From OPENERS:
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann wants to learn more about battling the pharmaceutical industry, which is coming under the increasing scrutiny of attorneys general for its unfair marketing, labeling and pricing practices, among other things.If there was a legitimate crime to investigate, I say have at it...but Marc Dann has shown his hand to not really care much about real crime. Is it really all about headlines and corporate shakedowns?
Dann, who's trying to build an image around consumer advocacy, is scheduled to attend an invitation-only seminar on the subject this week in New York sponsored by the National State Attorney General Program at Columbia Law school. He'll moderate one session.
Asked if Dann is looking to make the drug industry the next tobacco industry -- which has had to fork out billions to states because of the harmful effects of its products -- a spokeswoman for Dann said the conference is just part of his mission.
"It doesn't matter if it's securities fraud, companies endangering our environment, or pharmaceutical companies abusing consumer rights," Michelle Gatchell said. "If we believe that legal action is warranted, we are going to take it."
Remember this when the price of drugs goes up again... These shakedowns don't protect the consumer. What they do is cause these companies to raise prices in order to fend off frivilous lawsuits from glory seeking State Attorneys General like Marc Dann.
