Scott E. Harrington, Ph.D.

Here’s a link to a story on why the Newfoundland and Labrador Premier had cardiac surgery in the U.S. rather than Canada.   “My Heart, My Choice.”

Former Secretary of Labor and Berkeley professor of public policy Robert Reich’s Feb. 23 op-ed in the NYT, “Bust the Health Care Trusts” displays a shocking amount of ignorance about health insurance and the antitrust exemption for the “business of insurance.” Even a rudimentary amount of research would have shown Professor Reich that the antitrust exemption has had nothing to do with consolidation in health insurance or with health insurance pricing.  He simply does not know what he’s talking about.

(If you are interested in reality, see my op-ed “Competition and Health Insurance”.)

Was Toyota negligent?  I don’t know.  Did Toyota react too slowly to information about defects?  I don’t know.

But I know the following:

1. Congressional hearings will provide little or no useful information concerning these questions.
2. It serves no legitimate purpose to have family members of accident victims testify before the U.S. Congress.
3. The U.S. government needs to get out of the automotive business as soon as possible.
4. I’ll buy another Toyota before I buy car from GM or Chrysler.