Re: class action madness continues

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Mary,

This is the definition of disproportionate awards. The
residents of Anniston, AL have suffered for years while the
company responsible claimed they were either crazy or the
health problems were not related. They should be compensated
but, why do they get so little?

Their individual medical bills in one year alone would
surpass the indivual awards. Why couldn't the attorneys get
a higher award for the ones who suffered?

Shouldn't judges step forward and make sure the victims come
first? That's not democracy. That's hogs at a muddy trough.

The problem starts with the judge who allows this to happen.
next comes equal blame for both legal teams for different
reasons:

1) The defense team wants a total figure to give accountants,
bankers and insurance companies so they can incorporpate it
to the bottom line of the company. They can't leave the
checkbook open or the company stock will lose value. Who is
the company? Monsanto? I bet the amount awarded is chump
change since it is comparable to the yearly political
donations or PR programs.

2) The plaintiff team clearly did not do their clients a
favor. These attorneys should be compensated for their time,
enormous investment and good work. They sould get a higher
award since they are representing victims who need help or
will need help. This was their original task when they were
hired by the victims.

The whole scenario reminds me of the asbestos lawsuits. In
the Washington DC area, we are incessantly barraged by
commercials for and against the proposed "asbestos bailout"
bill in Congress. This would let companies of the hook for
past judgements. The arguments are good on both sides. They
have lumped everything into one.

What is lost is the individuality. Some suffer more than
others and deserve more compensation. Some companies are
much more guilty than others and deserve to pay more. The
attorneys are living large. The politicians are greased to
the point of becoming another OPEC nation. The politicians of
both parties are complete idiots with nary an original idea
in their enormous heads propped-up by stiffly starched, white
collars. I often wonder how they can stand or walk given
their spineless nature.

This is like lazy contract managers who want to lump every
service or supply into one prime contract even if the price
is ridiculous. Afterall, this thinking leaves more time for
doing nothing while looking busy for the news cameras.

The federal governments should take a reasonable amount of
money from these companies to put into a special social
security account to take care of vicitms as the need arises.
Each victim or their families should get the full award if
they develop the illnesses atributed to asbestos. The
government could earn interest on the money while
administering the funds. The companies could get-on with
their commercial lives. The economy would benefit by
increased jobs since someone like US Gypsum is obviously a
company with something to sell that has enormous impact on
the economy. The government would also get more revenue by
the increases in economic gains like jobs and taxes.

Why can't the knotheads on Capitol Hill and the White House
figure it out? The Republicans (not the party of Lincoln)
are a pack of thieves waving their bibles like really bad
southern salesmen(FF and JC will understand this picture). I
stated just after Dubya was awared the election how the
scenario was like Warren G. Harding winning the first vote
women were allowed to participate under the Constitution.

The Democrats have no self confidence since they have no
identity the electorate will buy. Their ineptitude is only
surpassed by their penchant for clinging to fringe goups
arguments while ignoring the common person. They have
forgotten the Roosevelts. The Roosevelts were known for
helping the common person as "quickly" as possible (this is
called PROGRESSIVE not LIBERAL). Teddy ran Carnagie and the
other monopolizing tycoons out of town and FDR promised "a
chicken for every pot".

"Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it"
(someone said it).

Oh, I know, Ralph Nader will save the beleagured
mortals...........afterall, he first told us the Chevy
Corvair was a bad car because it was so unsafe. Detroit gave
us gas-guzzling battleships while the Japanese and Europeans
took the automarket and the jobs with cars that closely
resembled the old Chevy Corvairs. Dubya probably gives
donations (secretly) to Ralph Nader while snickering. I bet
Dubya does a wild chicken dance every time the news cameras
show Ralph Nader campaigning.

The courts will continue to be a problem no matter who wins
since none of these guys have a track record for the common
person AND intellectual ability. (A politician with
intellectual ability does not compare the current Iraq
mission to Vietnam unless they want to insult everyone who
ever died or was wounded in a GI uniform.)

That's my soapbox from the Beltway for the next few weeks.
I've got reports to get done if I want to get paid.

Regards,

Greg Weatherman
Aerobiological Solutions Inc.
Arlington VA 22202

gw@aerobiological.com

************************************

On 4/14/04, mary wrote:
> And this mass tort class action nonsense is a good idea
> for plaintiffs?
>
> Mary
>
> From the AP:
>
> "BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A $300 million settlement of
> federal claims over PCB contamination in Anniston, Ala.,
> will give plaintiffs an average of $7,725 each while
> paying their attorneys millions apiece - including $29
> million to the firm of California celebrity lawyer Johnnie
> Cochran."
>
> See more at the AP website
>
> http://fsnews.findlaw.com/articles/ap_stories/f/1310/3-23-
> 2004/20040323140003_20.html

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