Romney’s lax regulation may have fueled meningitis outbreak

[DonViejo]

Source: Salon

A meningitis epidemic that has killed 25 is linked to a Mass. company Romney's administration failed to regulate

BY CRAIG UNGER

The fatal meningitis epidemic sweeping the United States can now be traced to the failure of then-Gov. Mitt Romney to adequately regulate the Massachusetts pharmaceutical company that is being blamed for the deaths.

At least 344 people in 18 states have been infected by the growing public health crisis and 25 have died so far.

But the epidemic may also play a role in the presidential campaign, now that state records reveal that a Massachusetts regulatory agency found that the New England Compounding Co., the pharmaceutical company tied to the epidemic, repeatedly failed to meet accepted standards in 2004 — but a reprimand was withdrawn by the Romney administration in apparent deference to the company’s business interests.

“It goes all the way up to Mitt Romney,” said Alyson Oliver, a Michigan attorney representing victims of the outbreak. According to Oliver, on at least six occasions, NECC was cited by authorities for failure to meet regulatory standards and almost subjected to a three-year probation. “It goes directly to the heart of what Romney says about regulation, ‘Hands off. Let the companies do their thing.’”

“When the person who is supposed to be in charge of oversight does not believe oversight is necessary, this is what happens,” Oliver added.

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2012/10/30/romneys_lax_regulation_fueled_meningitis_outbreak/

[LiberalEsto]

1. K&R!

[Rob H.]

2. Dang! Beat me to it by two minutes!

*shakes fist*



Many, many more people need to see this. This is exactly the kind of thing that will continue to happen due to Romney's infatuation with deregulation if he wins the White House. I'm curious to see how they're going to spin this one, too.

K&R!

[democrat_patriot]

3. Viralize it!!!!!

This is pretty huge.

[goclark]

4. Rmoney = Mafia

Rmafia

[NCarolinawoman]

5. Let this news spread far and wide!

So many local Republicans where I live are running on cutting or doing away with regulations. "REGULATIONS" has become a bad word to them.

[femrap]

19. If this isn't on the Evening

News of all 3 major networks, the relatives of the loved ones better find an attorney who is a bull dog and get some coverage!

This horrible situation just reeks of RobMe...he couldn't care less that people have died from his LOVE FOR PROFITS.

[AzDar]

6. And here we thought he only disease promulgated by Romney was Romnesia...

[valerief]

7. Big kick!

[Bainbridge Bear]

8. Ahhh, the glories of unregulated capitalism

Further proof of what a reprehensible and reckless a**hole this guy is. He really couldn't care less about his fellow citizens when it comes to giving money grubbing a free rein. Mitt Romney is a disgrace and it shames our nation that this POS is a serious candidate for president among so many voters. My dream is that he and that other liar, Paulie, will be clobbered on Nov. 6.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. I'll never understand the "free market correcting al business ills" argument ...

the purpose of regulation is to PREVENT bad stuff from happening; not wait for bad stuff to happen so that the marketplace can run the bad actor out of business.

By way of analogy: If the household rule is "No cookies until after dinner" and I grab a bunch of cookies before dinner ... I may be punished for doing so; but I still ate all the cookies.

[colorado_ufo]

9. Very important information!

[inductivetreasoning]

10. It's cool I can check my medicine for contagions

This is a textbook example of what government should do. Government provides a counterbalance to the strength of big business, but allowing Romney to win is like giving the keys of the prison to the inmates.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

12. All the bad stuff is only just coming out

[haele]

13. Well...the problem is that unless there's an 8- or 10-year window between compliance verification -

or the regulations were such that the company was required to initially meet standards and then they subsequently off the hook until "something bad" happened, there is a six to seven year gap between Romney's administration's handling of the issue and the current problem.
Unless, of course, the official handling the regulatory oversight for that company was a Romney administration hire and who's work has never been reviewed or audited prior to this problem.

I can see a high level corporate toadie - err, "business friendly official" in the regulatory agency spending the past six or seven years covering up for his friends - so long as it was business as usual and nothing (or no-one) raised a red flag, it could go on for years. Especially if the official was a high-level manager or director who was in a position to keep the books looking good and convince (or coerce) the people who worked under him that everything was just fine and the regulations were too redundantly onerous to begin with.

That's not a matter of the stereotype "lazy government worker", it's a matter of an insider corruption. And that ultimately is a specific leadership issue, not a government issue, because if the regulatory process and oversight was applied as it was intended through government regulations, this sort of sloppy (at best) or corrupt activity would not have been able to continue for as long as it did.

Haele

[leftyohiolib]

14. he's more responsible for this than the auto resurrection that he tried to claim credit for

[BREMPRO]

15. perfect example of the need for adequate regulation of business to protect the public and the danger

of this "over-regulated" mantra propagated by Rmoney & CO

[FailureToCommunicate]

17. Those of us in MA are NOT surprised. Worst 'Governor' in recent memory

Wake up America! Why is this race even close?!?




(I know, I know: media, ad buys, horserace, racism, etc,etc,)

[geckosfeet]

18. Scott Brown is implicated as well -this is a short, informative, damning piece

WCVB-TV in Boston has reported that NEC president Greg Coniglario hosted a fundraiser for Sen. Scott Brown, bringing in $37,000 for the Brown campaign against Elizabeth Warren. Conigliaro and members of his family have reportedly given $10,000 of their own money to Brown.

In July, Brown was one of 10 senators to sign a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency arguing that regulations on the compounding industry should be loosened.

Romney’s lax regulation may have fueled meningitis outbreak

[femrap]

21. Oh, that news

is music to my ears!!!!

Scream it from the roof tops!!!

I would think that Compounding Pharmacies would indeed require regulation. And now we see why. I wonder what other states do regarding these Compounders of medicines.

[EC]

20. So why wasn't this reported

a couple of months ago when it would have made a difference? It's too late now.

[truthisfreedom]

22. KnR!

[loudsue]

23. Republicans hate government. Hate regulations.

I wish they were the only ones who died as a result of their ridiculous idealism.

[cyberpj]

24. This should get 'out there'. Now it's not just Bain - it's direct Romney connection if true. nt

[avaistheone1]

30. The media needs to pick up on this story.

k&r

[sheshe2]

25. GOP Manta DEREGULATE!!!!!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
they make me sick!

[bigbrother05]

26. That old "give it to the states, better yet give it to private industry"

Will it finally get through to the low info voter that this guy will not only take your money and job, he will literally endanger your life and property.

[libodem]

27. He hates regulatons

And the 47% it helps to keep alive. He wouldn't give a mitt if we ALL dropped dead.

Except he'd have to hire undocumenteds to muck the stalls and scrub his 200 toilets.

[ChaoticTrilby]

28. Mitt Romney: Cares more about businesses than he cares about lives.

How's that for a campaign slogan? I have had it up to here with trading human lives for money. What? Is it utterly inconceivable than an unregulated business will cut corners and take short-cuts for the sake of profit, leaving the consumers to deal with the fallout?

No. It isn't. The sooner this country starts heading to the left, the better. Hopefully, this will go viral and more people will realize how destructive Republican policies are...

They have to realize this some time, right? ...Right?

[benld74]

29. I was WAITING for something LIKE this to come out!! I KNEW IT!!!