Blog for Iowa :: National News

By Caroline Vernon

PACG is working on securing a bus (or two) to take a large Iowa contingent to Atlanta, Georgia from June 27th thru July 1st to attend the US Social Forum (USSF). Please mark your calendars and spread the word far and wide. Details about the cost of the bus trip and available lodging will be forthcoming... stay tuned...

Excerpt from the site:

The US Social Forum is more than a conference, more than a networking bonanza, more than a reaction to war and repression.

The USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.

The USSF sends a message to other people's movements around the world that there is an active movement in the US opposing US Policies at home and abroad.

We must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to demonstrate to the world Another World is Possible!

Check out the following link to see some of the many workshops that will be available...

http://www.ussf2007.org/en/submitted_proposals

If you would like to be part of this great adventure, please contact Caroline at 563-676-7580, carolina1961@gmail.com

Comments (1) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

Friday, May 11

Senator Grassley, Protect Medicare Beneficiaries, NOT Drug Company Profits!

by Caroline Vernon on Fri 11 May 2007 09:22 PM CDT

Senator Grassley, Protect Medicare Beneficiaries, NOT Drug Company Profits!

By Caroline Vernon

On Thursday, May 10th, a coalition of concerned citizens representing various organizations came together to hold a press conference in front of Senator Charles Grassley’s downtown Davenport office. The purpose of this press conference was to urge the Senator to reconsider his vote on repealing the provision within the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act that forbids Medicare from negotiating prescription drug prices. Coalition groups included organizers and members of Iowa Citizens Action Network (ICAN), Working Families Win (WFW), Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), Quad Cities Federation of Labor (QC-Fed) and Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG).

Unfortunately, the funeral of Katie Soenksen, the young soldier from Davenport (one of the most recent victims of the Iraq war), was held at the exact same time of our scheduled press conference so we had no press at the event, although Charlie Wishman of ICAN was interviewed on WVIK, a local radio station. Although disappointed at the lack of media coverage, we accomplished exactly what we set out to do; to let Senator Grassley know that his vote forbiding Medicare to negotiate drug prices is unacceptable.

I hope seniors everywhere are paying attention... our senior Senator seems to believe it is more important to protect drug company profits than to protect Iowa’s medically needy and senior citizens who depend on life-saving medication. The costs of some drugs are so outrageous that many are forced to either go without their medication or forego paying other bills. Meanwhile, drug companies are making huge profits at the expense of the elderly and infirmed.

Based on a recent report by the Institute for America’s Future (read the whole report at: www.ourfuture.org), ..."repealing the provision within the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act that expressly forbids Medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices could save American taxpayers $30 billion a year." This paper also examines the savings from the Veterans Administration to show that Iowa residents could save $399 million each and every year if Medicare was allowed to negotiate for the same low prices that are obtained by the VA.

The potential annual savings from negotiating are also evident from looking at several particular drugs. Merck’s Zocor and Pfizer’s Lipitor are both top-selling prescriptions that, if sold at the VA’s negotiated price would save U.S. taxpayers and seniors more then $2.8 billion annually, enough to fully fund the shortfall states face with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). To give you a glaring example of the difference in cost, refer to the comparison below:

                                  VA               Med D            Med D
                                                     (low)              (high)
Merck Zocor (20 mg)     $127             $1,275          $1,776
Merck Zocor (40 mg)     $191             $1,275             $1,711
Pfizer Lipitor (10 mg)    $520             $749                $927
Pfizer Lipitor (20 mg)    $782             $1,068             $1,302

This information was relayed to Senator Grassley’s aide. In addition, Jim and Doris Hughes, Davenport residents, shared their growing concerns over their drug costs which actually increased from just under $4,000 in 2005, when they had no drug coverage, to over $9,000 in 2006 under Medicare Part D.

This is so outrageous… we cannot continue to allow the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens to be held hostage to the almighty dollar. I don’t know how Senator Grassley or anyone else can rationalize and then justify this kind of exploitation. Senator Grassley has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry. It’s time he gets his priorities straight and chooses to represent the good people of this state instead of drug company profits. Please call Senator Grassley and tell him exactly that!

Senator Grassley's Washington DC Office: 1-202-224-3744

Comments (5) | Permanent Link | Cosmos

DFIA Events Calendar

Add Your Event Here

Iowa Sites

ABC Free

AFSCME Iowa

Algona Wind Farm

Child & Family Policy Center - Iowa

Cyclones for Choice

Environment Iowa

Eyechanner Foundation

Genetic Engineering Action Network

Iowa Bicycle Coalition

Iowa Citizen Action Network - ICAN

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement

Iowa Civil Liberties Union

Iowa Democratic Party

Iowa Energy Center

Iowa Environmental Council

Iowa Farmers Union

Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

Iowa Fiscal Central

Iowans for Better Local TV

Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility

Iowa Public Interest Research Group

IOWATER

Iowa Underground

Iowans for Voting Integrity

Left Coast of Iowa

Midwest Environmental Justice Advocates

Progressive Action for the Common Good

Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa

QCAD (Quad-Citians Affirming Diversity - GLBT)

Rapid Response - Iowa

SEIU Local 199

Sierra Club - Iowa Chapter

Soypower - West Central Soy

Iowa Blogs

Century of the Common Iowan

The Deprogrammer (Quad Cities)

Diary of a Political Madman

Iowa True Blue (Gordon Fischer's Blog)

Iowa Underground

Iowa Voters for Open and Transparent Elections

Jedi Tony

John Deeth's Blog

Krusty Konservative

Left Coast of Iowa Blog

Leftist Logic

Marshall County Democrats

Kay Henderson and Radio Iowa

Straight Out of the Cornfield

National Links

Congresspedia and the Sunlight Foundation

Blog for America

Netroots Network Maps

Progressive Democrats of America

Links to DFA State Group Sites

Potluck Action Network

Pre-Caucus Visits to Iowa

Alternative News Sources

Air America Radio

Black Commentator

BuzzFlash

Center for American Progress

Radio for People Coalition

Scoop

Fight
Media Bias

Iowa

Rapid Response Network - Iowa

First responders to biased, imbalanced or factually inaccurate media coverage

Iowans for Better Local TV

*IBLTV is a group of citizens from the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area who are concerned about the decline in the quality of local television. Fight local media consolidation, as it leads to an unaccountable medium that enriches itself while disregarding the need to serve the public good.

Air America

*How to Bring Air America Radio to Your Local Community

The Counterpoint

*The rational counter to 'The Point,' 'The Counterpoint' critiques and corrects the daily editorial by Sinclair Broadcasting's corporate vice president, Mark Hyman, that is broadcast on all Sinclair-owned television stations across the country

National

FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting

*FAIR is a national media watch group that offers well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship

Media Matters for America

*Media Matters for America is an information center dedicated to monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media