Ripped off? Go get an attorney! But wait . . . you won’t find one.

Think of all the times that merchants have ripped people off. Sometimes it’s a line-item that jacked up your bill. You called and complained, but you eventually gave up and ate the $3.50 after making four phone calls without satisfaction. Sometimes, you bought an appliance and after getting home discovered that it wasn’t as it was promised, but the merchant refused to take it back. Or it might be a $1,000 piece of electronics. Only after the warranty expired, it became clear that it didn’t function as promised. Maybe it’s a used car that you bought for $2,500 and right after driving it off the lot you discovered that it literally wouldn’t go, certainly not at highway speeds, and that the dealer knew of the problem but refused to refund your money. Consider the many complicated financial transactions you’ve signed, credit cards, car loans, or payday loans. What do you do if you notice you’ve been ripped off, but the amount of damages you’ve suffered is relatively small, less than $3,000? You go get an attorney, right? Wrong. You won’t find an attorney to handle cases in this range unless an attorney decides to help you as a favor or “pro bono.” Why not? Because it is a time-consuming task to open a case, file it, prepare for trial and represent a consumer in a trial. It can take dozens of hours to get a decision in the trial court, and then the defendant, who is often represented by a high-priced attorney, can appeal the case, delaying the result for another year. The net result is that consumers who have been ripped off for less than $3,000 (and, actually, much greater amounts too) will have only one real option to litigate their claim: at the small claims court where they will represent themselves.

Continue ReadingRipped off? Go get an attorney! But wait . . . you won’t find one.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer fails the “I’m sorry” test regarding the prostitute.

Perhaps Elliot Spitzer was really sorry for having sex with a prostitute from the Emperor’s Club, but he failed the I’m sorry Test.  Why?  For two reasons.  Because it wasn’t Spitzer’s turn to apologize and his apology was mis-directed. 

It was George W. Bush’s turn to apologize, I’m fairly certain.   Why do I write this?  Because Bush has done each of the following:

  • Plunged the U.S. into armed combat and an extended occupation of Iraq based on numerous lies.
  • Mismanaged the medical treatment of veterans at Walter Reed.
  • Mishandled Plamegate (Chief of Staff to the Vice President was convicted of perjury).
  • Mishandled Iraq (assuming that we should have been there at all), due to lack of preparation for occupation, looting, including the National Museum, too few troops, lack of training, lack of equipment, lack of securing loose Iraqi munitions, disbanding the Iraqi army . . .
  • Invited no bid contracts in Iraq, including to Halliburton and companies that provide mercenaries with little or no accountability.
  • Encouraged torture, indefinite detention, the end of habeas corpus, and kangaroo courts.
  • Mishandled the political firing of US attorneys.
  • “Heck of a job, Brownie,”
  • Authorized warrantless NSA wiretapping in October 2001.
  • Allowed extraordinary rendition to facilitate interrogation by torture
  • Maintained cozy corrupt relationships with K Street Lobbyists.
  • Allowed Cheney’s Energy Policy and refused to divulge the oil industry participation.
  • Encouraged financially irresponsible cuts for the wealthiest, big corporations.
  • Denied of Global warming and its human causes.
  • Attempted to disband the 911 Commission.
  • Damaged to
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Continue ReadingNew York Governor Eliot Spitzer fails the “I’m sorry” test regarding the prostitute.