In the article, “A Bold Ban on Hiring Smokers” posted in the editorials of the Dallas Morning News, published on September 27th, the author explains about a recent regulation put into place by the institutions of Baylor Healthcare Systems in North Texas, which places a ban on smoking anywhere on the hospital campus, and on hiring employees who smoke.

The regulation was criticized by those who say that it censures smokers as compared to obese individuals or others who are at increased risk of health problems due to self induced problems. The author presents a powerful argument in favor of the regulation, stating that smoking is, “in a league of its own when it comes to deadly and costly health problems,” as well as citing various sources regarding the impact of smoking, both on the individuals who choose to smoke, and on the economy due to the costs related to a loss of productivity and the increased healthcare costs of smokers.

I say that it is a tremendous step in the right direction. Physicians and healthcare providers have long been encouraging their patients to stop smoking, now there is some “bite” to back up the “bark.” Why shouldn’t a healthcare institution be able to put a ban on something that is not only unhealthy to the individuals engaged in it, but also to the rest of us who choose not to. According to the CDC’s website, more than 126 million non-smoking Americans continue to be exposed to second hand smoke in homes, vehicles, and in public areas. The CDC also reports that nearly 60% of children aged 3 to 11 are exposed to second hand smoke. Why allow this in a medical facility where good health is being promoted and where many individuals already suffer from compromised immune systems due to other health conditions? I say kudos to Baylor and I hope that other institutions will soon follow suit in creating clean air and smoke-free environments for non-smokers to enjoy. As the author of this editorial suggests, it’s time we put action to our words and make concrete steps towards encouraging healthy lifestyles in Americans, not to mention preventing the expense exacted on our healthcare system by one of the leading causes of death nationwide.

Source: URL, http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20110927-editorial-a-bold-ban-on-hiring-smokers.ece

Public Education Budget Cuts

Budget cuts introduced in the recent 82nd Texas Legislature take on form and face in an article by Morgan Smith of the Texas Tribune. The issue of public school funding has been one that has plagued Governor Rick Perry throughout his time in office and will, more than likely, continue to be an issue as we move into the future. The article, which can be found at http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/public-education/tk/, states that there will be an unprecedented $4 billion dollar reduction to state funding of public schools and an additional $1.4 billion dollar cut in discretionary grants for public education. The article presents an interesting view of the legislation implemented by Rick Perry in the arena of education over the years, and his well-known distaste for federal government involvement in public education; a distaste which led to Perry’s refusal to sign on to the common core-curriculum standards being introduced throughout the country in 2009. The price for this refusal was somewhere in the range of $700 million in grants. With a ranking as low as #49 in average verbal SAT scores among the nation, #46 in average math SAT scores, and #33 in teacher salaries, according to Susan Comb, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, it seems to me that maybe it would behoove our governor to concede that the state simply cannot afford to suffer another budget cut in the area of public education.

The article also provides an interesting view on how Rick Perry’s decisions in education are likely to affect how this issue is addressed in the presidential campaigns and elections to come.