asbestos in the face of declining use in the US and Europe. Of course, the reason for the declining use… Continue reading Outsourcing death?