PROTECT CONSUMER JUSTICE.ORG

The battle between corporations and consumer attorneys over the fate of the civil justice system raged into the spring election primary season with a few key showdown legislative races – and a couple big corporate-backed propositions.

In the end, front groups for the oil, insurance, health care and pharmaceutical industries that want to see consumers and attorneys take it below the belt instead got walloped in the polls. And they spent a whole heap of money along the way.

Among the biggest losers? The Civil Justice Assn. of California and its board of corporate giants that includes BP, AIG, the California Building Industry Assn., Dow Chemical, Pfizer, State Farm Insurance and lots more.

Here’s a look at the numbers.

$60 million

(That’s how much Mercury Insurance and PG&E spent while failing to pass Propositions 16 and 17).

$2.5 million

(What anti-tort groups CJAC and Californians Allied for Patient Protection poured into showdown races).

684

(The vote lead progressive Democrat Mary Salas holds over corporation-backed candidate Juan Vargas, an insurance executive, in the 40^th Senate District primary).

10

(The number of races targeted by the Consumer Attorneys of California).

10

(The number of targeted races in which candidates supported by the Consumer Attorneys of California either won or hold the lead).

0

(The number of targeted races won by candidates supported by CJAC and CAPP).

The outcome of this election makes it clear that voters are getting canny about corporate-backed candidates and causes. In an era of BP oil spills and runaway Toyotas, the public has grown wise to the reality that corporate candidates are bent on undercutting the civil justice system to help boost the profits reaped by corporations and their billionaire leaders. The common man and woman can make a difference simply by stepping into the voting booth and making wise choices.

–Eric Bailey

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