Christensen: Flouride just another unfunded mandate

Thursday, April 10, 2008

A pending bill that would require fluoridation of city drinking water supplies is just another unfunded mandate that local taxpayers don't need, Sen. Mark Christensen told McCook Area Chamber of Commerce members on his weekly conference call today.

The bill, that advanced to select file Tuesday by 29 to 4, would require the fluoridation of the drinking water supply of any city or village with a population of 1,000 people or more.

Under the proposed bill, cities or villages could opt out of the requirement by having a special election where voters would decide what they wanted.

But special elections cost the counties money and some voters could become confused on the issue, he said.

In the long run, taxpayers have enough unfunded mandates to follow.

"It gets old ... the federal government gives us enough mandates, then we turn around as a state" to issue more, he said.

Costs have been estimated at $10,000 for the fluoridation of city wells.

The bill sounds good, he said, but not at the expense of local property taxes. Lawmakers have a delicate line to walk when deciding what good ideas to pursue and "what good ideas we can do without," he maintained.

He's also cautious about the long-range effects of another bill, which would allow mental injuries of first responders to be compensated.

LB1082, up for its second vote today, would allow Nebraska Workman' Compensation to cover mental injuries suffered by first responders who in their employment are witnesses or victims of a violent criminal act.

Currently, mental injuries allow compensation only when accompanied by a physical injury. First responders would include law enforcement officers, crime scene investigators, firefighters, paramedics or emergency medical technician.

Christensen said today that he's been lobbied hard by both sides of the issue. For him, the bill is the "fair and right thing to do," but that it could lead to subsequent bills next year that would become too broad and too expensive.

He pointed to a recently approved bill this year that passed by 47-0 that would allow financial assistance for convention or meeting centers that are both privately and publicly owned, to qualify for state assistance. The reason for its easy approval, Christensen believed, was a bill approved last year by the Legislature that tweaked the funding formula to include the Qwest Center in Omaha.

A different version of LB1082 could come back next year that would include anyone who witnessed a violent crime at a business could sue for coverage of mental injuries.

Although costs of the bill, at about $1 million-plus, isn't an issue for Christensen, the unintended consequences for the future had him troubled,

"If you don't do it (vote for the bill), you're saying that the person has to get the care himself," said Christensen, who believes first responders deserve to be compensated. Still, Christensen wasn't sure how he would vote this morning on the bill.

Christensen also called on teachers and administrators to contact the State Board of Education, if they are serious about retaining a current online testing system.

Lawmakers recently passed LB1057, that amended the Quality Education Accountability Act to establish a statewide system for the assessment of student learning, instead of using tests created locally by districts.

Although he said he was "not pushing" the online system, that it is currently used in 97 out of 254 schools "speaks volumes."

"We could end up with something not as good as we have now," he said and noted the on-line testing allows for teachers to review and compare subjects and pinpoint areas where students need help.

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  • Fluoride Damages the Thyroid

    There is clear evidence that small amounts of fluoride, at or near levels added to U.S. water supplies, present potential risks to the thyroid gland, according to the National Research Council's (NRC) first-ever published review of the fluoride/thyroid literature.(A)

    Fluoride, in the form of silicofluorides, injected into 2/3 of U.S. public water supplies, ostensibly to reduce tooth decay, was never safety-tested.(B)

    "Many Americans are exposed to fluoride in the ranges associated with thyroid effects, especially for people with iodine deficiency," says Kathleen Thiessen, PhD, co-author of the government-sponsored NRC report. "The recent decline in iodine intake in the U.S could contribute to increased toxicity of fluoride for some individuals," says Thiessen.

    "A low level of thyroid hormone can increase the risk of cardiac disease, high cholesterol, depression and, in pregnant woman, decreased intelligence of offspring," said Thiessen.(C)

    Common thyroid symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, fuzzy thinking, low blood pressure, fluid retention, depression, body pain, slow reflexes, and more. It's estimated that 59 million Americans have thyroid conditions.(D)

    Robert Carton, PhD, an environmental scientist who worked for over 30 years for the U.S. government including managing risk assessments on high priority toxic chemicals, says "fluoride has detrimental effects on the thyroid gland of healthy males at 3.5 mg a day. With iodine deficiency, the effect level drops to 0.7 milligrams/day for an average male."(E) (1.0 mg/L fluoride is in most water supplies)

    Among many others, the NRC Report cites human studies which show

    - fluoride concentrations in thyroids exceeding that found in other soft tissues except kidney

    - an association between endemic goiter and fluoride exposure or enamel fluorosis in human populations

    - fluoride adversely affects thyroid and parathyroid hormones, which affect bone health

    "If you have a thyroid problem, avoiding fluoride may be a good preventive health measure for you," writes Drs' Richard and Karilee Shames in "Thyroid Power."(F).

    Over, 1600 Physicians, Dentists, Scientists, Academics and Environmentalists urge Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation is ineffective and has serious health risks. (http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html)

    Scientific American quotes John Doull, professor emeritus of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who chaired the NRC committee thusly, "The thyroid changes do worry me."

    "Fluoride can harm bones, teeth, kidneys, the brain and more," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. "It's time to stop fluoridation."

    References:

    (A) "Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards," Committee on Fluoride in Drinking Water, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies of Science. March 2006 Chapter 8

    http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571

    "Thyroid Function: Fluoride exposure in humans is associated with elevated TSH concentrations, increased goiter prevalence, and altered T4 and T3 concentrations." (Page 262)

    "(The thyroid effects are associated with average fluoride intakes that) will be reached by persons with average exposures at fluoride concentrations of 1-4 mg/L in drinking water, especially the children." (Page 260)

    (B) Sodium Hexafluorosilicate and Fluorosilicic Acid

    Review of Toxicological Literature, October 2001

    http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExSumPDF/Fluorosilicates.pdf

    (C) Chemical & Engineering News, "Fluoride Risks Are Still A Challenge," by Bette Hileman, September 4, 2006,

    http://pubs.acs.org/cen/government/84/8436gov1.html

    (D) Mary Shomon, About.com Thyroid editor, Patient Advocate -- Author of "The Thyroid Diet" and "Living Well With Hypothyroidism"

    http://thyroid.about.com/

    (E) Fluoride, "Review of the 2006 National Research Council Report: Fluoride in Drinking Water," July-September 2006, by Robert J. Carton

    http://www.fluorideresearch.org/393/files/FJ2006_v39_n3_p163-172.pdf

    (F) Thyroid Power and Feeling Fat Fuzzy or Frazzeled"by Richard Shames MD & Karilee Shames RN, PhD http://www.thyroidpower.com http://www.feelingfff.com/

    Fluoride/Thyroid Health Effects

    http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/thyroid/

    Sources of Fluoride

    http://www.fluoridealert.org/f-sources.htm

    Sulfuryl Fluoride Pesticide Residues Allowed on Foods

    http://www.fluoridealert.org/pesticides/sulfuryl.f.all.food.html

    United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Fluoride Database of Selected Beverages and Foods

    http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Fluoride/Fluoride.html

    -- Posted by nyscof on Thu, Apr 10, 2008, at 4:01 PM
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