"Trust Busting" the Pharmaceutical companies

In the early 1900s corporations such as Standard Oil had bought up much of the competition and established business arrangement that essentially limited the possibility of completion. These significant Industrial Monopolies were called "trusts." Although Congress passed had the Sherman Anti-Trust act to provide some federal oversight on Trusts, The Supreme court had largely limited the regulatory aspects of the legislation.Little was done to address the economic and societal concerns of this way conducting business affairs until the Presidency Theodore Roosevelt. TR who like myself "a pick a fight with the biggest guy" in the bar" kind of politician attempted to reign in investment banker JP Morgan. Morgans Business practices included gaining control of a corporation, appointing his own management and reorganizing it to create a more substantial profit. His methods helped stabilize the economy,built monopolies and earned the wrath of the Roosevelt administration. Morgan invested heavily in railroads, and it was these investments that helped bankrupt the Northern Pacific railroad company. With the addition of the Northern Pacific railroad company Morgan and James J Hill created the Northern Securities corporation, which essentially controlled the 3 major intercontinental rail roads.Roosevelt believed it was a monopoly which violated the Sherman Anti-Trust act and ordered the Justice Department to break up the Corporation.The Supreme court upheld this decision 5-4 citing that Morgan's actions restricted free trade. In 1905 the Administration won another landmark court case in Swift and Company vs US which broke up the Beef Trust. Roosevelt's actions gave him the reputation of a Trust Buster. So where in today's society can we find a "modern day Trust"? Pharmaceuticals. Companies like American PHRMA have spent years erecting public policy barriers to effective drug markets while rolling around in piles of public funds and tax subsides for their research and to protect that research in courts via intellectual property suites and making ludicrous decisions such as hiking up prices for medical needs such as insulin to make a quick buck. Although our friends on the far right have forgotten the legacy of President Roosevelt and have created a party that believes in absolute and unrestricted right to individualism when it comes to business, there were those who once believed in the absolute and unrestricted right to slavery so we need not pay them any attention because It's past time to "Trust bust " the Pharmaceutical companies and we can start by allowing drugs from other entities and parts of the world to sell in US Markets

School Choice creates an Educational System Orwellians can be proud of

Noah

In 2001, Jesse Ventura signed off on legislation that
effectively eliminated the Education Property tax levy, with the stipulation
that the next session of the legislature needed to dedicate A new source of
funding for Minnesota's Public education system. Both decided to  eat their desert for even bothering to look
at their Peas and K-12 educational costs have continued to be an issue many of
which have been spurred by an increase of costs of special education have continued
to take A  significant toll on local
school districts. In 1970s Congress mandated that every student had a right to
a free and appropriate education. Although it is unfortunate that some states chose to promote degradation,
semantics and half assed educational standards, SCOTUS decided Endrew F VS
Douglas county School District which clarifies that quality is to be a factor
in determining what is considered  free
and appropriate  education. According to
the US Dept. of Education 14% of students receive SPED services and 14% of
students are being left out of the dialogue on school choice which in reality
isn't providing all that much of an option. The point of School Choice is to
divert public funds to private schools  which can and will be detrimental to the educational pursuits of students
with disabilities.  School choice
proponents excel at messaging they use glittery hot button words that after one
actually reads accompanying legislation, one quickly realizes are ambiguous
misleading a disservice to both the education and special needs communities.
George Orwell called such methods "Double speak". Public schools that
are free appropriate and open to everyone regardless of race, color or creed
become privatized by merely divesting tax dollars way from the public education
system Into a "nonprofit ".and educational opportunities become accessible
to whoever the highest bidder is. In short I believe our education system
shouldn't reflect the style of the Pigs in Animal Farm where all of us are
equal but some of us are more equal than others.  Public dollars rather than being bent to the
whims of wealthy philanthropists and Political elitists should be used to
better an already existing educational system (which in MN rarely falls under
the top five in the country) and keep educational opportunities open to
everybody..