For a long time now, I have gritted my teeth every time a politician, under the guise of a "public service announcement," campaigns at public expense for purely and calculated blatant political purposes.

As insurance commissioner, Cory Fong was bad, but at least his constant radio and TV spots were a little subtle.

Adam Hamm, insurance commissioner and candidate for election, is far worse. In a carefully scripted but obvious ploy, he first denied Blue Cross Blue Shield a rate increase and orchestrated substantial publicity for that action. He then immediately followed that up with his "Hamm-handed" spots on both radio and TV, featuring an elderly woman singing his praises, all paid for with taxpayer money.

Is that really how we want our hard-earned tax dollars spent? I am further offended that he thinks we're so stupid we won't see through his rather obvious ploy, that we'll see him as our champion out to slay the BCBS dragon and we'll elect him insurance commissioner. I further suspect visions of higher office sugar plums are dancing in his head.

I say, let's derail this fellow right now in the only way we can: Defeat him in the upcoming election. I have filed an open records request to determine just how much Fong has spent and Hamm intends to spend. That information will be disseminated to the media. Maybe in that way, we can put a stop to these charades. Public service announcements serve a very legitimate purpose. We just don't need to see political candidates starring in them. Finally, I don't know whether BCBS deserves a rate increase or not, but Hamm certainly expects to generate a lot of publicity in that dispute. Read between the lines. I, for one, just don't think he is acting in good faith or in our (as opposed to his own) best interest.