It's not clear who represents the public interest in this town. In our civic books, that is supposed to be the role of the governor and our elected senators and representatives. But the reality is that our elected officials have their own narrow agendas, which often are at odds with the public interest. For example, the effort to limit the liability of nursing homes in cases of abuse and neglect probably has as much to do with the Republican dislike of trial lawyers, who are one of the Democratic Party's biggest contributors, as it does with preventing a shortage in nursing-home beds. The issue, of course, is much more complex.
Lawsuits are only part of the problem.
But when the choice is between nursing homes and trial lawyers, the Republicans sock it to the trial lawyers, some of whom are greedy predators who give their profession a bad name. Perhaps the greatest threat to the public interest comes not from shiny-shoed corporate lobbyists but from the Republican ideologues led by House Speaker Tom Feeney. Forward into the past. The Legislature still has a week to go, and, as in past years, we won't be able to fully assess the damage until after the session is gaveled to a close, hopefully on time Friday evening. The House and the Senate still have to come to terms on a state budget.