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It was just few days ago that I emphasized how the private contract is being abused by the corporations as they have the inexpensive right of firing their employees. And in fact I quoted Jeffrey Skilling, president of Enron, when at an industry conference in 1997 he said: "You must cut costs ruthlessly by 50 to 60 percent. Depopulate. Get rid of people. They gum up the works." But the abuses of the corporations are not limited to the inexpensive firing of their employees as such abuses are part of the world wide Tort Reform movement to limit the right of common people to seek remedy in the courts against corporations. The lobbying group TEXANS FOR LAWSUIT REFORM has been instrumental in passing Tort Reform legislation that curtail:

***The ability of poor and middle class Texans to hire attorneys on a contract basis;

***The amount of "exemplary damage" penalties that juries can impose on the most grossly negligent and destructive individuals and corporations; and

***The ability of juries to hold the health industry and manufacturers responsible.

Today, the people of Canada celebrate a victory for their justice against the abuses of the corporations as a recent court case in British Columbia (Donald Marlowe versus Ashland Canada Inc.) has awarded $20,000 in punitive damages arising from an inaccurate performance review that preceded the termination. It is my understanding that the previous last punitive damages granted in Canada go back to 1995 in the case Dixon versus British Columbia Transit.

People's justice come before the abuses of the corporations and therefore in celebrating this small victory we hope that the need of people to seek a just remedy in the courts and be granted punitive damages will take over the wants of the corporations to make more money at the expense of people. We need Tort Justice for the common people and we don't need Tort Reform for the benefit of the corporations.

Some references

Pertinent articles in Ensign

"Tort Reform" Threats to Democracy in America, Texans for Public Justice http://www.tpj.org/opeds/1776oped.html

Court rules on unfair job review, by Malcolm MacKillop, December 3, 2001 The Globe and Mail

Dr. Emma Bartfay's lawsuit and taking back our individual rights from governments, by Mario deSantis, September 29, 2000 http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/desantisArticles/2000_200/desantis233/individualrights.html

TEXANS FOR LAWSUIT REFORM, http://www.tortreform.com/

Insurers Profited from Texas Tort Reform, By George Lardner Jr., February 9, 2000, Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A33053-2000Feb9

Texas 'Tort Reform' Aided Business - and Bush, By George Lardner Jr., February 10, 2000, Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A32997-2000Feb9