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Federal agencies a mess
| Wednesday, May 14 2008 7:13 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 14 2008 7:15 PM
It looks like we have another government agency in trouble, namely the Food and Drug Administration. The agency knew about but took two years to reveal facts about a popular diabetes drug which increases the risk of heart attacks.
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An FDA-approved antibiotic can destroy your liver in just five days. There is much concern regarding the safety of Chinese-made drugs. This doesn't even count the number of drugs removed from the U.S. market in recent months.
Like other agencies, they cry that they are underfunded, understaffed and learn of dangers too late to remedy them. This undermines public confidence in the FDA's independence.
Congress has slightly increased the FDA's drug safety budget, but not until thousands, or millions, have used these drugs for months or years.
The next agency that has not done its job is the INS. I don't recall when this agency first ignored our quota system, but we are overrun with illegals, as are several other states -- and not just illegals from Mexico. They come from Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Guatemala and Uruguay. They come through Mexico, of course.
They seek, like early explorers, that which they don't or can't get in their own countries.
We American taxpayers cannot and should not be expected to support these unfortunates of the world.
BETTY PAIR
Bakersfield