In his story on Mayor White’s state of the city address, Chronicle reporter Matt Stiles led as follows:
Houston Mayor Bill White evoked the local spirit during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in his State of the City speech Thursday, urging a public commitment to facing the city’s pressing issues.
That was a little more flowery and a little less specific than usual from Stiles — so of course, the Editorial LiveJournalists decided it suited them as well today:
Evoking the spirit of Houston’s effort to aid Hurricane Katrina evacuees, Mayor Bill White declared that the city’s problems can be solved when city, county and state officials, the business community, nonprofits and individuals all work toward a common purpose.
The Editorial LiveJournalists then went on to complain that Mayor White’s laundry list did not include an Editorial LiveJournal favorite:
A serious problem the mayor did not dwell upon is the deterioration of Houston’s health care delivery system.
Robert T. Gumby Jr., the physician who heads the Texas Medical Association, told the Chronicle editorial board Friday that the health care system throughout the state is in poor shape. Insurance costs rise precipitously, yet the money going to actual care drops. He blamed exorbitant insurance company profits and executive pay.
Part of the blame for poor health rests with Houstonians. We tend to be fat, immobile, diabetic and addicted to harmful substances, principally tobacco. Improvement on that front requires individual commitment to healthier diets and exercise.
But the crux of the problem is Houston’s high rate of uninsured residents — 31 percent, the nation’s highest. Dr. Gumby charitably concluded that legislators and their leaders in Austin must be unaware of the great suffering this condition exacts from the working poor. Knowledgeable people in authority would not allow it to continue.
That’s a nice change of topic completely without warning from the LiveJournalists. Of course, they neglect to mention one big reason many people living in Houston are uninsured (hint: many of them are also “undocumented,” as it is fashionable to say). It’s always the problem that goes unspoken for the Editorial LiveJournalists.
As far as Dr. Gumby — if he has something important to say, perhaps the interview should be taped and put online for all to see. That would “evoke” the spirit of transparency.
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