Rep. Bachman Doesn't See What Biking Has to do with Health Care

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) recently criticized the new health care reform bill because of its inclusion of "community transformation" grants which she sees as pork.

As the Boston Globe has reported, tucked into bills in both chambers are provisions funding what Senator Ted Kennedy’s staff calls “Community Transformation Grants.”  Essentially, we’re talking about federal funding for bike paths, lighting, jungle gyms, and even farmers markets.

While these projects may have merit, they certainly don't belong in a health care reform package.  With priorities like this running amok on Capitol Hill, is there any doubt that health care costs will only continue to skyrocket under government-run health care?

[I'm not sure this is technically pork. Pork is not wasteful spending - it's spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district. But waste is bad too, so let's not bicker over terminology.]

I suppose one could take the position that health care is reactionary and deals with fixing existing health problems. But that's not good health care. Good health care is about encouraging healthy living, being proactive and trying to prevent health problems in the first place. As Streetsblog points out

walking and biking have scientifically proven public health benefits.

So it's hard to view this necessarily as waste and it's certainly health related. It's certainly more related to the bill it's included with than most of the stuff that comes out of congress.

Comments

[Richard Layman]

My birth father died at the age of 54 from the last of many heart attacks. (His brother, my uncle, died at the same age--I don't know from what.) While sure, advances in emergency care since 1967 make a difference, I have to admit that a significant reason that I bicycle has to do with maintaining my physical health.

I don't have the inclination to go to a gym, even if I were to pay for a monthly membership.

But I am willing to bicycle to work, to conduct errands, to shop, to buy groceries, etc. (And yes, it saves me time and money--I don't feel the need to own a car.)

I am 49... my father died at 54. You do the math. (I also likely eat way healthier, having worked at the Ctr. for Science in the Public Interest, the nation's leading consumer group concerned with nutrition issues, from 1987-1991--even though I am hardly a saint and I do eat meat--but I eat plenty of vegetables, legumes, and fruit, and I am happy with a dinner of rice and beans...)

Rep. Bachmann is a fool. But because of her stance on other issues, we already knew that.

[Lars]

Dear Senator Bachman

There is a bicycle path along the Charles River in Boston. It is named after Dr. Paul Dudley White, President Eisenhower's cardiologist. It seems Dr. White, back in the 1950s, knew the connection between exercise and cardiovascular health. Why don't you?

[Froggie]

Given that she represents a district (northern Twin Cities metro plus St. Cloud area) where several cities and counties are trying to expand bike/ped paths and on-road bike routes, her position does seem a bit strange.

[ibc]

Wait, isn't Rep Bachman the MN representative from the Batshit Looney Party?

Expecting any kind of rational behavior from that train-wreck, or from her constituents is a little bit of a bridge too far, I believe.

[kenf]

Lars,

Don't give her an undeserved promotion. She is NOT a Senator. Being a congress critter is bad enough.

Just remember what Mark Twain said:

"Suppose I said you were a congressman. Now suppose I said you were an idiot, but I would be repeating myself."

[Washcycle]

Have you ever noticed how things people don't like are "tucked in" to bills?

[anakcu]

In this week's Archives of Internal Medicine (http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/169/13/1216?home): Active Commuting and Cardiovascular Disease Risk ... Conclusions: "Active commuting was positively associated with fitness in men and women and inversely associated with BMI, obesity, triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and insulin level in men. Active commuting should be investigated as a modality for maintaining or improving health." Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Michele.

[Lee Watkins]

a) the whole point of setting up a congress is to have Rep's fight for funding for local projects. Producing so-called "pork" project funding is part of the concept of the design.

b) since when have members of the RNC ever cared about Science??? They are anti-intillectuals.

c) the only kind of industry reform the RNC is going to support is reform that allows companies to make a better profit margin. and lower taxes. and less gov't regulation. and gets religion involved.

[Lee Watkins]

Rep. Bachman's idea of health insurnace is a prayer chain. she's a Christian fundamentalist politician from the outer-suburbs of the twin cities who tried to have science replaced with intelligent design when she was on the school board. These are the people who tell you pray INSTEAD of seeking medical assistance. She tried to have the movie Aladdin banned because "it teaches witchcraft".

Usually, she's out there on the news claiming CO2 is a harmless gas and insisting we should drill for oil on all the wildlife refuges, and hance she rejects cap-and-trade or any other plan based on science.

Recently she was on the air claiming the swine flu was a plague sent by god because we elected another democratic president.