Sunday, February 20, 2011

Liberal Unintended Consequences

Last night I watched a video shot yesterday at Madison WI in which they had "doctors" with clipboards handing out "sick" vouchers to teachers and public service union workers who were at the rally instead of at work. Fox News had a producer ask for one from a street doctor and went through the interview. The essential question was, "what days do you need it for."

There was no discussion of symptoms, illness, recovery, medical evidence, possible treatment. The producer asked the doctor if she needed more. The reply was, "if you want, but I don't need it."

Then the doctor signs the form, dates it, and enters her medical license number. Now the employee is good to go and protected from adverse reaction by the public which they are hired to serve.

Questions of the "first do no harm" dictum aside, what is wrong with this?

Liberals being the litigious loons that they are, I foresee a situation in which they realize that a doctor has certified they are ill, yet has taken no palliative action. They can easily mine a rich field of malpractice claims as they prove failure to identify conditions that were seriously harmful, life-threatening, or socially embarrassing.

Let's say Suzy Pedant is driving home from the rally in her Toyota Prius when she has a traffic accident. Since she has a paper in her pocket signed by a doctor that she was too sick to go to work, yet nothing was prescribed and she was not cautioned against driving in her perilous condition. Sounds like that doctor is seriously culpable.

OTOH, why not simply harvest those license numbers then conduct a state medical board examination of those doctors for currency, qualification, ethical standards and medical competence?

5 comments:

Murphy's Law said...

I agree. Every one of those "doctors" should be reported to the AMA, and their names should be placed on a list of doctors from which no sick excuses will be accepted.

Finally, I think that the governor needs to tell them that if they want their jobs, they had best show up for them, and if they don't, he should simply fire and replace them with people who actually want to do the work.

Same goes for the 14 Dem senators in hiding, holding up all of the people's business on behalf of the unions. It'd be great to see the governor able to declare that they've abandoned their duties and declare a special election to fill their seats.

an Donalbane said...

Yes, what tangled webs they weave.

Unintended Consequences is also one of the most interesting books I've read.

MagiK said...

Why are these people and doctors not being brought up on fraud charges? The are committing fraud pure and simple.

Anna said...

Fraud, theft, false statements, promoting truancy, creating hardships on families, etc. I bet if I thought on it some, could make an argument they are interfering with interstate commerce.

The Republicans in the legislature need to bring up state rediscticting while the Democrats are trying to subvert the government.

LauraB said...

I concur with your last - as did Trooper. I think it just amazing they'd risk all those years of education and expense for the sake of helping others to "steal" from the public coffers.

I suspect they will all find themselves holding the stinky end of the stink before long.