COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Toledo Blade has endorsed the Yes on Issue 2 campaign to lower drug prices and save all Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars while calling out the big drug companies opposed to pricing reform for being lunchroom bullies.
In their editorial, the Blade points out Americans pay twice as much each year for drugs as other countries, how drug companies have jacked up prices on medications as much as 600 percent, and there needs to be a public strategy to address the problem.
“The Ohio Drug Price Relief Act (Issue 2), on the ballot on Tuesday, would requite state government to pay no more for prescription drugs than the price paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which typically gets a discount of up to 24 percent,” the editorial states. “The measure would apply to drugs the state of Ohio buys for about 4 million people. About 75 percent of those are on Medicaid. Others include people receiving workers’ compensation, along with state employees and retirees.”
The Blade endorsement also calls out the big drug companies that are spending more than $62 million for using scare tactics, but calls on voters to stand up to the bullies.
“The drug companies…are effectively telling their customers that they will retaliate if the state votes to create any kind of price controls. While it is logical to believe them, it is cowardly to give in to that kind of extortion,” the editorial notes. “What Issue 2 opponents are saying is something like this: You have to keep giving the school bully all your lunch money or he will make up the difference by extorting others.”
“Speaking of courage, the Toledo Blade calls it like it is. Big drug companies are lunchroom bullies using extortionist tactics to threaten Ohio voters. The big drug companies are running the dirtiest, darkest and most expensive campaign in Ohio history. On Tuesday, voters have a chance to back the bully down with a Yes vote on Issue 2,” said Dennis Willard, spokesperson for the Yes on Issue 2 campaign.
Background on Ohio Ballot Issue 2
The Yes on Issue 2 campaign is a broad-based, bi-partisan coalition. More than 200,000 Ohio voters signed petitions to put an amendment on the ballot in November that will lower drug prices for over 4 million Ohioans, including 164,000 children, save taxpayers $400 million annually, reduce healthcare costs for everyone and teach greedy drug companies and their CEOs a lesson.
You can learn more by visiting yesonissue2.com or following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Paid for by Ohio Taxpayers for Lower Drug Prices
