Perdue set to make major health-care announcement later Wednesday

[napi21]

Gov. Sonny Perdue is expected later Wednesday to make a "nationally significant health-care announcement" that will have a big impact on Atlanta, the governor's office said.

The announcement is set for at 5 p.m. Eastern time at the 2008 BIO International Convention in San Diego and is attracting international media coverage.

Founded in 1993, Washington, D.C.-based BIO bills itself the world's largest biotechnology organization that provides advocacy, business development and communications services for its more than 1,150 members across the world. BIO also represents state and regional biotech associations, academic centers and service providers to the industry.

The organization's San Diego conference is expected to host more than 20,000, with 70 countries represented.

Check back later today with Atlanta Business Chronicle's Web site for the full story about Perdue's announcement.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/16/daily55.html?f=et50&ana=e_du

This is the first I've heard about this! What's it all about? Anybody know?

[ellenfl]

1. i'm sure he's going to announce that employer provided

health insurance is now prohibited in georgia. :eyes: either that or he is announcing that if you volunteer as a test subject for the biotech companies, you will get free health care! whatever it is, i doubt we will like it and i am sure it will benefit corporate america before it benefits any of us.

ellen fl

[seafan]

2. Whatever Jeb Bush is involved in is reason for suspicion. Look out, Georgia.

Perdue set to make major health-care announcement later Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Gov. Sonny Perdue is expected later Wednesday to make a "nationally significant health-care announcement" that will have a big impact on Atlanta, the governor's office said.

The announcement is set for at 5 p.m. Eastern time at the 2008 BIO International Convention in San Diego and is attracting international media coverage.

.....

Let's see--- Jeb's at that conference too. Jeb's on the boards of Lehman, Tenet Health Care, CNL Bancshares, and now he apparently sees the biotech boondoggle he pushed through in secret in Florida, starting with Scripps, as his new cash cow.



States invest billions to fuel research hubs

By Terri Somers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

June 18, 2008



Jeb Bush (center), former governor of Florida, and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (right) discussed biotech innovation at the S.D. Convention Center yesterday. Fox Network's Neil Cavuto (left) moderated.

Call it biotech fever or cluster envy.

Across the country, states are investing billions of dollars to fuel scientific research and create biotechnology hubs like those in California, which has the world's largest concentration of biotechnology companies and investment.
On Monday, Massachusetts signed into law a $1 billion incentive package to ignite biotechnology development under a proposal Gov. Deval Patrick revealed a year ago.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley upped the ante yesterday, proposing a $1.1 billion investment to lure biotech.

Florida has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build its biotech base, using some of that money to fund new labs and offices for three La Jolla-based research institutes: the Scripps Research Institute, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the Torrey Pines Research Institute.

“It was a way to get us into the game,” former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said yesterday during a speech at the BIO International conference at the San Diego Convention Center.

Patrick, who spoke on the same panel as Bush, said that even in tough economic times, Massachusetts' investment was worth it. “It is a long-term investment,” he said. “We don't expect results immediately.”

.....

And it is an industry that aims to find cures for some of society's worst diseases, make diagnostics to help detect diseases early, develop biofuels to ease the insatiable demand for oil and improve farm crop yields through genetic developments on plants.

But biotechnology also takes as many public relations hits as Big Oil.
Critics of state investments in biotechnology say the industry spends enormous amounts of money on failed research efforts, while its executives still walk away with fat salaries.

Bush said it was worth the political criticism to invest in an industry that not only creates good jobs but also holds the promise of doing great things in the future.
“Being at the intersection of doing good and making money isn't a bad place to be,” he said.
Bush, who left office last year, did not speak about what would happen in Florida if the investment he initiated does not create the biotechnology industry he promised.

.....

Jeb Bush is a cancer.

[DCKit]

5. The religiously insane are OK with bombing family planning clinics...

and murdering doctors and nurses who *may* perform abortions, but companies who play with GE food, animals, viruses and bacteria - in their own backyards - are Okie Dokie?

Never mind.

[marmar]

3. No offense Georgians (although I'm sure Georgia DUers will completely agree with this)......

.... but your governor is dumber than a box of hollow marbles. :dunce:

[Glorfindel]

4. He's Haley Barbour...

without the elocution, good looks, and charm! :evilgrin: :rofl:

[napi21]

6. I 'ove on Ga. and you are being kind compared to what I usually

call him! I just haven't heard anything about any kind of big HC deal being worked on, and NOW he's talking about some big announcement that will affect all of us????? Oh well, it's almost 5:00 est. I guess we'll seen find out!

[napi21]

7. It was all publicity BS! Here's a link to what his big deal was!

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/16/daily55.html?f=et50&ana=e_du

It's all about a National Health Museum to promote people to live healthier lives! Whoopie!!!!!!!!!!!