Another exiled ex-prime minister has returned to Pakistan, but
the troubled nation’s media crackdown continues.
** KEY MOVES COMING IN PAKISTAN CRISIS. Former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, both now returned from exile, are slated to meet later this week to discuss their next moves. They’re not really allies, of course, as one is much more the secularist liked by the West and the other a more religious figure backed by the Saudis. Their mutual interest is that they are both opposed to President Pervez Musharraf, who says he will at last step down as army chief of staff on Wednesday and then be sworn in as a civilian president on Thursday.
If Sharif and Bhutto both boycott the elections Musharraf has rescheduled for January, the elections will lack legitimacy and Musharraf will be in even deeper trouble, perhaps bait for a military coup. Which would probably need a civilian face. But whose? If they join forces and contest the election, they could win. But then who would be in charge? If one contests the election and the other boycotts, well … It’s too bad that the apparent US plan of forging a Musharraf-Bhutto alliance in Pakistan — America’s key frontline ally in the Terror War and the only Islamic nuclear power — is in tatters. Meanwhile, Osama bin Laden is reportedly about to issue another message.
** NO PUFFS OF WHITE SMOKE OVER THE CALIFORNIA CAPITOL. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in private discussions about his still pending agenda today in Sacramento, and is now in a “Big 5″ meeting with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, and Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman. That meeting is focused on water policy. But nothing is emerging on water or health care reform so far today. Not surprisingly.
Meanwhile, earlier today, also unsurprisingly, Schwarzenegger announced that he has signed the ballot arguments promoting four Indian casino tribe gambling compacts that appear on next February’s ballot. Unsurprising because these compacts represent deals he negotiated with the tribes, which were in turn ratified by the Legislature. They’re up for a public vote because a couple of rival tribes, along with some horse racing interests and the hotel and restaurant workers union — for a variety of reasons — want the deals undone and gathered enough signatures to place four referenda on the ballot to try to do just that. Thus suspending the implementation of the compacts in the interim, which also has the effect of depriving the state of anticipated revenue from the deals.
Joining Schwarzenegger as official ballot sponsors of the gambling compacts is state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, a Democrat, and Gene Gantt of the California Fire Chiefs Association. Signing the ballot argument against the compacts are California Federation of Teachers president Marty Hittelman, John Gomez of the American Indian Rights and Resources Organization, and Lenny Goldberg of the California Tax Reform Association.
** OIL PRICE EASES SOME ON SIGNS OF INCREASED OPEC PRODUCTION. After shooting over $99 per barrel, near a record high, earlier in the day, crude oil closed today at $97.67 per barrel. According to Bloomberg News, there are signs of increased OPEC production. Saudi Arabia seems to have increased production about 5%, and Iraq’s oil production, with the immediate threat of a Turkish invasion of northern Iraq abated, is up as well.
The Saudis, incidentally, along with Syria, will be at the Israeli/Palestinian peace conference tomorrow at Annapolis. Saudi Arabia is increasingly injecting itself into various hot Middle East-related situations.
** OBAMA AND CLINTON ROCK AND ROLL IN IOWA. Hillary Clinton jabbed at Barack Obama last week about his seemingly thin foreign policy experience. “Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face,” Clinton said. Clinton belittles Obama’s notion that spending part of his youth growing up in Indonesia, and having a father from Kenya, has relevance as far as being president in today’s world.
Obama has just fired fired back in an interview with ABC News for tonight’s Nightline. “You know, we must be doing pretty well in Iowa. She wasn’t paying much attention to what I said before then.
“I think the fact of the matter is that Sen. Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn’t work out, in which case she says she has nothing to do with it. There is no doubt that Bill Clinton had faith in her and consulted with her on issues, in the same way that I would consult with Michelle, if there were issues,” Obama said. “On the other had, I don’t think Michelle would claim that she is the best qualified person to be a United States Senator by virtue of me talking to her on occasion about the work I’ve done.”
Incidentally, there is a new Zogby poll that shows Clinton trailing all the major Republican candidates, while Obama and Edwards lead all the Republicans. But I don’t buy the poll. For it is not a Zogby telephone poll, it’s an online poll, with a group that has self-selective qualities. As longtime readers know, I don’t buy online polls and I don’t buy robo-polls.
** SCHWARZENEGGER CONFERS PRIVATELY WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERS. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in California’s Capitol today for private discussions with legislative leaders on still unresolved water policy and health care issues.
Coming into the week, the situations remained in the very familiar status quo, which I can either write about repetitively, or not.
On water, Schwarzenegger, Republicans, and some Democrats want more water storage, above and below the ground. Most Democrats are either opposed to dams or are skeptical. An almost deal last week between Schwarzenegger and state Senate leader Don Perata foundered, as it were, over the dam issue. Would the Legislature get to vote every year — in a vote requiring two-thirds — to keep appropriating funds for dams? That would be a relatively easy way to stall dam construction.
On health care, legislative Republicans are out of it and it’s between Schwarzenegger, who wants all Californians to be required to buy health insurance, and Democrats, who are skeptical about that. Their hang-up, if you will? That health insurance is increasingly expensive and that a mandate will both force people already struggling to spend a huge chunk of their income on the insurance and further drive up the cost of that insurance. So the compromise efforts have centered around a complex series of measures to mitigate the expense through various subsidies.
** PAKISTAN CRISIS: MUSHARRAF TO STEP DOWN AS ARMY CHIEF WEDNESDAY, BE INAUGURATED AS CIVILIAN PRESIDENT THURSDAY. President Pervez Musharraf says he will resign as the chief of staff of Pakistan’s military on Wednesday in advance of his swearing in as president on Thursday. A new supreme court, packed with Musharraf loyalists after the old one was dissolved under his “emergency” rule, certified his election last week.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan yesterday, greeted by adoring crowds in his home base of Lahore. Musharraf ousted him eight years ago, sending him into exile in Saudi Arabia. But Sharif has returned under Saudi sponsorship. He and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto both filed papers today to run in an election now scheduled for January. But both say they will likely boycott the election if Musharraf continues his rollback of democracy in Pakistan, which includes a media crackdown.
Can Bhutto and Sharif form a working alliance? Bhutto is more the secularist, while the Saudi-sponsored Sharif is more religious. Sharif reportedly once tried to have himself declared “commander of the faithful.”
** OPRAH HITS THE ROAD FOR OBAMA NEXT MONTH. Oprah Winfrey will campaign with Barack Obama next month, hitting three key early states the weekend after next.
On December 9th, she’ll campaign with the Illinois senator in Iowa. On December 10th, she’ll campaign with him in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Polling shows that Winfrey is by far the best celebrity endorsement to have. She’s especially popular with women, who are the core of Hillary Clinton’s support. Whether she can shake some of that support loose is the question.
** TRENT LOTT RESIGNS. Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, the number two Republican in the Senate, is going to resign at the end of the year. This makes him part of an exodus of six Republicans senators. The others are not seeking re-election. Why resign now? CNN says it’s because a new law is about to go into effect barring lobbying by former senators for two years. The current law has only a one-year ban.
Governor Haley Barbour, a former Republican National Chairman, is expected to pick among the state’s Republican congressmen. Who might run on the Democratic side? The most popular Democrat in the state is former state Attorney General Mike Moore, who you may recall from Michael Mann’s award-winning film The Insider on whistle-blowing and the tobacco industry. Moore won big suing the tobacco industry.
** STATING THE OBVIOUS: L.A. TIMES SAYS VILLARAIGOSA NO LONGER FRONTRUNNER FOR GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA. The Los Angeles Times reports today that LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is no longer the frontrunner for governor in 2010. While I like Villaraigosa, as longtime readers know I didn’t think he was the frontrunner. He certainly wasn’t in polls.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel.
You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Crude oil is trading in a range of $97 to $99 per barrel.
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The Mississippi situation may get complicated. There are two formulae for setting an election date.
According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger:
“If a senator dies or resigns with more than one year left to serve, the governor will appoint a temporary replacement and set a special election. State election law provides two scenarios for the timing of a special election:
- In a year that has a general state election or congressional elections, such as 2008, the special election will be held on the same date as the regular election.
- In a year without a general state election or congressional elections, the special election will be held within 90 days of when the Senate seat is declared vacant. The governor must declare a vacancy within 10 days. That sets up a maximum 100-day timeline from the time a senator leaves or dies and the time the election is held.
The election date is important as candidates scramble to line up support – and financing – for a race that could cost millions of dollars.
Lott said Monday that he intends to resign by the end of this year, though he said he has not set a date.
“I looked at all the considerations. My decision is conclusively I am going to retire this year,” Lott said during a news conference in Jackson.
Within hours of Lott’s announcement, Gov. Haley Barbour issued a news release saying he will set the special election for Nov. 4, 2008 – the same day as the regular federal election.
But the chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, Wayne Dowdy, said in his own news release that if Lott resigns during 2007, “we expect the governor to uphold the law and call a special election within 100 days. It is important that Mississippi be represented in Washington by a senator who was elected by the state’s voters as soon as possible.”
Barbour spokesman Pete Smith said the governor’s staff had researched election laws before Barbour issued the statement that the election would be next November.”
Lott is detemined to resign in 2007, since his ability to lobby will be greatly delayed if he waits until 2008, because of new restrictions on lobbying which become effective January 1.
This will all probably end up in court.
The health care issues in California are confusing. The proposals the presidential candidates are presenting…are confusing. I wish health care could be simple and dignified. I could not be the person assigned to say “NO”…your not qualified for health coverage.
The health care issues in California are confusing. The proposals the presidential candidates are presenting…are confusing. I wish health care could be simple and dignified. I could not be the person assigned to say “NO”…your not qualified for health coverage.
Two things–Carole, I agree completely. It can be simple. Just have a universal system. But I suppose that’s too simple to actually happen.
And, the Lott resignation took third place in tonight’s Mississippi papers’ web sites. The football coaches at the University of Mississippi and Southern Mississippi also resigned today, and they got top billing.
Larry,
Do you miss California? or are in you in a better place?
Carole…
I’m in complete agreement with you on health care.
As a retired state employee I have great health benefits. There’s no reason that everybody in this state, or country, should not have health care. None.
Does Mike Moore suffer any disadvantage from sharing a name with Michael Moore? :-/
In any case, Moore might want to be careful posing any threat to the MS Republicans; they’ve been known to trump up federal charges against Dems who scare them — the flipside of the DoJ firing scandal is the unjust, politically-motivated prosecutions pursued by the attorneys who weren’t fired.
Re: healthcare, I was listening to an interview with Mark Shapiro, the author of the new book “Exposed” (as in “exposed to chemicals”) about the problems that are now facing US companies whose products are starting to get rejected by world markets because US standards for toxic ingredients — in food, cosmetics, toys, over-the-counter medication, etc — are so ridiculously lax. Whenever we ask for better regulation, they predict economic apocalypse, but the fact is the rest of the developed world (Europe, Japan, Australia) is starting to leave us behind, while their economies do just fine.
(Similarly, the demand for seatbelts and airbags doesn’t yet seem to have destroyed the automotive industry, and higher efficiency standards, while bad for companies that invested in marketing low-efficiency models, hasn’t hurt the industry as a whole.)
Anyways, as part of the discussion, Shapiro was saying that he’d been trying to figure out why it was that the EU found it so much easier to get safety regulations through — was it something cultural? Or maybe something about the history of their bureaucracy? Finally somebody in Brussels told him — no, it’s the costs, stupid. In Europe, government pays for healthcare, so it’s very, very strongly in their interest to pursue Preventive Care, writ large. Permit the consumption of products bearing lead, phthalates, and all that other stuff, and you’ll pay for it thousands of times over in ten or twenty years. Better to just pay the extra ten cents for a tube of toothpaste that doesn’t poison the user.
What this says about our own government, and its willful inattention to the health (and even life) of its constituents, is rather sad.
Re: healthcare, I was listening to an interview with Mark Shapiro, the author of the new book “Exposed” (as in “exposed to chemicals”) about the problems that are now facing US companies whose products are starting to get rejected by world markets because US standards for toxic ingredients — in food, cosmetics, toys, over-the-counter medication, etc — are so ridiculously lax. Whenever we ask for better regulation, they predict economic apocalypse, but the fact is the rest of the developed world (Europe, Japan, Australia) is starting to leave us behind, while their economies do just fine.
(Similarly, the demand for seatbelts and airbags doesn’t yet seem to have destroyed the automotive industry, and higher efficiency standards, while bad for companies that invested in marketing low-efficiency models, hasn’t hurt the industry as a whole.)
Anyways, as part of the discussion, Shapiro was saying that he’d been trying to figure out why it was that the EU found it so much easier to get safety regulations through — was it something cultural? Or maybe something about the history of their bureaucracy? Finally somebody in Brussels told him — no, it’s the costs, stupid. In Europe, government pays for healthcare, so it’s very, very strongly in their interest to pursue Preventive Care, writ large. Permit the consumption of products bearing lead, phthalates, and all that other stuff, and you’ll pay for it thousands of times over in ten or twenty years. Better to just pay the extra ten cents for a tube of toothpaste that doesn’t poison the user.
What this says about our own government, and its willful inattention to the health (and even life) of its constituents, is rather sad.
carole w: “Do you miss California? or are in you in a better place?”
Wait, are you suggesting that there is someplace better than California?
“As good as” I’ll grant you — having spent my youth and college years in Maryland, I’m quite fond of it, even if it is mostly a swamp, and heavily infested with politicians and bureaucrats — but better?
I guess the bloom is off the rose. Life changing events happen so fast. If I can get better coverage in an another state, I might be willing to go there. I am watching business slow to a crawl and I am wondering, how are these people going to pay their bills. Where is my retirement going to be as the stock market makes a huge adjustment. I would like to see some positive signs of a change. To be completely honest…The pointless presidential bickering means zero to me. I want to see simple solutions in writing that will move us forward.
Of course there are.
>larry :
The Mississippi situation may get complicated. There are two formulae for setting an election date.
Putting aside any discussion of the merits, the politics aren’t there for that.
>larry :
Two things–Carole, I agree completely. It can be simple. Just have a universal system. But I suppose that’s too simple to actually happen.
Putting aside any discussion of the merits, the politics aren’t there for that.
>larry :
Two things–Carole, I agree completely. It can be simple. Just have a universal system. But I suppose that’s too simple to actually happen.
Of course, as you know, there are actually many reasons.
>Sacramento Solon :
Carole…
I’m in complete agreement with you on health care.
As a retired state employee I have great health benefits. There’s no reason that everybody in this state, or country, should not have health care. None.
Nov 26, 2007 09:10 PM
He used to go by Michael Moore.
Of course, your paranoia is not so justified now that Democrats run Congress.
>Auros :
Does Mike Moore suffer any disadvantage from sharing a name with Michael Moore? :-/
In any case, Moore might want to be careful posing any threat to the MS Republicans; they’ve been known to trump up federal charges against Dems who scare them — the flipside of the DoJ firing scandal is the unjust, politically-motivated prosecutions pursued by the attorneys who weren’t fired.
Nov 26, 2007 09:30 PM
Yes, American products. Shoddy and scorned throughout the world.
Getting a bit wound up …
>Auros :
Re: healthcare, I was listening to an interview with Mark Shapiro, the author of the new book “Exposed” (as in “exposed to chemicals”) about the problems that are now facing US companies whose products are starting to get rejected by world markets because US standards for toxic ingredients — in food, cosmetics, toys, over-the-counter medication, etc — are so ridiculously lax.
California is in a national economy. Which is in a downturn.
>carole w :
I guess the bloom is off the rose. Life changing events happen so fast. If I can get better coverage in an another state, I might be willing to go there. I am watching business slow to a crawl and I am wondering, how are these people going to pay their bills. Where is my retirement going to be as the stock market makes a huge adjustment.
Well, make it better!
Well, make it better!
What I meant is health care reform is a boring story.
What I meant is health care reform is a boring story.
Carole,
Am I in a better place?
Well, it’s tough to compare Yucca Valley to Olympia, WA. And I left California once before, and that was a big mistake. But the circumstances today are different. And she tells me I’ll come to see the good parts!
Health care reform is difficult to get traction because a rather complicated set of circumstances have combined to make it unattractive to most people, particularly those who vote.
Most who vote, and therefore have the attention of politicians, already HAVE health insurance. Thus, their concern is mostly that their existing coverage might be affected adversely by the “reforms,” not that someone else doesn’t have coverage.
Previous small group healthcare reforms in 1993-94 already make it difficult to penalize folks for pre-existing conditions, and make groups comprised of a mere handful of folks nonetheless eligible for group rates in the MrMIB pool.
Individual rates for adults are also available from Kaiser and others for a couple hundred a month, for those who don’t have employers (small group employers or otherwise) covering their care.
The issue will always have trouble in the public eye until illegal immigrants are specifically dealt out of the mix, because folks simply don’t want to pay a higher premium to fund illegal immigrant healthcare.
I am not so naive (you may believe otherwise) to think there isn’t a problem, and personally know folks who have been short shrifted by carriers denying them coverage on pre-existing conditions, but most of the problems in health care stem from over use of the system by those who now have coverage. I have ten years’ worth of hospital work experience, 4 of them in the ER, and I would submit that this is the single most costly “driver”
Arnold’s stories about how the uninsured are already costing us are way overblown in my opinion.
Couldn’t we simply impose a realistic deductible, say $1000 a year, instead of $10 co-pays?
My personal gripe is that I don’t believe that health care is a fundamental right of citizens, let alone one that also extends to illegal aliens. Should auto insurance be the next fundamental right? Cars? HDTV? There isn’t a right for every wrong, and involving the government any more than it already is involved in healthcare would be a disaster.
Besides, health care “For The Children” is already taken care of for the most part through the fantastic Healthy Families program, so that means the remaining uncovered kids are mostly undocumented immigrants.
I think this is one of those issues about which people don’t like to tell polling questioners that they really don’t care, when in fact that pretty much is the sentiment of most folks, I believe.
Sorry for the long post.
What’s today’s video, Mideast again?
Great post Hap. While the cost of treating the uninsured are systemic a problem, the major driver of California health care costs is overconsumption by those already insured. New drugs where generics are effective, heroic care in the final months of life, expensive diagnostic MRI’s instead of x-rays, repeated tests instead of retrievable electronic medical records, hospital visits on Saturday’s for minor conditions, lackluster prevention and maintenance for expensive chronic conditions. When people are insulated from true costs by third party payers, they predictably over-consume. Imagine how much we would take from the supermarket if we had only a $10 copay??
A good friend with 20 employees in the financial services industry has switched to a $5000 deductable plan with a $5000 health savings account for each employee. Most of the employees spend less than $1000 a year out of their account, which he tops off at the beginning of each year. His company has saved a bunch of money because the employees have to pay cash first before claiming the expense, thinking twice about the treatment, even though they will be fully reimbursed. Indeed, few access the insurance because their claims are almost always for routine care, not for a significant, unanticipated event that would warrant true insurance.
Children and the uninsured are attractive distractions from the tough decisions the already insured should be making about their own health care. I know individual responsibility can be controversial, but it is the solution to this difficult problem.
Great post Hap. While the cost of treating the uninsured are systemic a problem, the major driver of California health care costs is overconsumption by those already insured. New drugs where generics are effective, heroic care in the final months of life, expensive diagnostic MRI’s instead of x-rays, repeated tests instead of retrievable electronic medical records, hospital visits on Saturday’s for minor conditions, lackluster prevention and maintenance for expensive chronic conditions. When people are insulated from true costs by third party payers, they predictably over-consume. Imagine how much we would take from the supermarket if we had only a $10 copay??
A good friend with 20 employees in the financial services industry has switched to a $5000 deductable plan with a $5000 health savings account for each employee. Most of the employees spend less than $1000 a year out of their account, which he tops off at the beginning of each year. His company has saved a bunch of money because the employees have to pay cash first before claiming the expense, thinking twice about the treatment, even though they will be fully reimbursed. Indeed, few access the insurance because their claims are almost always for routine care, not for a significant, unanticipated event that would warrant true insurance.
Children and the uninsured are attractive distractions from the tough decisions the already insured should be making about their own health care. I know individual responsibility can be controversial, but it is the solution to this difficult problem.
Mike Moore is best known in the state for getting a big settlement in the Tobacco case. He was one of the first AGs to go after them. I also thin he and Trent Lott (and John Grisham) all went to Ole Miss Law School together and I know Grisham is a big supporter. An election within three months or so would be a big advantage. You bet this will end up in court.
I think an ex-Dem governor is interested in running, too. Anybody who’s a statewide would have an advantage in a snap election over a congressman.
Right, Ronnie something. Also talk of Gene Taylor the Dem Rep showing interest. Who would have thought Ole Miss could be a battleground?
Musgrove, I think.
Bill: “Yes, American products. Shoddy and scorned throughout the world.”
One of America’s most successful exporters, Coca-Cola, took a non-trivial hit to income when their Dasani brand was booted from the EU because it failed to meet the quality standards they demand of their tap water.
Since then, they’ve installed a CEO (Neville Isdell) from South Africa, who works intimately with his Environmental Advisory Board (which includes Yale professor Dan Esty, co-author of the book “Green to Gold”).
This stuff is happening — companies that ignore it will eventually lose in competition against those that get it. Same goes for countries. If the US doesn’t get with the program, on global warming and other ecological issues, it will eventually become a severe drag on our economy.
Bill: “Yes, American products. Shoddy and scorned throughout the world.”
One of America’s most successful exporters, Coca-Cola, took a non-trivial hit to income when their Dasani brand was booted from the EU because it failed to meet the quality standards they demand of their tap water.
Since then, they’ve installed a CEO (Neville Isdell) from South Africa, who works intimately with his Environmental Advisory Board (which includes Yale professor Dan Esty, co-author of the book “Green to Gold”).
This stuff is happening — companies that ignore it will eventually lose in competition against those that get it. Same goes for countries. If the US doesn’t get with the program, on global warming and other ecological issues, it will eventually become a severe drag on our economy.
Kandy and Hap, I agree that overuse is a nontrivial issue — especially the overuse of care when it will do no better than add a few months of misery and pain, and hospice care aimed at comfort rather than life extension would be less of a burden on the patient, their family, and our society — but the research says that this simply is not the big problem. A lot of cost inflation comes from the fact that we’re just able to do more (if we’re willing to pay), and a lot of it comes from the “adverse selection” and “moral hazard” problems, and the weird games insurers end up playing to avoid ever paying any claims.
Auros, you have a good point, but I think you’re overselling it.
>Auros :
Bill: “Yes, American products. Shoddy and scorned throughout the world.”
One of America’s most successful exporters, Coca-Cola, took a non-trivial hit to income when their Dasani brand was booted from the EU because it failed to meet the quality standards they demand of their tap water.
Considering that Dasani is tap water with minerals added for taste and that it was being bottled in the UK, what it reveals is that bottled water is the pet rock of the 21st century.
BTW, UK law requires that calcium be added to any bottled water. The impurity in the Dasani was bromates, arising from calcium bromide impurities within the calcium chloride that was being added to comply with UK law.
Interesting.
That’s quite a catch!
>NickM :
Considering that Dasani is tap water with minerals added for taste and that it was being bottled in the UK, what it reveals is that bottled water is the pet rock of the 21st century.
BTW, UK law requires that calcium be added to any bottled water. The impurity in the Dasani was bromates, arising from calcium bromide impurities within the calcium chloride that was being added to comply with UK law.
Nov 27, 2007 07:27 PM
That’s quite a catch!
>NickM :
Considering that Dasani is tap water with minerals added for taste and that it was being bottled in the UK, what it reveals is that bottled water is the pet rock of the 21st century.
BTW, UK law requires that calcium be added to any bottled water. The impurity in the Dasani was bromates, arising from calcium bromide impurities within the calcium chloride that was being added to comply with UK law.
Nov 27, 2007 07:27 PM
Me and my fnierd were arguing about an issue similar to this! Now I know that I was right. lol! Thanks for the information you post. To children sleep problems that are a part of their childhood even have a chance at becoming chonic.
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