November 06, 2009

The law firm of McCuneWright, LLP, filed a national class action lawsuit yesterday against Toyota Motor Corporation on behalf of Toyota and Lexus owners who have experienced incidents of sudden unintended acceleration. Los Angeles County residents Seong Bae Choi, the owner of a 2004 Camry and Chris Chan Park, who owns a 2008 FJ Cruiser, will represent the class. Both have experienced multiple instances of sudden unintended acceleration in their respective vehicles, Choi and Park are also among the thousands of Toyota and Lexus owners who have experienced incidents of sudden unintended acceleration while driving their vehicles, and among the millions who are potentially affected by this dangerous defect. The crash in Santee that claimed four lives in August raised the profile of the issue with the public, Toyota, and federal regulators. California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor was at the wheel of a Lexus ES 350 sedan on Highway 125, when the vehicle inexplicably accelerated to speeds exceeding 100 mph. According to a 911 call of the incident, Saylor was unable to stop the Lexus before it crashed and burst into flames, killing him, his wife, daughter and brother-in-law. Full release.

In the face of current and projected future budget shortfalls, The U.S. Conference of Mayors today released a survey that shows the economic condition in cities is now serious enough to warrant targeted federal support. In fact, sixty percent of 158 mayors surveyed in 41 states and Puerto Rico say a targeted program of fiscal assistance is needed to help prevent further drastic budget cuts that translate into losses of personnel and reductions in public services (full survey at www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/SurveyonCityFiscalConditions11709.pdf). In cities ranging from Los Angeles and Chicago, to Lima (OH) and Gastonia (NC), two out of three mayors are expecting budget shortfalls this year. Even more - four out of five - are projecting shortfalls in their next fiscal year. In nearly 27 percent of the surveyed cities, this year's budget shortfalls amount to 10 percent or more of total (operating and capital) budgets; in a few of the cities the shortfalls range from as much as 20 to 30 percent of total budgets. When asked about next year, the vast majority of mayors (86 percent of survey respondents) say projected shortfalls will be the same or larger than this year's. Of these, 39 percent expect it will be larger, and 22 percent expect it will be much larger. Full release.

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Urban Caucus, issues the following statement on the eve of Saturday's scheduled vote on H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act: "We stand on the threshold of history. Real, affordable healthcare reform will have a far-reaching impact on our nation and especially on those who live in our cities and great metropolitan areas. "In these cities, residents live within sight of high-quality medical facilities and world-class providers whose care they cannot afford. Our cities host many of the teaching hospitals, medical research facilities and laboratories of innovation which make American medicine the envy of the world. "Overall, however, in terms of quality and access for far too many Americans, our healthcare system ranks well below that of many other nations. H.R. 3962 helps to address these challenges, making healthcare affordable, reducing uncompensated care and emergency department misuse and encouraging creativity in the provision of and compensation for care and disease prevention. Full release.

The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights today announced that Bono and Wyclef Jean will receive the organization's 2009 Ripple of Hope Award. The award, which will be presented at the Center's annual dinner on November 18th, recognizes the bold leadership demonstrated by the two honorees on humanitarian issues. "As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists, and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur," said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. "Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them." The award will honor Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of the advocacy organization ONE and (Product) RED, for his efforts in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa (www.one.org, www.joinred.com). The organization will recognize Wyclef Jean for his work to strengthen and inspire change in his native country of Haiti through his Yele Haiti organization (www.yele.org). Full release.

Following months of speculation and Congressional debate, President Obama today signed the "Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009" into law, extending the popular First-Time Homebuyer tax credit originally scheduled to expire on December 1, 2009. This new legislation offers those in the process of buying a home more time to take advantage of this significant tax benefit, allowing them to claim the credit if they close on a first-time home purchase by midnight on June 30, 2010. According to the IRS, the credit has provided a tax benefit to more than 1.4 million* taxpayers as of September 2009. The credit enables those buying a primary residence for the first time to claim 10 percent of the purchase price of their home, up to $8,000 for single taxpayers or married taxpayers filing jointly. Full release.

"Today's job numbers are difficult news, surpassing 10 percent unemployment. They remind us that more work must be done before American families and businesses see job gains and a drop in unemployment. Taking action to create jobs continues to be our most urgent and pressing priority. "Congress has taken critical -- and necessary -- steps to protect the middle class and set the stage for economic growth. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has created or saved nearly 1 million jobs so far, and our rescue efforts have placed the financial system on firmer footing. Today, President Obama will sign legislation the House passed yesterday that extends unemployment benefits for those hardest hit by the economic downturn, expands the first-time homebuyer tax credit, and provides tax cuts for American businesses -- giving a lifeline to those out-of-work and helping to create American jobs with the multiplier effect these measures have on our economy. And making health care affordable for American families and businesses will help them invest in our economy, which will generate jobs. Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on Congressman Anthony Weiner's single payer alternative: "Within the next few days, the House will vote on the most comprehensive health care legislation in our history. Our bill will provide affordability to the middle class, security to our seniors, and responsibility to our children by not adding a dime to the deficit. While our bill contains unprecedented reforms, including an end to discrimination for pre-existing conditions and a prohibition on raising rates or dropping coverage if you become ill, our bill cannot include provisions some strongly advocated. The single payer alternative is one of those provisions that could not be included in H.R. 3962, but which has generated support within the Congress and throughout the country. Full release.

Mental Health America grieves at the loss of life at Fort Hood and expresses its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims. Our thoughts are with the men and women who proudly serve in our nation's armed forces and the families who support them. We have many questions about the specific circumstances underlying the tragedy at Fort Hood that will help guide us in deciding how best to assure that this doesn't happen again. As we search for answers, Mental Health America recognizes that this tragedy deeply affects military families and all Americans. We have assembled a number of resources to assist families of servicemen and women and veterans. They can be found at http://www.nmha.org/reunions. We have also developed guidelines to help Americans respond and cope with tragic events, which can be found at www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/information/get-info/coping-with-disaster. Full release.

The World Jewish Congress condemns Thursday's vote by the United Nations General Assembly as being flawed from the start. The vote calls upon both Israel and the Palestinians to conduct "independent and credible" investigations of the alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict of December 2008 within a period of three months, or the UN will then send the matter to the Security Council. At the same time the resolution already prejudges the outcome by endorsing the Goldstone Commission's Report, and calls upon the Secretary General to send it to the Security Council. The United Nations has once again undermined its credibility and its waning effectiveness to uphold the lofty goals established at its creation. Is there any point in responding to this ultimatum? That is a decision for the Israel Government to make and we will stand by Israel either way. It is questionable that it will make one scrap of difference to the final outcome. The World Jewish Congress hopes that, if and when this issue comes up for a vote at the Security Council, it will be dispatched in short order through a veto by some of its permanent members. Full release.

A growing number of homeowners are choosing metal roofs as an investment grade product that builds in value, while providing environmental advantages. The Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) is a non-profit dedicated to educating consumers about the benefits of residential metal roofing. Visit MRA (www.metalroofing.com) at the upcoming Greenbuild Expo, Booth 1763. Eco-friendly products, including metal roofs, are rapidly replacing petroleum-based asphalt shingles. The McGraw-Hill Construction and Analytics(R) survey showed metal roofing now comprises 11% of the residential re-roofing market, more than doubling in just ten years. Demand for metal roofing is expected to increase to 1.4 million squares for new construction in 2009 and 13.4 million squares for repair and remodeling. Full release.

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