And while we're on the subject . . .

So, as I just said, CDC has given us a checklist to evaluate our state and local public health infrastructure and preparedness, but talk is cheap. According to the APHA newsletter The Nation's Health, the FY 2006 federal budget proposal from the White House cuts funding for state and local emergency preparedness by $130 million. HHS claimed that the reason for the cuts was that the states couldn't absorb their grant funds. The CDC's cooperative agreement with the states previously focused on building infrastructure and capacity, but the new one will focus on measuring the public health system's preparedness.

I'm all for measuring, as you know -- but the purpose of taking measurements is to build.