Vision Problems?

The New Year is fast upon us, bringing with it the opportunity to fulfill resolutions and execute well-made plans. As visions of eggnog and holiday delights recede into memory, most of us are eager to get back to work. Politicians in Raleigh are no exception, churning out higher taxes and new laws.

If you filled your car up with gas this week, you may have noticed the increase in our state gasoline tax, effective January 1st. This increase tacks 2.8 cents on to every gallon of gasoline you purchase, bringing the total gas tax to 29.9 cents. The recent tax hike is expected to bring in close to $150 million in revenue. Some legislators and analysts are breaking with Governor Mike Easley (who supports the tax increase), and are working instead to freeze gas taxes. Due to grassroots efforts, a joint legislative committee will meet today discussing the issue.

In other news, attending kindergarten in North Carolina just got a little more expensive. Five-year-olds entering public school in the fall (2006-2007) will now be required to obtain an additional eye exam. The general eye exam given by physicians during the standard, mandatory “Health Assessment” will no longer be sufficient to gain admittance to public kindergarten. Now, these students must also have a “comprehensive eye examination,” which can only be given by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

This little legislative surprise was tucked away on page 181 of the 364-page budget (Section 10.59F (g), reproduced, here). The new mandate will impact parental pocketbooks directly, to the tune of about $75, unless family income is less than 250% of the federal poverty level (that means a family of 4 must make less than $48,375 a year to receive assistance).

To what do we owe this ocular overkill? Have we seen a rise in the number of five-year-olds with vision problems? Does research reveal students are suffering from undiagnosed optical ills? Are teachers and principals clamoring for more eye exams because students can’t see the blackboard? The answer to all of these questions is an emphatic “no.” Why, then, was this provision added to the budget? The answer is pretty simple, really: follow the money trail.

During the 2004 campaign, optometrists gave more than $125,000 to legislative and Council of State candidates, with over $59,000 alone going to House Speaker Jim Black. Speaker Black clearly remembered his benefactors when it came time to crunch the numbers, playing a key role in inserting the aforementioned “Black’s Eye Exam Scam” into the budget. Speaker Black, an optometrist himself, will help net his visionary colleagues close to $8 million annually. Speaker Black’s questionable politics call Nikita Khrushchev‘s cynical comment to mind, “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge, even where there is no river.”

Clearly, there’s no metaphorical “river” here, and no problem that warrants fixing. The eyes of North Carolina schoolchildren are in good hands already, say a raft of knowledgeable professionals, including pediatricians, school officials, ophthalmologists, Prevent Blindness NC, and the North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA lobbied against the provision). NCSBA (along with other groups) will try to get this requirement repealed in the short session. But such a change will come only if we make our voices heard. Please contact your Representative and Senator to inform them of your views on this provision.

In the end, this new law is pretty transparent to the naked eye. It isn’t about helping kids see better; rather, it’s political payback to a special interest group − a group whose goals are well-represented by Speaker Black. But as an elected representative, shouldn’t he represent the best interests of his constituents?

Lindalyn Kakadelis writes Lindalyn’s Journal for the North Carolina Education Alliance. Appeared on January 5, 2005. Reprinted with permission.