News & Action Alerts
September 12, 2007
Keep Those Checks Coming
Many thanks to those of you who've updated your membership by sending us your check for $25.00. We received them and encourage all of you out there who've not yet sent in your check to please do so – and bring friends. We depend on your financial support to support our work. So keep them coming because they help keep us afloat.
Next week we'll be asking you to participate in a survey to find out what you think our best next steps might be and what you want to do to enjoy the upcoming election cycle for 2008. Stay tuned and keep those checks coming. We appreciate all you do.
Join the MoveOn Team
MoveOn's starting a fellowship program—four short-term paid positions. Whether you're a recent college grad or a movement veteran, this might be the perfect job for you or someone you know. Just click below to apply by September 21st, or pass this email along to friends who might be interested!
Retirement Announcement
AFL-CIO Exec. VP Chavez-Thompson Announces
Her Retirement Effective Sept. 21
First Woman of Color Elected As Top Officer at National AFL-CIO
Chavez-Thompson Worked Tirelessly for Civil, Human and Workers' Rights
AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson will step down to return home to San Antonio and be with her family effective Sept. 21, President John Sweeney announced today.
Chavez-Thompson was elected to the office of executive vice president in 1995. A second-generation American who is the daughter of cotton sharecroppers, Chavez-Thompson became the first person of color to hold one of the top three elected offices at the AFL-CIO. She had previously served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council as a leader in AFSCME. Traveling and speaking to union and community groups constantly, she has been the face of America 's new union movement to millions. Chavez-Thompson has worked to strengthen state and local labor movements and has served as a strong voice on behalf of civil, human and women's rights. She also has been a national leader on the issue of immigration and immigrant workers' rights.
Sweeney has asked the AFL-CIO Executive Council to support his recommendation of Arlene Holt-Baker, who currently serves as assistant to the president, to fill the remainder of Chavez-Thompson's term. Holt-Baker has more than 30 years of experience in the labor movement and is a longtime member of AFSCME. Prior to coming to the AFL-CIO in 1995, she directed AFSCME's work in California as International Union Area Director. At the AFL-CIO, Holt-Baker led the efforts to mobilize a labor-movement wide response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In 2004, she was executive director of Voices for Working Families, a 527 organization that mobilized working people around core economic issues. The council will vote on Holt-Baker's nomination on Sept. 21st.
Time Is Up
President Bush and the Republicans in Congress have been telling us to wait for the so-called "Petraeus Report" for months before we change the course in Iraq. Now with relentless bloodshed and no political solution in sight, President Bush wants more time for his failed war.
Tell Congress that their time is up -- find a new course for Iraq :
http://www.democrats.org/TimeIsUp
A Billion Reasons to Rein In the Pharmaceutical Industry
The woman that signed below is a Budget Analyst with the US Department of Commerce in Washington, DC .
Did you ever wonder how much it costs a drug company for the active ingredient in prescription medications? Some people think it must cost a lot, since many drugs sell for more than $2.00 per tablet. We did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the FDA.
As has been revealed in past issues of Life Extension, a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. In this independent investigation of how much profit drug companies really make, we obtained the actual price of active ingredients used in some of the most popular drugs sold in America . The data below speaks for itself.
Celebrex: 100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
Percent markup: 21,712%
Claritin: 10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%
Keflex: 250 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
Percent markup: 8,372%
Lipitor: 20 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
Percent markup: 4,696%
Norvasc: 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
Percent markup: 134,493%
Paxil: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
Percent markup: 2,898%
Prevacid: 30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%
Prilosec : 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
Percent markup: 69,417%
Prozac: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%
Tenormin: 50 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
Percent markup: 80,362%
Vasotec: 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
Percent markup: 51,185%
Xanax: 1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
Percent markup: 569,958%
Zestril: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
Cost of general active ingredients $3.20
Percent markup: 2,809
Zithromax: 600 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19
Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78
Percent markup: 7,892%
Zocor: 40 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63
Percent markup: 4,059%
Zoloft: 50 mg
Consumer price: $206.87
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
Percent markup: 11,821%
Since the cost of prescription drugs is so outrageous, I thought everyone should know about this. Please read the following and pass it on.
Kids Need Health Care
Click here to watch the video.
In America , no one—especially our children and grandchildren—should go without health care.
Sign the petition for children's health care today:
And tell nine friends about our campaign—one friend for each of the 1 million kids in the United States without insurance.
The Drema Dems Coalition E-Newsletter produced by Capitol City Communications
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