Short Fuse
Palin: Swatting at science
Sarah Palin isn't the first politician to point to an obscure item in the federal budget as a textbook case of waste, only to learn that the measure is worthwhile. But her recent blast at fruit fly research is especially wrong-headed. In her first-ever policy speech last week, Palin derided the research as having "nothing to do with the public good." It turns out that the flies threaten olive groves in the United States. Beyond that, however, fruit fly research has shed light on a protein critical to nerve-cell formation and functioning. That study could help in understanding autism, just the disorder that Palin was saying needs more funding.
Healthcare: Why do women pay more?
Maybe having a second X chromosome qualifies as a preexisting condition. That's one explanation for the recent report that women pay more for individual health insurance than men do for the same coverage. The gap can be as big as 48 percent, and it isn't all attributable to maternity coverage; many plans charge even more for pregnancy - which women can't "catch" without help from men in any case. Insurers also say women cost more because they use more doctor's visits and check-ups, which may be true but is no reason to penalize women, since preventive care saves money in the long run. Isn't that what "health maintenance" is supposed to be all about?
Gasoline: Will we ever learn?
When gasoline prices soared to $4 a gallon earlier this year, it was a hardship for millions of families but a boon for the environment. Americans began driving fewer miles and switching to more fuel-efficient cars. How short our memories are! With prices now well south of $3, gasoline consumption in Massachusetts is on the way up again. But regardless of the price, burning a gallon of gasoline still generates greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. The uptick in gasoline consumption confirms the wisdom of a higher gas tax - not just as a fair way of generating revenue to fix the state's crumbling transportation system, but as a way to bring down carbon emissions. 