THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 3, 1995 TAG: 9506020018
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
The Centers for Disease Control is the world's foremost laboratory for identifying deadly organisms and fighting epidemics, and it's in trouble.
The government labs have played a leading role in investigating Legionnaire's disease, AIDS, hanta virus and dozens of other disease outbreaks. When the latest eruption of Ebola virus struck Zaire, it was CDC scientists who were called on to make the identification and relied on for expertise.
Yet CDC is understaffed and underfunded. Buildings designed for the science of the 1950s are not equipped to deal with 1990s hardware. A decaying air-conditioning system could spread deadly germs. Many college and hospital labs are better designed to deal with today's biohazards.
CDC's budget has doubled in the '90s, but the increase is illusory. New money has been earmarked for specific new responsibilities - breast cancer and immunization studies, for example. The money for daily, ongoing operations has essentially remained flat. Money for building maintenance and renovation hasn't kept pace with need. Manpower has actually been cut by 7 percent.
CDC is a victim of government budget cutbacks and more are probably on the way. It's not alone. Scientists and physicians who visit FDA labs for the first time are regularly appalled by the prehistoric conditions that are decades behind private enterprise and universities.
There's no question the federal budget must be cut, but the bulk of spending is on defense and entitlements, areas with large and ferociously protective constituencies. Therefore, so-called discretionary spending - the remaining 13 percent of the budget - takes the hit.
Certainly there are foolish programs, bureaucratic waste and pork in that $200 billion slice of the pie. But some important programs also get nickel-and-dimed to death when the cutting is done indiscriminately, often because they don't have the clout of seniors or defense contractors behind them.
Budgeting is all about setting priorities. Defending the nation against armed attack has got to be the No. 1 priority. But after the common defense is provided for, a robust program to protect against other threats to our well-being ought to be very high on the list.
CDC is our first line of defense against the deadly diseases that have killed more humans than all the wars in history. FDA is designed to protect us from dangers in the food and pharmaceuticals we ingest. These and other programs to safeguard the lives of the American people are targeted for deeper budget cuts. They could prove hazardous to our health. by CNB