Bush administration officials tried to suppress important public health reports because of political considerations. The administration would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke. The report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.

This is a good example why we need open data, as proposed by the OECD, and tools for citizens to meaningfully analyze the raw data, without interference by political hacks.

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