Walmart, in one of their worst ways of prioritizing prices above qualities to date, turns to a foreign drug supplier, Ranbaxy Laboratories, LTD, who has repeatedly been investigated by the FDA and the DoJ for "inadequate" safeguards against contamination, falsification of records and submitting false information to the FDA.
On top of that, just eight months before the FDA inspected Ranbaxy's Paonta Sahib plant and found significant violations, Walmart awarded the company a "Supplier Award" for improving shipping times and performance.
In a new report on our website, we detail their multi-year spanning violations, DoJ investigation, Congressional Investigation, and list out all of the drugs made at the facility in questions. Additionally, we detail their recent violations below.
While I've been whipping attention to the fact that Senator Landrieu doesn't want to listen to her constituents on the issue, Rep. Bill Cassidy has been busy currying favor with the banking and health care industries with his plan for health care reform:
He envisions a modified form of the current Health Savings Accounts that would "wrap around" to cover catastrophic treatment as well as preventative treatment.
So ... folks who work, and contribute to the Health Savings Account set up by their employer would be okay ... until they or their children get cancer, a heart attack, or some other catastrophic illness, which would deplete the money in said health savings account.
How would this rein in the costs? It won't.
How would this increase access to health care? It won't.
Pray tell what would this idiotic plan do, other than giving banks more fees to charge, and health care providers more opportunities to over-charge for medical services?
Lucky for us, y'all can ask the Congressman himself at the town hall meeting he's holding in the auditorium at Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center tomorrow at 5:30 PM.
The debate on healthcare reform is intensifying in Washington and across the country. This is not a debate taking place in the abstract.
Louisiana stands to benefit greatly from reform — if the final package includes the so-called "Public Option." The public option is a proposal by President Obama to offer working-age Americans the opportunity to buy health insurance coverage similar to coverage currently available to those over 65 through Medicare.
Health insurance companies oppose this, saying that the government will ultimately drive them from the field; that they won't be able to compete. The public, according to polls, is not buying that argument. Various polls report public support for the public option to be running 70 percent and higher.
That probably has something to do with the experiences those with insurance have had with insurance companies over the years. The insurance companies have not endeared themselves to the American public through their arbitrary denials of coverage, refusal to pay claims, and general ripping off of consumers and businesses over the years.
Charlie Melancon hasn't announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, yet the Sinning Senator David Vitter is ALREADY peeing in his diapers on the news that Charlie's considering a campaign for the Senate. After all, Sinning Senator, why send out this email if you're confident of victory:
News flash to the Sinning Senator ... Charlie actually believes in the family values you ran on in every single campaign prior to this one. Unlike you, he hasn't had to admit being a patron of prostitutes. And he's a pro-life, pro-gun Democrat. Is the old, tired "he's a liberal" argument all you got? If so, we'll be swearing in a new Senator come January 2011.
There's a vigil tonight in front of the LSU Student Union at 8 PM for the Iranian protestors. If you haven't been attention, I highly suggest you do so ... click here, here and here for the latest.
The picture at right is of Neda Agha Soltan, a 26 year old woman who was a woman who loved life ...
Travel was her passion, and with her friends she saved up enough money for package tours to Dubai, Turkey and Thailand. Two months ago, on a trip to Turkey, she relaxed along the beaches of Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast.
She also loved music, especially Persian pop, and was taking piano lessons, according to Panahi and other friends. She was also an accomplished singer, they said.
... who was never political until the votes of her and her countrymen were stolen.
So, if you can be there, be there. Tonight. At 8 PM. At the LSU Student Union.
UPDATE:A first-hand account, according to the The Guardian of the UK:
I only want to speak about what I have witnessed. I am a medical student. There was chaos at the trauma section in one of our main
hospitals. Although by decree, all riot-related injuries were supposed to be sent to military hospitals, all other hospitals were filled to the rim. Last night, nine people died at our hospital and another 28 had gunshot wounds. All hospital employees were crying till dawn. They (government) removed the dead bodies on back of trucks, before we were even able to get their names or other information. What can you even say to the people who don't even respect the dead. No one was allowed to speak to the wounded or get any information from them. This morning the faculty and the students protested by gathering at the lobby of the hospital where they were confronted by plain cloths anti-riot militia, who in turn closed off the hospital and imprisoned the staff.
Strange things are happening in the current legislative session. Usually when a bill fails to pass in either the House or the Senate, that bill is dead for the session. Apparently, that's not the case this year.
HB 780 (pdf alert), the bill that would have prohibited the state from buying up the land necessary to build the Charity Hospital that LSU wants that was killed in the Senate Education Committee by none other than New Orlean's own State Senator Ann Duplessis.
However, since LSU is bickering over the composition of the board to oversee the new Charity, the state has decided to halt the acquisition process in an attempt to leverage their power of the purse. More importantly, it appears that the State Senate may have revived a bare-bones version of HB 780 ... thanks to State Senator Jack Donahue, who is the sponsor of Senate Resolution 116 (pdf alert), which:
"requests the LSU Board of Supervisors to submit all of its existing business plans and all supporting data for the development of a replacement for the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans to the Senate by 3 pm on Tuesday, June 23, 2009."
It'll be interesting to see if LSU wins this battle, or lose it. For what it's worth, as an LSU Law grad, I think they ought to lose this one for the simple reason that the money just ain't there for LSU to build all three phases of their proposed complex. Makes far more sense to gut Charity, and use the shell to rebuild a world-class facility. And it can be done, according to this report, for half the cost of building a whole new complex:
I discussed HB 340 two weeks ago, speculating that HB 340 was designed to be on the November 2, 2010 ballot, which would help drive turnout of religious voters for the Sinning Senator David Vitter.
HB 340 would amend the Louisiana Constitution to add language to our freedom of religion clause, which, as currently constituted, copies word for word the federal freedom of religion clause, written by the framers of the U.S. Constitution.
A Kingfish reader, Randall T. Hayes, sent me an email pointing out: (emphasis added)
I just wanted to point out that HB 340, as originally proposed, did schedule the proposed amendment for the Nov. 2 ballot. However, a Senate amendment changed that date to August 28. The House declined to concur with that Senate amendment, so HB 340 is now in conference committee. It may, in fact, result in just the scenario you initially described.
Mr. Hayes is right ... and the bill is still pending in conference committee. They have until the close of session tomorrow to agree on the date. Either way, if it goes on the ballot, it will still help the Sinning Senator in his quest for re-election.
And I'm not sure the god-fearin', family values appreciatin' folks of Louisiana really want to have a Sinning Senator representin' 'em anymore.
Fox News' own right-wing nutbag Sean Hannity said the following last night:
If you're going to be a family-values candidate and a family-values politician, and you don't live up to that, I think you should resign.
Of course, Hannity said this in response to Nevada's Republican Senator John Ensign cheating on his wife with a staffer's wife, not David Vitter cheating on his wife, kids, and constituents with prostitutes, but the message is quite clear. Even conservatives (heck, especially conservatives) should be put off by one of their own not living up to their own standards. Conservatives should not stand with Sinning Senators, as much (if not moreso) for the hypocrisy as the sin itself. We'll have to wait and see how principled "family values" conservatives are on this issue when it comes to David Vitter.
As you know, there have been many calls to action over the past two weeks directed at getting folks to call, email and sign a petition that will be delivered to Senator Landrieu with respect to the public health care option in any health care reform bill.
So it struck me as curious that Senator Landrieu's new spokesman, Aaron Saunders, would email the Bayou Buzz this statement:
In a separate statement, Saunders wrote to Bayoubuzz the following in connection with the criticisms: "In addition, since these ads were first launched, the majority of Louisianians who have called our office have encouraged Sen. Landrieu to oppose, not support, a public option."
So I called the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lake Charles and Shreveport offices today. The staffers who answered were very pleasant, and I asked them if they kept a running tally of pro and anti calls regarding various issues. They said yes, and I asked if they were tracking calls on the public option. They said yes. I then asked if they could tell me what the tallies were for their office. Here are the responses:
New Orleans: We've gotten calls for both. Baton Rouge:Generally, they've been more pro-public option. Lake Charles: We've gotten calls for both, but more opposed. Shreveport:The staffer said they couldn't speak for everyone in the office, but they personally received more against a public option.
After all those calls, I emailed Mr. Saunders for comment on the tallies he spoke of to Bayou Buzz. His reply: (emphasis added)
In the last couple weeks, more than half the Louisiana callers who have contacted our office have opposed a public option.
Our office has a long-standing policy not to make call/letter tallies public. So we have no comment beyond the above statement.
Now, I can't speak for the calls into D.C., but I find it curious that there would be more calls opposing a public option when there hasn't been a coordinated effort to deluge Senator Landrieu with calls opposing a public health insurance option.
In addition, with a seemingly super majority of voters supporting a national health care plan, this tells me either:
1. Louisiana is outside of the mainstream of American political thought; OR
2. The Senator's staff is protecting the Senator.
So, which is it? Is Louisiana really that far out the mainstream of American public opinion when it comes to desiring a public health plan as part of any health care reform package? Or is the Senator's staff protecting her?
The only way we'll know for sure is for the Senator to release her tallies ... broken down daily, if possible.
As you can see, 72% of respondents to the poll support a public health insurance plan, including 50% of Republicans. Will someone please inform the Sinning Senator David Vitter that half of his party's voters support a public health insurance plan as part of any health care reform bill?
More importantly, will someone please let Senator Landrieu know? She's broken a pledge she made to support a public health insurance plan that she made two months ago.
Senator Landrieu:
Washington D.C.: (202) 224-5824
New Orleans: (504) 589-2427
Baton Rouge: (225) 389-0395
Shreveport: (318) 676-3085
Lake Charles: (337) 436-6650
Senator Vitter:
Washington D.C.: (202) 224-4623
Alexandria: (318) 448-0169
Monroe: (318) 325-8120
Shreveport: (318) 861-0437
Metairie: (504) 589-2753
Lake Charles: (337) 436-0453
Lafayette: (337) 262-6898
Baton Rouge: (225) 383-0331
Folks, if our Senators don't hear from you, then they can assume that you don't care about how they vote. Call 'em, email 'em, or, if they're in the state, personally bug 'em about their stance on a public health insurance plan.
It seems apparent that all the insurance industry and health care industry money has had an effect on the way that various Senators are leaning with respect to including a public health care plan into any health care reform undertaken by Congress this year.
To that end, a group - Louisianans for Real Health Care Reform - has sent out a press release calling for Senators Landrieu and Vitter to return any money they've received from the healthcare industry: (emphasis added)
NEW ORLEANS, LA.- June 22, 2009 - Today, Louisianans for Real Healthcare Reform called on Louisiana's two senators to return the millions of dollars in campaign donations they have received from the healthcare industry.
Senators Vitter and Landrieu have come under intense criticism for an alleged conflict of interest in their acceptance of millions of dollars in contributions from the health insurance lobby, while at the same time opposing the inclusion of a public option to compete with private health insurance companies as a part of President Obama's plan for healthcare reform.
To remedy this, the group has asked Senator Vitter and Senator Landrieu to return the millions of dollars they have received from the insurance lobby. Zach Hudson, a spokesperson for the group, said that it is the only way for them to maintain credibility if they continue to oppose a public plan.
"Senator Vitter and Senator Landrieu have disappointed the working men and women of Louisiana in their opposition to a public plan that would dramatically lower the cost and increase choice for their constituents' healthcare," he said.
"If it is true what they say, that contributions are not effecting how they vote on healthcare reform, then as an article of faith they should return the money they received from these companies. Only then can they vote with a clear conscience and without any personal or political motivations."
Hudson went on to add that there is still time for the two Senators to change their minds on healthcare reform. "While we obviously have low expectations of Senator Vitter, given his history, Senator Landrieu has a proven track record of fighting and winning for Louisiana's working families. We still have hope that she will continue to stand with them and not with the insurance lobby."
Louisianans for Real Healthcare Reform is a grassroots coalition of activists, bloggers, students, and concerned citizens dedicated to pressuring Louisiana's congressional delegation to support a comprehensive healthcare reform plan that will lower cost and increase choice for the citizens of Louisiana.
I share Mr. Hudson's doubt that the Sinning Senator David Vitter will return any money that he has received, whether it be from the healthcare industry or the brothel industry on Bourbon Street.
Senator Landrieu's office continues to have no further comment beyond what they sent out last week:
Senator Landrieu is committed to reforming the health care system and ensuring that all Americans are covered. She is currently reviewing all of the reform proposals, but does not believe that health care reform starts with a public option. Sen. Landrieu supports a predominantly private system that features a federal backup plan that serves as a safety net. This approach is part of the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act, which she has co-sponsored. As the debate proceeds, Sen. Landrieu is open to compromise in a comprehensive legislative package, and is focused on appropriate consumer protection and patient-centered care.
However, Senator Landrieu's proven track record of fighting and winning for Louisiana's working families is on the line. If she refuses to support a public option, that proven track record will be stopped, and she will have to restart it anew.
Local political reporter Clancy DuBos appeared on WWL-TV to talk about Rep. Charlie Melancon chances against the Sinning Senator in next year's Senate race. WWL-TV needs to make their videos embeddable, but since they don't, here's the transcript of what Mr. DuBos had to say:
Clancy Dubos: Vitter of course, is the incumbent. He's not necessarily a favorite against a guy like Melancon, because Melancon is clearly the best that the Democrats have to offer against an incumbent like Vitter.
Lee Zurik: Dubos says that's because of Melancon's heritage - the Napoleonville native will intrigue what Dubos calls the key bloc of voters in this race.
Clancy Dubos: Louisiana basically has three big groups of voters, you have blacks, you have, uh, WASPS, white Anglo-Saxon protestants, or bubbas, and you have Cajuns. And the Cajuns, traditionally, are the swing vote.
Lee Zurik: And Dubos says the Cajuns in Acadiana and parishes like Terrebonne and Lafourche could decide this election.
Clancy Dubos: Vitter got elected the first time because he was able to get a significant portion of the Acadiana vote. Melancon, as a native son, and as a conservative, will probably have first call on a lot of Cajun votes, and that will make it tough for Vitter - not impossible.
The most recent public poll done by Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 3/2-4. Registered voters. MoE 4%. (No trend lines)
David Vitter (R) 48 Charlie Melancon (D) 41
Even better were the favorable/unfavorable numbers:
Candidate
Favorable
Unfavorable
Net (Fav - Unfav)
Sinning Senator Vitter (R)
49%
42%
7
Rep. Charlie Melancon (D)
43%
18%
25%
While I agree with Mr. DuBos that the Cajun voters will be a swing vote, I believe it is vital that any Democrat that runs against the Sinning Senator spend a disproportionate amount of time up in Central and Northern Louisiana pressing the flesh. For a candidate like Melancon, this will be extremely vital.
The question is ... will Melancon run? An announcement is expected in a few weeks.
Oh, wait ... only when it comes to shilling for big business (and Governor PBJ's presidential ambitions). After all, the Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations voted 4-2 to defer a bill (HB 841) that would have allowed the State to accept $98 million from the federal government to modernize the way unemployment benefits eligibility are calculated.
The reason that unemployment benefits eligibility needs to "modernized" is because Louisiana currently excludes the most recent three to six months of employment when they calculate a worker's unemployment benefits. In this economy, where a worker may spend 6 months out of work, and then 6 to 8 months working before being laid off again, modernization is vital.
Why are the Republicans in this state against modernizing the way unemployment benefits are calculated? Because it may lead to an increase in the unemployment taxes that employers pay.
"I am stunned that an amendment to raise taxes on Louisiana businesses was so quietly put through the House today by the committee chairman," said Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie.
"I am very disappointed by the way this amendment was snuck onto legislation on the House floor," Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson, said."
Ummm ... when the Speaker informs you, not once, but TWICE that the legislation being considered is available to read on your computers, then guess what? READ THE DAMN THING! It's not like we pay you for that. Oh, wait, we do.
The Times-Picayune is reporting that Congressman Melancon has decided to plan a run for the Senate against the Sinning Senator David Vitter.
I'll believe this when I see the following occur:
An announcement from Shaw Chairman (and former Democratic State Party Chairman) Jim Bernhard that he will NOT be a candidate for the Senate in 2010.
An announcement of a committee being set up by Congressman Melancon to start raising money for a Senate campaign.
While Congressman Melancon may be a good candidate for the Senate, I have some concerns about a Melancon candidacy. The weakness of the Sinning Senator David Vitter lies not in South Louisiana, but in Central and North Louisiana, where he spends the majority of his time in-state on campaign style events.
Thus, it makes more sense in my mind, at least, to have the Democratic candidate come from this region. Now, don't get the idea that I'm advocating for Foster Campbell to be the Democratic standard bearer against the Sinning Senator ... I'm not.
But unless a candidate from Central or Northern Louisiana emerges, (paging state Senator Eric LaFleur) the Democratic nominee, if it is Bernhard or Melancon, better be prepared to spend A LOT of time next year in Central and Northern Louisiana pressing the flesh. And I'm not confident that Congressman Melancon would be willing to do that.
Hopefully, if he is the nominee, he'll prove me wrong.
One of the biggest issues currently being negotiated in secret right now in Congress is health care reform. Arguably, every other issue pales in comparison with health care reform because health care costs are a major expenditure for most Americans.
While we know that Senator Landrieu has broken a pledge she made two months ago, and that Senator Vitter will tout the virtues of the the private insurance system as a wonder of freedom for people, it is vital that we get them on the record. Indeed, it is vital to get the entire United States Senate - the main obstacle to true health care reform - on the record.
To that end, Democracy for America, Health Care for America NOW, and the big national blogs and numerous state blogs like the Kingfish have launched a campaign to get our Senators on the record to put an end to the backroom deals on health care:
No more dodges. No more vague, open-ended responses. We need every member of the Senate - the main obstacle to reform - to answer four questions on the public option:
Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?
If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?
Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?
Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?
As activists and as constituents, answering these questions are the minimum they owe us. We are entitled to specific, clear, written responses to all of these questions.
Email--don't call, but email--these four questions to your Senators now. Make it clear that you want a written response to all four questions. There needs to be as little room for interpretation as possible. The Senate is going to be the biggest hurdle on health care, as it has proven to the biggest hurdle on all legislation in 2009. That is where we must focus our pressure.
When you receive a response, post it on this webpage. We are going to collect all of the responses to find out where every member of Congress, but especially the Democratic members, stand on the public option. It is only with this information that we can prevent backroom deals that will sell us out to insurance companies.
Yesterday, Change Congress and Democracy for America joined forces in publicizing a pressure campaign against Senator Mary Landrieu for her flip-flopping on the issue of a public health insurance option as part of health care reform. If you want Senator Landrieu to vote for a public health insurance option as part of any health reform legislation, then click here to let her know.
Her staff put out this statement yesterday in response to that campaign:
Senator Landrieu is committed to reforming the health care system and ensuring that all Americans are covered. She is currently reviewing all of the reform proposals, but does not believe that health care reform starts with a public option. Sen. Landrieu supports a predominantly private system that features a federal backup plan that serves as a safety net. This approach is part of the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act, which she has co-sponsored.
As the debate proceeds, Sen. Landrieu is open to compromise in a comprehensive legislative package, and is focused on appropriate consumer protection and patient-centered care.
What is absolutely galling is the fact that Senator Landrieu sees siding with the public on a public health insurance option as a "compromise" on this issue.
On top of that, Lamar has a great post on the failings of the private health insurance system we currently have, which leaves people to fend for themselves, and bend the law in order to get health coverage. Making tweaks to such a system to keep the private health insurers afloat is NOT the way to go, Senator.
In a few minutes, Change Congress and Democracy for America are announcing a new pressure campaign aimed at Senator Landieu, including $10,000 in online ads linking to this petition asking her to support a public health insurance option in any health care reform bill that comes out of Congress. If you already support a public option, click here OR on the ad to the right to sign the petition. If you want to know more about this thing, keep on reading!
Last week, Senator Landrieu stated that she didn't support a public option with respect to health care reform, which represents a break with a pledge that she signed back in April to support a comprehensive health care reform bill that included a public health care option.
Yet, after a week of phone calls, emails, letters and faxes deluging her staff, the Senator apparently dug in on her new position: (emphasis added)
Senator Landrieu is committed to reforming the health care system and ensuring that all Americans are covered. She is reviewing all of the reform proposals. Senator Landrieu does not believe that health care reform starts with a public option. However, she is open to compromise in a comprehensive legislative package, and is focused on appropriate consumer protection and patient-centered care.
One of those uninsured Louisianans is Karen Gadbois, a breast cancer survivor who has worked tirelessly to highlight the corruption in post-Katrina New Orleans via Squandered Heritage. Karen works full-time, yet still cannot afford health insurance because of her status as a breast cancer survivor.
It's time to let the Senator know that we expect her to vote for her constituents and not her campaign donors. If you want the Senator Landrieu to vote "AYE" on a health care reform bill that includes a public option to help YOU and folks like Karen, then click here OR on the image on the upper right of this post, and sign Change Congress' petition. I already have, and have sent out emails asking my friends to do the same.
Let's leverage that, and flood the Senator's offices with more calls, emails, and petitions this week. Click here to sign that petition!
UPDATE at 12:10 PM: The Senator's office released this statement to me via email: (emphasis added)
Senator Landrieu is committed to reforming the health care system and ensuring that all Americans are covered. She is currently reviewing all of the reform proposals, but does not believe that health care reform starts with a public option. Sen. Landrieu supports a predominantly private system that features a federal backup plan that serves as a safety net. This approach is part of the bipartisan Healthy Americans Act, which she has co-sponsored.
As the debate proceeds, Sen. Landrieu is open to compromise in a comprehensive legislative package, and is focused on appropriate consumer protection and patient-centered care.
Senator, unless the insurance companies have to compete to sign up Americans, coverage will likely not be affordable. Real competition breeds affordability. Make them compete with a public health insurance program.
Folks, the Senator needs to hear from YOU more than ever. Click here to sign that petition!
Walmart, in one of their worst ways of prioritizing prices above qualities to date, turns to a foreign drug supplier, Ranbaxy Laboratories, LTD, who has repeatedly been investigated by the FDA and the DoJ for "inadequate" safeguards against contamination, falsification of records and submitting false information to the FDA.
The debate on healthcare reform is intensifying in Washington and across the country. This is not a debate taking place in the abstract.
