Reacting to SARS: Prudence or Public Hysteria?

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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has killed 500 people out of the 6,700 infected around the world. In California 57 cases have been reported, but only 20 have been confirmed, and nobody has died here from SARS. With the Centers for Disease Control expressing approval, UC Berkeley is getting national attention for banning summer-school students from China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Are officials taking reasonable precaution against the spread of a deadly disease or over-reacting and contributing to public hysteria? We hear conflicting views from a lecturer on healthcare ethics from Toronto-s Ryerson University and a professor of epidemiology and infectious disease at UC Berkeley. Making News: California May Increase Sales Tax to Repay Bonds Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of Vista has joined the effort to recall Governor Gray Davis, putting up $100,000 toward a $2 million signature-gathering campaign for the recall. Bob Mulholland, campaign advisor to the state Democratic Party, addresses the recall effort, charges that Davis intentionally deceived the electorate, and a possible increase in the sales tax to help close the state's $35 billion budget gap. Reporter's Notebook: State's Seven-Year Road Repair Delays Often Mean Injury The Orange County Register has published results from a six-month investigation into what it calls -danger zones,- roadways which are known to be prone to accidents but aren-t getting fixed for an average of almost 8 years. Is Caltrans more concerned about highway beautification than preventing fatal accidents? Heather Lourie is the transportation reporter for the Register, has more on the extensive investigation.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has killed 500 people out of the 6,700 infected around the world. In California 57 cases have been reported, but only 20 have been confirmed, and nobody has died here from SARS. With the Centers for Disease Control expressing approval, UC Berkeley is getting national attention for banning summer-school students from China, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Are officials taking reasonable precaution against the spread of a deadly disease or over-reacting and contributing to public hysteria? We hear conflicting views from a lecturer on healthcare ethics from Toronto-s Ryerson University and a professor of epidemiology and infectious disease at UC Berkeley.
  • Making News: California May Increase Sales Tax to Repay Bonds
    Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of Vista has joined the effort to recall Governor Gray Davis, putting up $100,000 toward a $2 million signature-gathering campaign for the recall. Bob Mulholland, campaign advisor to the state Democratic Party, addresses the recall effort, charges that Davis intentionally deceived the electorate, and a possible increase in the sales tax to help close the state's $35 billion budget gap.
  • Reporter's Notebook: State's Seven-Year Road Repair Delays Often Mean Injury
    The Orange County Register has published results from a six-month investigation into what it calls -danger zones,- roadways which are known to be prone to accidents but aren-t getting fixed for an average of almost 8 years. Is Caltrans more concerned about highway beautification than preventing fatal accidents? Heather Lourie is the transportation reporter for the Register, has more on the extensive investigation.

Davis Recall Campaign

LA Times article, "State Weighs a Tax Hike"

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Ryerson University information on SARS

Toronto Department of Public Health on SARS

California Department of Transportation (CalTrans)

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton