Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Public protection from repeated medical malpractice. No. This is a three-strikes and you’re out law. Medicine is not so simplistic that three incidents, no matter how small, should force a doctor out. It’s never a good idea to have fewer doctors available for choice. And if Amendment 7 passes, you will be able to make an enlightened decision.

Patients’ right to know about adverse medical incidents. Yes. I want to know if the doctor I am seeing has had any mistakes, or is being investigated for any mishaps. The more information available, the better off all consumers are.

Repeal of high speed rail amendment. No. As alluded to earlier for amendment 2, the original amendment did not belong in the constitution, but until it changes we must work within those confines. If you forsake the bullet train, the interstates (starting with I-4) are just going to get wider and wider. The voters wanted a bullet train. Build the thing, Jeb.

Raise the Florida minimum wage $1 to $6.15. No. This is a difficult one. I don’t see how anyone can live on $5.15 an hour. On the other hand, when I go to McDonald’s, I get greeted as if I am interrupting their day, then I sit down at one of the thirty empty, but dirty tables. Wal-Mart cashiers cannot give me the correct change. Car wash employees steal the loose change out of my vehicle. These people don’t deserve the $5.15 they are getting. If those that worked for these meager wages had paid more attention in school or wanted to learn some actual skills, they could get a higher paying job. Most of them are getting paid exactly what they are worth. If you want to make more, you are free to find a better paying job. And finally, minimum wage issues should be set by the Feds, not the state.

You may have heard that Sarasota Memorial Hospital has been charged with more than a few problems:

unlocked medicine cabinets and carts easily accessible by patients and visitors; medicine carts with prefilled, unlabeled syringes; missing records of blood transfusions during surgery; and nurses administering shots drawn by another nurse, a violation of standard practice.

But this is just one hospital. It’s inconceivable that this type of half-ass work could be widespread, huh? Nope. As a way of deflecting criticism, Sarasota Memorial Hospital chief Dr. Duncan Finlay claims that Hospitals nationwide are grappling with the issue of medical errors.

Blurted out nonsense? Consider this: SMH is ranked highly on US News BEST Hospitals of 2004. They are in the top 50 in seven different specialties, and number 21 in Heart and Heart Surgery. The 21st best hospital in Heart Surgery inserted a heart catheter in the wrong patient. The 21st best hospital in Heart Surgery killed a patient by using the wrong blood type. If this is one of the best hospitals, where does yours rank?

Authorize Miami-Dade voters to allow slot machines in pari-mutuel facilities. Yes. I don’t have a problem with this at all. It shouldn’t be a crime. If the state can generate taxes from those who choose to gamble, so be it.

Medical Liability Claimant Compensation. No. Limiting prices that attorneys get will only hurt those consumers who cannot expect any health organization to ‘fess up to errors. You and I will need the valuable (and expensive) help from lawyers. Having said that, I also think there should be some sort of penalty to lawyers who waste defendants’ time and money as well as the justice system’s time and money trying frivolous cases.

Petitions for amendments should be filed 6 months earlier. No. As it stands now, the legislature creates law (or fails to) with complete disregard of their constituents desires. The petition for amendments is one of the ways you as a citizen can change the law when your representatives won’t listen to you. An earlier deadline will give less a chance for inclusion. I do not approve of the way the amendment process currently works. If our elected officials were not always concerned with special interests with deep pockets, there would be no need for some amendments. Some of the laws (last elections pregnant pigs, for instance) certainly do not belong in the Constitution, but legislators ignore those pushing for these changes, so right now, amendments are the only recourse. Until it changes, we are stuck with the current amendment process.