Private Profits from Public Funds

Prior to 1980 the results of federally-funded research belonged to the public. This allowed scientists to build upon each other’s findings for the good of mankind. The public paid for the research, and the public benefited from the knowledge gained. That is what science was all about.

In 1980 the U.S. Congress decided to allow universities to obtain patents on the results of federally funded research and transfer them to corporations. This was through the bipartisan Bayh/Dole Act, with bipartisan support. It was the result of a lobbying effort by the pharmaceutical companies, who spread millions of dollars around in the form of campaign contributions. Thus these companies gained ownership of scientific knowledge which was funded by the public and which by earlier standards would have clearly belonged to the public domain.

By owning the early research on a given topic they could prevent other scientists from progressing further into that topic. So the drug companies now have monopolies on entire lines of inquiry into the cures for specific diseases. The astronomical prices of prescription drugs, and the astronomical profits being made by the drug companies, are what is to be expected from monopolies.

This is one of the early examples of our politicians, en mass, selling out their constituents for the tawdry prize of a bigger campaign war chest. The rampant giveaways to industry after industry, for the same tawdry prize, continue at an accelerated pace today. Think of the deregulation of many industries, such as the savings and loans some years ago. Think of the lowering of standards for air and water pollution. Think of our national forests being logged. Think of the switch to privatization, aka contracting out to campaign donors, of utilities and countless other government functions. Think “Fast Track”.

Our politicians are passing laws to accommodate wealthy special interests and are turning our democracy into a government by and for the large corporate campaign donors. The Democratic Party has been as culpable as the Republicans since tasting the drug company money in 1980. And it will go on for as long as folks keep pulling those party levers without calling the incumbents to task.

Charles Woodrow
Gloucester County Green Party Co-coordinator & Candidate for Freeholder
702 Main Street
Barnsboro, NJ 08080
(work) 856-468-1000 ext 2463
cewoodrow@aol.com