LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe-Document

LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic

MARCH 6, 2000, MONDAY, FINAL EDITION

SECTION: BUSINESS; Pg. B7; LETTERS TO BUSINESS

LENGTH: 724 words

HEADLINE: LETTERS TO BUSINESS

BODY:
DOCTOR, PATIENT MUST BOW TO HMO'S WHIM

Editor -- In Tom Abate's article of February 29, "Bill Gives Doctors Leverage, ' he tells of SB2007, sponsored by state Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, in which the state would give doctors some ability to bargain with HMOs over their pay.

As a primary care doctor, I think this would go a long way to improve the interaction between patient and doctor. We both feel the "green-eyed monster," as Speier calls it.

The HMOs' OPEC-like cartel, as HMO lobbyist Wehrle calls it, gives the doctors as much say over his fee as the average driver has over the price of a gallon of gas. Doctors are easy prey. We are not businesspeople, nor are we organized. Unions are illegal for doctors. Patients are easy prey too. They are weakened by illness and convinced that they are not really paying anyway. Their employer is.

Patient and doctor, we sit down together in the consultation room like two people on probation. We know we must be careful, and we whisper about options, wondering what the HMO will allow. Like probationers, we are both afraid and grateful. The green eye is watching us.

The wisdom in allowing doctors to have a say in their fees is that patients will get better care because doctors will feel less exploited. What other profession has fallen prey to HMOs? Not lawyers, not dentists, not teachers. Oh, teachers have unions.

BARRY ORVELL, M.D.

Vacaville

.

FRITO-LAY HAS CAVED IN

It has recently come to my attention that Frito-Lay has decided to exclude plants that have been genetically modified from its products. This company has obviously succumbed to pressure from Greenpeace and other groups aligned against the use of this technology and has exercised very poor judgment.

While masquerading as environmental activists, groups like Greenpeace are actually more interested in the politics of power. Their use of unsound science as propaganda, their acts of vandalism and their public demonstrations have planted the seeds of public mistrust of this technology, a technology which still holds great promise. In comparison to the known environmental and health risks of pesticides, agricultural runoff and other by-products of intensive farming, the risks posed by the genetic engineering of plants are very small indeed.

My company is composed of a devoted group of environmentalists searching for alternatives to the use of soil fumigants such as methyl bromide (a chemical known to cause ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere). Some of these alternatives involve the use of transgenic plants.

I accuse Frito-Lay of taking a stance against the environment by caving in to pressure from fringe groups. I will make a conscientious effort from now on not to buy Frito-Lay or affiliated brands.

CHRISTIAN TOBIAS

Research Scientist

DNA Plant Technology Corp.

Oakland

.

REIN IN THE WTO

Editor -- Your recent story "U.S. Loses Tax Battle With Europe" (February 24, The Chronicle) brought me a few chuckles.

Now it seems that even some of the largest U.S. corporations will feel the sting of our unelected undemocratic world government, otherwise known as the World Trade Organization.

It seems that the U.S. Congress had granted a neat tax loophole for many large American corporations to hide away their part of taxable income from foreign sources, through subsidiaries that are called foreign sales corporations.

The WTO has ordered the United States Congress to rewrite its tax code by Oct. 1, 2000 to conform to WTO standards on international corporate tax equity or face international trade sanctions.

Frankly, the WTO is much too big for its breeches. If we choose to establish a world government, let's at least go through the motions of holding democratic debates, public votes and Senate treaty approval first.

The WTO has just asserted its worldwide authority above that of independent nation states, through backdoor secret trade negotiations. The WTO must be abolished as soon as possible.

JAMES K. SAYRE

San Carlos

Address all correspondence to Letters to Business, San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103, or send e-mail to bizletters@sfgate.com. Include your name, address and phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity.

LOAD-DATE: March 6, 2000