Annals of Conservative Paranoia
I was in a cab just now and the driver was listening to some of the old-fashioned conservative talk radio. The host’s subject was a bill in (I believe) New York State that was going to have public schools tracking body mass index information for schoolchildren. This sounded like a reasonable enough idea to me, but the host kept repeating it over and over again in an outraged tone of voice as if it was an obviously absurd idea. Finally, he started to explain — correctly, I thought — that once this data started coming in, people were going to start citing it as showing that there were problematic levels of childhood obesity and arguing for some new policy initiatives to combat it. And, again, he kept repeating this like it was clear that childhood obesity prevention programs were the worst idea imaginable. The trump card to his argument, basically, was that these new programs would cost money and some of that money would go to salaries for implementation, so really the “only” reason people were agitating for this BMI tracking was to fatten up the bureaucracy. This was allegedly comparable to the greed-based reasons behind the anti-smoking campaigns of the past several decades.
Not un-comparable to some paranoid ideas you hear on the left, but interesting to hear it nonetheless. Then the driver corked off a doozy. Like cab drivers across the country, he explains that MSP area cab drivers have been hurting due to gas prices. Thus, he said, they’d been agitating for about a hear for approval of a fare hike by the relevant regulatory authority. Finally, one got approved and it took effect five days before the GOP convention. This he explained as part of a “liberal agenda” to somehow stick it to the Republicans.
Next up — ads for gun shops.
43 Responses to “Annals of Conservative Paranoia”
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September 3rd, 2008 at 5:16 pm
BMI calculating is some sort of insidious conspiracy? Heck, in grammar school, once a year, I had to take off my shirt in front of the school nurse and get checked for scoliosis! I wonder what liberal conspiracy was behind all of that.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I imagine the odds are that the cabbie assumed that you were an RNC delegate and just put on every crazy hat he could dredge up, because obviously no idea is so ludicrous that an RNC delegate couldn’t nod his head to it mock-sagely. Matt, I believe you got played.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
If Zack is right, it’s an interesting play for tips.
On BMI, MA puts it on the final report card each year (the one that comes after school lets out) and it couldn’t be more useless. Put recess back into the school day, have gym be daily, and you’ll see BMI go down. (In one MA school that was debating banning soda machines, the soda people demonstrated that the rise in BMIs dated not to the arrival of the machine but to the loss of gym class.)
This year the report card helpfully informed me of my daughter’s BMI when she was 8. She is now 12, so I’m a tad unclear on what I would do with this information if she were, in fact, overweight when she was 8.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
If people were less fat, the driver would use less gas carting their fat asses around. Everybody wins!
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Brian, that’s where I actually thought the story was going.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Left unstated by Matt – exactly what policy initiatives could be enacted at the state level that would do anything to combat childhood obesity?
Sure, you can mandate “healthy” lunches, and ban soda/candy machines – but that doesn’t impact:
– the fact that many schools have cut phys-ed way, way back, in order to address various other state and federal mandates. All well intentioned, I’m sure
– the fact that tons of kids spend all their after school hours texting, IM’ng, using chat forums online, or playing with game systems – as opposed to getting outside and doing something that involves physical exertion
I’m sure Matt loves the idea of another well intentioned set of policies to combat childhood obesity. I’m also sure that he’ll be stunned when they have no impact, and that said policies have eliminated the few remaining moments of phys-ed classes in schools, in order to slot in something like “introduction to healthy eating”.
Some problems simply aren’t amenable to top down fixes. I’ll be shocked when Matt can wrap his head around that idea.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:58 pm
But the obvious follow-up Matt ought to have asked was, “So, will you charge *me* the old rate, then?” Maybe he did.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
the fact that many schools have cut phys-ed way, way back, in order to address various other state and federal mandates. All well intentioned, I’m sure
And this could not be addressed by a statewide initiative because… ?
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I’m not completely immune to the idea that we ought to fear creeping school marmism (and indeed I think there are legitimate libertarian/liberal reasons for this), but public health, alas, is one area where we’re not likely to escape a good healthy dollop of big gummint. Given soaring healthcare bills and the fact that the tax payer picking up an ever-larger share of the tab, it’s frankly inevitable that various public sector plans are going to be formulated with an eye toward staving off obesity-related illness.
But more importantly, why the eff would any cab driver vote Republican? Simply mind boggling.
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Biopolitics. Just put a chip in babies so their vitals can be tracked from birth.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Why would a cab driver vote Republican? Perhaps he likes to keep more of his money, and not have it frittered away on more government projects.
I know that’s a hard concept for you guys to grok, but many of us like seeing more of our own money.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Perhaps he likes to keep more of his money, and not have it frittered away on more government projects.
How much of that could possibly be a factor? Presumably he has an IRA and a 401(k). In MN, he may even have a mortgage. The IRA and 401(k) means that almost all his capital gains are tax-exempt, and the mortgage means that the better part of his monthly payments are tax-deductible.
From a practical point of view, he wants to support the party that’s going to ensure good conditions of the road as well as support policies which ensure that lots of people are coming to downtown and needing to hail cabs.
Insofar as money being frittered away, is he complaining that too much is going towards Medicare, Medicaid, SOcial Security, and Defense? The largest chunk of discretionary spending right now seems to be going to pay for the war in Iraq. Doesn’t explain the Republican leanings.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
The cabbie story is further proof that Democrats have to be much more direct and in-your-face with working-class voters. Conservatism and support for Republicans by working-class people is bullshit, and it’s stupidity. People need to be asked: are you stupid or aren’t you?
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Texas now requires schools to measure all of the kids fitness’s which is pretty similar to figure out their BMI (they may do that too for all I know). So it’s not just some wacky liberal thing.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
The cab driver has a point, that is how governments operate. Gun registration schemes seem innocent enough, until the city decides to ban guns and the registry turns into an action item list for the police.
Besides, the evidence is overwhelming that there’s not much schools can do to reduce childhood obesity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/weekinreview/12kolata.html
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
If that is the case, why would he ever vote Republican.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I wouldn’t worry about the government program tracking obesity, but the part where they’re using BMI to do it is another matter entirely.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
“Insofar as money being frittered away, is he complaining that too much is going towards Medicare, Medicaid, SOcial Security, and Defense? The largest chunk of discretionary spending right now seems to be going to pay for the war in Iraq. Doesn’t explain the Republican leanings.”
without noticing that the problem is non-discretionary spending. At current spend levels, within 20 years we won’t get to decide whether to fight wars or fix roads; all the federal funds will be going to medicare and fica.
Looking at defense spending and declaring it to be a problem is like looking at education spending and saying the same thing. Sure, there’s waste in both areas – but they are both discretionary, and can be adjusted with (relative) ease. With non-discretionary spending, we get to listen to innumerate fools like Duncan Black, who claim that there’s no problem.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Perhaps he likes to keep more of his money, and not have it frittered away on more government projects.
Like a bridge to nowhere, or pork by the truckful for the residents of Wasilla, Alaska?
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Yes, republicans waste money too. However, they don’t usually have as many grandiose plans for permanent additions to the government’s non-discretionary spending. I say usually, because Bush added to this in a big way with the prescription drug plan.
However, that’s tiny compared to what Obama wants to do with his national service plan.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Looking at defense spending and declaring it to be a problem is like looking at education spending and saying the same thing.
Federal spending on education is very small. Spending on defense is very large. The cab driver pays low taxes, so it doesn’t make sense that this would be his main reason to vote Republican unless he does not understand his tax burden (my experience is that Republicans are generally ignorant of how the tax system works and what the federal budget spends its money on) or he is voting Republican as an expression of his personal identity or cultural issues.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Activating the draft won’t be of much use
in times of “national emergency” if the draftees
have to do boot camp for 18 months to get in shape first.
So, you’d think the Repugs would reframe BMI as a
national defense issue. So diet consultants,
personal trainers, and gyms could all be part of
the miltary-industrial gravy train!
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Is it just me or is Matt’s writing getting worse and, thus, harder to follow?
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:33 pm
The problem isn’t the “liberal agenda” or even funding. The problem is, BMI is a lousy standard for judging how healthy a person actually is.
http://kateharding.net/bmi-illustrated/
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/for-health-body-size-can-be-misleading/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index#Limitations_and_shortcomings
I’m all for collecting and using data related to public health. But not under a flawed metric.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Mmmm… my experience is 36 years old now, but I recall gym class as being basically useless for getting kids exercise. The point of gym class was to give the jocks another few opportunities during the week to show off while the rest of us stood around and admired them. It was well known that an “A” was impossible to get unless you were on the varsity, while all you had to do to get a “B” was show up, change into your official shorts and shirt, and make sure to shower afterwards. Well, now that I think of it, another point of gym class was to make sure the only straight-A students were smart jocks (yes, it bothered me at the time, but I’m over it now, really I am).
Now, having gotten that off my chest, what really is the point of spending a few tens of millions (it will cost at least that much, because the state will insist on unique software, will hire multitudes to compute BMI by hand, and more multitudes to keypunch the results) on tracking childhood BMI? Is it just to have another wailing moment, or are you going to start fining the parents? Just asking…
September 4th, 2008 at 12:18 am
The conservative view (which is probably not the same as the Republican or talk radio view)
BMI reports will be the rationale for more intrusive government programs and regulations. The report itself might be helpful in alerting parents to potential health risks of their kid, but is bound to be misused, and it’s better just to let the parents figure it out on their own or in concert with the pediatrician. Most parents seem able to do that, and the ones who seem to have the most problem doing that often seem to be fairly heavy themselves…
Cab drivers should be able to set their own fares without any interference by the government, in response to fuel costs and competition from other cab drivers, just like any other provider of goods or services. Afraid of cabbies ripping off out of town visitors? Then hand out guides to normal rates at the airport….
And just why shouldn’t gun shops be allowed to advertise?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:41 am
as a good liberal who works in public health for a state agency (oregon), this BMI tracking in public schools is a bad, bad idea unless there is a) money for actual follow-up to do something about it; and b) some real training for kids & teachers & parents about what this means.
They instituted this in Arkansas (thank you Huckabee), and while initially everyone loved it, the state ended up backing off substantially. Mainly because at some point, people realized there was no good reason to do it if there was no money to actually, you know, DO something about it. You also had increased episodes of bullying, and parents being confused and/or pissed off at getting a note home saying that Johnny is too fat and needs to stop going to BK for dinner.
Until we get some real reform in eating, physical activity, and built environments, BMI tracking is a red herring.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:43 am
“Cab drivers should be able to set their own fares without any interference by the government, in response to fuel costs and competition from other cab drivers, just like any other provider of goods or services. Afraid of cabbies ripping off out of town visitors? Then hand out guides to normal rates at the airport….”
Its raining, and you need a cab to get you to the airport, and you pay whatever the driver will charge. This is a really dumb idea.
I’ve also been in countries where the government sets rates but enforcement is lax. The drivers all collude to charge higher rates! You can’t take advantage of “competition” because the drivers collude instead of competing.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:54 am
The first state to mandate BMI testing was Arkansas, under Mike Huckabee, who famously lost 100 pounds and wanted to warn families of the dangers of obesity. Some liberal conspiracy.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:53 am
So the guy making the argument was nutty, but here are the problems I see:
1) BMI is broken, *especially* for children. It’s popular because it’s easy to assess, easy to find in older records, and easy to come up with a chart for, and easy to run population statistics with. But it’s not actually useful for assessing an *individual*.
2) If the data is tied to individuals, then it *will* get leaked/stolen/abused. If it’s for statistical purposes, well, there are better ways to go about it, and you certainly don’t need to test every kid in the state to get statistics.
3) Schools aren’t the right place for this to happen. But guess what, kids are already (semi-)required to go to physicians for checkups and vaccinations at various points in their academic career, and hey, the doctors measure and weigh you and put it in your medical record when you do so. If you want parents and children to have this information, or recommendations based upon it, have that be part of the pre-Kindergarten physical or whatever. Don’t add more off-mission tasks to schools.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Great post.
It very nicely defines the differences between conservatives and progressives.
The default position for conservatives is government tracking of BMI would be a waste of money.
That baffles you.
It baffles me that anyone would think otherwise.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
And the transformation is nearly complete young Skywalker. Now we just need to get you talking to a Palestinian cab driver and you will be ready for a NYTimes Op-Ed!
December 5th, 2008 at 1:58 am
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