Reply #35: This is way bigger than even the Koch brothers. Fuck the NIH! Call for Collins' resignation! [View All]

[No Elephants]

Whether Koch is one of several members of the board of directors or not, why was formaldehyde not on the list of known carcinogens long ago, even before Koch got appointed? How does one director keep a known carcinogen off the list? How does someone responsible for manufacturing formaldehyde get appointed anyway? Did the Senate confirm him? Why did no one ask for his resignation, esp. after the Mayer article came out? (It was Mayer's comments re: formaldehyde that motivated a change in my sig line.)





"Of the nearly 25,000 workers the National Cancer Institute (part of the NIH) had tracked for 30 years, those exposed to higher amounts of formaldehyde had a 37 percent greater risk of death from blood and lymphatic cancers and a 78 percent greater risk of leukemia than those exposed to lower amounts."

http://www.propublica.org/article/how-senator-david-vitter-battled-formaldehyde-link-to-cancer








About the NIH:

"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research.


<snip>

As of 2003, the NIH was responsible for 28%—about US$26.4 billion—of the total biomedical research funding spent annually in the U.S., with most of the rest coming from industry. The NIH is divided into two parts: the "Extramural" parts of NIH are responsible for the funding of biomedical research outside of NIH, while the "Intramural" parts of NIH conduct research. Intramural research is primarily conducted at the main campus in Bethesda, Maryland and the surrounding communities.

<snip>

The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by conducting research in its own laboratories, supporting the research of non-Federal scientists (in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad), helping in the training of research investigators, and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information.

<snip>

National Cancer Institute NCI Research and training aimed to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. The 2010 United States federal budget invests over $6 billion for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health as part of the multi-year commitment to double cancer research funding.<14>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Institutes_of_Health





About the current head of the NIH:

(The very first paragraph of his wiki) "Francis Sellers Collins (born April 14, 1950), is an American physician-geneticist, noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project (HGP) and described by the Endocrine Society as "one of the most accomplished scientists of our time".<1><2> He currently serves as Director of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Collins has written a book about his Christian faith. He founded and was president of the BioLogos Foundation before accepting the nomination to lead the NIH. On October 14, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Francis Collins to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.<3>

<snip>

Collins' accomplishments have been recognized by numerous awards and honors, including election to the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. He was a Kilby International Awards recipient in 1993. In 2007, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.<12> And, in 2008, he was awarded the National Medal of Science.<13> (IOW, we can assume he's beloved by Bush and/or Republicans.)

On July 8, 2009 President Barack Obama nominated him to the position of Director of the National Institutes of Health.<14> The US Senate unanimously confirmed him for this post, announced by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on August 7, 2009.<15>

According to Science, Collins "is known as a skilled administrator and excellent communicator" and President Obama's nomination of him to lead the NIH "did not come as a big surprise". However, a discussion about whether his very public religious views would influence his leadership of the NIH played out on blogs.<16> His appointment was welcomed by the CEO of the AAAS<17> and by Bernadine Healy.<18>"


Some criticism and praise of the Kochs from the Obama Administration:



Criticism by Obama administration
Charles, along with his brother, David, have been criticised by members of the Obama administration for their political spending. In August of 2010, economist Austan Goolsbee, an administration official, falsely accused Koch Industries of paying no corporate income tax during a background briefing he delivered to reporters.<14> In a September 23, 2010 op-ed in The Washington Post, Obama senior adviser David Axelrod accused Americans for Prosperity of being a "front group" that was "hijacking our elections" by "promot Republican candidates who support their right-wing agenda and corporate interests."<33> The article also compared the brothers unfavorably to past robber barons.

Praise by Obama administration
With the criticism has also come praise from the Obama administration for companies owned by the Koch Brothers. In Fall of 2010, Koch-owned Flint Hills Resources built an agreement between the EPA and Texas Commission on Environmental Equality in a regulation dispute.<34>. "The EPA under President Obama has also praised Koch subsidiaries Georgia-Pacific and Invista for their cooperation with the agency. Georgia-Pacific even won an award from the EPA in 2009."<35>.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Koch (David's wiki is scrubbed much cleaner than Charles's wiki)





Is it soup yet? Wake up, America.


For the love of your kids and grandkids, demand Collins be accountable for this.