In defense of Preyra
I’m writing in response to Gerry Walsh’s claptrap (Letters, February 11), of my own volition, without the knowledge of Leonard Preyra or any other MLA. I happen to believe in our democratic system, as flawed as it may be, and I am sick and tired of people like Dr. Walsh tearing it down for transparently self-serving reasons.
The self-righteous indignation coming from the losing Liberal candidate in Halifax Citadel last June is laughable. As though Saint Gerry from the party that turned political corruption in Nova Scotia into an art form would somehow have been immune to the growing witch hunt stemming from the auditor general’s report!
Honest mistakes describe the large majority of the “questionable” MLA expenses of all parties flagged by the auditor general, and the reimbursement of Dr. Preyra’s airline ticket is a case in point: You plan a business trip, and you want to take along a family member. You buy both tickets on your credit card, and submit the paperwork for reimbursement for your ticket. There is just one receipt, so you submit that, making a note that only yours is to be reimbursed. Paperwork goes from office to office, desk to desk, and along the way the entire receipt somehow gets reimbursed. This reimbursement, along with numerous others, comes on a single large cheque several weeks, even months later.
Now other than the fact that the system isn’t perfect, where’s the scandal here? An audit detected the error and the overpayment was paid back. The real scandal is the depths to which people like Dr. Walsh will stoop to gain a political advantage. Dr. Walsh ran against Dr. Preyra, and knows full well of Dr. Preyra’s honour and integrity. And yet he chooses to participate in dragging an honourable man’s reputation through the mud. Even for an old-time Liberal, Dr. Walsh’s self-serving opportunism and disingenuity are breathtaking. —Dr. David Clarke, Halifax
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This article appears in Feb 18-24, 2010.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, in consultation with Canadian experts in the epidemiology of MS, has announced a revision to the estimated number of Canadians who have MS. They now estimate that there are likely between 55,000 and 75,000 Canadians living with this unpredictable disease. In October 2005, researchers at the University of Calgary reported in the journal Multiple Sclerosis that the overall weighted estimate of MS prevalence in Canada is 240 per 100,000 individuals. Quite a high number!!
We are very excited to hear about this new liberation procedure. This endovascular treatment (CCSVI), with the limitation of a short follow up, improves significantly the validated outcome measure in people with multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Paolo Zamboni’s findings are very high in success rates and the residence of Nova Scvotia “DESERVE” funding for these test and procedures. Canada has one of the “highest” numbers of MS sufferers in the world and yet we have no means of fixing this issue.
Nova Scotia residence are wondering where the money we raise goes? We have many groups doing fund rasing for this cause…. yet we see no head way in getting this equipment here in nova Scotia. It is causing GREAT concern with or residence as to why we are not yet approved for this procedure and to where the money is actually going.