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Stronger medicine needed San Jose Mercury News Editorial The politics around California's prescription drug prices are rapidly heating up. Too bad the forecast for passing worthwhile legislation is icier than the relationship between National Hockey League players and the team owners. Democrats are furious over state Sen. Deborah Ortiz's decision to abandon her own solid prescription drug legislation in favor of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's weak California Rx proposal, which relies on voluntary participation by drug companies to cut prescription drug costs for the poor. Their alliance makes worthwhile reform far less likely and moves the state a step closer to a ballot initiative to rein in prices. Initiatives are a terrible way to solve complex problems like this, but they're inevitable when elected officials fail to pass meaningful legislation. The Legislature should defeat Schwarzenegger's plan and approve a better one, but that may not help. The governor accepted more than $300,000 in contributions last year from pharmaceutical companies and, not surprisingly, has vetoed previous attempts to lower drug prices. If he continues to do the companies' bidding, then health care advocates and California consumers can hardly be blamed for heading to the ballot. The political fight escalated earlier this month when Ortiz, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, broke with her Democratic colleagues to co-sponsor the governor's prescription drug proposal with Sen. Charles Poochigian, R-Fresno. That greatly enhances the chances for passing the governor's legislation in the Senate. Ortiz's willingness to reach out for a bipartisan solution is commendable. But she should have held out for major improvements in the plan before lending her support. The governor's tactics are transparent. He convened a meeting last Wednesday of consumer advocates and legislators and sat throughout the session to discuss the numerous prescription drug proposals in the state -- but Assembly Democrats conspicuously weren't invited. So much for bipartisanship. Californians already have witnessed the willingness of pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily cut costs for those in need. State Sen. Jackie Speier's Golden Bear legislation, passed in 2001, was a voluntary program to lower costs for elderly Californians. Drug companies responded by essentially ignoring it. The message couldn't be clearer. Relying on
the good will of pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription
drug prices for Californians is an exercise in futility. Ortiz
should know better. Other lawmakers need to keep up the fight
for real reform.
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