The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 14, 2003 Page: 3 of 24
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'76e (fauzdieut RE C ) f iD
THURSDAY 14 AUGUST 2003
3
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A Wretch
DURING THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE last week, the congre-
gation was singing the ole familiar church hymn, "Amazing grace, how
sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."
Question: If the Reverend Gene Robinson received "amazing
grace*" why is he still living the life of a wretch? The Bible is not a smor-
gasbord where we pick and choose. What about those who confirmed
Bishop Robinson's nomination? If I'm an accomplice to a crime, I'm as
guilty as the perpetrator.
In humbleness of spirit,
DAVID YOUNG
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Rep. Nixon to Texas Families:
Let them eat mold!
By John B. Cnbarruvias
DURING THE SUMMER of 2001 hundreds of
homeowners across Texas testified on the sub-
ject of mold contamination of their homes. Many re-
called months of strange rashes, nosebleeds, and
upper respiratory illnesses and spending thousands
of dollars for exploratory medical tests ranging from
cancer to lupus. Some lost their memory. Others lost
their homes. And others such as the insurance lob-
byists, lawyers, and tort reformers claimed, "mold is
gold," and mold claims were "frivolous" based upon
hysteria not scientific facts.
And then there were those who stood watching
homeowners in tears pleading for help from con-
sumer groups and the State Legislature, while they
were quietly collecting their own share of the gold
and conveniently ignoring the hysteria, and the
claims of frivolity. Such is the case of State Repre-
sentative Joe Nixon (R) Houston.
In 2001 while hearings and legislation was being
crafted to address mold claims, Rep. Nixon received
over $300,000 for his own mold claim. Like many
mold victims, his life was disrupted while his family
spent a year in a crowded apartment during his mold
remediation. But unlike many victims, he kept silent
about the dangers of toxic mold, the Cost of
remediation, the horrible,
stress upon the family, and the urgent need to ad-
dress mold contamination.
Rep. Nixon had an opportunity to address the
Texas Department of Insurance during one of many
of historic mold hearings held across the state and in
Austin. His position, as a Texas Representative,
would have validated the claims by other homeown-
ers affected by mold contamination. His own experi-
ence of having his family life disrupted, his financial
situation threatened, and his emotions stretched to
the end would have put a halt to the false claims
of "hysteria," "frivolous" and "mold is gold."
But he didn't. Instead he stood silently collecting
his pot of gold, while others were foreclosing and
struggling to keep their children in good health as
well as struggling with their insurance
companies.
Later in the 2003 Legislation Session, Rep.
Nixon sponsored the tort reform bill on behalf of the
insurance industry and the tort reform groups.
These were the same organizations that were claim-
ing toxic mold was based upon hysteria and had
driven up the cost of insurance forcing companies
out of business. Members of these organizations tes-
tified at the mold hearings, and some were ap-
pointed to the Department of Insurance Mold Task
Force. All while Rep. Nixon was collecting $300,000
on his own "legitimate" elaim and crafting an insur-
ance welfare bill, House Bill 4.
This hypocrisy is not limited to Rep Nixon. In
2001 the Attorney Generals Office in Lubbock was
evacuated and remediated due to mold contamina-
tion at the owners expense. And in 1995 the Texas
Governor Mansion was remediated at a cost of
$50,000 to the taxpayer. So while Rep Nixon's fam-
ily, Governor Perry's family, and the employees of
Attorney General John Cornyn were safe from the
hazards of toxic mold, hundreds of Texas families,
looking for help from their leaders, were left, out in
the mold.
The current focus of Rep. Nixon's mold claim is
on the criminal aspect of insurance fraud and politi-
cal payback, but the focus should also be on the
moral aspect. How could an elected leader,
in the State that invented the word "compassion,"
stand idle, with his hands buried in the pot of gold,
while his people are in financial ruin, poor health,
and pleading for help? How could Rep.
Nixon ignore the hearings and families who have
been ravaged financially, physically, and mentally
by mold contamination while he collects on his own
claim and crafts legislation on behalf of those who
provided his gold?
This lack of compassion, in itself, should be
criminal.
JOHN R. COBARRUVIAS is a consumer activist
as the Texas Pre.tshk>'t of Homeowners Against De-
ficient Dwellings and has testified at many heat-
ings concerning mold contcurtfnatkm, insurance,
and new: home construction..
Mental health nfirm...Continue! from Page 2
budget deficits, the White House isn't likely to do so,
either.
Of the report, Bill Emmet, a project director at
the National Association of State Mental Health
Program Directors, told The Times: "We think it's a
once-in-a-generation opportunity to assess the men-
tal health system in this country, and the report co-
mes through with recommendations that, if
implemented, will change the direction of mental
health services in this country.
"I think the 'if implemented' is the critical
caveat/'
That will depend on leadership from the White
House and Capitol Hill, as well as in state capitals
around the country.
Joe Patrick Bean is the edi torial page editor of the
Victoria (Tryas) Advocate. K mail J or P Bean({f
aol.com.
0
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Chance of thunderstorms.
HIGH: 88
LOW: 65
Mostly cloudy.
South winds 5-15 mph.
HIGH: 92
LOW: 65
Partly cloudy.
Mostly clear by evening.
HIGH: 95
LOW: 65
Mostly sunny.
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 14, 2003, newspaper, August 14, 2003; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220591/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hemphill County Library.