( – promoted by odum)

The State of Vermont has issued five reports on the total amount of money,gifts and etc.drug companies give to Vermont physicians .When the report was last issued there was some discussion about making the results open to the public and now that may well be under way.The laws changes according the paper would allow the public to know and access online doctors identities and how much they may have received .Some information according to Peter Shumlin should still be allowed to remain secret .  

Shumlin said he envisions changes to the state law that would only allow the pharmaceutical industry to keep secret very limited information, such as donations to support academic research.

Otherwise, all that information should be available and easy to obtain, he said. It would be as simple as setting up an on-line database on a Vermont state Web site that could be used by the public.

These changes he believes would help limit over prescribing ,yet maintain proper availability of  psychotropic drugs for treatment.Given some of what has been reported lately regarding big pharma’s influence with doctors and institutionally funded research perhaps this new rule change in Vermont could be more complete and include academic funding research disclosure.

From an opinion piece in the Boston Globe regarding changes proposed in Massachusetts to address the same issue ……

Massachusetts’s Department of Public Health has recently proposed regulations to address the influence of drug companies by limiting their payments and gifts to doctors. As critics note, however, the proposal would exempt disclosure of payments to doctors for research and related activities – a stipulation the drug industry lobbied for – which could leave open windows for more foul play.

An investigation launched last year by Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa found government-funded physicians at universities like Harvard and Emory have frequently failed to disclose consulting receipts, stock holdings, and other conflicts-of-interest with drug makers as they research and discuss products. Grassley’s investigators found that the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Frederick Goodwin, had failed to disclose at least $1.3 million in income from marketing lectures for drug companies while advocating for their products on his NPR program “The Infinite Mind.”Medical journals have been similarly affected. A British Medical Journal article from 2003 reviewed 30 studies published in journals and found that a “[s]ystematic bias favors products which are made by the company funding the research,” and the pharmaceutical company Wyeth was just exposed for paying ghostwriters to publish journal articles.

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

http://www.boston.com/bostongl…

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12…

 Make no mistake this is a great and kind thing.  Thanks to the joint efforts of The Vermont Caring Foundation and a Northfield sock manufacturer, Monday morning 10,000 pairs of navy blue merino socks in three children’s sizes left Cabot Hosiery Mills to be distributed by the state’s community action agencies and seven homeless shelters.

But ,look who showed up at the party to pack socks himself,Governor Jim Douglas .He took a short break from helping tighten our belts to turn his attention to another part of our clothing ,our socks.Here is a fun challenge and perhaps the birth of a new game similar to ‘find seven things wrong with this image’ or ‘Where’s Waldo’ or ‘Where’s our Lt.Governor’.

In the following remarks by the Governor find what could arguably be his contribution to any of these charitable efforts in which he so happily shares ?

“I think the first day of winter is the appropriate time to kick this off,” said Gov. James Douglas, who pitched in to load socks Monday. He noted that the state has seen “a tremendous increase” in the number of families eligible for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) support. He added that new Food Stamp guidelines to take effect in January will make thousands more families eligible for that program.

Douglas observed that when Oregon held a summit on poverty and economic security – a similar summit will soon take place in Vermont – participants “came up with two high-priority needs for the low-income residents of that state: medical care and socks. So we know that this is important to families and children. I’m really pleased that the Vermont ethic of neighbor helping neighbor is coming together in this exciting program today. I think that’s the real value of the intimacy of our small state.”

Douglas added, with a light-hearted pun that surprised those attending the event, “We’re a close-knit community,” he quipped.

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

(Thanks BP for bringing to this to our attention. Southern Vermont got hit hard from this last storm.   – promoted by Christian Avard)

 The big ice storm five days ago has really been tough on parts of Southern Vermont .Utility crews are getting things back to normal ,but these few days got me wondering where Lt.Governor Dubie is in all this .Last Summer he declared a symbolic emergency saying the State needs to be prepared for the worst case scenarios involving shortages of fuel and oil .Where is he ?The only recent sign of him to be found is the last entry in his online “logbook” is an essay titled Yes We Can .

Today VPR reports that “The Vermont Agency of Agriculture says it’s looking for generators that can be loaned to farmers who don’t have power. Anyone who can lend a generator is asked to call the Agriculture Agency in Montpelier.” It appears the State has no generators ready  in preparation(past budget cuts?)for this type of emergency given they are asking for the public to loan them .All reports make clear that the situation is under control but after Lt.Gov. Dubie’s election year self declared Fuel Emergency and his general focus on emergency planning it comes as a surprise he hasn’t put in an appearance while its icy out .He announced in June that he would begin a thorough review of Vermont’s emergency response plans – a book several times larger than a state phonebook – to determine if the state should begin preparing for emergencies .How did that work out ?  

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail…

http://ltgov.vermont.gov/log_b…

Only about 30 days left .

Mail a shoe to the White house

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Governor Douglas testified today before the House Appropriations committee on the impact of the recession in Vermont and the need for federal assistance .Things are bad here in Vermont,but they may appear harsher the further one gets from Vermont .The Free Press Twitteringsblog reports that Gov.Douglas’s  Chief of Staff is having trouble sleeping .(The same post has an enlightening discussion with Neale Lunderville about when a state fee should be considered a tax)The Douglas press release about today’s testimony points out how bad things are but not in the very stark almost alarming terms the Governor used before the committee .If the situation is this bad and people are suffering shouldn’t we be looking for revenue here at home ? Here is some of what he said when asking for money which is not included in the five paragraph press release available here in Vermont. I think he sounds amazingly like Bernie when in Washington .

“The use of our food banks are up over 30 percent in client usage,” said Vermont Gov. James Douglas. “Applications for unemployment is so large that we had to shift 150 people out of other departments to actually deal with the ongoing crisis of servicing those that are applying to unemployment,” said Douglas. “It is time for us all to pull together, join hands together, be partners, address this, not only to stimulate the economy but to service the basic core needs of our communities.”

http://talkradionews.com/2008/…

http://www.burlingtonfreepress…

Today is the first day of the coldest ninety days of  the year .This past Sunday  icy snow covered parts of the interstate around Burlington and it has raised some questions about the 10% limit on salt and 25% limit on sand imposed on state road crews in an austerity measure .Officials say the bad road conditions in this last storm were not a result of reductions,but temperature.Limiting salt and sand is one,,just one of the slashing cuts that will directly impact all Vermont as Governor Douglas tightens our belt for us .

The Agency of Transportation has a $21 million budget deficit because of declining revenues and rising costs. Officials have outlined a number of cuts to close the gap, including a 10 percent reduction in salt use and a 25 percent reduction in sand.

John Zircconi, spokesman for AOT, said decisions will be made on a local level about how much salt and sand to use. Crews have not been issued edicts from Montpelier, he said. “We have asked them to use their good judgment,” he said. “It’s not like we’re putting 10 percent less salt in the trucks.”

I am deeply puzzled by spokesman John Zicconi’s comment that it isn’t as if we are putting 10% less salt in the trucks .Where aren’t they putting the 10% then ?

For the budget cutting to work they must not be putting it somewhere ?

http://www.burlingtonfreepress…

….E&P website  has a report on the findings from the Committee to Protect Journalists annual report.  Repressive governments continue to fear internet news reporters and their easily available audience.Internet reporting may be becoming as mighty or at least as feared by tyrants as the print press once was. Efforts to control and censor access online will only continue as people look more to the web for the news that’s fit. Ironic that as newspaper chains and even TV news corporations cut back coverage and costs the need for news at home and worldwide remains steady or grows.The manner that people access the media has evolved quickly and that evolution is unfortunately evidenced by the level of threat some governments feel from internet new reporters. The United States is included in the CPJ list of countries holding journalists. Although not internet reporters the US has detained journalists in Iraq, and is currently holding a Reuters photographer with out charge or due process.

Worldwide, online journalists are jailed more often today than journalists working in any other medium, according to findings released Thursday by the Committee to Protect Journalists.In its annual census of imprisoned journalists, the CPJ found that 45% of all media workers jailed worldwide are bloggers, Web-based reporters, or online editors. This group represents the largest professional category for the first time in CPJ’s annual survey.

 The increase in online journalists in jail correlates with a rise in the imprisonment of freelance journalists, according to CPJ. Its annual survey found 45 of the journalists counted to be freelancers, and most of them work online. This number has increased more than 40% in the last two years.

Annual Prison Census: Journalists in Prison as of December 2008

http://www.editorandpublisher….

 

Sorry to clog up the diaries here but I have to pass this along from the Valley News

Montpelier — Gov. Jim Douglas says he would sign into law a package of reforms of sex offender laws issued by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month, even though the Democrat-controlled committee did not embrace some of the Republican governor’s proposals.

http://www.vnews.com/11272008/…

Late last Winter and on into late Spring Democrats waited and waited for possible candidates for governor to complete the “thinking about it seriously ” ritual process and run .The word was there was plenty of time and this is the way it was always done,relax .Now, with heart breaking speed on the heals of the last election we have a possible candidate for two years from now .Are we in the midst of a sea change of tradition or just a strategic break with tradition?I am pleased that some challenge to Douglas is shaping up early. If the dialog is to be shifted out of Douglas’s comfort zone an early start is needed.Early and united opposition is something Douglas may find new ,if he runs.Kind of a game changer though if Douglas bows out in favor of other opportunities.The field might get crowded early on both sides . Uh,oh ,gotta go stuff a turkey now ,nah,plenty of time its early.

MONTPELIER – State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding said Wednesday that he is considering running for governor in 2010, a decision he will make within the next three months.

“I’m giving it serious consideration,” said the Democrat, when asked by The Times Argus in a broader interview if he was eyeing the gubernatorial race.And he said, referring to Republican Gov. James Douglas’ hold on the state’s top office since his inauguration in January 2003, “As a Democrat, I’m tired of losing.”

Spaulding said he would move quickly on the decision, even though he won’t know whether Douglas will also be running or will step aside for 2010.

http://www.timesargus.com/arti…

Vermont Yankee seems to cough up a fur ball about once a week .A sign today of a possible setback as the NRC rules to examine metal on a water supply nozzle used to cool the reactor core . But the NRC is a strange incomprehensible regulatory beast .Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman, said”the ruling does not reflect badly on the agency staff’s handling of the metal fatigue issue.”As always Entergy is pressing to go more quickly.Give us the renewal,we can check the cracks later .

The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, a panel that acts as the judicial arm for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in a 154-page decision that Entergy needs to do more tests now, not later, on metal nozzles used to supply water and maintain the temperature in the reactor core.

Entergy had proposed putting off such tests until sometime after the anticipated 2012 date for renewal of its license. One of the nozzles is critical to protecting the reactor’s core in the event of an accident.

Monday’s ruling was a victory for the New England Coalition, a Brattleboro nuclear watchdog group ….”We are the first citizen organization in the country to have one of our contentions sustained by the hearing board,” said Raymond Shadis, a coalition consultant. “Vermonters ought to be extremely proud of what this little, homegrown, organization has done.”

That was from the Free Press coverage …

This from the Rutland Herald causes a little bit of puzzlement .They report basically the same story , including this quote “Is it legally permissible and technically appropriate to issue the license now, and allow Entergy to postpone the necessary metal fatigue analysis until later? Our answer is no,” the panel members wrote in their decision. But curiously floating alone in the article is this claim made by the reporter  …. “However, the ruling by the three-judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission seems unlikely to pose a major obstacle to the plant’s plans to continue operating beyond 2012.”

http://www.burlingtonfreepress…

http://www.rutlandherald.com/a…