One of the greatest dissapointments of my life was the realization that everyone opposes the aggregate and no one opposes the incremental.
Getting stuck on the minutia was seen as getting stuck on the minutia. And great political heroes are undone on the crux of the small fact.
Take, for example, the politicking done for the governor's plan for children by the state's Department of Human Services. They've put out a press release which states "Governor gives recognition to the importance of children's dental health".
Man. You've gotta give it to our governor. Before reading this I was totally suspicious of taking my kids to the dentist. After all, it seemed like they were all falling out every time I turned around. And that orthodontist thingy? What if we find out that global warming means we
have to eat by reaching through a picket fence with our front teeth and my kids were simply genetically superior to the so-called "normal kids"?
Oh, and if you didn't know, February is Children's Dental Health Month. It's been proclaimed. And there are no take-backs when a governor proclaims a thing.
So what's a state government to do? Well, we're going to have to spend more money. A lot more money. Unless we're committed to spending a great deal more money on this problem it's apparent we're not taking this problem seriously.
So, let's take a trip to the
DHS website and click on the plan they, and the gov, are pushing. What do you see?
"Oregon's State Oral Health Plan
The state oral health plan is a road map for Oregon's governments and communities to use to improve the oral health of Oregonians. This plan was created with input from many people representing dentistry, health care, parents, caregivers, advocates, local, county, and state government, schools, and others.
The plan identifies strategies to address gaps in prevention, access, education, workforce, and infrastructure as they relate to oral health. The plan covers the entire lifespan from pregnancy through older adulthood. Specific issues, such as optimal water fluoridation, are also addressed. The draft plan is currently in a review phase. Look for a final document to be made available here in Spring 2006. "
I always thought the purpose of a press release was to highlight some information that the sending party wanted you to know. In this case, by following the links to the ODHS website, we learn that if you come back in Spring 2006 you'll get more info. This is so wrong on so many levels. If I could go back to Spring 2006 I would. Today, I find it impossible.
But the important thing is, newspapers, television and radio across the state are reporting the gov's "Dental Health Kids Better Health Teeth Decay Month". "Cause It's Good!" "We Say So!"
So, what's the point of the aggregate versus the incremental? Here's just another case of a tiny announcement for the public good. Totally unsupported by any kind of information that would help you decide if the state is in fact working in your best interest. Taken by itself, how could you get upset over it? They mean well. And "Children's Dental Health Month" is a good thing. It's for the kids. And anything for the kids, the elderly, teachers or public employees is a good thing, isn't it? (Oh, wait, aren't teachers public employees?)
