Thursday, March 26, 2009
Nurses For Negligence Back on the Hill
Tuesday, the members of the House Civil Practice subcommittee were treated to a tax payer funded audience made up of the Nurses for Negligence. The committee heard testimony from those who want to take away protections for nursing home residents, but according to Rep. Kelsey, there was not enough time to hear from people testifying about some of the horrors these companies have inflicted on the loved ones committed to their care.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Citizen Action in the Tennessean
Citizen Action is glad to once again have our executive director featured in the Tennessee Voices section of the Tennessean. In his article, Tom lays out the case against changing the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. As this blog discussed last week, these changes would allow for a host of shady business practices as well as effectively legalizing ponzi schemes in our state.
We once again urge you to contact your legislators and tell them to oppose changing the Consumer Protection Act.
We once again urge you to contact your legislators and tell them to oppose changing the Consumer Protection Act.
Nurses for Negligence Day on the Hill
Yesterday the legislative plaza was filled with the Nurses for Negligence(aka ChooseCareTN) as well as their lobbyists. Nurses for Negligence is a front group for the nursing home industry, which has spent nearly 1.5 million dollars since 2000 working a bill to limit the amount of money that juries can award victims of nursing home negligence.
Called the "Kill Old People Cheap" bill by some, the bill also sets aside a fund so that part of any money victims do receive goes right back to the nursing homes that harmed them. While the Nurses for Negligence claim that such changes are needed for better care, we know that if residents were provided with better care in the first place, there wouldn't be a need for the law suits.
Instead the industry chose to spend $850,000 hiring over 30 lobbyists to work this bill. Fortunately for nursing home residents, TNCA isn't alone in this fight as AARP, one of nation's leading groups on the issue, has also come out against this bill.
Called the "Kill Old People Cheap" bill by some, the bill also sets aside a fund so that part of any money victims do receive goes right back to the nursing homes that harmed them. While the Nurses for Negligence claim that such changes are needed for better care, we know that if residents were provided with better care in the first place, there wouldn't be a need for the law suits.
Instead the industry chose to spend $850,000 hiring over 30 lobbyists to work this bill. Fortunately for nursing home residents, TNCA isn't alone in this fight as AARP, one of nation's leading groups on the issue, has also come out against this bill.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Consumer (Non)Protection Act
Recently, a bill proposed by Representative McCord and Senator Black seeks to amend the Consumer Protection Act so that businesses are not liable for any problems that occur after the transaction.
Clearly both lawmakers are being lobbied by the Bernie Madoff and Rudy Russo group of businessmen. This law would let ponzi scheme operators get off with only have to pay damages on the initial transaction fees, not the life savings that are transfered after the contract is signed. It also lets car dealers to get away with not paying off your trade-in after they sign a contract saying they will.
There are plenty of other examples of ways this bill would hurt consumers, such as if an insurance company wanted to illegally deny a claim, you would have no recourse as this transgression occurred after the purchasing transaction.
We encourage everyone to contact their senator and representative and tell them that Tennesseans deserve better than this.
Clearly both lawmakers are being lobbied by the Bernie Madoff and Rudy Russo group of businessmen. This law would let ponzi scheme operators get off with only have to pay damages on the initial transaction fees, not the life savings that are transfered after the contract is signed. It also lets car dealers to get away with not paying off your trade-in after they sign a contract saying they will.
There are plenty of other examples of ways this bill would hurt consumers, such as if an insurance company wanted to illegally deny a claim, you would have no recourse as this transgression occurred after the purchasing transaction.
We encourage everyone to contact their senator and representative and tell them that Tennesseans deserve better than this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
