Looking for health at the DNC
On Tuesday I went looking for health at the DNC. The resident reporter met up with me at the Millennium Bridge, and we took off to check out the Tent City protest zone. Not much action there. In fact, very few people. The biggest crowd was the line for free tickets to the Rage Against the Machine concert. After a mandatory break for iced coffee, we headed to the Convention Center, so she could catch the shuttle bus to the Pepsi Center.
A protester's sign at a TV broadcast: "Democrats punish success and reward failure." People were yelling at the cameras, but the talking heads were facing away, so we couldn't figure out who they were. The crowds got bigger as we went east. At 15th and Champa, we encountered a Humvee with “Hillary” and “Nobama” signs on the windows and people with loudspeakers yelling anti-Obama slogans. Humvees for Hillary. Either massively stupid or a Republican conspiracy. A block later, the long lines for the shuttle buses were forming. An alt fuel bus pulled up and I waved goodby and walked over to the 16th Street Mall.
Health findings along the way? Smokers, including one in a Green DNC volunteer T-shirt. Several of the Aurora police officers decked out in SWAT gear posed for tourist photos. A 500 lb woman spilling out of a wheel chair told an interviewer she wanted better health care. Someone with a loudspeaker and a “Jesus died for your sins” banner berated the crowd. On closer inspection, he was associated with another banner proclaiming “Homo Sex is a Threat to National Security”. Counter demonstrators shouted back, and dozens of spectators took photos. Thankfully, there were at least 25 SWAT officers lining the opposite sidewalk, monitoring the dangerous situation.
Further on, a skinny young man shouted “Wanna see Ralph Nader tomorrow”, waving tickets. No takers. In the next block, a large crowd blocked the sidewalk with signs claiming “9-11 was an inside job”. They seemed to be chanting “We want Che”. They finally moved on, and it was safe to cross the street again. SUVs with security guys hanging off the sides cruised the shuttle bus lanes. When the buses stopped, passengers leapt off with cameras ready, and snapped photos of the SUVs, then jumped back on in time to drive off. A thin woman in a blue dress, surely one of Tom Wolfe’s “social X-rays”, marched past waving a sign and chanting “Clean coal is an oxymoron”.
Restaurant patrons at outdoor tables were downing beers, margs, cheeseburgers, fries, pizza and fried chicken (gasp!). Where are all the “green” menus? Finally found something healthy - a bike rental station at Wynkoop and Edgewater. The rental agents proudly pointed out the digital scoreboard, showing how many people have rented bikes, how far they’ve ridden, how many calories they burned and MOST IMPORTANT - how many pounds of carbon they’ve offset. Of course, since these were leisurely bike rides, not replacing car trips, the carbon offset claims are a bit sketchy. Apparently there’s no body weight limit for renting these bikes, so the decidedly heavy DNC crowd should have no problem. Flat tire? An emergency bike repair phone number brings someone to the rescue. Oh and everyone who rents a bike must take a helmet with them. Wearing it is optional.
Desperate for some water, I tried to cross 15th St. at Wazee to find a restaurant. Definitely the most pedestrian unfriendly intersection in town today. The police officer waved cars through for a full 10 minutes, as crowds gathered at the crosswalks, lunging forward every time he blew his whistle, only to scramble back as vehicles sped through. Finally, Wahoos Fish Taco - blessedly cool and not busy, and lots of healthy choices. Someone at the counter joked that the New Yorkers were scared by the idea of fish tacos.
Later, heard Dennis Kucinich ranting that “pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing”. Can he be serious? If he is, then we should also complain that Toyota controls the price of Priuses and Apple controls the price of iPhones. And apple growers control the price of apples. And hairdressers control the price of haircuts. I’d love to hear the explanation for why drug companies uniquely unqualified to set prices for their products? If you don’t like the prices, don’t buy the product
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Looking for health at the DNC
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