The NY Times is reporting Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, was dissolved on Wednesday in a wide-ranging bankruptcy settlement that will require the company’s owners, members of the Sackler family, to turn over $4.5 billions of their fortune to address the deadly opioid epidemic. But the agreement includes a much-disputed condition: It largely absolves the Sacklers of Purdue’s opioid-related liability. And as such, they will remain among the richest families in the country. Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., approved the settlement, saying he wanted modest adjustments. The painstakingly negotiated plan will end thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments, tribes, hospitals and individuals to address a public health crisis that led to the deaths of more than 500,000 people nationwide. I know this is a very complicated case involving thousands of plaintiffs, but $4.5 billion seems terribly low to me, when you consider it averages out to $9,000 per death. Recent estimates show the Sackler family has a net worth of $11 billion, thus they will still have a net worth of $6.5 billion if the money was to be paid out immediately. Unfortunately, it is going to be paid out over seven years. By then, the Sackler net worth will be back over $11 billion. Justice has not been served with this settlement.
The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan has created many different emotions and comments. Here are two differing opinions from two very conservative journalists/commentators:
Ann Coultor: “Thank you, President Biden, for keeping a promise Trump made, but then abandoned when he got to office.” “”Trump REPEATEDLY demanded that we bring our soldiers home, but only President Biden had the balls to do it.”
Nolan Finley: “Biden’s claim to accept responsibility for the botched evacuation that left 13 American servicemembers dead rang hollow given his repeated finger pointing at my predecessor. Nothing former President Donald Trump negotiated with the Taliban locked Biden into the disastrous evacuation plan his administration put together and executed.”
| All I know is that getting out of Afghanistan was the right thing to do. What has happened in the last month just shows why the U.S. needed to leave. The trillions of dollars spent, the 2,500 lives lost, the many thousands injured, and the countless Afghans also killed during the last 20 years. There is plenty of blame to go around as a result of this 20-year war. I am just glad we are out. Stay safe. Social distance. Wear your mask. Wash your hands regularly. Get your vaccine. Orchid of the Day: Mike Snyder, Lorenzo Baker and Greg Bois, for being so understanding today when we found out I had scheduled our round of golf today at the A-ga-ming Torch Course versus the desired Sundance Course. Onion of the Day: Me for screwing up the scheduling of golf today. Quote of the Day: “Just because a person grows old doesn’t mean they grow.” A person close to me. |
Agree with you Tom on that opioid verdict. Bottom line you can’t touch the one percent.
Thanx for your comment. 4.5 billion sounds like a lot until you put into perspective of the 500,000 lives lost. We lost a great niece to opioid addiction from an auto accident. She didn’t make her 25th birthday. Her life was worth much more than this settlement.