Dirty Laundry for the California Medical Association
Who is Dustin Corcoran? Why, he is the CEO of the California Medical Association, “listed annually on Capitol Weekly’s top 100 power brokers in California” according to his organization’s website. He has a MBA from Southern Cal, supported raising tobacco taxes and preserving ObamaCare, and is quite the man about Sacramento. He is also a supreme, hypocritical asshat.
It’s tough to find actual quotes or position statements from Mr. Corcoran, so inundated is the Internet with his latest episode, so I offer the following from two-term CMA president Peter Bretan, MD in August: “Our ability to return to school and work depends on everyone wearing face coverings when they are out in public. The science is clear — masks help stop the transmission of COVID-19 and are needed to keep Californians safe.”
Okay. The CMA also said via Twitter: “Anyone who wants businesses to reopen and schools to open in the fall should wear a mask. Anyone who wants to slow the spread of COVID-19 should wear a mask. Anyone who wants to protect themselves, their neighbor and their community should wear a mask. Wear a mask.” And https://www.cmadocs.org/newsroom/news/view/ArticleId/48981/California-Medical-Association-launches-new-WearAMaskCA-ad
Okay. Over the past 8 months, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been quite vociferous in his passion to save lives via masks, business closures, and lockdowns, joined by equally compassionate mayors in attempting to turn the Golden State into a sort of giant uterus, wherein all the citizens will float in sweet civic slumber, without need for recreation, rent money, or in-person schooling…to save lives.
All the closures and lockdowns have cut down on the auto traffic, and left Gov. Newsom with plenty of free time. So as you might have read, he joined a 50th birthday party for a powerful lobbyist named Jason Kinney. The party at a $400 per plate restaurant in Napa land called “The French Laundry” featured a private dining room, and a crowd noisy enough that the sliding glass partition had to be pulled. The governor, who has forbidden citizens to gather in groups in private homes for Thanksgiving, was seated like a normal human at a full table, with no one wearing a mask. But that’s not why we’re talking about this. An arrogant duke like Newsom is expected to behave like a third-world thug these days.
No, the story is pertinent here because of his dining partners. The guest of honor, Kinney, is a big-time PR consultant, political campaign advisor, who was instrumental in the rise of California’s marijuana industry. Also joining the merry band were the California Medical Association’s CEO Dustin Corcoran, and its lobbyist Janus Norman (previously a public sector union “legislative advocate”, ahem).
I have tried to find statements from Corcoran, Norman, or the CMA that support Newsom’s idiotic lockdown decree, but have thus far been unsuccessful, so I won’t make any claims.
What we DO know:
1. The California governor insists everyone wear a mask: “Don’t forget to keep your mask on in between bites” (a real quote).
2. The California Medical Association has supported these mask mandates.
3. Two of the CMA’s top dogs were at that dinner, unmasked, at a full table.
Will the CMA president Dr. Bretan insist on Corcoran’s resignation? Nah. The CMA released the following: “Dustin Corcoran and Janus Norman attended a private 50th birthday dinner for their friend Jason Kinney earlier this month. The dinner was held in accordance with state and county guidelines.” That is a demonstrable lie.
Will CMA president Dr. Bretan resign in protest? I know, I thought that was funny too.
In a year full of so many horrible lessons, 2020 should have taught us that we do NOT want politically motivated doctors in charge of economic, social, or even health policy, and that goes for their medical organizations too. Their methods and scruples are on par with the sleaziest TV preachers, but they are given far more destructive power.
The rhetoric about “saving lives” has been drummed all year by medical professionals to perpetrate, and cover for some truly horrible abuses. Like a politician preaching “love”, when a doctor starts talking about “saving lives” through government force, run in fear. They are narcissistic, corrupt, and will invariably harm far more than help. Their greed and stupidity are harming a great many of their colleagues, a great many patients, and society at large. Arrogant fixers like Newsom, Kinney, and Norman are parasites that will consume whatever they can. “Professionals” like Corcoran and Bretan enable them, and likewise are contemptible villains.
What a piece of shit! Everyone should immediately abandon the Fking CMA.
Oh gosh, My lovely spouse passed away at a much too young age in January 2019. I should’a croaked first as she was 5 years younger than me. This is bullcrap. If I’m in public, I wear a mask, period.
During the “Great Influenza” in 1917-1918 the stupid gauze masks that people wore were totally inadequate to prevent transmission of the flu virus. In this day and age, the paper masks made, I believe, have the potential to filter out the viral particles that can get one sick with Covid.
I’m still doing O,K. God bless.
Kurt
Excellent assessment. I wonder why our profession even allows these charlatans to get away with these antics. I try to educate my patients about the “media medicals” as I call them. Never take what they say at face value and consider who is paying their salary.
If you guys really want to get pissed off, do a google search on the executive salaries of this non-profit CMA. The trustees make nothing. Corcoran is good for over 900K a year. That is a hell of a lot better than most physicians AND HE ONLY WORKS 35 HOURS/WEEK.
This is brilliant!
Why oh why would anyone join the California Medical Association? Or any medical association? Their only reason to exist is to fleece money from their parishioners.
Typical, do as I say, not as I do mentality. And we wonder why people are so fed up now.