SCWA water fluoridation proposal: the "social justice" tactic

Anytime you hear the phrase "social justice" associated with a proposal involving legislation or use of public funds, it should be interpreted as "underhanded red-herring tactic to protect a racket" -- usually a lucrative corporate racket with the taxpayers picking up the tab or someone's personal agenda and/or cultural custom. This phrase is a red flag that something shady is going on.

The "social justice" schtick is also a set-up to frame the opponents of the racket in a derogatory manner, occasionally going so far as overt name-calling. It is also a smokescreen tactic to take the focus off of the merits/demerits of the proposal. And it always has the smell of desperation around it.

Here's an example of one of the more blatant uses of the "social justice" card: After the state of Colorado joined 16 other states in eliminating Medicaid coverage for non-therapeutic circumcision of male babies in 2011, one of their state senators introduced a bill in the spring of 2012 to force the restoration of the Medicaid funding. She asserted that that providing this "service" on the taxpayers' tab is a "social justice issue":

“From my perspective, it is a social justice issue,” said Democratic Denver Senator Joyce Foster, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Senator Irene Aguilar. Foster is married to Steve Foster, rabbi emeritus at Temple Emmanuel, Denver’s largest Reform synagogue. “We will be denying people who are on Medicaid the choice,” she continued. “If they want to have their sons circumcised, they should be able to.... I happen to be Jewish. I happen to be committed to health issues for all people, and an opportunity for all people to receive the best care possible.” she said. (source: https://forward.com/articles/151840/...p-in-colorado/ )

Note that the son's choice of whether or not he wants to be circumcised is conveniently not mentioned. Further along in the debate, and the news article, Senator Foster's true motives came out:

"Foster, the main backer of the Colorado bill, said she believes that cutting Medicaid coverage for circumcision sent a message of support to anti-circumcision activists who want see the procedure outlawed nationwide. She is determined to push back against that effort. 'Ultimately, I think when the anti-circumcision people begin to see so many states denying benefits,” Foster said, “it will be easier for them now to make their case that circumcision should be banned altogether.'"

The other promoter of the Medicaid funding restoration bill, state senator Irene Aguilar, is a medical doctor in addition to being a state legislator. She and her colleagues have become quite fond of the income stream generated by performing these unethical "procedures," which earn them $100-500 for about 15 minutes of work. Did Sen. Aguilar MD have a vested interest in this legislation? Of course she did.

Fortunately the Colorado state legislature's Appropriations Committee saw through the smokescreen and killed the bill. Hopefully our Board of Supervisors will do the same with the water fluoridation proposal.

The Sonoma County Health Department presentation on February 22nd bordered on farce. It clearly was a perfunctory song-and-dance snowjob to rationalize a conclusion they had already come to, as others have pointed out. To have public employees engaging in this shilling behavior, especially resorting to playing the "social justice" card, is completely unacceptable. Those responsible for it (ie Lynn Silver) should be fired. Please contact your supervisor and ask him/her to do just that.