Say What? What They’re Saying On Other Editorial Pages

Tue., June 24, 1997

Still plenty of kooks out there

Soon after this nation’s smugness was blown apart by the bomb that destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City, federal authorities responded with exceptional security precautions. Perhaps the highest profile among them was the decision to barricade Pennsylvania Avenue to prevent vehicular traffic from passing in front of the White House.

It’s not clear whether he was motivated by the conviction of Timothy McVeigh for that heinous crime or merely is tired of detouring around the White House, but House Speaker Newt Gingrich says it’s time to remove the barricades and reopen Pennsylvania Avenue to motorists.

That’s a lot of hooey. There is no good reason to do as Gingrich suggests.

McVeigh’s conviction notwithstanding, a lot of kooks are out there - domestic and imported - who would relish the opportunity to blow another huge hole in American complacency by wiping out all or part of the White House.

From an editorial in The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Hidden motives in tobacco deal

The tobacco deal announced Friday is a remarkable development in the decades-long fight to curb smoking. Few would have guessed even a few months ago that the industry would pay out such substantial reparations, totaling $368 billion over 25 years, or accept restrictions on advertising and youth access that in many respects are stronger than the Food and Drug Administration previously proposed.

Even so, this is a troubling deal that looks as if it does more to protect the tobacco industry than to protect the public health. It should not be approved by the White House or Congress until it has undergone searching scrutiny and been made significantly stronger.

It is important to remember that this agreement was hammered out in secret by parties whose interests are not necessarily aligned with public health goals.

The driving force was a group of state attorneys general who have sued the industry to recoup Medicaid costs for smoking-related illnesses. They showed a commendable determination to look out for the public’s health and welfare.

But they also had greedy eyes aimed at recovering money for their state budgets. Some also have political aspirations …

From an editorial in The New York Times

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