Editorials
Monday, July 7, 1997CRITICISM of the city's drug-testing program is gaining momentum. The City Council, to its credit, has been paying attention. The Council should be encouraged to see to it that the loopholes are eliminated. City Council should
improve drug programA letter from Straub Hospital, which provides services for city workers with drug problems, has provided more ammunition for the critics. Writing to city Personnel Director Sandra Ebesu, Straub's employee assistance program coordinator, Patricia Anderson, cited three instances in which city employees returning to work after undergoing drug treatment did not receive follow-up testing. She noted that failure to provide drug testing as required by federal mandate "is an issue of public safety and exposes the city and county to unnecessary liability."
Disclosure of the letter, which was dated May 27, prompted Councilman Duke Bainum to complain that Ebesu and Corporation Counsel David Arakawa had painted an overly positive picture of the city's program. Bainum and other members of the Health and Safety Committee were angered when they received copies of Anderson's letter, which had not been mentioned by Ebesu and Arakawa.
The controversy was launched by an accusation by Dr. John Hall, chief of the city Health Services Division, that the Harris administration has been lax in enforcing drug policies for workers with commercial drivers licenses, most of whom are members of the United Public Workers. UPW director Gary Rodrigues has asked the mayor to eliminate Hall's job, charging that Hall has blocked employees from returning to work after they had been cleared by their personal physicians.
The issue has strong political overtones because Rodrigues' union is a major player in election campaigns and Jeremy Harris undoubtedly wants its endorsement if he runs for governor. Cracking down on UPW drug abusers could displease Rodrigues.
Ebesu points out that the state and the counties are still negotiating with the UPW on a statewide drug testing policy. Even so, the Council should explore ways to strengthen the testing program, if only on an interim basis. Councilman Bainum, who is a physician, should be especially concerned about this.
ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has provoked Palestinians repeatedly since his election a year ago -- by creating a new exit to an ancient tunnel in the vicinity of a Muslim holy place in Jerusalem, by building housing for Israelis in an Arab section of Jerusalem and by relinquishing less land than expected to the Palestinians in the West Bank. But Netanyahu can hardly be blamed for the latest resurgence of rioting. Fanning the flames
CHARLES Kuralt, who died on the Fourth of July, epitomized the best of both discovering Americana and of American broadcast journalism. The 62-year-old CBS newsman had one of the best jobs on television news, and performed it with no peer. In his trusty motor home, Kuralt would explore the nation, capturing the folksy idiosyncrasies of small towns and their natives during his cross-country joy rides. The end of the road
Kuralt won three Peabody awards and 10 Emmys, as well the following of millions of fans who mourn his passing.
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
