Hits and Misses
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman made headlines last week when his office revealed he had checked into Walter Reed Medical Center to receive treatment for clinical depression. Studies have found that depression is common among adults who have suffered strokes, as Fetterman did last year, and, according to a statement, Fetterman has struggled with depression intermittently throughout his life. Fetterman is not the only U.S. senator who has admitted to dealing with depression – Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, said she has experienced depression, and gave a speech on the Senate floor about it in 2019. Also, Fetterman is hardly alone when you look at the United States as a whole. Several studies have found that about 10% of Americans suffer from depression, with rates increasing among young adults and teenagers. Fetterman’s admission will, perhaps, lead others to seek help. Akin Olla, an opinion writer for The Guardian, pointed out, “Every day, millions of depressed Americans go to work, and the country wouldn’t function without them. … Fetterman seeking treatment should not trigger calls of incompetency. Instead, it should trigger empathy and questions of how we can ensure others can seek the help they need.”
Think about this: When Diana Irey Vaughan began her tenure as a Washington County commissioner, video stores stuffed full of VHS tapes dotted the landscape, Bill Clinton was still in his first term as president, “ER,” “Seinfeld” and “Friends” were the top-rated TV shows, and Hootie and the Blowfish were topping the charts. Having first been elected in 1995, Irey Vaughan announced this week that she will not be seeking reelection, saying it was “a hard decision.” Over the course of her lengthy tenure, Irey Vaughan said she was proudest of the expansion of Southpointe, keeping the millage rate mostly steady and expanding broadband throughout the county. As you would expect, Irey Vaughan has come under her fair share of criticism over the course of her tenure – most recently, she has come under fire from fellow Republicans for not chasing baseless allegations the 2020 election was rigged against Donald Trump – but both her critics and supporters should not doubt her commitment to Washington County and the value of her service.
To err is human, and because public officials are human, they’re bound to occasionally make mistakes. But some officials in Spain have committed a blunder of truly epic proportions. After approving more than $200 million on new commuter trains for the northern part of the country, it turns out they are too wide to fit through some tunnels. Spain’s transportation secretary has resigned, along with the leader of the country’s rail operator. Though officials say no money has been lost because work on the trains was halted once the mistake was discovered, it will result in a two-year delay on the delivery of the trains. This whole debacle demonstrates that something as simple and inexpensive as a tape measure can save a whole lot of grief.