CA: By punting on protection racket, Democrats shot selves in foot

Sac Bee ^ | 3/29/04 | Dan Walters

[NormsRevenge]

When unscrupulous law firms began operating an ill-disguised protection racket that shook down small California businesses for money, the Legislature - or at least its Democratic majority - found itself in a dilemma.

The shakedown lawyers were combing through the records of state agencies, looking for firms that had committed tiny transgressions of regulatory rules. They threatened their owners with expensive lawsuits under a provision of California law allowing private actions for so-called "unfair business practices," then offered to go away if the businesses paid specified sums.

[NormsRevenge]

Consumer Attorneys of California, the political arm of lawyers who specialize in personal injury lawsuits ... CAC is one of the Democratic Party's financial mainstays.

Thanks Dan.

We saw the Indian gaming crowd raked over the coals in the last go-round.

But... Nary a peep about folks like this and the influence and power they wield thru nefarious means.

[NormsRevenge]

ToTal ReCall IS not good enough when ToTal ReFoRm is needed to return some shred of integrity to this state government's operations.

[FormerACLUmember]

big bump

[jrp]

Democrats, in effect, opted to favor their deep-pocket campaign contributors over the interests of the working people the party supposedly is pledged to protect.

Wow, now that's a news flash!

[lowbridge]

bump