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Catholic Diocese of Venice and the Elderly

Joe Saunders — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:52:41 GMT

There's a troubling story in the Sarasota Herald Tribune today about the Diocese of Venice. No, this time it's not about the sexual abuse of minors. Rather, it's about the Diocese buying aparments in Venice. Apparently, elderly residents of the complex received notice from the owner that they had to move out in 30 days. The owner explained that he was selling the building and that was the express wish of the buyer which happened to be the Diocese of Venice. When the Sarasota Herald Tribune discovered this it asked the Diocese for an explanation. What they received was puzzling at best. The Diocese refused to acknowledge it was purchasing the building in order to help single mothers. It also didn't express any concern over the plight of the elderly residents who were being pushed out of their apartments.

Spokeswoman Adela White, when pressed, repeatedly said that it is a diocese policy "not to talk about land we do not own."

I've encountered such a response when I've represented victims of priest sex abuse but this seems very strange. One would think the Diocese would have no reason to hide such information from the press. Yet, that's what they chose to do, at least initially. After the story was published in the newspaper, the Diocese gave in and issued a statement that it would work with the city in order to help the elderly residents.

I guess the church's operating mode of secrecy goes beyond the sexual abuse crisis.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Homeowners Regret Signing Lennar Waiver

Joe Saunders — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:23:35 GMT

In a new twist to this southwest Florida Chinese drywall saga, homeowners are beginning to question the wisdom of signing waivers prepared by the home builder Lennar. Some homeowners whose property has been adversely affected by the odor and contamination of the Chinese drywall are concerned that the offer of help won't resolve the problems in their homes. While Lennar has agreed to remove the drywall in the affected homes, such things as wiring and the foul odor that still remains in these homes.

The homeowners are complaining that the "take it or leave it" waiver was signed under coercion. Some homeowners are beginning to notice such personal effects as art and jewelry have been adversely affected by the noxious gases from the Chinese drywall. However, the waiver doesn't cover any of these items, effectively giving Lennar immunity from any liability.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Defects Affecting Southwest Florida Homes

Joe Saunders — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:46:35 GMT

During the housing boom of 2005-06, huge building contracts such as Lennar Homes and Aubuchon subcontracted their drywall needs to Chinese companies. It all looked good at the time. Prices were cheap and the drywall was readily available. Fast forward to 2009 and the deal doesn't look so sweet. On the contrary, it smells like sulfur. There was a good reason the drywall was so cheap. It was made from waste materials from scrubbers on coal-fired power plants and emitted a sulfur-like smell that's absolutely intolerable according to the southwest Florida homeowners unfortunate enough to have homes built with this drywall. The deleterious health effects are not known at this point. What is known is that fixing the problem will be extremely expensive. Replacing drywall means gutting the house and that doesn't guarantee a cure. If you want to add injury to insult, the defective drywall causes electrical problems.

This isn't the first time we've dealt with defective products from China. Remember, they're the same ones who brought us tainted heparin, contaminated baby formula, and defective, altered drugs.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Venice Bishop to Hold Two Masses for Sex Abuse Survivors

Joe Saunders — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:27:04 GMT

In keeping with April's designation as Child Abuse Prevention Month, Bishop Frank Dewane will offer two masses for sexual abuse survivors. Many bishops have done this throughout the country as part of the Bishop's Conference response to the sexual abuse scandal that has been rocking the Catholic Church since 2002.

While the masses are a gesture, what else will be done to respond to the survivors? Many who were victimized by a Catholic priest when they were young have never returned to church and frankly, aren't ready to do so-some will never do so. I'm hoping this is just one small aspect of an outreach program to victims. Those who've survived such a betrayal of trust and authority need and deserve much more than a mass or two. They need the church authorities, namely the bishop to stand with them on abuse issues. One major step in the right direction would be a real effort at transparency. Make public those secret documents that reveal the coverups, criminal behavior, and the lack of effort to reach out to victims. In some states like New York, the church is actively engaged in trying to stop victims efforts to pursue justice by lobbying against a bill called the Child Victims Act. This is decidedly unhelpful and sends surivors the wrong message.

In Minnesota, the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Diocese of Winona fought victims (and won) in court to keep the names of priest abusers secret. This isn't pastoral and it won't bring about healing. If the church wants to rid itself of this scandal it needs to try a healthy dose of transparency. Let victims heal. Stop trying to bar them from the courts. Until that time comes, survivors will perceive the church as protecting predators rather than healing survivors.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Clergy Abuse Claims on the Rise

Joe Saunders — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:37:59 GMT

In spite of what the Catholic Church's public relations operation says, an independent study has said that priest abuse claims in the United States actually rose 16% over the same period last year. This in spite of the fact that 2 dioceses, Lincoln Nebraska and Baker Oregon refused to participate in the study. Interestingly, the study notes that 40% of the new claims cited abuse from clergy not previously reported as abusers.

This is especially important in light of efforts in NY where state legislators are considering the Child Victims Act. Many sex abuse advocates and NY victims are hopeful that the new legislation will pass with a Democratically controlled Legislature and a Governor who has publicly stated his support for the measure. The bill, if signed into law, would give sexual abuse survivors a one year window to seek justice in a courtroom. With 40% of new clergy being accused, such legislation would provide needed transparency and justice for those who suffered this terrible ordeal.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Goes Political

Joe Saunders — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:36:23 GMT

We learned this week that Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp's residence in North Ft. Myers is affected with the Chinese drywall. Ironically, the house was built by Aubuchon Homes, owned by none other than Kottkamp's replacement in the Florida Legislature Gary Aubuchon (R-Cape Coral). Besides the embarassment and notoriety that is associated with the defective drywall, builders, suppliers, and manufacturers are now facing lawsuits, including 2 class actions against them for using the defective Chinese drywall.

At this point, it's not clear how many homes have been affected. The area of potential issues spans from St. Petersburg all the way to Naples.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Chinese Drywall Townhall Held in Lee County

Joe Saunders — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:57:18 GMT

Chinese drywall concerns led many Lee County residents to attend a town hall style forum to hear experts discuss the problem in Cape Coral yesterday. The attendees heard presentations from Jason Robertson of Urban Habitats, U.S. Building Consultants Inc., Forensic Investigator and Consultant Spiderman Mulholland. The growing Chinese drywall contamination problem began in Florida a few years ago and has affected thousands of Florida residents and many others across the country.

The contaminated Chinese drywall had been imported during the construction boom and has led to a federal investigation of the issue. It's estimated that approximately 36,000 Florida homes are contaminated with the tainted drywall. According to Spiderman Mulholland, who called the problem the biggest environmental disaster in US history,

"I believe we won't fully know what we're dealing with for at least another year or two," he said, adding that medical experts predict it will take about 3 and a half years before the adverse health effects caused by hydrogen sulfide and other chemicals in the drywall will be thoroughly understood.

Physical evidence suggests Chinese drywall causes health problems and could even threaten lives, and chemical treatments are ineffective, Mulholland said.

"If you have Chinese drywall in your home, you need to get it out," he said. "It would be nice to leave the drywall in and just fix the problem, but that's not going to happen, not if you want to get back the value of your home."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Electronic Cigarettes Receive FDA Warning

Joe Saunders — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:28:50 GMT

The FDA has issued a public health warning about the e-cigarettes being aggressively marketed to younger smokers. The electronic cigarettes contain a chemical found in anti-freeze, diethylene glycol as well as known carcinogens. These cigarettes are filled with highly-addictive nicotine and flavors that are converted into vapor inhaled by the smoker.

These cigarettes have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation so there's no telling what other types of toxic chemicals are contained in the e-cigarettes. According to the FDA advisory, "The FDA’s Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two leading brands of electronic cigarettes. In one sample, the FDA’s analyses detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans, and in several other samples, the FDA analyses detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines. These tests indicate that these products contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could potentially be exposed.

The FDA has been examining and detaining shipments of e-cigarettes at the border and the products it has examined thus far meet the definition of a combination drug-device product under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA has been challenged regarding its jurisdiction over certain e-cigarettes in a case currently pending in federal district court. The agency is also planning additional activities to address its concerns about these products."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Tarceva Receives New Warnings from FDA

Joe Saunders — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:08:00 GMT

Cancer drug Tarceva will have to add new warning labels because of serious side effects associated with the drug manufactured by Genentech and OSI Pharmaceutical, Inc. The side effects include skin problems, eye reactions, and punctures in the digestive tract. According to the FDA, some of the skin problems resemble those associated with Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Eye problems include corneal perforations and ulcers.

Tarceva has been approved to treat certain forms of lung and and pancreatic cancer.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

EPA Holds Bed Bug Summit

Joe Saunders — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:37:42 GMT

It sounds funny but it's really pretty serious. The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a two day meeting to discuss the growing problem of bed bugs. The problem had subsided since World War II, but there's now an alarming increase in the reporting of bed bug infestations in hotels, motels, hospitals, college dorms, and private residences.

The stubborn, hard to kill insects live in the dark climes of mattresses, sheets, sofas, and upholstered furniture. Many of the summit participants point to a dearth of chemical agents that kill bed bugs and their eggs. Bed bugs reproduce rapidly and once they gain a foothold, are extremely difficult to extinguish.

The EPA is not the only federal entity concerned with the bed bug problem. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C. plans to introduce legislation dubbed Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite Act, in order to find solutions to the growing public health concern.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders