Wichita fluoridation debate reveals attitudes of government

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Is community water fluoridation like iodized salt? According to Wichita City Council Member and Vice Mayor Janet Miller (district 6, north central Wichita), we didn’t vote on whether to put iodine in table salt, so Wichitans don’t need to vote on whether to add fluoride to drinking water.

There’s a distinguishing factor, however, that somehow Miller didn’t realize: Consumption of iodized salt is a voluntary act. Not so with fluoridated water.

At the August 21, 2012 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Miller went on to name other substances added to our food supply that she said are beneficial to health. We didn’t vote on these either, but again, consumption of these foods and the added substances is voluntary.

In her discussion, Council Member Lavonta Williams (district 1, northeast Wichita) said “Did you like the art that went down to WaterWalk? Maybe you didn’t. But you don’t have to go there.”

She also said we don’t have to go to the apartments that were built at WaterWalk, and we don’t have to stay at the Ambassador Hotel.

True, we can avoid these government-sponsored and subsidized places if we want to. But what Williams may have forgotten is that we can’t avoid being forced to pay for them.

Besides that, what does it say about a government where if we disagree with its actions, we’re told “you don’t have to go there”?

This confusion of government and voluntary action is troubling for the future of Wichita, and more broadly, our country.

Comments

8 responses to “Wichita fluoridation debate reveals attitudes of government”

  1. Much like Obama and the car insurance analogy. Everyone has to buy car insurance, so it’s OK if everyone has to buy health insurance.

    If you don’t drive a car, you don’t buy car insurance. It’s the same with Obamacare. If you are dead, you don’t buy health insurance, or you have to leave the country to get away from it.

    You don’t have to drink or bath in fluoridated water. You can very easily go to the store and buy gallons and gallons of bottled water to drink and bath in. It’s either that or get out. Our way or the highway.

    Making everyone consume poison is really the best answer. To hell with people going out and buying fluoridated mouthwash! Lets make 400,000 people drink it instead!

  2. Sick of authoritarians

    Janet Miller is the biggest clown to be on city council in years. She has been drinking too much flouride.

  3. JeffTernes

    Bob, let’s be fair. You are expecting too much from the Mayor and City Council. Let me explain: 1) Most have only a high school education including the Mayor, 2) Most have never owned a business and more than one has been fired from a previous job. 3) Most of them have not experience much success in their lives and, thus, their elected position is the best thing that has ever happened to them. 4) The people who funded their campaigns do expect a ROI greater than what the City’s Allen Bell requires of City projects. 5) The voters elected these individuals with the blessing of the City elite and the media because they are less educate; can’t logically debate an issue, and are lazy. Please, Bob, understand that the difference between Genius and stupidity, is Genius has limitations.

  4. Yoshiko Steve

    What is the issue with floridated water?

  5. Westie

    City council members Miller and Meitzner believe that they know better than the public about fluoride. Fluoride is an interesting element that is critical in very minute quantities but highly toxic in large quantities.

    I am concerned about the supposed “experts” in the medical/dental community that are promoting this into our water system because there is a segment of the population that either can’t or won’t brush their teeth. This is the same mentality that promotes Obamacare and other welfare state “solutions” for statist actions that contradict the principles that this country established over 200 years ago. The only difference is that this is a local imposition of rule from the “experts” instead of the national IPAB board under Obamacare.

  6. jwillie6

    With city leaders pushing the mandatory consumption of fluoride poison in drinking water, there is no telling what big money issues they support.

    The best scientific information on fluoridation can be found in Dr. Paul Connett’s book, “The Case Against Fluoride,” published last year. It contains over 1200 peer reviewed studies (80 pages) and sound scientific reasoning showing the ineffectiveness and dangers to health from fluoride.
    Also see his very informative site here (www.fluoridealert.org).

    You will see a petition at this site signed by over 4000 professionals, including hundreds of dentists, hundreds of doctors, and other medical researchers calling on governments everywhere to stop fluoridation; also scientific evidence to show that it causes cancer, thyroid & pineal gland damage, broken hips from brittle bones, lowered IQ, kidney disease, and other serious health problems.

  7. Don’tDrinktheFluoridatedKoolaid

    This is not even a debate.
    These city “leaders” are simply afraid to make the right decision.
    They don’t want to rock the status quo.
    They are simply doing what they think is supposed to be right.
    They have bought all of the fear-mongering.
    This is an accepted practice in so many other muni’s that they are afraid of doing something “different,” outside of the norm, or even…..(shudder) thoughtful.
    Look it up for yourselves please at http://www.google.com/.
    Try search words like: fluoride industrial byproduct
    Just a scant review provides details the majority of the people never even considered.
    So, really, what is happening is the wrong questions are being asked.
    Indeed, you should ask the same questions about table salt.
    Iodized? Non-iodized? Should be eating any “table” salt whatsoever?

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/05/end-war-on-salt.aspx

    http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/

    Bottom line: our elected community leaders are not likely looking out for you. They are doing what they’ve always done. They are go along to get along. They want to be liked. They want to be popular. A previous poster got it exactly right: this is the best they’ve ever had it. They won an election. It immediately elevated their status and it gave them a title. Don’t get me wrong….there ARE the few public servants who are TRULY sacrificing their time to give back and do what is right. They are there for the right reasons and are honorable, accomplished, intelligent, etc. The problem is that most people like that are too busy running their businesses, raising their families, etc. and have no interest whatsoever in the quagmire of government.

    No fluoride is a no brainer. Waste of money. Waste of time. Bad for your health.

  8. Yes, bad for you health, especially your brain.
    Check out this website:
    http://www.fluoridealert.org/articles/50-reasons/

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