From: Susan Kniep, President
The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc. (FCTO)
Website: http://ctact.org/
email: fctopresident@aol.com
860-524-6501
February 13, 2007
Welcome to Tax Talk 96
State Legislative Calendar
Click the following website daily for
Legislative Information
http://www.cga.ct.gov/
Click here to find your legislator
http://www.cga.ct.gov/maps/Townlist.asp
***************
Public Health Committee
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
10:30 AM in Room 1D of the LOB
Important Message from FCTO President, Susan Kniep: Drug maker Merck is bankrolling efforts to
have all young girls in this country vaccinated with a drug which The American College of Pediatricians has taken a
position against. This Bill is coming up in Connecticut’s State Legislature on February
14 as well as legislatures throughout the country. Read the following which I have issued to
the initial sponsor of the Connecticut
Bill who is also the Treasurer of a nonprofit being bankrolled by Merck. My primary question to the sponsor of the
Bill and Merck is- can
you guarantee that the HPV vaccine will have no impact upon a woman’s
reproductive system now or in the future?
Should this drug impact reproductive systems in
any way the ultimate effect could be catastrophic on us as a nation once all
young women in the country are forced to be vaccinated.
To: Debra Lee Hovey
Connecticut State
Representative
Room 4200
Hartford, CT 06106
Capitol: 860-240-8700
DebraLee.Hovey@housegop.ct.gov
From: Susan Kniep, President
The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations, Inc. (FCTO)
Website: http://ctact.org/
email: fctopresident@aol.com
860-524-6501
January 28, 2007
Subject: HPV Vaccine,
Merck, Women in Government
The following was recently announced by the Fox News Network:
AUSTIN, Texas — Merck & Co. is helping
bankroll efforts to pass state laws requiring girls as young as 11 or 12 to
receive the drugmaker's new vaccine against the
sexually transmitted cervical-cancer virus. …
With at least 18 states debating whether to
require Merck's Gardasil vaccine for
schoolgirls, Merck has funneled money through Women in
Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators
around the country. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,248781,00.html
A visit to the website for Women in Government
lists you as its Treasurer. http://www.womeningovernment.org/home/board_main.asp
A visit to the State of Connecticut
website lists you as the initial sponsor of a Bill which “would require all
girls in the state of Connecticut
to receive an HPV vaccine about age 12.”
One news source quotes you as follows: Hovey's proposal would make the cervical cancer vaccination a
requirement for all girls in the state.
A public hearing is scheduled by the State Legislature on
February 14 on a similar bill; i.e. Bill 6977.
Your organization, Women in Government, is financially
supported by those affiliated with the pharmaceutical industry, to include
Merck. http://www.womeningovernment.org/home/support_sponsors.asp
Merck stands to earn billions of dollars per year from the
sale of Gardasil if the legislation you initially
proposed is approved by the Connecticut
State Legislature making the cervical cancer vaccination a
requirement for all girls in the state.
As such, I am asking you, as a State Legislator and
the Treasurer of Women in Government to immediately disclose all money
Women in Government has received from the pharmaceutical industry and their
affiliates, and most importantly, Merck.
I ask that the information I have requested be clearly delineated by
dollar amount per donor.
I suggest that your proposal to the legislature was in
direct conflict with your affiliation with Women in Government who are being
financed by Merck to promote Merck’s agenda.
Further, The American College
of Pediatricians has issued a bold statement citing the need for further study.
http://acpeds.org/?CONTEXT=art&cat=12&art=95&BISKIT=3971992680
The efforts on the part of Merck to force their agenda
before State legislators through your nonprofit, Women in Government, are
understandable in their quest to grow their business and realize billions of
dollars in profits. What some are having
difficulty in understanding is why the rights of millions of Americans and
their female children are being placed at risk based on speculation.
Drug recalls are the norm.
Regrettably, these recalls are due to the illness or death of those who
have taken the drug prior to recall.
As an example, Merck & Co.’s
arthritis drug Vioxx was ultimately pulled from the
market when it was reported that it may have led to more than 27,000 heart
attacks and sudden cardiac deaths. Lawsuits against Merck alleged that Merck
misled patients about the safety of Vioxx.
Another
example is Biogen Idec Inc. and Elan
Corp. which pulled the multiple-sclerosis treatment Tysabri
from the market, following the death of a patient who developed a rare and
deadly nervous-system disorder. It was
reported that “Both companies suffered huge declines in share price — wiping
out about $17 billion in combined market value.”
Some play
the money game in the stock market when pharmaceutical companies take
risks. Some companies and investors win,
others lose.
The young
women in this country should not be used a pawn in this game. The risks are too great.
Yet, your
organization, Women in Government, is
promoting a drug based on speculation which, if mandated by legislatures
throughout this country, could put all young women as they approach their child
bearing years at risk.
My question
to you and to Merck, is what assurance can you give American families that the
HPV vaccine will not impact the reproductive systems of American women now or
in the future. Can you guarantee there
will be no impact?
We only need
to look to the drug Thalidomide which was ultimately pulled from the market
after babies were born with severe birth defects.
Turning your attention to your own State of Connecticut legislative website, I would
reflect upon your words ….
Listening to our fellow citizens and responding to their
concerns with common sense solutions to protect individual freedoms and provide
a better quality of life for all of Connecticut.
I would ask if you might agree with me that your legislation regarding
the HPV vaccine does not “protect individual freedoms” of choice. Further, the legislation proposed cannot
guarantee that it will “provide a better quality of life” for young women who
are approaching child bearing age.
I ask that you reflect upon the following questions. If you can answer them in the affirmative, I
request substantiating documentation from you:
· Has the HPV vaccine
been proven 100% safe for all young women who could be forced by Connecticut’s state
legislature to take the HPV vaccine?
· Can you guarantee
that the HPV vaccine will not have any side affects which could be detrimental
to all or some young women who could be forced by Connecticut’s state
legislature to take the HPV vaccine?
· Can you guarantee
that the HPV vaccine will not be pulled from the market place due to negative
health effects discovered after all young women approaching child bearing age
have been forced to take the vaccine?
· And most importantly,
can you guarantee that the HPV vaccine will have no impact upon a woman’s
reproductive system now or in the future?
Naturally, you can understand the concern for this question based on the
fact that Merck is lobbying legislatures throughout the country in an attempt
to have all young women approaching child bearing age vaccinated. Should this drug impact
reproductive systems in any way the ultimate effect could be
catastrophic on us as a nation.
If you
cannot answer a resounding YES to the aforementioned and provide the necessary
documentation to substantiate your response, I ask that you review the concerns
of The American College of Pediatricians and take the initiative to remove
legislation based on your proposals from Connecticut’s legislative agenda.
American
families affected by your actions are:
· Entitled to full
disclose of donations/contributions/gifts given to the nonprofit Women in
Government of which you are the Treasurer.
· Entitled to know
that State legislators throughout this country are working, not for Merck, but
for the public which elected them to office.
· Entitled to make
informed decisions based on expanded trials and resultant data relating to the
HPV vaccine and not on the dictates of Connecticut’s
state legislature.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Susan Kniep
Connecticut Bill 6977
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/TOB/h/pdf/2007HB-06977-R00-HB.pdf
Before being permitted to enter sixth grade, a child shall
receive an initial dose of human papilloma virus
vaccine consistent with the most recent recommendations of the National
Immunization Practices Advisory Committee.
Merck Pushing HPV Vaccine in Legislatures throughout the
Country
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/HPVvaccine.htm#hpvlegis
Many adverse side effects have already been reported http://www.909shot.com/Diseases/HPV/HPVrpt.htm
GARDASIL VACCINE NOT PROVEN SAFE
http://www.inciid.org/article.php?cat=cancer&id=433
The American
College of Pediatricians
has taken a position against this immunization. http://acpeds.org/?CONTEXT=art&cat=12&art=95&BISKIT=3971992680
*******************
PREVAILING WAGE IS A
A PRIMARY DRIVER OF INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES
LEGISLATIVE INFORMATIONAL HEARING
THURSDAY, FEB 15, 2007, 9:30 AM, ROOM 2E
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS SPENT FOR
MUNICIPAL BUILDING PROJECTS ARE DRIVEN BY STATE PRVAILING WAGE LAWS
WANT TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES?!?!?
WORK TO
REFORM PREVAILING WAGE LAWS!!!!!!!!!
ATTEND THE FEBRUARY 15 MEETING!!!!!!!
Here is a
Message from Mike Guarco, BudgetGuru06035 on the Prevailing Wage Hearing : The informational hearing on prevailing wage reform
is next Thursday - Feb 15th - at 930AM in Room 2E in the LOB. It is important
to get people to attend................and getting there early is wise. You can
bet the unions will look to fill the room...........and to be
credible.............we need people there to counterbalance Mike
***************
