Re: Padilla 2 Poway City Council, Re: $3M Tax Money, Mold, W
Posted by Sharon on 8/18/10
Two other speakers, one a former Toyota employee and the other a representative of a statewide Peace and Freedom Party candidate, questioned whether the city should do business with Castro, whom they said purchased the Poway business knowing that the business had a history of mold problems that allegedly cause health issues. Castro did not comment on the allegations. In other business, the council: • Heard former Councilwoman Mary Shepardson ask that neighbors be brought into the process of planning for the new Lowe’s store. A neighbor herself, Shepardson said her concern is “that the train has left the station. I just hope the homeowners aren’t thrown under the train.” On 8/17/10, Sharon wrote: > Council Meeting Tonite. Injured Workers Will Speak > > > Dina Padilla > > California Insurance Commissioner Candidate > > 7564 Watson Way > Citrus Heights, Ca. > 95610-2111 > > tele: (916) 725-2673 fax: dinajpadilla@gmail.com > > www.padilla4insurancecommissioner.com > > > > > August 17, 2010 > > > > > > Mayor Don Higginson > > City of Poway City Hall > > 13325 Civic Center Drive > > Poway, California 92064 y > > > > Council Member Merrilee Boyack > > Council Member Jim Cunningham > > Council Member Carl Kruse > > Council Member John Mullin > > > > > > > > Re: $3 million in taxpayer redevelopment funds to a Poway > business that has: i.) harmed the health of employees via a > known environmental work exposure; ii.) has attempted to > shift the cost burden of the injuries onto CA taxpayers; > and iii.) has attempted to intimidate an employee into > silence by threat of libel from the workers comp attorney. > > > > > > Honorable Mayor Higginson and Poway City Council Members, > > > > > > My name is Dina Padilla. I am running for California > Insurance Commissioner for the Peace and Freedom party. My > primary area of interest that caused me to run for this > position is my deep concern for workers’ rights, health and > safety, being adversely impacted by rampant, questionable > insurer practices in the State of California. > > > > > > I am concerned of not only the adverse impact this is > having on the injured workers and their families > themselves, but also the cost burden it is placing on the > taxpayers of the State of California. When employers and > their insurers are able to successfully game the workers > comp system to deny their financial responsibility to > injured workers, these injured workers and their families > end up on depending of state and federally funded programs > for survival. The taxpayers are footing the bill. > > > > > > According to Governor Schwarzenegger, when addressing the > California Chamber of Commerce in May of this year, > Workers’ Comp “Reform” has given back or saved California > industries and their insurers $50 billion since the Ca > Senate Bill 899 was implemented in 2004. However, > California is now $20 billion dollars in debt with much of > the problem being our now beleaguered state disability > fund. > > > > > > > > As the saying goes, “Think globally. Act locally.” It has > been brought to my attention that the City of Poway is > intending to give the owners of Toyota of Poway $3 million > dollars of taxpayer dollars in the name of redevelopment. > Questions should be asked of these new business partners of > Poway regarding how they handle injured worker claims. > > > > > > > > Is the City of Poway aware that these same owners appear to > have: > > i.) knowingly exposed employees to the health hazard of a > moldy building; and > > ii.) have fired no less than one of the employees injured > by the moldy building; and > > iii) have attempted to run from their responsibility to > this injured worker by attempting to deny his workers comp > claim, running him through the gaunlet; and > > iv.) have attempted to shift the cost burden for this > injured employee onto state disability funds; and > > v.) are documented as threatening this employee via their > workers comp legal counsel, with libel for daring to inform > his prior fellow employees, fellow human beings, of the > potential long term health threat to which Toyota of Poway > is continuing to expose them? > > > > > > > > Does the City of Poway condone this type of behavior among > businesses with whom they intend to partner while using > taxpayer funds? I am not inclined to believe this is the > case. Poway and its leaders have a well respected > reputation of doing what is in the best interest for the > residents and taxpayers of Poway. > > > > > > > > I am aware there are senior residences within close > proximity of the new body shop that is to be built by > Toyota of Poway with a portion of the redevelopment > funds. What has the City of Poway done to assure that > their new business partners, Toyota of Poway, will protect > the health, safety and welfare of the Poway area residents > from body shop contaminants, better than Toyota of Poway > has demonstrated they protect the health, safety and > welfare of its own employees? > > > > > > > > I urge you to investigate this matter further before you > choose to allocate $3 million Poway taxpayer dollars to a > business that has demonstrated they have little regard for > the use of taxpayer dollars if it means they can shift > their responsibility for environmental exposures and > resultant illnesses on to the taxpayers of California. > > > > > > Attached are letters I have sent this week regarding the > matter of Toyota of Poway being indicative of how commerce > is gaming the workers comp insurance system to: SD County > District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis, CA Commissioner of > Insurance, Steve Poizner; and CA Attorney General Jerry > Brown. Also attached is the attempted threat into silence > of injured worker, Tim Hack, by Toyota of Poway’s workers’ > comp insurer, “legal” counsel, Ms. Amy Lessa, Fisher & > Phillips LLP. > > > > > > > > Thank you in advance for your attention to this very > serious matter. By properly addressing how taxpayer > dollars are used by businesses in Poway and what are the > businesses’ societal responsibilities to the workers and > citizens of Poway before you allocate dollars; you are > helping all injured workers, citizens and taxpayers of > California. > > > > > Sincerely, > > > Dina Padilla > > Enclosure > (4) > > http://freepdfhosting.com/44ece198ea.pdf
Posts on this thread, including this one
- Padilla 2 Poway City Council, Re: $3M Tax Money, Mold, Work, 8/17/10, by Sharon.
- Re: Padilla 2 Poway City Council, Re: $3M Tax Money, Mold, W, 8/18/10, by Sharon.
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