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A Magnolia Mini-Report for June 7, 2002

US Chamber E-Bytes

Magnolia Mini-Report
June 7, 2002
(Number 22B) - Web Version
www.MagnoliaReport.com

***Editor’s Note - At the time of the posting, this news is not so current. Yet it still is an important matter or record and is so presented here as a service to readers.***

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US Chamber E-bytes
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"Mississippi needs civil justice reform. There's little doubt that parts of the system are out of balance in favor of those who sue and that Mississippians' access to jobs and health care is already beginning to suffer because of it. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is doing Mississippi no favors in singling out our state for an unprecedented public chastisement in a scheduled press conference Wednesday. If the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is really concerned about achieving needed reform in Mississippi's civil justice system, it will back off the unhelpful theatrics and let Mississippians get to work on reaching a solution." - Daily Journal Editorial: May 6, 2002

"But these questions still linger: Who asked you? Are your interests rooted in the best interests for Mississippi? Rather than working with our local chamber, the U.S. Chamber clearly has its own agenda for Mississippi. We say they should leave their posturing and their agenda inside the Washington Beltway." - Mississippi Press Editorial: May 7, 2002

"WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce today urged the people of Mississippi to do everything they can to change the state's deeply flawed legal system that targets out-of-state businesses with frivolous lawsuits and outrageous verdicts. The Chamber also shared its concerns about the significant risks its members and all companies face when doing business in Mississippi." - US Chamber of Commerce Release: May 8, 2002

"The U.S. Chamber is wrong - but for all the right reasons." - Sid Salter, Clarion Ledger: May 8, 2002

"Mississippi has gained a national reputation for multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements in high-profile suits involving the tobacco industry, asbestos, health maintenance organizations and drug companies....Trial lawyers in Mississippi consistently have said that the state's legal system works fine and that a handful of high-profile cases in recent years involving $100 million-plus resolutions isn't cause for massive tort reform." - FoxNews: May 8, 2002

"The chamber - for the first time in its 90-year history - is spending $100,000 to run newspaper advertisements in the state Thursday urging Mississippians to call on lawmakers to make changes to the state's 'flawed legal system.' Gov. Ronnie Musgrove called the pronouncement 'outrageous.' It's the second national organization to target Mississippi this week because of its litigious climate. On Monday, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists identified Mississippi as one of nine states with a liability insurance crisis that threatens the availability of doctors to deliver babies." - AP: May 9, 2002

"The great irony here is that Mississippi officials think they're protecting and defending our state by attacking the U.S. Chamber. Nothing could be further from the truth....The state's 'talking heads' need to dispense with the inflammatory rhetoric and invest their energies in reforming Mississippi's civil justice system." - Rich Campbell, Opinion Editor Hattiesburg American: May 10, 2002

"When you look closely at what we're doing, the action of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce this past week seems even more laughable. It claims Mississippi is not the best place to do business - an incredibly irresponsible and inappropriate statement. Obviously, Nissan thinks Mississippi is a great place to do business. Hyundai must think that as well, since we were one of four finalists for its plant. We must be doing something right if Whirlpool chose to close plants in Canada and expand its facility in Oxford. There must have been some reason Alcoa chose not to close its plant in Hernando, instead opting to double the size of its operations and its work force. Mississippi is open for business." - Governor Ronnie Musgrove: May 12, 2002

"Tort lawsuits are a necessary evil in a market economy. There has to be a mechanism for making polluters and incompetent doctors and penny-stock scamsters pay. But when the payments lose any tether to the harm caused or the culpability of the defendant, they create economic havoc....If a drug saves 100 lives for every one it loses, someone who faces certain death should not hesitate to use it. But what happens if the tort system says every death must be paid for? The average payout on a wrongful death claim increased from $1 million in 1994 to $5.7 million in 2000 (the most recent data point available), according to Jury Verdict Research. To merely break even, the drug's maker would have to charge $57,000 for every dose. It can't get away with that. So a potential wonder drug may never see the light of day." -Forbes Magazine: May 13, 2002

"Rather than getting defensive about having this information broadcast nationwide, Mississippi’s political leadership should get busy in fixing the problem....The Chamber may be an unpopular messenger for Mississippi, but its message is true." - Enterprise Journal Editorial: May 13, 2002

"We in Mississippi know how to correct our civil justice problems. Our governmental leaders just don't have the will. So, let's kill all the messengers." - Times of South Mississippi Editorial: May 13, 2002

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Magnolia Political Report, 2002
Brian Perry, Editor
www.magnoliareport.com
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© Magnolia Political Report 2002 • PO Box 24233 Jackson, Mississippi 39225
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Brian Perry, Editor