Howard Speaks at White House Economic ConferenceLocation: Washington, DC
December 15, 2004 At the invitation of the White House, Common Good chair Philip K. Howard appeared with the President at the White House Economic Conference on December 15, 2004.
Howard, formerly an advisor on legal reform to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, discussed the "hidden costs" of legal fear that "weigh heavily not only on our economy, but on the very fabric of our culture."
"Americans in all walks of life--teachers, doctors, nurses, ministers, Little League coaches, as well as business managers and investors--no longer feel free to do what's right," Howard said.
Howard emphasized the need for reliable law to rein in soaring healthcare costs. Forty-five percent of Americans are uninsured, but millions are spent every year on unnecessary tests ordered only to avoid a lawsuit.
Reliable law will also improve patient safety, Howard said. Leading patient safety experts from across the country have joined Common Good's bipartisan coalition because they know that the "distrust of justice has chilled professional interaction" needed to address mistakes. "Doctors and nurses are scared to speak up for fear of being legally responsible."
Our public schools, too, are being "paralyzed by law," Howard said. "Teachers in inner-city schools have lost control of the classroom, in large part because of fear of litigation."
Howard made special note of Common Good's Over Ruled study, which found--among other things--that it can take up to 105 days to suspend a disruptive student in some public schools.
Howard called on the White House and on all Americans to remember "why law is the foundation of freedom." Reliable law gives people confidence that "justice will protect their reasonable judgments."
Download Philip K. Howard's full remarks.
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