Vermont  just  became the third city in the United States to offer employees the option to buy medication from over the Canadian border.  "This is a growing movement," Mayor Peter Clavelle said. "You'll soon find there are dozens of cities that will be facilitating the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada for their employees."

Thus far, the FDA has been unable to provide evidence of Canadian drugs hurting American consumers, with leading experts noting that "drugs purchased through the Canadian health care system are every bit as safe as those available in the United States." As of February 2004, more than two dozen city, county and state governments have stood against President Bush and the drug industry by exploring cheaper Canadian plans.  Examples:

*Springfield, MA:  One of the first to implement a solution to allow city employees to purchase prescription drugs from a Canada. 

*Boston, MA:  Mayors like Thomas Menino have set up a pilot program to give about 11,000 city employees and retirees the option of filling prescriptions by mail from Canadian suppliers, and he expects the city to save about $1.5-million (U.S.) a year.

*Montgomery County, MD:  This county spends $60 million a year on employee prescriptions, and now supporters say buying from Canada could cut that figure in half.

*Green County, OK:  Counties are now saying they can save from 50% to 70% on their prescriptions when they buy a 3 month supply of medicine from Canadian pharmacies.

*Minnesota:  Gov. Tim Pawlenty started the first website to offer order forms.  Click here to see more about the Minnesota Program.

*Wisconsin: Had their site up and running last week with 80,000 hits the first week.

*Rhode Island: The State Medical Society backs the plan.

*Illinois: Gov. Blagojevich initiated a federal class action lawsuit against federal agencies.

*New Hampshire:  Now Joining the two dozen states considering re-importation.  Visit the Center for American Progress Medicare Page for a report on re-importation and Click here to see more State Actions to Control Health Care Costs.

Trailblazers:  High Road Leaders in Local Government

Augusta, ME: Will Maine's Dirigo Lead? -- Policy-makers across the country are watching the innovative and newly authorized health plan called Dirigo - Maine's motto and Latin for "I lead" – to see if it can live up to its name.

Milwaukee, WI:  Driver's License Program Develops Workforce -- The Milwaukee Jobs Initiative created a task force to help low-income drivers get to work, and with critical backing from many supporters – including area judges, legal advocates, neighborhood groups, human services agencies -- Milwaukeeans can now hit the road, and the workplace, without risk.

Lincoln, NE: City Council Looks At 'Living Wage' Ordinance -- Protestors braved the cold wind and decreasing temperatures while holding signs chanting their message -- support living wage.

Buffalo, NY:  Labor Urged To Play Role In Economic Development -- If local unions want to create and retain good-paying jobs, they have to think beyond the picket line, according to the High Road Economics @ Work conference.

Dade County, FL: Global warming gets closer look in Miami-Dade County -- The county clerk and the assistant director of the County’s Environmental Agency are doing their part to get global warming issues into the national and local dialogues. They co-chair the Miami-Dade County Climate Change Adaptation Task Force.

Albuquerque, NM: Tax boost proposed for the arts -- House Majority Leader Danice Picraux is drafting legislation that would allow counties - with voter approval - to increase receipts up to a quarter cent to benefit the arts.

Traverse City, MI:  State Requires Permits For Largest Livestock Farms -- A new rule requires the state's largest farms to seek water pollution permits.

Local Government News

Washington, D.C.: Can New Chemical Cut Lead in Water? -- D.C. officials are planning a three-month trial of a chemical that they hope will reduce alarming lead levels in drinking water. The chemical is likely to be an orthophosphate, which forms a protective coating on pipes to prevent lead from leaching into water.

Las Vegas, NV: Nevada Gov decries loss of revenue to Internet services -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says he'll meet with officials from all of Nevada's cities and counties to talk about millions of dollars that could be lost as residents switch to new - and untaxed - technologies.

Juneau, AK: Bill would use perm fund to bail out municipalities -- A House committee has approved a bill that would dip into the Alaska Permanent Fund to help cities hit hard by state budget cuts.

Topeka, KS: House gives initial nod to measure to combat 'predatory' annexations
Addressing predatory annexation practices, the House gave initial approval to a bill that would let landowners seek review of plans by cities to annex their property.

Greenville, SC: Economists raise concerns about Sanford tax proposal
Schools, local governments and state-supported services could be in for trouble if Gov. Sanford and GOP legislators lower the state income tax, economists said Monday.

Louisville, KY: Protesters attack housing plan
Local officials, and not Washington, would decide how to spend millions of dollars in rental assistance for low-income families under a Bush administration budget proposal that federal officials say will help cities like Louisville - where more than 11,000 people are waiting for aid.

Reports from the High Road

San Diego, CA:  Subsidizing Wal-Mart: A Case Study of the College Grove Redevelopment Project looks at the impact of a large subsidized development on the local community. CPI looks beyond fiscal impacts to incorporate an analysis of the impacts on employment, housing, neighborhood services and the environment.

A report from the Brennan Center for Justice: Living Wage Laws & Communities: Smarter Economic Development, Lower Than Expected Cost finds that for most cities, contract costs rose less than 0.1 percent after living wage ordinances passed.

New York, NY:  Nearly Half of Black Men Found Jobless -- A new study examining trends in joblessness suggests that by 2003, nearly one of every two black men between 16 and 64 in NYC was not working.

The Iowa Policy Project reports one in five Iowa families do not meet basic costs of running a household. “The problem in Iowa is low wages. People are working long hours, and still having a tough time making ends meet," said Jan Flora.  See an Executive Summary of the report.

Congress is considering several bills that would continue federal extended unemployment benefits for workers in states with high unemployment.  Read OCPP's latest report - "Looking Forward to Changes in the 'Look Back' Rule: Tens of Thousands of Unemployed Oregonians Will Lose Benefits Unless the 'Look Back' Rule is Eliminated in Federal Extended Benefits Programs."

ALICE offers best practices in high-wage, low-waste, worker-friendly, publicly-accountable  local policy.  Our website serves as a collaborative clearinghouse for local elected officials, activists, organizations, and issue experts who want a map and a vehicle to take the high road.  If you have innovative policy you'd like to share with the rest of the country, send them to our National Director at andy@highroadnow.org