Category: Connecticut
Child Medication Safety Act
WASHINGTON – Three years ago, when Sheila Matthews’ son was seven, his school psychiatrist diagnosed him with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and called her to discuss treatment options. Officials at the New Canaan school told her the boy would not be allowed to attend class unless he was medicated.
“They provided me with only pro-drug material. They never told me of the dangers,” Matthews said. . “I was fighting to get my son an education, and basically my school said there was nothing else that they could offer him.”
Soon afterward, Matthews watched on television as Patricia Weathers, another mother, testified before the House Committee on Government Reform. She contacted Weathers, and the two decided to launch a national fight to stop school from requiring students to take medication.
“We decided that we would fight, and then we found several other parents who were pressured and coerced and only given partial information [about medication], and their children died,” Matthews said.
Fearful for their children’s lives, Matthews and Weathers started AbleChild: Parents for Label and Drug Free Education, a national, non-profit grassroots organization that is pressing for a federal law that would make it illegal for schools to require students to be on medication.
The group has singled out Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) for criticism because, AbleChild said, he won’t co-sponsor the bill despite numerous requests that he do so.
Connecticut set a precedent for the rest of the country in 2001 by enacting a law similar to the federal bill the group is currently pushing. Six other states followed suit.
But Matthews said the states aren’t enforcing the laws. She said federal legislation could be more effective because it could cut off funds for states that don’t comply.
Matthews said Dodd should sign on as a co-sponsor to support what his state began. “Other states have looked at Connecticut’s state law as being model legislation,” she said.
“We have parents’ signatures who are from states which have, in fact, passed legislation prohibiting schools from coerced drugging, yet the pressure continues because there is no set accountability for violations of these laws,” Matthews said. “There must be financial penalties for federally funded agencies, namely schools, that completely disregard a parent’s right to raise their child drug free.”
Dodd’s press secretary, Ryan McGinn, said, “Senator Dodd does not support the coerced medication of children and believes that medical decisions concerning children should be made by their parents in consultation with their doctors.” McGinn did not say whether Dodd would vote for the bill.
AbleChild organizers, however, said Dodd is making no effort to get the bill out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on which he serves.
“How can you stand by when 400 parents have come forward across the country and said, ‘Please do this’?” Matthews asked. “We’re relying on our senator to protect our children.”
The group is also targeting Dodd, she said, because of his recent announcement that Norwalk would receive federal grant money to stop drug trafficking to children.
“If he’s giving grants out on drug trafficking, these drugs that we’re asking to prohibit are controlled substances. Ritalin, all these other drugs, are in the same class as what he’s talking about stopping the abuse of, and that’s a clear conflict of interest,” Matthews said.
Matthews also has been in touch with Rep. Chris Shays (R-Norwalk) over the past two years to garner his support. The House passed its version of the bill in May, 425 to1, and Shays voted for it.
“In recent years, there has been an increase in diagnoses of attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This is largely because school personnel freely offer diagnoses and urge parents to obtain drug treatment for their children,” Shays said in a statement. “In some cases, schools are even requiring certain students to take pharmaceuticals to attend schools.
“In my judgment, this is dangerous. Advice about whether to take medication should be given by a physician or licensed medical professional, and no one should coerce a student into taking medication by threatening their ability to attend school — especially if the ‘medical advice’ is coming from an educator.”
The Association of School Psychiatrists opposes the legislation. The American Federation of Teachers has not taken a stand on the issue. Neither the National Education Association nor the Connecticut Education Association, which represent teachers, returned phone calls.
Norwalk school Superintendent Salvatore Corda said he does not think the state law, which allows students to remain in classrooms without medication, has created any serious problems.
Meanwhile, AbleChild has contacted Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and every senator on the health committee. But Dodd is still its main focus.
“It’s frustrating as a Connecticut resident to see our senator fail to hear our cries for reform,” Matthews said.
Rowland Supports First-Responder Funding Changes
By Kevin Joy
WASHINGTON - Gov. John G. Rowland on Tuesday criticized the way the Bush administration has doled out homeland security money and threw his support behind legislation that would funnel more money to parts of the country that are likelier terrorism targets.
Rowland told the House Select Homeland Security Committee that the money for first responders was not reaching states quickly enough, the application process was complicated and the distribution of money was inconsistent among the states. He said he supported a bill that would consolidate a number of grants for first responders-firefighters, police officers and paramedics-and apply new criteria for awarding them.
"We're past the sense of urgency, and now we should be talking about standards," said Rowland, a member of an advisory council to the president on homeland security. "It's time to avoid an entitlement program and make states prove what they need based on logical thoughts."
In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, each state received about $15 million for first responders plus an additional amount based on population. States were required to give at least 80 percent of the money to local governments.
Under a bill introduced this month by Christopher Cox, R-Calif., federal money would be distributed according to a location's risk of attack. In addition, regions, not just individual states, would be eligible to apply for grants.
Rowland said the bill would make it more likely that areas bordering Connecticut, including New York City and Long Island Sound, would receive a greater share of the funds. Some states and rural areas would receive less money, while such high-risk regions as Washington and Los Angeles would get more.
Rowland said the federal government should allocate homeland security grants to state governments, not directly to individual towns or regions. The money then would be distributed as necessary to Connecticut's 169 communities based on need, he said.
"Governors clearly understand the importance of regional cooperation and mutual aid," he said. "Comprehensive plans cannot be created if funding goes to municipalities without the involvement of a state."
To ensure that first responder grants reach the local level, the proposed bill would give states only 45 days to pass the money on to municipalities.
Not all local officials agree that the federal money should go first to the states..
Richard Brown, New London's city engineer, said in an interview the city has received "very little" in first responder grants, but he didn't have a dollar figure. One of the biggest grants, $130,000, went to the New London Fire Department for a decontamination trailer and other equipment. In the event of a chemical attack, it can treat 100 people an hour, said Fire Chief Ron Samul.
New London has the only decontamination trailer in the eastern half of Connecticut and shares it with the entire region, Samul said. He said the city still needs blankets and heated tents for victims of a chemical attack. And most of his employees have not received official preparation for handling a radiological or biological attack, Samul said in an interview.
"I feel pretty confident that we have good training based on our generic emergency plan" used in the event of a blizzard, hurricane or flood, Samul said. "But we're the first ones to be called upon, no matter what happens."
Even though New London lacks a major airport, Brown said, the city should get a significant amount of first-responder money because of its close proximity to the Millstone Power Station, a nuclear power plant, as well as to Interstate 95, the Goldstar Bridge, Amtrak rails and the Electric Boat submarine shipyard.
"We've always known that New London was a high threat area," Brown said. "There's a definite need for more funding and a greater sharing of information among regions. And everyone's safety rests on [first responders'] ability to do their job."
Child Medication Safety Act
WASHINGTON - Three years ago, when Sheila Matthews' son was seven, his school psychiatrist diagnosed him with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and called her to discuss treatment options. Officials at the New Canaan school told her the boy would not be allowed to attend class unless he was medicated.
"They provided me with only pro-drug material. They never told me of the dangers," Matthews said. . "I was fighting to get my son an education, and basically my school said there was nothing else that they could offer him."
Soon afterward, Matthews watched on television as Patricia Weathers, another mother, testified before the House Committee on Government Reform. She contacted Weathers, and the two decided to launch a national fight to stop school from requiring students to take medication.
"We decided that we would fight, and then we found several other parents who were pressured and coerced and only given partial information [about medication], and their children died," Matthews said.
Fearful for their children's lives, Matthews and Weathers started AbleChild: Parents for Label and Drug Free Education, a national, non-profit grassroots organization that is pressing for a federal law that would make it illegal for schools to require students to be on medication.
The group has singled out Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) for criticism because, AbleChild said, he won't co-sponsor the bill despite numerous requests that he do so.
Connecticut set a precedent for the rest of the country in 2001 by enacting a law similar to the federal bill the group is currently pushing. Six other states followed suit.
But Matthews said the states aren't enforcing the laws. She said federal legislation could be more effective because it could cut off funds for states that don't comply.
Matthews said Dodd should sign on as a co-sponsor to support what his state began. "Other states have looked at Connecticut's state law as being model legislation," she said.
"We have parents' signatures who are from states which have, in fact, passed legislation prohibiting schools from coerced drugging, yet the pressure continues because there is no set accountability for violations of these laws," Matthews said. "There must be financial penalties for federally funded agencies, namely schools, that completely disregard a parent's right to raise their child drug free."
Dodd's press secretary, Ryan McGinn, said, "Senator Dodd does not support the coerced medication of children and believes that medical decisions concerning children should be made by their parents in consultation with their doctors." McGinn did not say whether Dodd would vote for the bill.
AbleChild organizers, however, said Dodd is making no effort to get the bill out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, on which he serves.
"How can you stand by when 400 parents have come forward across the country and said, 'Please do this'?" Matthews asked. "We're relying on our senator to protect our children."
The group is also targeting Dodd, she said, because of his recent announcement that Norwalk would receive federal grant money to stop drug trafficking to children.
"If he's giving grants out on drug trafficking, these drugs that we're asking to prohibit are controlled substances. Ritalin, all these other drugs, are in the same class as what he's talking about stopping the abuse of, and that's a clear conflict of interest," Matthews said.
Matthews also has been in touch with Rep. Chris Shays (R-Norwalk) over the past two years to garner his support. The House passed its version of the bill in May, 425 to1, and Shays voted for it.
"In recent years, there has been an increase in diagnoses of attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This is largely because school personnel freely offer diagnoses and urge parents to obtain drug treatment for their children," Shays said in a statement. "In some cases, schools are even requiring certain students to take pharmaceuticals to attend schools.
"In my judgment, this is dangerous. Advice about whether to take medication should be given by a physician or licensed medical professional, and no one should coerce a student into taking medication by threatening their ability to attend school -- especially if the 'medical advice' is coming from an educator."
The Association of School Psychiatrists opposes the legislation. The American Federation of Teachers has not taken a stand on the issue. Neither the National Education Association nor the Connecticut Education Association, which represent teachers, returned phone calls.
Norwalk school Superintendent Salvatore Corda said he does not think the state law, which allows students to remain in classrooms without medication, has created any serious problems.
Meanwhile, AbleChild has contacted Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and every senator on the health committee. But Dodd is still its main focus.
"It's frustrating as a Connecticut resident to see our senator fail to hear our cries for reform," Matthews said.
Dean Campaign Gains Momentum From College Students, Internet
By Kevin Joy
WASHINGTON - When Greg Morin's friends try to talk to him on the computer, they come face to face with his latest obsession: Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean. The Trinity College senior attaches a pop-up photo of Dean to every instant message he sends.
The unusual campaign technique might seem foreign to most voters, but it could be the key to unlocking a potential new political force: Generation Y.
With their funny lingo and their high-tech methods, college students and their under-30 peers are swarming to the Dean campaign in numbers that belie their reputation for apathy. Their grassroots support has become a major element of what campaign officials have dubbed "Generation Dean"-the largest youth outreach by any of the nine Democratic contenders.
Dean boasts 725 youth-run coalitions-called GenDean groups for short. In Connecticut, clubs at six colleges, three law schools and seven high schools have registered with the organizing website, generationdean.com.
Yale sophomore Beth France is a regular at New Haven's monthly Dean rallies, called "meetups," and chronicles the experiences by "blogging" in her LiveJournal-a public Internet diary service with 1.3 million registered users.
University of Connecticut sophomore Taylor Woods spreads the word on Dean campaign events and college rallies via her automatic e-mail address book, or "listserv," which she uses to communicate with hundreds of other Dean supporters. She rarely uses the phone anymore, let alone pen and paper.
They're young and idealistic, but unlike college students of decades past, this new generation is more likely to express its political views through on-line journals than by marching on city hall. Tech-smart and pop-culture savvy, they're highly resistant to patronizing political types and slick media marketing.
Still, Dean has broken through, in part, by meeting the students on their own turf: the Internet.
The former Vermont governor has used unorthodox "e-campaigning" - to reach out to young people. His campaign speaks the fickle language of twentysomethings raised on the Simpsons, the Clintons and Madonna. Top Dean staffers publicize their Instant Messenger screen names, allowing viewers to contact them day or night. Yahoo! Groups has 659 different Internet bulletin boards that focus on the candidate. And three electronic greeting cards are available on generationdean.com, a site which boasts more than 13,000 young members.
Dean's lead among Democrats in campaign contributions comes, to a great extent, from on-line donations. During the second quarter of this year, he raised $3.6 million of his $7.6 million total through the Internet.
At least as unusual: one-fourth of Dean's 83,041 financial contributors that quarter were students.
"It's amazing that other politicians haven't taken the same advantage" of Internet campaigning, said Morin, 20, coordinator for Connecticut GenDean groups and president of the College Democrats chapter at Trinity. "Young people are so plugged into technology, and this allows them to get involved through a medium where they already feel comfortable."
Young people aren't the only ones who connect to Dean on-line. Senior citizens, Mormons, even some Republicans - and a host of little-known individuals - post dozens of blogs for his campaign. More than half of the visitors to the Connecticut for Dean web page are over 30, said Aldon Hynes, the site's webmaster.
But Dean made a special effort to reach out to young people during his recent seven-city "Raise the 'Roots" tour, which attracted about 10,000 people. He appeals to youth with his anti-war rhetoric, his fiscal conservatism and his support, as Vermont's governor, for the nation's first bill recognizing gay civil unions.
"People see him as the rebel," said Caroline Conway, president of the College Democrats of Connecticut and a senior at Fairfield University. "He gives off a much better sense of being in touch with young people than the other candidates."
Generation Dean spokesman Michael Whitney said Dean is paying particular attention to potential new voters, even among the generation that traditionally votes least. A record-low 30 percent of registered voters under 30 turned out for the 2000 presidential election "He isn't looking at his supporters as free labor-they're driving this campaign," Whitney said. "They have a lot of stake in the next election."
But if history is a guide, Dean should not stake his campaign too heavily on youth. Some political scientists draw comparisons to the failed campaigns of Democrats Eugene McCarthy in 1968 and George McGovern in 1972-both anti-war candidates with large student support.
"He is an ideal candidate for disaffected young people," Dorothy James, a Connecticut College government professor, said of Dean. "They're mad as hell and they're anti-incumbent."
But some of the same qualities that appeal to students might alienate other voters, said John Hollay, president of the College Democrats chapter at UConn.
"The size of student support is impressive, but if he focuses only on the angry college leftist, he's going to run into trouble," said Hollay, a supporter of Sen. John Kerry, of Massachusetts. "Howard Dean speaks a lot of good rhetoric, but he needs to expand his appeal to more moderate voters."
Likewise, Internet politicking has little influence outside college campuses and activist groups, said Tobe Berkovitz, an expert in Internet marketing and associate dean of Boston University's College of Communication.
"This is not a great way to reach suburbia," Berkovitz said. He said the number of serious political bloggers and web-surfers pales in comparison to the much larger and more reliable voting bloc of middle-aged adults and senior citizens.
But following Dean's early Internet success, nearly every one of his opponents is utilizing technology to reach potential voters. Kerry and retired Gen. Wesley Clark now hold meetups, which are organized on-line. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut keeps a web diary and a bizarre photo collection, titled "Dogs for Joe," which displays his supporters' pets. Even President Bush has joined the blogging world.
"Candidates in prior elections had web sites before, but now they're realizing the Internet is a mobilization tool," said George Edwards, head of the Center for Presidential Studies at Texas A&M University. While Edwards said it is highly unlikely young people will swing the 2004 vote, he said they are the largest untapped political resource.
"I still dream of seeing student movements rise again," said France, 19. Last month, she distributed free brownies on Yale's Cross Campus lawn that read "The Doctor Is In," a reference to Dean's profession, and sold T-shirts that said, "Put A Different Yalie In The White House." Dean and Bush are Yale alumni.
Despite the large number of button-hawking, sign-painting "Deaniacs" and "Deanyboppers," many college students said they feel removed from the political process and are not ready to settle on a candidate just yet-not even one with an Instant Messenger account.
UConn sophomore Shawn Logue said he supports Dean. But he hasn't been moved to write a blog or join a GenDean group. In fact, the 19-year-old said he is still formulating his political opinions. "It takes quite a while to figure out what politicians stand for," Logue said. "And at this point, it's still possible for me to change my mind."
CT Grandparents Rally to Gain Government Support
By Kevin Joy
WASHINGTON - A heart attack left Hollister Brown unable to care for himself or pay his bills.
Costly triple-bypass surgery emptied his family's savings last month and forced Brown, 48, to leave his job at a Hartford Wal-Mart. His wife Sheila, also 48, receives disability payments and does not work.
Their financial problems are making it difficult for the Browns to support their grandchildren, Shanekwa and LaShay, who live with them. The Browns, of Hartford, are the children's primary caretakers.
"Back when I was raising my own kids, you needed two or three jobs to make ends meet," Hollister Brown said. "I just can't do that anymore, obviously."
Although the Connecticut Department of Children and Families has money to help some grandparents who care for grandchildren, it cannot help the Browns. State money is reserved for children who have been turned over to relatives as a result of a court order, usually because of parental abuse or neglect. The relatives must go through extensive training and become licensed caregivers, similar to foster parents.
The Browns said they began caring for their grandchildren when their daughter was unable to, but they did not receive a court order.
Grandparents who take a child into their home without legal action and a license are not eligible for the state funds-which amount to about $8,500 per child annually.
The Browns, along with about 30 other Connecticut grandparents and hundreds more from across the country, marched on Capitol Hill this week for the first national "GrandRally to Leave No Child Behind." They urged Congress to pass legislation that would give states federal money for grandparent caregivers, help provide the families with affordable housing and give them temporary help in their homes.
"We have to pay the bills, too, so what's the difference?" said Carolyn Jackson, a parent coordinator for New Haven's public schools and caretaker for one grandchild. "For the state to give more funding to a foster parent, usually a total stranger, that is wrong."
Jackson said many low-income grandparents who take care of grandchildren are under 40 and, in many cases, still have children at home.
About 6 million grandparents nationwide lived with their minor grandchildren in 2000, and 42 percent of them were the primary caregivers , according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1999, the latest year for which figures are available, 19 percent of these grandparents were living in poverty.
In Connecticut, about 19,000 grandparents report that they are responsible for their grandchildren. They take on the responsibility for a number of reasons, including a parent's death, incarceration or long-term illness.
It's a costly proposition.
"Utilities, food, clothing, school supplies, medical bills-the cost of living is unbelievable," said Valerie Allen, 49, of Hartford. "I need more help."
Allen is raising two grandsons, each with chronic asthma, and said she needs more government support to help find good housing in a better school district. She worries about how to pay for their college educations.
Financial help is scarce and difficult to locate.
"These families have shown tremendous commitment without the resources," said Carol Shirley, spokeswoman for the AARP, a senior citizens' lobby. "They deserve the same benefits they would get if their grandchildren were in the system under foster care. People need help in order to help themselves."
Linda Cobbs, 52, who is raising three grandchildren in Hartford, said many grandparents help each other through old-fashioned networking.
Once a month, Cobbs leads a group called Parents The Second Time Around. She and about 30 others have been meeting for five years.
"People just say, 'You're a grandparent-it's your obligation' to pay for the needs of the grandchildren, Cobbs said. "But now it's our responsibility as a community to make sure they aren't being penalized and get the support they deserve."
Senator Christopher Dodd Introduces a New Bill to Prevent Premature Births
WASHINGTON - The number of babies born prematurely in Connecticut has risen by roughly 5 percent since 1991 and by about 10 percent and nationwide, according to the March of Dimes.
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) wants to find out why. He has introduced the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early Act (PREEMIE), which aims to reduce the mortality rate for premature babies by increasing research on early births.
Nationwide, nearly 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year, and more than one-fifth of them develop health problems, the March of Dimes reported. Many of them suffer from devastating disabilities and have to fight for their lives. Premature births account for 23 percent of the deaths that occur in the first month of life, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
"Premature infants are 14 times more likely to die in their first year than infants who are carried to term," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the bill's co-sponsor, said at a press conference Thursday.
Dodd, the senior Democrat on a subcommittee on children and families, said the bill "is an important step in the right direction towards preventing premature birth and providing better care for infants born prematurely."
According to Dr. Daniel Langford, a neonatologist at New Britain General Hospital, roughly 9 percent of the babies born at the hospital every year are premature --born after less than 36 weeks gestation. A normal pregnancy takes 40 weeks.
Respiratory distress, infections and low glucose levels are among the problems common in premature babies, Langford said.
The March of Dimes web site lists four potential causes of early labor: maternal or fetal stress, infection, bleeding of the uterus and stretching of the uterus. But a spokesperson for the organization said the reasons for half of all premature births are unknown.
"We need a focused, targeted research to understand the reasons for premature birth," said Dr. Jennifer Howse, president of the March of Dimes, which works to combat premature births and genetic defects. She added that the number of early births seemed to be rising-from 10.8 percent of all live births in 1991 to 11.9 percent in 2001.In Connecticut, premature births rose from 9.3 percent to 9.8 percent during the same decade.
Dodd and Alexander were joined at the press conference by parents and advocates from Bolton, Fairfield, Kensington and Stamford.
Dodd said the bill would provide $15 million a year for five years to step up research.
Johnson Maintains Support of Pharmaceutical Companies
WASHINGTON - Pharmaceutical companies and health-care professionals are two of U.S. Rep. Nancy L. Johnson's most devoted financial supporters, and she often champions their causes in Congress. Nevertheless, Johnson (R-5) has broken ranks with the two groups by supporting a bill that would permit pharmacies to import drugs from abroad.
To the dismay of two of her three largest campaign contributors, Johnson voted in July in favor of the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, which passed the House 243-186. Johnson was one of only 87 Republicans to vote for the bill, which would allow pharmacies, consumers and wholesalers to import FDA-approved drugs from U.S.-approved plants in 25 industrialized nations.
If it becomes law, the bill could cost American pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars by making available to consumers less expensive prescription drugs. The proposal is part of a negotiation by House and Senate conferees working on a Medicare reform bill. The White House has said it opposes importing drugs.
Though she bucked major contributors, Johnson might have improved her standing among many constituents, particularly senior citizens, who have pressured Congress to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. Connecticut's senior population is slightly higher than that of the nation as a whole, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Brenda Kelley, director of Connecticut's branch of the AARP, said the powerful seniors' lobby supports the importation of drugs as a way to reduce the cost of medication.
Johnson's press secretary, Brian Schubert, said she voted for the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act "so that Americans have better access to prescription drugs."
Johnson, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee's Health Subcommittee, has supported pharmaceutical companies on another sensitive issue: the creation of a prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients.
As a result, the companies have maintained their support for Johnson. "We respectfully disagree" on the issue of drug imports, said Jeff Trewhitt, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). "But she has mapped out many constructive positions in the Medicare prescription drug bill."
Some doctors and other health-care professionals oppose importing drugs because they say it poses a risk to consumers.
Dr. Donald J. Palmisano, president of the American Medical Association, said the AMA "remains concerned for patients struggling to pay for medications and supports a prescription drug benefit in Medicare. However, re-importation is not the answer.
"A frightening and unintended result of this legislation could easily be expired, sub-potent, contaminated or counterfeit reimported drugs," Palmisano said. "The ramifications of patients' taking these medications could be dire, including dangerous drug interactions and other serious health consequences."
Their disagreement is unlikely to cost Johnson the support of her large campaign contributors.
During the first half of this year, Johnson's three largest donors were health professionals, who gave her $95,399; insurers, which contributed $67,500; and pharmaceutical and health products companies, which gave her $60,250, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, an independent group that monitors campaign contributions. Candidates filed new financial reports with the Federal Election Commission Wednesday, but breakdowns of contributors were not immediately available.
Chris Loder, spokesman for the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., said that while the industry opposes the importation of drugs, it supports Johnson on other issues. "We look at her entire record," Loder said.
"The vote by the House reflects frustration that seniors can't afford the medicine that they need," Loder added. "We share this frustration."
Doug Mendelson, president of Health Strategies Consultancy, a Washington-based consulting firm, said he is concerned that importing drugs could lead to lower-quality medications and fraud.
"I personally think that it's wrong," Mendelson said of the bill.
In 1987, Congress passed the Prescription Drug Marketing Act, which allowed medications to be imported only in limited circumstances.
The new bill, sponsored by Reps. Gil Gutknecht, R.-Minn., Rahm Emanuel, D.-Ill., and Jo Ann Emerson, R.-Mo., would apply to drugs manufactured in the European Union and 10 other countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
Connecticut Voters Are Still Concerned About The Economy
WASHINGTON - Connecticut may be the nation's wealthiest state, but its residents seem to share something with the rest of the country: a concern about the state of the national economy.
"Connecticut really mirrors the nation," said Ken Dautrich, a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. As for other issues, such as terrorism, the quality of education and the environment, he said, "all of this pales in comparison to the economy."
If the Nutmeg State truly mirrors the nation, then the economy is the major issue there. A recent national poll by Quinnipiac University reported that 34 percent of 1,228 registered voters considered the economy "the most important problem facing the country today." That was more than double the percentage of respondents who picked any other issue in the poll, conducted Sept. 11-15.
Not surprisingly, the issue has a political edge.
To Leslie O'Brien, the executive director of Connecticut's Democratic Party, concern about the economy transcends partisan politics. "People are generally concerned about their wallets," she said. "The average Connecticut citizen is not seeing [President] Bush's tax cuts."
Despite the wealth of Fairfield County, "a majority of Connecticut is middle class" and has been suffering from state spending cuts, the highest unemployment rate in years and inflated prices for prescription drugs, O'Brien said.
John Healey, the political director for Connecticut Republicans, disagreed. "The fact is that these [spending] cuts were across the board," he said. "The Democrats forget that the people of Fairfield County carry 90 percent of the tax burden. There's no doubt that they are the economic engine of this state."
He's also optimistic about the state of the national economy. "I think we're seeing the beginnings of a turning economy," he said. "We're feeling the impact of the [Bush] tax cuts."
UConn's Dautrich said the state's economic problems over the past two years have resulted in more jobs lost than gained, something, he added, that Connecticut shared with most other states.
Arnauld Schwartz, a longtime New Britain resident, doesn't agree with the 1992 Clinton campaign adage that "it's the economy, stupid." His most pressing concern is Connecticut's vulnerability to terrorism, noting that the state is home to three nuclear plants and a submarine base. "I put that concern over the economy," he said.
To Schwartz, local issues are the most important ones. "I'm really concerned," he said, "about what could happen here in New Britain at my house."
But Dautrich said not many Connecticut residents agree with Schwartz. Pointing to the recall this week of California Gov. Gray Davis, Dautrich suggested that Bush may be the biggest victim of a poor economy because he is the incumbent.
But Dautrich added that none of the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination has a particular edge on handling the economy. When asked whom Connecticut voters favor on economic issues, he said, "I don't think that people know enough about the candidates."
Norwalk Students to Engage in Aquarium Research
WASHINGTON - Fifth-grade students from some Norwalk public schools have a new reason to look forward to science class.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has granted the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium $17,765 to help 75 students get real-life experience along with their science lessons, Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) announced Wednesday.
The grant, for the Norwalk Harbor Biodiversity Study, will allow students from five fifth-grade classes to spend a school year conducting field studies on Long Island Sound, going on boat excursions and participating in video labs and Internet research projects concerning the sound.
"I'm pleased the Maritime Aquarium will be able to offer this unique opportunity for science education to Norwalk students," Shays said in a statement. "This study provides local students with a hands-on experience that I hope will foster further excitement about science, as well as preservation of the precious resource of the Long Island Sound."
The students will take field trips to the sound and travel aboard the aquarium's research boat to explore what happens in the water.
The program will provide students with a special Internet site that will allow them to view what's going on in the sound from their classrooms. They then will be able to ask aquarium researchers questions through their computers.
"Live [on-line] chats will be scheduled at the teacher's convenience," said aquarium spokesman Tim Gagne. "One class can go on the cruise, while another watches on-line and can ask direct questions at the time."
The students will be able to observe harbor seals that come up on the rocks and to track weather data, Gagne said. "They can research how weather affects the seals' behavior, and then go out on the research vessel to see it live," he explained.
Aquarium researchers also will go to the students' classrooms to lead discussions and oversee experiments.
The Internet part of the program is expected to be up and running within the next few weeks; the cruises will begin in late November or early December.
"We expect the program to promote genuine enthusiasm about marine science, motivate students to do well in school and provide assistance to teachers seeking to improve their science teaching skills," the aquarium's education director, Jack Schneider, said in a statement.
An existing program allows bedridden children at Westchester Children's Hospital Center to tap into the aquarium through the Internet.
Johnson May Not Make a 12th Term in Congress
WASHINGTON - Connecticut Democrats are looking for a candidate to challenge Rep. Nancy L. Johnson (R-Conn.), who will be running for reelection in 2004 after 22 years in office.
Although she would not name names, Leslie O'Brien, executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party, said several Democrats have met with party leaders and that she expects to have a few potential candidates lined up in the coming weeks.
"Several Democrats have discussed the possibility of running in the 2004 House election, but they have not currently filed the necessary paperwork," O'Brien said Tuesday. "The district, number-wise, is a Democratic district. Any solid Democrat who runs a tough campaign will offer Nancy Johnson competition."
One Democrat who is strongly considering entering the race is Bob Marconi, a city council member in Brookfield, according to a Democratic source who asked not to be identified.
As of last year, Johnson's district contained 368, 825 registered voters, including 112,545 Democrats and 95,907 Republicans, according to O'Brien.
Greg Speed, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said Johnson has a financial edge.
A member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, Johnson has amassed contributions of $505,360 for her 2004 campaign. The largest chunk, $93,399, came from health-care professionals, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, an independent watchdog group that monitors campaign money.
Brian Schubert, Johnson's press secretary, said he wouldn't comment on "an election that's 13 months away."
In 2002, Johnson defeated a fellow incumbent, Democrat Jim Maloney, after their two districts were combined.
"Jim had the misfortune of being paired with Johnson in a good Republican year," Speed said. Johnson won 54 percent of the vote to Maloney's 43 percent.
Connecticut's political terrain could change more dramatically if Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman wins the presidential election. Lieberman, one of nine candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, ran for reelection in 2000 even as he was his party's vice presidential nominee.
If Lieberman were elected president, Gov. Rowland, a Republican, would appoint someone to fill his Senate seat.
Asked if Johnson would be interested in the Senate seat, Schubert demurred. Talk of a Senate vacancy, he said, is "pure speculation at this point. Nancy's focused on her agenda in the House."
