Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 1, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba a4 Winnipeg free press Friday september 1, 2006 top news online drug Industry strikes Back . Investigation is politically motivated Sellers by Paul Samyn and Gabrielle Giro Day u under attack from . Regula tors Canadas internet drug Industry came out swinging yesterday at what it claims is a politically motivated smear designed to shut the flow of cheaper canadians drugs South of the Border. The . Food and drug administration publicly warned wednesday that Minnedosa based med plan prescription plus pharmacy and med plan global health were under investigation for sell ing counterfeit drugs. We Are pretty sure that this was orchestrated by the pharmaceutical companies Gord Haugh manager of the Canadian International pharmacy association Cip Asaid of the Fra action. On tuesday Winnipeg based Andrew Strempler ? who is known to own or have a stake in both med plan Compa Nies ? dismissed the allegations As false and said they were part of an ongoing Campaign by . Drug companies and the Fra to inhibit Canadian Sellers. Canadas internet druggists complained that the Fra attack is part of an escalating Effort to shut Down the Indus try which has included months of harass ment from . Customs agents seizing shipments of prescription drugs Des tined for american customers. Andy Troszak a past president of Cipa said the Fra is trying to scare american customers away from buying Canadian drugs. At this stage we be asked the Fra for some clarification because the orig Inal statements that came out were very vague he said. We want definitions about what the Fra deems is according to the Fra warning Cana Dian websites linked to med plan prescription plus pharmacy or med plan global health Are under investigation after preliminary lab tests of intercepted shipments into the United states found counterfeits of such widespread drugs such As lip Tor and celeb Rex. However what classifies the drugs As counterfeit remains unclear ? Fra officials earlier commented to american Media outlets that the counterfeit drugs seized contained Active ingredients found in genuine versions of drugs but in lower concentrations. Yesterday the Fra was not com menting on the Case. There was also no comment from med plan. Manitoba firms like med plan have dominated the upstart Cross Border prescription Pill Trade which has been sell ing cheaper Brand name drugs to uninsured and under insured americans despite howls of protest from multinational drug firms and president George w. Bush a administration. However american organizations that currently Purchase drugs North of the Border Don to appear to be buying the Fra warning. Part of the problem Here is that the Fra has displayed a kind of the sky is falling attitude towards Cana Dian drugs for a Long time said Lee Graczyk executive director of the Minnesota senior federation. They be already set themselves up to be Minnedosa based med plan already is facing financial difficulties according to Keith Stewart Minnedosa a chamber of Commerce president. The company has Cut its staff in the last three years to an estimated 100 employees he said. In its heyday the company employed about 170 people the free press reported. . muscular dystrophy booted for Burn unit by Kevin Rollason Winnipeg firefighters have Given the Boot to muscular dystrophy after several decades of helping the Charity. And ironically the move has become known just Days before the Winnipeg department and two others in Canada Are being specifically honoured by Jerry Lewis during his International telethon to raise Money for muscular dystrophy during the labour Day weekend. Alex Forrest president of the United fire fighters of Winnipeg said yesterday for the first time since 1954 the firefighters wont be collecting Money during their annual Boot drive for the Charity which helps people with neuromuscular disorders. Boot drives where citizens Are encouraged to throw monetary donations into a firefighters Boot Are held across the City outside shopping centres. Forrest said the main reasons Are the closing Down of Manitoba sad office by the National organization and the desire to raise More Money for a new Burn victim unit at the health sciences Centre. We re moving our Boot fund to our Burn fund Charity he said. It was disappointing my shut Down its office Here and Laid off one of its workers we have worked with. We have raised millions of dollars for my in Winnipeg through the firefighters across the country have traditionally raised Money for my a genetic disorder that affects More than 50,000 canadians. Firefighters Are the largest single group of fundraisers for the organization and they Annu ally raise More than $2 million. About half of the dollars comes from the annual Boot drives. The Money raised helps pay for equipment needed by people with my including wheel chairs walkers and ankle bracelets As Well As research. George Henderson muscular dystrophy Canadas National manager of communications and fire fighter relations said the organization still receives help and support from about 700 fire departments across the country the vast majority without a local my office to help. By Mia Rabson prime minister Stephen Harper is facing an outcry from dozens of Manitoba seniors Over a tax hike most of them had no idea was com ing. Most seniors Are noticing for the first time they paid More to Ottawa out of their july government pension after a Little known change to the Basic personal exemption took effect july 1. Myfanwy Cawley the resource coordinator for the Point Douglas seniors coalition said the amount in to much but for seniors on fixed incomes even $10 less makes a big difference. These Are people who have to decide if they can afford the $3 to take the bus to see their Gran kids she said. These Are people for whom a haircut is considered a she said she talked to More than three dozen seniors yesterday who were upset about the change and Many More were going Home to Check their pension statements. The Basic personal exemption is the amount of Money All canadians Are allowed to earn before they begin pay ing taxes. Before july 1, the amount was $9,039. After july 1, it dropped to $8,639. For most people it Means an average annual increase in taxes of $31. The tax rate charged on the lowest income bracket also went up 0.5 percentage Points on july 1, increasing most tax payments $67.50, according to the Canadian taxpayers federa Tion. The tories said they did this so they could afford to drop the get by one percentage Point which had been an elec Tion Promise. On top of the get Cut most working canadians will have the tax hikes offset by a new employment tax credit and seniors who also have an employment pension will get some extra Cash Back when they file their taxes because of a doubling of the pension income tax credit. But those credits Don to apply to seniors who Are try ing to make ends meet on a government pension alone. Nip my Pat Martin said its unacceptable this tax hike was snuck into the budget and not fully disclosed to people until after it took effect. The fact that it unwittingly targets seniors More than other canadians is simply cruel said Martin. These Low income seniors Are living on peanuts As it is said Martin. I almost fell Over when i saw this. We re crying Ralph mainer a retired supervisor in the upholstery department of up rail was shocked to see his pension drop $10.44 in july and said seniors have already paid their dues in their lifetime and the government should now leave them alone. To take it All out of our pockets in to fair said main or. So the get drops one per cent. Of boy. Big Martin and mainer Are even More upset for feeling the Harper government snuck this tax hike in without prop Erly informing canadians what was happening. The change had been included in the Federal Bud get documents released in May but the first mention of it in the budget claims the government was increasing the Basic personal exemption which will be True in 2007. The decrease for 2006 in to mentioned until 200 pages further in. we re disappointed by the decision Hen Derson said. We Hope this is a temporary decision but we respect the right of their members to do what they think is Henderson said that faced with a Choice on where to spend hard earned dollars the organization decided to fund services for people with my instead of the Manitoba office. Henderson said although the organization is losing the Money raised by the firefighters it does to mean they will Cut Back their services to Manitoban with my. Well spend in Manitoba what is required he said. But we Are a charitable organization and we have to carry on our organization on a sound business Forrest admitted its ironic the move has been taken during a year in which his firefighters Are being honoured at the Jerry Lewis telethon. But Forrest said while the firefighters Arent raising Money for my this year he a not ruling out helping in a future year. We re not saying we re not supporting my we still support it he said. Its difficult to have a fundraising Effort like ours without a local Forrest said the closest offices now Are in Alberta and Ontario. seniors upset Over Surprise hike in taxes july 1 change Lowers amount of Basic personal exemption ;