Pantagraph: Comptroller won't pay for vaccines

[Tweed]

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/020105/new_20050201045.shtml

CHICAGO -- Illinois' chief financial officer said Monday his office would not pay for the millions of dollars in flu vaccine that Gov. Rod Blagojevich ordered from Europe but never got federal approval to import.
State Comptroller Dan Hynes said the lack of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to import about 256,000 doses of flu vaccine should let the state cancel its $2.5 million contract with British wholesaler Ecosse.

He cited a provision that allows termination for "unforeseeable circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including ... governmental regulation."

"So the FDA not approving it is such a circumstance," Hynes said in his Chicago office. "I don't think we should be paying $2.5 million dollars for nothing, and I certainly don't think we should be paying millions of dollars for vaccines for other citizens of other states."


Doesn't anyone want to help out Rod?

Then again, this could all be a show too. Rod and Dan get into a fight. Dan is an enemy of the religious right because he is pushing for funding of stem cell research. If Dan and Rod are fighting amongst each other, then it gives Rod street cred amongst some people who vote on those type of issues alone?