The Lector had a conversation with a valued and trusted friend recently that concerned me greatly. This person is a very persuasive lobbyist with whom I do not always agree because she is required to adopt the political viewpoint of whoever pays the price, but I have never considered her delusional or susceptible to the bullshit that saturates the political marketplace.
The whole exchange occurred at a recent party where my friend was lamenting on the rePuPlican candidates for Florida governor. One is an outsider tainted by allegations of fraud both in the past and more recently. The other is a political insider for whom I have nothing good to say. We were in agreement that if required to vote neither of us could vote for the insider who looks and acts like Howdy Doody.
We parted company when she began to extol the virtues of the other loser. When I reminded her of his past involvement with the largest Medicare fraud settlement in U. S. history, she discounted any culpability he may have had and blamed the scandal on the government in a way that I still cannot fathom. Essentially, the argument was that the government is incompetent to avoid such fraud and any billing discrepancies were not the fault of the healthcare provider; therefore, her candidate is/was without culpability. WTF… over.
Here is an article from Forbes Magazine that predates the current political conversation. http://www.forbes.com/2000/12/15/1215disaster.html
I give it some credibility because of the source and the fact that is does predate the candidate’s entry into politics by 10 years.
Yes, all history is revisionist history. However, her candidate’s company admitted to all kinds of illegality. Such as:
The company admitted to systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about how hospital space was being used.
The company increased Medicare billings by exaggerating the seriousness of the illnesses they were treating. It also granted doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. In addition, it gave doctors "loans" that were never expected to be paid back, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.
He was the fucking boss. The question becomes. Was he a knowing conspirator with criminal culpability or an unknowing dupe with serious problems with his ethical accountability? Is he an unindicted criminal or an unsuspecting incompetent?
Either way, he has problems that should disallow him from being elected to the highest position in Florida government and trying to blame the government for the fraud is insanity that only politics can spawn. Sure, he can run but surely no one would trust his ability to make good decisions.
And oh yes, have a nice Day?
Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
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