| By nicole! - Feb 5th, 2007 at 1:33 pm EST |
| Also listed in: Campus Progress Blog |
On Friday, the governor of Texas issued an executive order requiring all girls entering sixth grade recieve the vaccination for the sexual transmitted disease, HPV (Crib Sheet on HPV) beginning in September 2008. 70% of cervical cancer is a result of HPV.
The cost for this vaccine runs about $360 and is covered by most insurance companies. A Texas vaccination program will cover the cost for the uninsured. Sounds perfect, huh?
Some of the controversy after the jump.
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws across the country mandating Gardasil for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.
Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.
Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.
With many progressives and feminists celebrating, does the end justify the means?
!
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For instance, small business lobbies were instrumental in defeating Bush's attempt at steel tariffs.
Perry has several ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff. Perry also received $6,000 from Merck's political action committee during his re-election campaign.
Do you think he still would issue an executive order if he didn't receive money from Merck?
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WE ARE QUITE PROUD!!
And I will "fight tooth & nail" to get this mandated..
not only for "our daughter's here in Texas", but for ALL young woman across this nation....
It's HIGH TIME these "Soccer Mom's" got off the Soccer fields & put their support in keeping their
daughter's HEALTHY, NOT ATHLETIC!!
First, he overrode the legislature completely. Now granted it sped up the process, but there was no consultation, no debate, no discussion on cost to Texas taxpayers, none of that. All those things would have come out had it gone through the legislative branch of Texas government. I have great concerns over how we are going to pay for this and if that bottled water tax, which was originally part of Perry's education package last year, will be revisited in order to do so. Texas has more uninsured children then most states in the United States. We can barely balance our budget and meet the needs of our state. How are we going to pay for this?
Second, he is a hypocrite. The decision is completely counter to what he and his Party stands for. Now ultimately maybe he had a come to Jesus moment and decided this was just plain the right thing to do, and if so, then great. But if that is the case you need to take the next step and allow schools to teach more then just abstinence in public schools. We need to provide children all information related to sex education, and the consequences too. This decision is an indictment on the Republican Party's knucklehead approach to sex education. Fix it!
TMH