I’m sure many readers saw the report on 60 Minutes this month concerning the New England Compounding Center, a Massachusetts pharmacy. This is the company that sent drugs it compounded to over 3,000 hospitals across the country.
It was actually only supposed to send compounded drugs on a prescription basis, but, according to one of the employees who worked in the lab, that wasn’t the case.
The company had begun compounding more and more drugs and was getting careless. The lab was getting dirtier and dirtier.
Eventually, the drugs became contaminated with a fungus. Upper management was warned about the increase in the quantity of drugs being compounded and the problem with contamination, but it turned a blind eye to the warnings it had received from employees working in the lab.
The company also owned a trash recycling center next door, which was only about 100 feet away from the lab and was probably the source of the contamination.
Many patients were given the drugs this company compounded and distributed throughout the country. The company knew they were contaminated.
As of the time of the 60 Minutes report, 48 people had died from these drugs and over 700 more are sick with no cure in sight.
The company has gone out of business and filed for bankruptcy, but not before upper management withdrew millions from bank accounts.
In my opinion, these managers, from the top to the supervisors who wouldn’t listen to the employees working in the lab, are as guilty of murder as are those who go on mass killing sprees with guns.
The difference is that the ones using guns mostly have mental issues before going on their killing sprees, whereas the people running this company were not mentally incompetent. They knew exactly what they were doing, but greed took over.
It will be interesting to see if justice will prevail or if they will get a slap on the wrist. My prayers are with all those who have been given drugs from this company.
Jim Prettyman
Suffield Township
Unjustified probe of Alexander’s expenses
I am astounded that the Republican members of the Summit County Board of Elections are demanding a probe of former Sheriff Drew Alexander’s campaign funds. Alexander installed a $2,500-plus security system in his home after he received death threats (“County to probe ex-sheriff expense,” March 6).
They compare his security system to the one that Marc Dann, the ex-attorney general, installed for over $40,000.
Alexander’s attorney wrote to the Ohio Elections Commission before the system was installed to ask if it would be a proper expense.
Not hearing back, they thought the expenditure to be proper.
By the looks of it, $2,500 does not compare to $40,000, and I would like to know what this investigation will cost the Ohio taxpayers.
What is a public servant to do with excess campaign funds when he or she retires? The public should look at what percentage of the excess funds were used and make an intelligent determination of its purpose.
Gary Conner
Akron
Budget of frustration
It will be interesting to see where the sequester cuts will occur and how large a percentage they will be.
I am going to get out my copy of the 2013 budget and compare it to the revised budget.
Oops, I forgot. We don’t gave a budget. How inconvenient.
Mike Reiter
Tallmadge
Faith heals shooting victim
My thoughts and prayers go out to Wylene Edwards as she recovers from an act of senseless violence (“Akron shooting victim struggles to pay bills, grateful to be alive,” March 10). As the article states, “The reality is that what happened to this grandmother could happen to anyone.”
How tragic that we live in times when a simple drive to the store can result in a life-changing injury due to a senseless act of violence. I’m glad that Edwards described herself as strong in her faith, and my prayer is that the Lord will sustain Edwards and give her strength and peace in the coming days.
While I am unable to donate very much, I hope other followers of Jesus will join me and donate what they can to help Edwards via the benevolent fund that has been set up at any FirstMerit Bank branch. Any amount will help, and I’m sure it will be appreciated. Finally, I encourage Edwards, to “keep fighting the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) and to remember that God has promised he “will never leave or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5).
Mark D. Akers
Cleveland
Show respect for the flag
On March 11, a photo on page A2 showed a lack of respect for the flag. The photo showed a tattered, thin, tangled flag. That flag should not be on the pole.
There are too many flags that appear to have been hoisted in 2001 that are now in tatters.
It is fine and well that patriotism was shown. Where is the patriotism now that the flags are tattered? The flags should be replaced or taken down. Please respect the flag.
Robert M. Smith
Barberton
Finding fairness in school funding
I have a possible solution to the school funding issue that should meet the Ohio Supreme Court requirements for constitutionality.
First, the state legislature sets a uniform millage to be taken from property taxes in all Ohio counties. The figure, perhaps, could be derived from the average millage of all of Ohio’s school districts. The amount collected would go into a state education fund.
Second, the total of all students attending kindergarten through 12th grade would be determined from enrollment records.
Third, the funds in the state education fund would be divided by the total number of students to determine a per-student amount. Each school would receive funds using the formula.
This would provide a distribution of funds that the Supreme Court should find constitutional.
I know this is a simplistic approach, but maybe it is time to make government simpler.
Ken Stoffer
Ravenna
Unwise aid
It really seems to be counter-productive to lay off taxpaying American citizens while sending $60 billion to Syria.
It also seems foolish to reduce our military. Didn’t we learn anything from history? This was done after World War I, and it took much time to get our military ready when we were attacked by Japan, starting our involvement in World War II.
Gerald C. Wise Sr.
Norton
Road to ruin for public schools
So I see that private (and for-profit) entities are benefitting, yet again, from public funds subsidizing them (“Schools absorb extra costs as transportation aid stalls,” Feb. 25).
This time, it’s private schools, which don’t have to pay for their own buses because the underfunded public school districts are forced to shuttle the private-school kids.
Nicely played, Gov. Kasich. I see your “Republicans love education” mantra is working hard to destroy public schools.
Ernest Michaels
Cuyahoga Falls
Time to ban assault weapons
It is a crime that so many members of Congress are so beholden to the National Rifle Association and so concerned with their re-election that they refuse to vote for an assault weapons ban.
A report on the Newtown massacre has just been issued. Adam Lanza fired 151 bullets in five minutes, reloading four 30-round magazines.
He then used bullet No. 152 from a handgun to kill himself. If he was intent on committing these murders with only a handgun, he would have had to reload 14 times.
In that time frame, he could have been stopped before all the carnage had taken place, and some of those children would have been saved. If a ban on assault weapons had been in place, his mother could not have purchased that gun.
One child survived by playing dead among a pile of mutilated bodies. That child will be scarred for life. Another classroom of children was saved because the small window in the classroom door was still covered from a drill held a few weeks prior, and the gunman continued down the hallway.
This Congress should be held in session while this entire report is read and shown to them. Do any of them have the guts to tell Wayne LaPierre to go pound salt?
Sue Fuller
Wadsworth
