Posted by Sharon on 8/16/10

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http://katysexposure.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/press-release-
ca-insurance-commissioner-candidate-padilla-calls-for-
investigation-leading-to-potential-prosecution-of-workers-
comp-fraud-by-toyota-of-poway-dealers/

CA Insurance Commissioner Candidate Padilla Calls For
Investigation Leading To Potential Prosecution Of Workers
Comp Fraud By Toyota of Poway Dealers

Padilla stated “The issue of illness from mold is a growing
problem for working people and the public in California.
The cover-up by employers, the insurance industry and
unscrupulous property owners, property managers and
builders to deny liability for mold illness must end.”
Candidate Padilla also said “We cannot allow companies and
their workers’ compensation insurers to shift their
financial responsibility for the illnesses caused by their
actions onto the taxpayers of California”.

Indybay 8/16/2010 Sacramento – Dina Padilla, candidate
for California Insurance Commissioner, is calling for the
investigation leading to potential prosecution of Toyota of
Poway dealership owners Vincent Castro and Troy Duhon along
with general manager Rick Gallegher for workers’
compensation insurance fraud.

Current evidence strongly indicates the Poway car dealers
knowingly exposed many of their employees at the dealership
to a contaminated environment. The workers say they have
been sickened from the health hazard of mold at the place
of business. At least one employee, who complained about
the health and safety problems in the Poway building, has
been attempted to be intimidated into silence by the
organization’s workers compensation attorney. “This is an
outrage and it is illegal.” Padilla said.

The OSHA Complaint that has been filed against the Toyota
of Poway Dealership and may be read at the Mold Truth blog
specifically about this dealership’s handling of the
problem.

Padilla warned that tens of billions of dollars in
healthcare costs are now being shifted to public agencies
and state and federal disability programs as a result of
this type of scamming the system. This has been enabled by
the Schwarzenegger deregulation of workers’ compensation
insurance in 2004, Senate Bill 899. Under the platform
of “Workers Comp Reform”, this bill was supported by nearly
all the Democrats and Republicans in the legislature. Fifty
billion dollars have been given to private sector business
in the name of workers’ comp “reform”. California and its
taxpayers are now twenty billion dollars in debt.

“When private insurers and employers game the workers comp
system, it is the public who eventually gets stuck with the
bill. This is because disabled workers and their families
end up getting their healthcare and income from SSI and
other public agencies. Their income is reduced or they lose
it entirely so they cannot contribute by way of taxes. We
can no longer allow these employers and insurance companies
to rip-off the people of California,” Padilla stated.

“The issue of illness from mold is a growing problem for
working people and the public in California and nationwide.
The cover-up by employers, the insurance industry and
unscrupulous property owners, property managers and
builders to deny liability for mold illness must end.”

Padilla is calling for San Diego District Attorney, Bonnie
Dumanis, and California Insurance Commissioner, Steve
Poizner, to immediately launch an investigation of the
Toyota of Poway owners. She also is calling on Democratic
Party Insurance Commissioner candidate, Dave Jones, and
other Insurance Commissioner candidates to support an
investigation of the dealership owners and management. She
calls for investigation of rampant employer/insurer fraud
enabled by SB899. “If I become the Commissioner of
Insurance, companies and their workers’ compensation
insurers will no longer be able to shift their financial
responsibilities for the illnesses and injuries caused by
their actions onto the taxpayers of California,” said
candidate Padilla.

Padilla is also calling for the removal of the American
College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)
regulations concerning mold from California health
policies. “ACOEM is a trade group of workers comp
physicians with a long history of representing the
interests of insurance companies, drug corporations and
employers in California and in other states. Well connected
and well funded, they have been able to insert regulations
into California law that is adverse to public health and
safety. These regulations have no scientific basis and
protect only the profits of the insurers. They provide no
protection, treatment or restitution for injuries and
illnesses due to mold.

The conflict of interest and systemic corruption in
California and the resultant destructive legislation has
harmed the people of California and must be overturned. I
will work for the removal of ACOEM rules in workers
compensation laws and will fight to protect all
Californians who are sickened by mold on the job and in
their homes.” ACOEM writes the workers’ compensation
guidelines for the state under SB899.

Padilla is also calling for an investigation of the false
claims made by ACOEM of their purportedly scientific proof
of lack of causation of illnesses when mold is found in
homes, schools and working environments; and of their close
affiliation to the US Chamber of Commerce’s identical
stance on the matter that was written by the same authors.

This call to action by Padilla has been made to the
California Department of Justice, headed by Jerry Brown.
Brown is the 2010 Democrat candidate for California
governor. If elected and in that capacity, he will also be
President of the Regents of the University of California
(UC). According to Padilla, “the ACOEM’s and the US
Chamber’s white papers, that employers and workers comp
insurers use nationwide as a purported scientific reason to
deny liability for illnesses caused by mold, carry the UC
name in validation of the purported, state of the art,
environmental science of the US Chamber of Commerce et.al.”

“When misrepresentation is used to give insurers unfair
advantage by misleading California and US courts, that is
blatant insurance fraud, interstate,” Padilla said. “ACOEM
has well paid company doctors who provide incorrect reports
that justify denying healthcare and benefits for injured
workers and the public. This organization needs to be
investigated for corruption and lying to the American
people about environmental health threats to protect the
profits of it’s funders. They are aiding corrupt insurance
companies to limit liability and assisting the numerous
affiliates of the US Chamber of Commerce to game the public
in order to help the Chamber’s members,” said Padilla.

Support Dina Padilla For California Insurance
Commissioner
“The Insurance Industry’s Worst Nightmare”
(916) 725-2673

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