Trial Lawyers, Cont’d
Is it possible that economic development offices in states like Utah, Tennessee and the Carolinas have hired California’s personal injury lawyers to help lure companies away from the Golden State? The thought crosses one’s mind when looking at the trial lawyer proposals moving through the Legislature this session.
Premiering this season is an anti-privacy bill that treats defendants like they are guilty as charged before anyone’s even gotten near a judge or jury. And running a close second is a bill to gut a judge’s ability to throw out meritless lawsuits early in the game.
The anti-privacy proposal (in identical bills, SB 11 (Escutia) and AB 36 (Steinberg) is a bad re-make of a bill that failed last year. While the legislation’s stated purpose is to get information about safety hazards to the public, the result would be public dissemination of business plans, financial data and other proprietary information. Never mind that a lot of what is collected in pre-trial discovery is hearsay and unchallenged accusations. Never mind that every state (and Congress) considering this assumed-guilt method of making discovery information public has rejected it.
With California portrayed as not-too-hot-a-place to be doing business right now, one would think policy makers might be focusing on ways to offset that perception. Deep-sixing these pro-litigation laws is a great place to start.
John H. Sullivan
President
Civil Justice Association of California
Sacramento
Dr. Mike’s Deep
Thoughts, Cont’d
A few deep thoughts:
Has anyone noticed how many letters and commentaries are being written by our state reps (well, actually their staffs) about the energy crisis?
If these guys and gals know so much about energy, the problems and the solutions, then how come we’re in such a darn mess? Didn’t they all vote for “deregulation?” It’s tantamount to the inmates writing an anti-crime bill!
Turning to “missed manners,” here are some gripes, along with the proposed fine for people who don’t act benign:
n You’re interrupted by a phone call from a telemarketer for a long-distance phone company. You get to charge the company a $10-per-minute listening fee.
n At the supermarket, some guy or gal gets into the 10-item checkout line with 11 items. You get to claim any item in the person’s cart after they pay for it.
n Someone gets into the 10-item checkout line with 25 things. You get to make a citizen’s arrest.
One last thought: In Orange County, motorists all think they’re number one. So no more hand gestures, please.
Michael Arnold Glueck, MD
Newport Beach
Neil E. Goldberger
Foothill Ranch
Air Travel
As a travel agent, it was hardly a surprise to me to hear the details of a study that shows that airline service in the past year has gotten worse, despite promises made a year ago by the airlines that they would do better.
I’ve been hearing the horror stories first hand from my clients.
Last year, Congress had the opportunity to avert this crisis with passage of passenger rights legislation, only to be swayed at the last moment by the silky talk and, no doubt, massive lobbying dollars of the airline industry.
So here we are a year later, the airlines continue to operate with impunity and the pile of passenger complaints grows ever higher. Passengers who want to weigh in and demand passage of an air passenger rights bill should visit www.travelrightsnow.com.
Judy Western
Owner
Orange Villa Travel
Orange
El Toro, Cont’d
In 1994 the entrenched political establishment of wealthy special interests, mainly from Newport Beach, committed the dastardly act of putting Measure A on the ballot mandating an airport at El Toro. Consequently, for seven years the county’s planning process has been manipulated to suppress factual material unfavorable to the airport plan. In so doing the process has lost its credibility.
However, the time for redemption has arrived. Finally we have the opportunity to reject this misbegotten airport plan by supporting the Central Park and Nature Preserve Initiative.
The passage of this ballot measure in March 2002 will allow the people of Orange County to secure a superior quality of life.
Paul Willems
Laguna Niguel
