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Author: Paul Luvera

Plaintiff trial lawyer for 50 years. Past President of the Inner Circle of Advocates & Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. Member American Board of Trial Advocates, American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy, International Society of Barristers, the American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame & speaker at Spence Trial College
Study Documents Global Warming Impact on Washington State

Study Documents Global Warming Impact on Washington State

While the Bush administration continues to stick its head in the sand regarding global warming, a new $100,000 report documents the cost to Washington State from global warning. The report, "Impacts of Climate Change on Washington’s Economy" was the result of a study by Washington and Oregon researchers. The report concludes that "It’s safe to say that virtually every aspect of the state’s economy will be effected by climate change." The report found that increased carbon dioxide will mean higher…

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Lawsuit to Stop Overpayment to Robert Nardelli

Lawsuit to Stop Overpayment to Robert Nardelli

I previously reported on the shameful amount of money being paid outgoing Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli (1/3/07). Now a group of shareholders have sued to stop the company from paying him a $210 Million dollar prize as he exits the company by resigning. Suit was filed in Georgia asking for an injunction to stop payment. The suit alleges "Nardelli’s tenure has been marked by abuse of shareholders and disappointing shareholder returns. There has been widespread criticisms of Nardelli’s lack…

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ExxonMobil & Justice Denied

ExxonMobil & Justice Denied

A 9th Circuit Federal Appeals Court on Friday reduced the verdict against ExxonMobil for its 1989 Prince Williams Sound oil spill which dumped eleven million gallons of crude oil along 1500 miles of shoreline. The original $5 Billion dollar award was reduced by the court to $2.5 Billion dollars in a 2 – 1 opinion. In 1994 an Alaska jury awarded the original verdict on behalf of some 34,000 fisherman who had been damaged by the spill. An appeal to…

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Mr Bush & Alaska Bristol Bay Oil Drilling

Mr Bush & Alaska Bristol Bay Oil Drilling

The Seattle PI today reports that on Tuesday President Bush announced he was lifting a ban on oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s Bristol Bay. His action now allows the Interior Department to allow drilling on some 5.6 million acres as part of a five year leasing plan. Bristol Bay leases would be available in 2010 And 2012. Given Mr. Bush’s appointments to the Interior Department of people who support oil industry interests, the Department is expected to rubber stamp…

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Edith Velman’s Story of Survival as a Jew in Occupied Holland

Edith Velman’s Story of Survival as a Jew in Occupied Holland

I am reading the book Edith’s Story by Edith Velmans about her experiences as Jew in Holland during World War II. During the German occupation, she adopted a new identity with forged papers and lived with a Protestant family in another town. It is a different story then that of Anne Frank and her family. The Frank family had hidden in a house of a Protestant family for two years until they were betrayed and arrested in 1944. Anne, age…

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Tony Romo & Football Blunders

Tony Romo & Football Blunders

Yesterday, the Seattle Seahawks football team defeated the Dallas Cowboys by one point, 21 to 20, in a playoff game for the Super Bowl. The turning point in the game occurred when Dallas had the ball on the 19 yard line with 1:19 left on the game clock. A field goal would have won the game for Dallas. Given the skill and success of the Dallas kicker, this would have been an easy kick and victory was virtually assured. But,…

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Religion in America & Meet the Press

Religion in America & Meet the Press

On December 24, 2006 Tim Russert had Jon Meacham, editor of Newsweek and Pastor Richard Warren, author of  A Purpose Driven Life on Meet the Press. It was an interesting broadcast. Two areas of discussion were significant in my view. During the interview Warren made the point that the problem with China is that they want to have the economic freedom of the West without a moral underpinning. He argued that China could not have the success of the West…

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Mr Bush & Impeachable Offenses of using Signing Statements

Mr Bush & Impeachable Offenses of using Signing Statements

On December 20th, President Bush signed a Congressional bill dealing with postal reform, but then issued a "signing statement" in which he claimed the right of government to open anyone’s private mail without a warrant or judicial permission. A statement by a U.S. President about a bill being signed into law is not new. The first president to issue a statement about a law he was signing was James Monroe. A statement by the President about a new law has…

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Another Golden Parachute for a CEO

Another Golden Parachute for a CEO

Another CEO has been rewarded for a bad job. We have previously chronicled America’s corporations rewarding its CEO’s with excessive pay packages and golden parachutes even when they have failed in the job they were hired for. It’s a common story of greed & corporate board irresponsibility which keeps being repeated. See posts for 12/29/06 12/19/06 12/14/06 & 12/9/06. Now Home Depot’s CEO Robert Nardelli will be paid millions for the job he did when he took over in 2000…

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New Year Resolution 2007

New Year Resolution 2007

My New Year Resolution is expressed in the poem by Edgar A. Guest  Lord, Make a Regular Man out of me: "This I would like to be – braver and bolder, Just a bit wiser because I am older, Just a bit kinder to those I may meet, Just a bit manlier taking defeat; this for the New Year my wish and my plea- Lord, make a regular man out of me. This I would like to be – just…

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