Outrage The $1 5 Million Morale Booster - AARP Bulletin

Outrage The $1 5 Million Morale Booster

Some people could use a lift to their spirits every now and then. But is such a pick-me-up worth $1.5 million? Apparently the thinks so. The FDA recently shelled out that sum in taxpayers’ money to boost morale within its ranks after feelings were bruised by the , part of the National Academy of Sciences. In late 2006 the institute delivered an astringent assessment of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, accusing it of placing a greater emphasis on approving new drugs than ensuring their safety. Following that deflating trip to the woodshed, the FDA purchased $1.5 million worth of salve from the Center for Professional Development (CPD), a consulting firm based in Oakland, Calif. Among other things, for a recent FDA retreat, CPD supplied a slide show that compared top drug regulator Janet Woodcock to “visionary leaders” Golda Meir, Gandhi and Steven Jobs. CPD founder and president Charlotte Milliner deferred questions about the morale-boosting contract to the FDA, citing a confidentiality agreement her company signed with the agency. The FDA says its association with CPD, which was finalized in 2007, was designed “to create a culture of communication and collaboration.” It clearly failed to engender warm and fuzzy feelings within some members of Congress, including R-Ill., and his colleague , R-Texas. “It’s a cinch that if I spent a nickel of taxpayers’ money to rank myself with [Texas statesmen Sam] Houston and [Stephen F.] Austin, I’d have some explaining to do after the laughter died down,” Barton notes. He’s also “concerned about the lack of any justifiable metrics for measuring contract success.” Blair S. Walker, who frequently writes for the Bulletin’s In the News section, lives in Miami.
Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.