It would appear I am not the only one doing commercials these days. Celebrity legal scout Brockovich popped up in one, too. I'll leave it to the other blogs to speculate about her motives. But I did send her an email, which she of course hasn't answered:
Dear Erin,
I always considered you to be a maverick of sorts, somebody who sticks up for the little guy. I just saw the commercial you did with Tony Strickland and I am so disappointed right now.
I am one of the parents at Mound Elementary in Ventura who had a child sickened by a serious pesticide overspray incident. We had nearly 40 people fall ill that day. Strickland's opponent in the race, Hannah-Beth Jackson, wrote a bill to make sure this would never happen again and Strickland voted against it!
In case you didn't know, Tony Strickland has taken more than $55,000 in contributions from oil and chemical companies and consistently votes to put the interests of corporate polluters ahead of the health of our families.
He opposed legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect children's health from pollutants, re-authorize the state's recycling program, ban carcinogenic pesticides on school grounds, increase penalties for pesticide violations near schools, ban clear-cutting of forests, ban mercury in children's toys, establish standards to handle toxic perchlorate, and many other environmentally friendly bills.
What kind of guy votes AGAINST all that? He has the worst possible rating from environmental groups. I could name countless bills he voted against that would help clean up our planet.
I know you're busy and famous and probably won't take the time to respond to a mother in Ventura. But just know that I lost faith in somebody I thought was a hero.
Marie Lakin
For a look at what other blogs are saying, go here and here.
I'm not sure why we should care. Does anybody know who this woman is any more?
She also likes Palin which is a statement in itself. Palin is not presidential material. I wish McCain had picked someone else.
I always thought Erin was an OK gal. I knew Ed Masry and met Erin several times. Apparently she is now selling herself to the highest bidder. I've seen her pushing ambulance chasing law firms on the television and now this Phony Tony endorsement. Poor gal, she did do some good many years ago.
I know this thought probably hasn't crossed your minds, but could it be that Erin just recognized the better candidate?
By the way, Marie, the EPA just determined that perchlorate doesn't pose the health risks that scientists previously thought it did. In fact, this means that the Santa Susana Field Laboratory facility in Simi Valley is no longer in need of the massive clean-up effort that everyone was demanding after all. By everyone, of course, I'm referring to the environmental extremists out there who jump up and down every time they find a new bandwagon to climb on.
Are you ready to vindicate Tony yet for voting against the perchlorate legislation?
There you go again! EPA is under Bush control and residents of Simi Valley have legitimate issues with these issues. Remember Love Canal? What's your problem Mongo, even though you have declared youself on this blog you don't seem to be able to address other blogs. I challenge you to try on another blog as a recipient of your angry rants. Try www.DemocracyWatchCentralCoast.org or Democracy Watch in the VC Star home page. Come on extremist right-wing blogger give us some fuel and try for cogent arguements with facts that are open to rebutal and comment from thoughtful thinkers. Are you afraid?
Helen,
Wow, who is sounding like the ranter now? I'll let your words speak for themselves, as I calmly, intelligently, and, yes, gentlemanly, present my points of view.
You certainly have the right to disagree with me, but your goading and bullying tactics will get you nowhere with me. Why don't you return to the safe domain of your blog where you can hit the delete key if anyone has the audacity to disagree with your liberal rants?
Meanwhile, I'll continue to present my thoughts clearly and effectively, as I've always done.
I think she's just having a little fun with you, Mongo. You always tell me to lighten up. You should, too. You have to admit you have quite a reputation for mischief on this blog and others.
Getting back to your question, Simi's problem are far more extensive than those addressed in the EPA report. It was the site of widespread pollution and several nuclear accidents. And no, I don't trust the EPA under Bush, either.
Go Barbara Boxer!
Mongo-Gibson is, as usual, wrong. The Rocketdyne clean-up is primarily the result of radionuclides rather than perchlorate. Simi Valley is a conservative City and not an environmentally concerned neighborhood as is Ventura. One thing is very clear from reading Mongo-Gibson's posts. Ventura residents are well informed as evidenced by Gibson coming in next to last place in his attempt to get on the City Council. This guy is a nut!
I'm just a little fellow. My friend is a big guy, not very smart, but full of zest. He is a scammer, usually has trouble telling the truth, some call him a Phony, but he always takes me along. Yep, I'm just a little fellow, but I still keep an eye on my number one guy. Whether it is telling Jose to go knock down some women, children and senior citizens, hiding from political forums, or paying Erin to say he is a cool dude, my number one guy is always there for me. Call him Phony Tony, but he is my number one guy.
This endorsement is a major turn-off. HBJ is looking better and better.
Talk about having a chuckle Flamo,"I calmly, intelligently, and, yes, gentlemanly, present my points of view". You insult people who don't share your neanderthal political views. You attack Marie Lakin on a personal level all the time. Come on over to PoliticalWatchCentralCoast.org and lets have a talk. Just post under your own and show you have some guts to put your personal views in the light of day.
Your claim of the EPA decision means nothing.As Helen states they are the tool of the most unpopular president in history who wants to gut the endangered species act, who gives a bigger tax breaks so glutons can buy Hummers over responsible citizens who buy a Hybrid.
Brian,
I've already dealt with your previous rant on Marie's other thread on Jackson, so I won't waste any more time on you.
CAP-911,
Keep spewing the venom, honey. It sets the tone for the other Strickland-haters on these blogs and we're loving it right now. The polls are reflecting how ineffective your tactics are.
Marie,
I don't know Helen at all, so I may have overreacted to her post. Thanks for getting me back on track though. I realize that perchlorate was just one of many contamination issues at the old Rocketdyne facility, but, you have to admit, this recent finding by the EPA calls into question the validity of some of the other claims.
Go Boxer? Huh? She's not running for office this time.
Anybody that is against the protection of our children is a monster in my book. If we "grown-ups" are not there when our kids need us the most then there is no hope for their future. Taking tobacco money for his campaign, not protecting our children from poisonous gas...WHAT IS NEXT handing out cigarettes at the next rally? Erin should be ashamed. This stuff used to be right up her alley. It seems we parents are on our own unless HB is elected. Thank goodness for people like you Marie and Mary Haffner. It was you that brought the problem to Hannah's attention. I am proud that she looked at the situation through our eyes and was there to support us, unlike Phony Bologna guy.
Mongo, Barbara Boxer is challenging the EPA ruling. She is chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. It is a proven fact that perchlorate causes thyroid disease. CDC studies show this. But how much of it can be in our water before it poses a problem? The science is currently being disputed by the defense industry because they don't want to spend money to clean up sites.
The fact that you didn't know how Boxer was involved in this shows you have done no reading on the topic.
But, here you go, get educated:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/23/ED92133AGN.DTL
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/53486.php
Marie,
Of course I knew she was involved in this, I was just pulling your chain because you gave her a little cheer, like she was running for reelection, or something. Get it (joke, joke). Chill for a second, would you?
It is funny that Flamo compliments Erin Brockovich and then calls the people that want a full clean up environmental extremists.
You did know she has been helping push for the clean up, yes? The difference is she is trying to get clients where we want to clean up our town and the surrounding areas.
Polls? Stop making stuff up unless you have a source or are willing to share. I just took a quick poll and we think you are making them up!
Y,
Like I've said before, instead of Jackson's supporters whining about Erin Brockovich supporting Tony, why don't they go out instead and get someone with high name recognition to do an ad for Jackson, instead of a bunch of washed-up Republican malcontents?
Mongo-Gibson, you miss the point. Brockovich pimps herself to the highest bidder. As example, Phony Tony launched a new radio ad this week in his attempt to re-invent himself as an alternative energy executive. The ad quotes Erin Brockovich and the CEO of a little known company called Save the World Air (STWA), both providing testimonials to Strickland’s independence and leadership in alternative energy.
What listeners don’t know is that STWA was charged with stock fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In December 2001, the SEC charged the company with engaging in a fraudulent scheme to manipulate the market for STWA stock. STWA was charged with leading a fraudulent promotional campaign to disseminate false and misleading information about a product they were marketing called "Zero Emissions Fuel Saver," a "fuel molecule atomizer device" that supposedly reduces diesel and gasoline emissions by placing magnets on an engine’s fuel line.
The SEC charged that this fraud inflated STWA's market cap to $218 million, and allowed former STWA CEO Jeffrey Muller to pocket up to $9 million in undisclosed restricted stock sales.
On November 15, 2005, the U.S. District Court in New York City ordered Muller to pay $7.5 million in disgorgement and $100,000 in civil penalties.
In 2006, Erin Brockovich was Vice President of Environmental Affairs at STWA and attended conferences and events promoting their “Zero Emissions Fuel Saver� product. Brockovich brought a great deal of press attention to the company, which traded for pennies on the Over The Counter market.
The magical magnet product quite simply does not work. The EPA has rejected licenses for similar technology 12 times. The Discovery Channel show Mythbusters tested the technology and rejected it as hype. STWA even hired the Rand Corporation to assess the magnets – and RAND said there was no evidence that it increase gas mileage.
It is pretty ironic that Strickland, who has based his candidacy on his involvement in a wave energy corporation with no technology, no employees and no revenue, would use a company convicted of stock fraud as an endorser. Since this company had no problem lying to investors, I guess lying to the voters is no big deal either.
CAP-843,
Not only did I not miss the point, I actually reached a far more palatable conclusion than have you.
You know, I find it quite interesting that all the liberal Democrats out there who once worshiped at the altar of Erin Brockovich because she "stuck up for the little guy" are so quick to drop her like a hot potato because she's decided to support a Republican candidate for office.
Spare us the deep, dark conspiracy theories. There is no cloak and dagger motivations here. This is simply an intelligent woman discerning between two candidates for State office and making a sound judgment call in my estimation.
I never worshipped her. I think we all had this misconception that she was an environmental crusader because of the Julia Roberts movie. But when I started doing some research on her I discovered that she got a personal $2 million payout from the PG&E suit.
She does this stuff for money. So I get it now.
I feel the same way I did when I learned about John Edwards' affair. People aren't always who you think they are.
But not Hannah-Beth. There's not a disingenuous bone in that woman's body. She fights for environmental and consumer causes only because it's the right thing to do.
Dream on, Mongo-Gibson. She markets herself through the Morris Agency and we wish her well. She is bought and paid for. Read her WEB site, if you can, and you must agree that she may be a hired gun for apparently anything. Can't fault her for wanting to make a buck, especially with Ed gone.
No, Mongo-Gibson, she did not pick the best candidate. She just supported someone who needs to buy his endorsements.
PS: Don't ever disagree with the Phony, or be prepared to be knocked down by his goon Jose Angeles.