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Governors Lobby For Drug Imports
by Chloe Albanesius
Several governors on Wednesday appeared before a Health and Human Services Department (HHS) task force on importing prescription drugs. They urged federal regulators to Americans purchase cheaper drugs from Canada and elsewhere.
"There is a prescription-drug crisis in America," said Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn. "Our drug companies treat the American consumer the way they do because we let them. That must stop."
The 13-member HHS task force must produce a report by December on various issues relating to drug imports, which are currently illegal. Federal authorities thus far have resisted efforts to change the law on such imports, many of which are arranged through Internet pharmacies, because of safety concerns. But Pawlenty said, "Licensed, established, credible and reputable pharmacies in Canada appear to be as safe as their counterparts in the United States."
He acknowledged that "the Internet features less-than-reputable characters promoting and distributing less-than-reputable products, [but] we are not proposing to do business with such entities."
It is "simply implausible" that a country that landed an unmanned rover on Mars cannot devise a workable importation plan, Pawlenty said. "It can be done. The real question: Do you want it to happen?" He urged the task force to not "shrink from the task."
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, lauded a prediction from HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday that a law to allow imports is "inevitable." Doyle said that is "welcome news" to people struggling to afford prescription drugs. "This is another clear sign that our efforts to get this issue on the national agenda are gaining momentum."
"We need to help our citizens gain access to lower-cost drugs in Canada through their local pharmacists," said Gov. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
In related news, the task force for a conservative policy group on Wednesday announced that it unanimously adopted a resolution opposing drug imports, Cybercast News Service reports. The American Legislative Exchange Council ruled that the Food and Drug Administration "should be allowed to do its job to protect Americans from potential dangers of illegal prescription drugs," task force Director Jim Frogue said.
Budget Woes Hamper Tech Efforts For Schools
Hampered by tight budget times, states have slowed their progress toward fully integrating technology into classrooms, according to an analysis of state educational technology conducted by Education Week.
Technology spending for schools dropped 24 percent between 2002 and 2003, senior research associate Jennifer Park said. That did not necessarily have a strong effect on students' access to the Internet, she added, but researchers found that schools "could do better incorporating technology into academic content."
South Dakota ranked number one for student access to computers, with an average of 1.4 students per computer. Wyoming ranked second, with a 2.7-to-1 ratio. Due to "sheer population," however, California was at the bottom of the list. "They're having budget problems, and technology sometimes is one of the first things to go," Park said.
However, Education Week found that many states are cutting state funding and using federal funds to keep technology programs in place. Federal funds provided through the e-rate for connecting schools to the Internet have been successful in closing the technology gap between poorer and more affluent schools, Park said.
She noted that the District of Columbia performed quite well, placing third for access to instructional computers in the classroom. "You don't hear much positive [news] about D.C.'s" school system, so the news is encouraging, she said.
Oklahoma Ready To Release Security Funds
Local communities in Oklahoma now can apply for $32 million in homeland security grants, Gov. Brad Henry announced Wednesday.
The funds, available through the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, are most needed for communications equipment that can operate across jurisdictions, as well as for a regional response system, tribal collaboration and response equipment, said Henry, a Democrat. "We know there isn't enough money to solve every problem facing Oklahoma responders, [but] these funds will be used to address some of the state's most pressing problems," he said.
Local law enforcement will use the money to increase security at local sites and facilitate information sharing among agencies via a statewide network. The funds also will be used to enhance the Medical Reserve Corps and Community Emergency Response Teams across Oklahoma. Communities have until May 21 to apply for the grants.
Arkansas, meanwhile, is developing a statewide communications system designed to improve public safety, Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Wednesday. The $27 million implementation of the Arkansas Wireless Information System will take several years to enhance the voice and data communications network currently used by the Arkansas State Police.
A confusing web of more than 200 radio systems has created chaos during recent tornado and ice-storm disasters, Huckabee said. Three counties will use use about $10 million in federal funds to test the system before the remaining 72 counties join.
In other news, the FBI has made "substantial" improvement in the length of time it takes to approve state-level security clearances, according to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report released April 30. The agency has completed about 92 percent of "top secret" security clearances within its goal of six to nine months, GAO said. The FBI completed only 26 percent of "secret" security clearances within 45 to 60 days, but GAO acknowledged that results improved over the quarters for which the office had data.
And the Atlanta Police Department has placed crime information about the city online. Residents can click on maps of Atlanta to view area crime statitsics and patterns. Users also can see breakouts of particular types of crime.
Michigan Prosecutor Eyes Identity Theft
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox on Tuesday interviewed residents of the Norlite Nursing Home in Marquette about their credit histories as part of his campaign against identity theft.
Since November 2003, Cox's office has been collecting credit information from certain senior citizens via interviews and checking that information against a free credit report to find discrepancies. If the office's comparisons reveal anything not reported by individuals, the office will investigate. ID theft is "an invisible mugging" that could have a "devastating effect on your bank accounts and credit rating," Cox said in a release.
In other news, the Judiciary committees of the California Assembly and Senate held hearings Tuesday on two bills against "spyware" that is secretly installed on computers to track the activity of computer users.
Roger Thompson, the vice president for product development at the anti-spyware software company PestPatrol, penned a letter to state Sen. Kevin Murray urging him to adopt a three-pronged line of defense against the software. He called for educating consumers about how to protect their computers, enacting legislation that requires disclosures about the use of spyware, and aggressively prosecuting violators of any future rules on spyware.
"Spyware is a significant threat to the effective functioning and continued growth of the Internet," Thompson wrote.
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