david AND GOLIATH?

[Vincent LeVine]

I read the Sun Chronicle's article by Michael Gelbwasser, A big career win for lawyer (http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/07/06/news/5229708.txt) about W.R. Grace and their lawyer, Mansfield, Massachusetts native Thomas Frongillo. Two things of interest caught my eye:

1) My father worked for W.R.Grace at one time, many years ago, early 70's. When we would sit down to eat dinner then, my father would joke and say "It's time to say Grace-- W.R.!" With that came chuckles around the table, but even then I understood how powerful W.R. Grace was. Even if only in jest, we thanked them for our food!

2) I graduated from Sharon High in 1974, the same year Thomas Frongillo graduated from Mansfield High. I played football against him.

After reading that the article was really about how Goliath slayed David, and not the other way around, I was kind of shocked. The article went on to describe how Mr. Frongillo proved 'no wrong doing' on the part of W.R.Grace, the corporate giant accused of "knowingly endangering the city of Libby, Mont., by allowing the release asbestos into the air from its former mine outside the city, a violation of the Clean Air Act". I felt the same way about this situation as I did about all the past Yankee pennants-- You have the money, spend the money, and you win! (most of the time)

As I thought about the article I began realizing how deeply our American culture has tumbled. We've become blood thirsty capitalists who applaud those who do the slaughtering because it's good theater.

I'm sure Mr. Frogillo is a well-schooled lawyer and his skills far exceeded those of the firm representing the litigants.

As for me? Give me truth, justice, but NOT the American way!

And definitely not articles that glamorize corporate slaughter--

VINCENT LEVINE can be reached at: [e-mail]

[ricknkim]

Too bad the paper didn't carry a follow-up story about your/our concerns over this case and our views on Mr. Frongillo and the company he represented. Instead, the only view that SC readers have is a rosy one painted by the paper with softballs tossed to him and not a single question asked that could give him the opportunity to answer to his dtractors/critics. Of course, this is a time when newspapers play nice and do very LITTLE investigative reporting so as to not step on anyones toes and possibly lose the smaller and smaller advertising dollars they get. I like the old-school reporters who weren't affraid to ask tough questions - let the coprorate stiffs deal with p-o'd folks, we just deliver great news!.

[Mark A. Bartlett]

To All:
...and I mean ALL! It is now almost two months past since I wrote your Newspaper in hopes of shedding a bit of light (the truth) on the topic--FRONGILLO. Not the man writing a bio of the person. Not anything else. Doing his job is just what he did allright--but not really checking things out before crowning Frongillo a Ceasar. Too bad for that reporter. ...and analogies to football was disgusting. Whatever sells a paper, I guess. No; the real reason I wrote this was to let everyone know what a scumbag Frongillo is. He was a hired gun that came into a small town loaded for bear. Knowing what we know now--after the trail facts--we know that the Judge had quite a bit to do with this final outcome--(please, don't believe me, read all about Bush's feelings on this very topic and the words that got to the Judge via presidential channels). Frongillo had a clear path to gun down innocent victims that had just a smidgeon of hope left that justice would prevail. I would like to tell him (and anyone else that is following Graces' rise again in the market--What's that? A new plant in India--gosh--why do you suppose they went overseas to do this? Liability/responsibility to their employees? Didn't know this? Check it out!) that he could have been a hero for all working men and women of America had he used his skills for serving the Public instead of licking the boots of WR Grace. How simply disgusting. The man is a disgrace to his gender. ...and that everyone, is where I will leave it. Any comments on anything that has been said in this Blog or the one that I had going -- can now direct them directly to me at [e-mail] . Thank you ALL for this open and free discussion. (..more than you'll ever get from Frongillo. Coward.) From MARK A. BARTLETT Wasilla, Alaska

[Vincent LeVine]

I don't think I have ever read an article, essay, story, poem, blog, or book without forming some type of opinion. It's why most people read and why most writers write. No apologies--

And it's OK to question a writer's motivation, everyone does it.

When writers "circle the wagons" they're usually in a defense mode, and that's OK too. It is wrong however, to tell a reader not to read critically and not to form or express an opinion based on that reading, especially concerning a blog or an article, which by their nature, avail themselves for reader comments. (See: Add Comment)

Writers will always be held accountable for everything they put in print. So, If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen!

[ricknkim]

I think you are spot-on about contrarians on here and the SC blogs. However, I don'y consider myself one. I simply got a bad feeling after reading the Q&A and was trying to understand why this attorney got, what appeared to be, free advertising and not a single critical Q tossed at him. After reading it I felt the urge to dig deaper into the trial and found that, in my opinion of course, this gentleman was not the "local hero" for which he was portrayed and was in fact simply the victor at the expense of many innocent residents. My only point was that it would have been interesting (an probably more fair from a journalistic and reader perspective) if there was a follow-on article about the case pointing out the facts of it and allowing the readers to draw educated conclusions versus biased ones based upon a fluff-laced Q&A. Of course, it is easy to be critical of and skeptical of lawyers - their industry has helped to create some ugly sides of society (more so than almost all other careers besides politicians)

[Vincent LeVine]

"Humble opinion" for sure... Now go to sleep Mark!

[Mark Farinella]

Actually, the only fellow on our entire staff who actually knows Mr. Frongillo personally is me, although not well. Probably haven't spoken to him in almost 40 years. I stand by my stance that the Q-and-A was not meant to be a manifesto either pro or con of what Tom represented in court. My point is that there are far too many contrarians looking for fault or hidden agendas in everything they read, and they're just not able to accept something at face value ... in my humble opinion.

[ricknkim]

I understand Mr. Gelbwassers stance and the mission of the Q&A. As defined, his article meets this. Perhaps it was just the wrong venue then for this attorney/story and it would have been better placed in the national section with a more complete picture of not only the winning attorney, but also to include the losing teams perspective and a more detailed background on the verdict/case. After all, this was "the biggest environmental case in the country".

[ricknkim]

I think Mr. Farinella is smart enough to understand the points we've made regarding the presentation of the attorney accomplishments - I just think he isn't willing to admit to it. The way the article was written left me thinking this attorney was a friend of the reporter, publisher or some other individual related to the paper in some way. This is probably not true, but that was my perception since it seemed like all fluff and not much substance. I totally agree with the saying "don't blame the messenger just because you don't like the message" - however, that doesn't really make sense here - the message was entirely incomplete and onesided. Therefore, I blame the messenger for not living up to his/her most basic journalistic duties.

[Vincent LeVine]

What kind of health problems can the asbestos-contaminated vermiculite cause?

"Asbestos can cause pulmonary diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Traditionally, it was thought that asbestos was only a threat to workers exposed to high doses for years and that they symptoms took 15 to 30 years to develop.

"Studies on victims in Libby showed that it wasn’t just the miners that got sick, or just their family members. Many people with no connection to the mine have had their lives destroyed by the fibers in the vermiculite and, physicians in Libby say that some of their younger victims began showing signs of illness in a few as 10 years."

You can read an article published by cold truth at:
http://www.coldtruth.com/2009/07/02/epa-returns-to-old-vermiculite-processing-sites-to-see-if-nearby-residents-are-at-risk-from-asbestos/

[Vincent LeVine]

According to attorneys representing the residents of Libby, Montana, 200 lives have been lost to asbestos poisoning and another 2,000 individuals are sick. Asbestos-laced vermiculite is an ore that was mined by WR Grace from 1963-1990 and used in the manufacture of insulation, gardening products, and fire-proofing.

Libby residents die from asbestosis at a rate 40 to 80 times normal, the government has said.

According to an article written by Bob Van Voris and Amy Linn on Bloomberg.com "Grace faced more than $280 million in fines and restitution if convicted, an amount that might have complicated the company’s planned exit from bankruptcy protection this year. Grace spent more than $120 million to defend itself and the former executives, it said in a March regulatory filing."

According to the article, after being acquitted "Grace rose $3.43, or 36 percent, to $13.06 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have fallen 48 percent in the past year."

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601127&sid=a2KONaswwu1Y&refer=law