With better FDA funding, no meningitis outbreak?

Since Reagan the GOP conservatives and, now, the Tea Party radicals, have bitterly complained that government was too big and regulations stifled business. After more than 460 cases of fungal meningitis, it should be noted that had the FDA been properly funded and given the necessary authority, inspectors could have shut down the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass, back in 2005.

But, of course, the Republicans wouldn’t endorse the idea of providing extra funds or more authority to the FDA. Instead, they have adopted the familiar position of obstructionism and/or underfunding anything associated with the federal government. As a result, people were needlessly put at risk and around 35 have died due to the right-wing ideology that big government is bad.

Will the GOP stop demonizing government and lookout for the middle class? No, they’d rather call us Socialists.

Tom Minnerick

Elgin