The real "trickle down" effect...

If you want an example of how the Bush Administration's
dishonest, corporate-centered and corrupt leadership has
trickled down in this country--look no farther than small-town
middle America.

I live in a small Midwestern town, population 40,000. Late this summer
I became very ill with a water-bourne parasite, cryptospiridium.
I was violently ill for two solid weeks. It's a nasty, hearty bug that
is easily spread to others. I'll spare you the gory details, but tell
you that I lost 8 pounds the first four days I had it.

The only water I was in during that month, was our local public
swimming pool. Seven days after I swam there, I became ill. Seven
days after exposure to crypto is typically when the symptoms start.

While I was sick, I began hearing about others in our town who
had the same symptoms. Many children, who swam in that pool,
had diarrhea so bad, that they lost 8 percent of their body weight.

I sent out an email to my book club and other groups--telling people
to get tested, if they felt they had the symptoms for crypto.

My doctor told me that there were more than 150 confirmed cases in
our town. I called city hall and the pool and was met with indignation
when I asked if the crypto could have resulted from the public pool.

I called the media. They ran a broadcast story about the outbreak.
They interviewed city-pool officials who insisted that their water
passed tests and the outbreak absolutely didn't result from the pool.

I spoke with one of our state epidemiologists and I mentioned that
the pool claimed their tests came back clean. She sighed and said,
"Those pool officials know for certain that a clean test for crypto
means next to nothing. Crypto is very difficult to detect in those
tests. Crypto floats in isolated 'pockets' in the pool. The pools could
be loaded with it, but if the small water sample you take, happens to contain no crypto,
you get a clean test. Those tests are inaccurate."

She went on to say that crypto comes from the dirty diapers of kids who
are in the water. She said that this could all be prevented if pools
would hyper chlorinate a few times during the summer. This process
would kill the crypto--normal chlorine levels do not kill this resilient
parasite. I asked her why they don't do this and she said, "because it costs
them more money."

Money. Money is the issue. Money trumps the health and safety of human beings.
The big wigs on the boards and commissions have decided that saving money
is more important than preventing an illness that has killed people before--
and ravages children.

This issue was never discussed beyond that one media story. I know plenty of people
who had these symptoms, but they were never treated. They thought they had
a violent flu. These people were contagious. No one alerted our schools--which
had just started as this outbreak peaked. Our school nurse knew nothing about it, but
she told me that many, many children were out due to prolonged diarrhea.

Not only did money trump people, but this issue was never investigated nor
did the pool take responsibility. So, next year, it will be business as usual.
The problem--lack of hyper chlorination and many kids swimming in diapers and Little
Swimmers Training Pants--will most likely repeat itself.

The lying, the covering up, the attitude that people should be kept in the dark, and
the lack of taking responsibility--is exactly what BushCo does. Our executive leaders
behave this way, and so our state and local leaders feel they have the green light to
behave this way also. People are chattel. If there's a problem--cover it up and
stonewall. Never admit a mistake or take responsibility. Just cover it up and
to hell with "We The People."

This is the real trickle-down effect of this administration--and it's pouring down
into our cities and towns--straight from the White House.

...beer and wine he can get at a high class party that he paid $1500.00 to attend in a Manhattan luxury high-rise, that he takes a generous tax deduction for and as he feels the urge to take a powerful piss from all the booze he has drunk, he goes to the balcony, unzips his fly and relieves himself with a long powerful stream over the railing and shouts to the pedestrians below, "Here, try what I've been drinking all night you peasants!"

I laughed through your entire definition.

I guess there's more than one "trickle-down effect."

:rofl:

...economic program. Do I need to explain that one? Ecssentially we are in the beginnings of that process now

And when criminals thrive in high places, the criminal element thrives below them.
This is not a trivial story. Children and adults may have died. Before Dr. Salk and the polio vaccine, pools were closed during outbreaks.

Where are we now? We are in the new gilded age, where you are either one of the haves, or you are fodder.