Defies comment--"My uncle worked at the T-plant. He died of cancer. My foreman died of cancer. My mother, who worked at Hanford, died at the age of 42 of cancer. My father died of emphysema, which I believe was because of his exposure to radiation. I've worked in areas where the people--I can't find one of them alive today--they're all dead of cancer."--Charles Moore, who worked at the Hanford plant until his lungs were too damaged. He was fired for "lack of production."

Sanitary Sam--In January, U.S. medical supply companies held their first Havana medical trade show since the trade embargo Washington imposed in the early '60s. In granting the license, the Clinton administration, of course, imposed a few no-no's. Like, no medical supplies for non-Cubans who might pay in dollars. This, no doubt was to avoid contamination.

Sort of rhymes with 'moral'--A select group of lawyers specialize in "high end" divorce cases involving millions of dollars. (The lawyers' tabs alone run as high as $500 an hour.). Observed one divorcee: "The fact that I spend $50,000 a month on just nothing--some people would love to be earning that in a year. We kind of lose our perspective as to what is normal."

Those 'few bad apples'--The Los Angeles police chief advised the city council to be prepared to shell out $125 million in out-of-court settlements in more than 120 pending lawsuits by people framed up by Ramparts Division cops. He didn't speculate on what will happen when the revelations spread to the other division.

Cynical. Stupid, or both?--Last September, the New York Times reported "the gap between rich and poor has grown into an economic chasm so wide that this year the richest 2.7 million Americans, the top 1 percent, will have as many after-tax dollars to spend as the bottom 100 million. In January two economists wrote a joint response. Most of it was largely literary flatulence. But a snappy sentence summed up their reply: "So what?"

So what?--"Health gap widens for children of the poor"--The Times, London.

'Jobs for all'--The New York City welfare department has moved toward a meaningful employment program. The agency is recruiting welfare recipients to work at home as telephone psychics. One trainee insisted she's been a lifelong clairvoyant, but added a troubled note: "If I could get the lottery number, would I be working as a telephone psychic?"  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home