Short takes: money -- three possibilities

Photo: Aasil Kazi Ahmad

Endorsements for sale?

The nation's drug makers have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to political leaders and civil rights groups that have endorsed the industry's initiative on the Nov. 8 ballot.

"The measure, Proposition 78, would avert state caps on the price of prescription drugs. Those embracing it while taking the industry's money include the conservative Traditional Values Coalition, an emergency-room physician in Los Angeles, the California arm of the NAACP and the Mexican American Political Assn.

Federal budget is 'beyond redemption,' bishop says:

The Right Reverend F. Neff Powell, bishop of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, declared, 'The current budget reconciliation package in Congress is quite frankly beyond redemption and should be abandoned.' ….

The Senate narrowly passed its version for the budget on October 27, which includes $39 billion in cuts, including cuts to Medicaid, student aid, and farm subsidies while offering limited Hurricane Katrina relief. The House bill cuts $50 billion for programs serving the working poor, children and the elderly, including eliminating 300,000 individuals and families from nutritional assistance, 40,000 children from free or reduced-price lunch programs, and reducing care for 4,000 foster children....

People power and generosity

Dozens of members of the [DC] region's Pakistani community gathered at the Loudoun County warehouse … in their second attempt at sending badly needed relief to those left injured or homeless by the Oct. 8 earthquake. …

Hanif's group bought 250 tents, 100 sleeping bags and 20 boxes of medicine and other medical supplies. In fact, so many Pakistanis bought tents to donate to the relief effort that local department stores were running out, said Farah Chohan, one of the organizers of yesterday's drive. …

"If we don't do something about it, people are going to die," said Zarrar Husain, another of the event's organizers.

We can help the victims of the earthquake in South Asia via UNICEF-USA among many relief agencies.