Townhall.com, Where Your Opinion Counts
Talk Radio:   Bill Bennett   Mike Gallagher   Dennis Prager   Michael Medved   Hugh Hewitt   
BREAKING NEWS  LeftArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican   RightArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican  
Columns, funnies & more in your inbox!
Login | What's Hot
  • Check the boxes and send us your email address to receveive your free newsletter
  • Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
  • Townhall.com’s weekly inside scoop on what’s happening behind the scenes in the world of politics. When news breaks, we report.
  • Signup to receive the latest daily Townhall cartoons
Monday, April 10, 2006
Jennifer Roback Morse :: Townhall.com Columnist
Standing up to the disability police
by Jennifer Roback Morse
Forward Print Share Single Page
Vote on It:
Average Vote:
[+] Text [-]
 
 
Poll
Will the Dems' health care Christmas Present to America be an improvement or detriment to our health care system?


The Divide and Conquer strategy is part of the evil genius of the frivolous lawsuit industry. No single business is inconvenienced enough to resist the law, or the unjust application of the law. The average business owner is already maxed out, just trying to keep his business going. Most of them will try to resolve the situation as quickly and as cheaply as possible. No one resists: Everyone pays. A perfect money-making formula.

The Americans with Disabilities Act adds the sympathy card to the lawsuit lottery. The ADA created a new class of Official Victims. We are not supposed to complain or criticize the poor hapless disabled people. Business is presumed guilty. After all, their only goal is to make money, while the ADA lawyer’s goal is to see justice done and accessibility achieved.

But Pinnock may have overplayed his hand. By sending everyone identical letters, he has stirred up a hornets’ nest of resistance. This case is not about helping the disabled. This is about one disabled person helping himself. If these business owners work together, they just may make it easier for Pinnock to go away than to collect "his" money.

American civil rights movements have been plagued by legalized extortion from the beginning. Jesse Jackson and his ilk have been threatening businesses with lawsuits and negative publicity for years. This country would be a better place today if a few businesses had stood up to Jesse Jackson twenty years ago. I hope the business owners of Alpine will draw a line in the sand and say "Enough!" to the exploitation of the ADA for private gain.

Author's note: If you are as angry about these frivolous lawsuits as I am, send Mike and his friends an e-mail at stopADAabuse@aol.com. Encourage them to stand up to one man’s greed and law suits run amok.
1 2
| Full Article & Comments | < Previous
Share:
Forward Print Single Page
Vote on It:
Average Vote:
 
About The Author

Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D., is the author of Smart Sex: Finding Life-long Love In A Hook-up World. She blogs at jennifer-roback-morse.blogspot.com

Be the first to read Jennifer Morse's column. Sign up today and receive Townhall.com delivered each morning to your inbox.

Join The Debate!

Post Your Comment
(1 comments so Far)
View in ascending order     View in descending order
Reply # 1
Date: Nov 16, 2006 - 5:20 PM EST
Stop the Abuse!
Dear Madame,

We live in a great country that protects and assists the disabled to live a more productive life. As an international civil servant who has traveled the world, I can personally attest to the fact that the United States of America has set the global standard for the disabled. Furthermore entities that must comply with the ADA should have been required to take the necessary steps to make it handicapped accessible or risk legal action - not abuse of process!

The ADA was established to set guidelines to facilitate the disabled and help businesses, municipalities, educational institutions, etc to comply with said standards albeit sometimes vague. However Mr. Pinnock's abuse of the ADA, alleging violations without merit and using (il)legal coercion to excise money is inexcusable. The CA State Bar Association should finally investigate / revoke his license for repeated attempts at extortion.

Similarly in 2003, Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed a consumer protection action against the Trevor Law Group of Beverly Hills, alleging "the firm committed unfair business practices in slapping thousands of small businesses with abusive lawsuits filed solely to obtain nuisance settlements and attorneys fees against auto repair shops, restaurants and markets in the Los Angeles area.".

Attorney General Lockyer said "The Group operates a shakedown operation designed to extract attorneys fees from law-abiding small business owners,". "With its unlawful practices, the Group has abused one of the state's most important consumer protection statutes and dishonored attorneys who practice law in the public interest." Perhaps the Attorney General should look into Mr. Pinnock's extortion practices.

The disabled do not want to be used as pawn's to line the pockets of crooked lawyers preying on small businesses. Most small businesses can't even afford health insurance let alone burning $30,000. As an empathic country to our disabled we understand the importance of providing assistance to those in need but not those who thieve!

Sincerely, Eileen M. Brown, Los Angeles, Ca.

cc: stopADAabuse@aol.com
Flag as Offensive
Sign Up to Post Your CommentsSign Up to Post Your Comments
If you are already registered, click here to login. Otherwise, please take a few seconds to register with Townhall.com. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to post your comments immediately, use the action center, get podcasts, and more!
Note: Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required.
Salutation:
First Name:
*
Last Name:
*
Email:
*
Nickname:
*
Note: Nick name will be shown when you post comments.
Address 1:
*
Address 2:
City:
 *
State:
 *
Zip:
 *
Phone:
       
Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
(Bi-Weekly) We highlight the best opportunities from our partners for surveys, action items and more.