The Meningitis that Mitt Romney’s Deregulation Built

Last updated on November 1st, 2012 at 02:03 am

Mitt Romney and other Republicans love to talk about the profits that deregulation builds. As they wag their fingers at us when we express concerns about the ramification of deregulation on people, animals and the environment, Republicans will dismiss the very real and deadly consequences that come with their ideology.

This is a story about the Meningitis that Willard’s deregulation built.

One such example is the Meningitis outbreak that so far, has cost 25 people their lives. An additional 344 people in 18 states are suffering from Meningitis, resulting from Mitt Romney’s failure to regulate while serving as Governor of Massachusetts.

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From the Examiner:

Records have revealed that a Massachusetts regulatory agency found that the New England Compounding Company had continually failed to meet accepted standards in 2004. Romney failed to act, was it because the New England Compounding Company were contributors to Mr. Romney, and he did not want to bite a feeding hand?

Nothing says responsible government like ignoring life risking negligence, when the company in question is a political donor.

This meningitis outbreak is the result of contaminated drugs, and according to some experts it will get worse.

We were concerned that there might be other medications that might be contaminated coming from that pharmacy,” said Schaffner, who is past-president of National Foundation for Infectious Disease. “The FDA has given us a heads up that that looks to be the case. We’ll have to notify many more patients across the country that they may have been exposed to a fungal infection.

Realistically speaking, this goes beyond a reluctance to bite the proverbial hand feeding his campaign. It’s an example of the extent to which Mitt Romney puts ideology first and sound policy second.

There are some disease outbreaks that cannot be prevented by regulation. No one is suggesting that regulation can create a disease free world. However, this meningitis outbreak could have been prevented. That is what is so infuriating and disgusting about the extent to which deregulation takes precedence over anything else in Mitt Romney’s world.

As we already know, ideology is what makes it possible for Mitt Romney to threaten profit based emergency relief. It’s the same ideology that makes it conceivable to cut funds to agencies that save lives, while preserving government’s “role” as an ATM machine to the 1%.

Moreover, despite the appearance of many alter egos during this election season, Willard’s ideological position hasn’t changed at all since he was Governor of Massachusetts. You bad victims thinking that government should step between a corporation and its freedom to spread deadly diseases like Meningitis.

Phillip Johnston explained to Salon: “The philosophy of the Romney administration was to have lax regulations across the board.”

Simple ideologically based solutions to complex problems may appeal to the party base. This story is a concrete example of the devastating effects of staunchly ideological based policy. It’s part of an undeniable pattern of the devastating effects of what we’re calling “conservative” ideology these days.

Our taxes would go up, while corporations and the rich would pay lower taxes, when they pay taxes at all. Disaster relief would depend on if it was profitable to provide. As a poor substitute for Medicare, seniors would be handed a voucher and sent to fend for themselves with the profit focused Insurance companies.

A common element to all of these policies is the reality that lives will be lost when different policies could have prevented the loss of those lives.

America is, without question, a place where dreams can come true with the hard work and sacrifice that all of us value. Without question, people should be free to pursue their dreams and profits, provided they don’t leave the sacrifice to someone else as was the case with The New England Compounding Company.

This is not to say that regulation should be ideologically based. While opposed to regulating corporations on matters of public safety and preventing public health disasters, a Romney Administration does believe it is essential for government to interfere with women’s health and with personal family choices.

While it is so very important to protect corporate welfare, Romney would block grant Medicare, leaving millions of poor Americans without access to the healthcare that could treat the disease that Romney’s deregulation built.

And as we are seeing, we would have many more serious problems under a Romney administration that could be prevented.

In the context of health issues, and tragedies like Superstorm Sandy, your vote could literally save a life.

Image from Pandith News

Adalia Woodbury

Former contributor.