RANT OF THE DAY

It sounds like legal extortion of business by local and state governments, doesn't it, as the newest victim being paint companies and the alleged injuries from lead paint.

In Rhode Island, three paint makers were found guilty of "creating a public nuisance that continues to poison children." The fourth defendant, DuPont Co. was dropped from the lawsuit after they agreed to pay millions to the "nonprofit Children's Health Forum for lead paint remdiation, public education, and compliance programs in Rhode Island."

It sounds an awful lot like Jesse Jackson's scheme of threatening companies with boycotts and bad publicity and then happily taking a donation to go away.

Wisconsin is debating whether to reinstitute their lawsuit against the paint manufacturers that was dismissed once before.

The companies will, of course, appeal and it is likely they will win on appeal and the damages will be minimal. The real cost is to our legal concept of fairness and common sense. Holding companies responsible for products made 25 years ago or more -- lead paint sales have been banned since 1978 -- is ludicrous.

Even more ludicrous is the Rhode Island Children's Health Forum list of supporters that includes Innovative Family Partnerships and Children's Service Society of Wisconsin that are both non-profits ---- amazing coincidence here ---- in Wisconsin. All appear to be strikingly similar to the NGOs through which the United Nations funnels their aid money. The most disturbing part about many of these NGOs is the inclusion of former politicians, Democrat party personnel and black civil rights industry people on their boards, advisory committees, and their day-to-day operations and the interdependence of NGOs and incumbent Democrat party governments.