Robin Hood Department

—Our leaders gave tax cuts tothe wealthy, leaving little to keepthe poor alive. Random Item #1:drugs for Medicaid beneficiaries.The Center for Studying HealthSystem Change discovered thatMedicaid recipients have almostas much difficulty as the unin-sured in obtaining prescriptiondrugs — 26% versus 29%. Item#2: 600,000 Kentuckians will becut from Medicaid altogether.Item #3: 17 percent of familydoctors are now refusing to treatpeople whose health is insured byMedicare, saying they “impedeeconomic viability.”

Saved Your Life? Sue ’Em

—The freedom to kill theinconvenient is back, in TexasSupreme Court this time, whereparents of a kid sued a hospital forproviding standard care to apremature newborn who mightpossibly have become disabled,and later did. They won $50million in a lower court.

What War on Drugs?

—A federal Court of Appealshas ruled that government canforcibly medicate even peacefuldefendants at criminal trials. TheAssociation of American Physi-cians and Surgeons, among others,filed amicus briefs in protest.

Hang ’Em High

—Nicholas Regush, a producerfor ABC’s World News Tonight,has called for “something akin toa war crimes tribunal” to investi-gate psychiatry’s chumminesswith pharmaceutical companies,saying it results in massive over-prescription of Ritalin, Prozac,and other controlled substances.

Afghanistan or Virginia?

—In the state of Virginia, youroral “crime against nature” couldget you five years in prison with a$2,500 fine. “Fornication” or“lascivious cohabitation,” lesseroffenses, can still get you jail time.Virginia Is Not For Lovers at POBox 11242, Richmond VA 23230,hopes you’ll take your touristbusiness elsewhere until Virginiarescinds those laws.

What, Me Worry?

—Supreme Court Justice SandraDay O’Connor told a lawyer’sconference in March that the ADA“leaves lots of ambiguities andgaps and things.... Boy,” sheadded, “are we trying to figureout some issues!”

Just Who Is Homeless?

—When Illinois recentlycounted people without homes, itfound that people with physicalimpairments outnumbered peoplewho could be labeled mentally illby twelve percent to nine. Allhomeless people do suffer fromone common affliction, however.Poverty. And it’s on the increase.