Papantonio: Chamber of Commerce Steps Up Their Assault on Civil Justice

[GoLeft TV]

Run time: 11:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW_n1F4U90k   Posted on YouTube: August 24, 2011 By YouTube Member: golefttv Views on YouTube: 16   Posted on DU: August 24, 2011 By DU Member: GoLeft TV Views on DU: 846

 
Big business, led by the US Chamber of Commerce, has done everything you could imagine to convince the American public that tort reform is necessary. They launched a public relations campaign starting in the mid-80’s that continues to this day to convince the public that we have out of control juries, too many frivolous lawsuits and a civil justice system that needs reforming. They have used anecdotes, half-truths and flat out lies in their efforts, for one purpose – to put limits on people’s access to the court system, the one and only place where an average citizen can go toe to toe with those with money and power and still have a shot at justice. And the case they’ve used to bring people to their cause is the McDonald’s hot coffee case, which has been skewed to epic proportions in their attempt to discredit the legal system. But as the new documentary Hot Coffee points out, this case was not the multi-million dollar payday that we’re led to believe.

[Kerrytravelers]

1. We saw this documentary. It was brilliant.

[midnight]

2. Great harm has come from the PR job to remove justice from main street....

[lumpy]

3. It is very telling that the head honcho of the US Chamber of

Commerce said, in defense of exporting jobs, that the reason that jobs go overseas is that the US doesn't have qualified or skilled workers to fill those jobs. How about that? Some excuse,eh? We all know damn well it is about using cheap labor.

[starroute]

4. And Stanton Anderson, a main force behind it, is now with Rick Perry

See the thread here -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4971930 -- and my own contribution about Anderson's background.

Texas has been tort reform central ever since Rove discovered that having George W. Bush promote the issue during his campaign for governor was a good way to pick up corporate donations. And Perry has pushed the issue just as heavily. (The second item below is a Politico story but it's up at Texans for Lawsuit Reform -- the leading "tort reform" group in the state -- so just ignore the stupid ads.)


http://governor.state.tx.us/initiatives/lawsuit_reform/

Gov. Rick Perry today ceremonially signed House Bill 274, which brings important lawsuit reforms to Texas courts, including implementing a loser pays component for frivolous lawsuits in the state. The governor designated this issue as an emergency item for this legislative session.


http://www.tortreform.com/node/906

Politico, August 22, 2011

By ALEXANDER BURNS
America’s trial lawyers are getting ready to make the case against one of their biggest targets in years: Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Among litigators, there is no presidential candidate who inspires the same level of hatred — and fear — as Perry, an avowed opponent of the plaintiffs’ bar who has presided over several rounds of tort reform as governor.

And if Perry ends up as the Republican nominee for president, deep-pocketed trial lawyers intend to play a central role in the campaign to defeat him.