While I appreciated the Moderator’s question, the 90 second time limit was insufficient for Deval to respond as to why he defended Texaco against the Indigenous Rainforest Indian Nations of the Amazon looking for Justice. I won’t go so far to say the question was unfair, as it raised a legitimate question. But the format frankly did not allow for the type of in depth discussion the issue raised.
I assumed there would be a detailed answer on Deval’s webpage but was unable to find one. Maybe someone could point me to the explaination, as I am very curious to know why Deval recommended the suit be heard in Ecuador where Texaco has NO assets (except for maybe Monopoly Money), verses the United States, where Texaco holds millions of dollars of assets.
Since this is such a social justice issue, one of the main themes of Deval’s Campaign, I would expect that Deval has an excellent explanation of how he stood tall to help this alleged injustice of devastation of the environment and the tribes (people) in the rainforests…
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: I was one of the 15.36% that voted for Chris Gabrieli on the FIRST ballot at the convention.
I too support Chris Gabrieli but as a democrat who will be voting for the eventual nominee, whomever he may be, I think that this question needs to be answered in detail by the Patrick campaign camp. Deval’s ties to both Texaco and Amerquest have very troubling components that need further explanation.
I don’t think the questions are going to go away just by ignoring them. I’m starting to think there might be something to the question now, that is unless everyone is taking 24 hours to formulate their responses…
RM,
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I am very curious as to the answer to this question. I am not really decided on the Governors race yet so I’d like to know. I recommended your post, but that didn’t seem to help. I certainly hope an answer is forthcoming.
I wonder if I had asked tough questions instead about either Gabrieli or Reilly if it would have been front-paged by now?
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Is anybody on the campaign or on BMG capable of answering this question?
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Within the next 7 days?
Stamping your feet because you didn’t get a timely (in your opinion anyway) response to your own user post is unseemly. Right now most of the traffic on this blog seems to be headed toward the Big Dig accident and the Taxes thread. shrugs That’s the way it goes.
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You have a lot of shiny links in your post and god bless ya, because most user posts at BMG are very light on links, but what I’d like to know is if there is a transcript of this debate available? I looked at Andy’s liveblog and I didn’t see the question you’re asking.
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From MRN
Q: On your decisions dealing with the pollution in India and Equador
DP: There was a litigation that arose out of Equador brought by indigenous people. The lawsuit was about the quality of the cleanup. The claims had to do with containment burns around the drills. I think we took the appropriate steps. (sorry, this answer was fast and long and I didnât get most of it.)
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Here’s what I know about Deval Patrick and Texaco (The Readers Digest Version): Texaco had some big problems with racial discrimination. Texaco was sued and the case settled. As part of the settlement a task force was formed, which Deval was the chairman of. He did a good job apparently because Texaco offered him a job in the organization. I understand that there have been problems between Texaco and Equador, but I don’t know all the details (yet) and I don’t know what, if anything it has to do with Deval Patrick.
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If you have some specific information, that would be helpful.
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Please note: I am not a huge fan of Texaco, nor am I a fan of Ameriquest. These are corporations that obviously have problems. Deval Patrick is a corporate fixer. He was hired by both organizations to help improve their business practices. I respect Deval Patrick’s ability to work within some very challenging environments and affecting change for the better. I think that characteristic will be very handy when he’s Governor.
More like racial innoculation for whatever lying, thieving company that has the dough-re-mi for Good Ole Deval. This guy’s schtick is just a little too much like Rev. Jesse Jackson’s corporate extortion routine for me. Although I suspect that is a net-plus for the writers on this board.
I do, however, appreciate your use of the term “fixer”. Couldn’t agree more.
A reasoned, subtle response from ACORN1.
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What is this “schtick” you are referring to? And what the hell does this topic have to do with Rev. Jesse Jackson?
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Deval Patrick was appointed by a Federal District Court to serve as chairperson of Texaco’s Equality and Fairness Task Force. Your corporate extortion charge is bullshit and not productive to this discussion.
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It’s obvious you don’t understand what a corporate fixer is. Corporations like Ameriquest and Texaco and Coca-Cola hired Deval Patrick because of his reputation as someone who will look at difficult situations and work with all the parties involved.
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See, it’s real easy to stand on the sidelines and say tsk-tsk, naughty company, but it takes someone who understands how corporations run and isn’t afraid to dig in do the hard work to affect change. Deval Patrick has been working hard his whole life.
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Those companies are not perfect and they all have a hell of a long way to go before they come close, but they are all somewhat better for Deval Patrick having worked with them.
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Deval Patrick is only one man. He cannot save corporate America.
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Some people are trying to hold him to an impossible standard.
That’s the correct question in the record.
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But, both the question and Deval’s answer were longer and more detailed than what’s represented in the record. Maybe someone else that was there could verify that post contains the jist of the question and partial answer.
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Also, here’s the webpage with more info.
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“As Texaco fights plaintiffs’ charges that it inflicted “cultural
genocide” in Ecuador, the company in the past year hired a new
general counsel well-known in Massachusetts, Deval Patrick of Milton,
a former chief of the U.S. Justice Department’s civil rights division.
He contends the plaintiffs shouldn’t have access to U.S. courts, only
those in Ecuador – a move Bonifaz says would effectively kill the
lawsuit. Patrick declined an interview request.” link
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Title: Rain forest pays the price of oil: Suit claims Texaco polluted Ecuador
Source: Boston Herald
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: August 29, 1999
Byline: David Talbot
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Deval stated it differently the other night, not that they shouldn’t have access to U.S. Courts, but that they should hear the case in Ecuador. Kind of two sides of the same coin, in my opinion…
link
Because some people can’t access that:
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To the Editor:
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I disagree with you (editorial, Feb. 19) that a case against Texaco involving its Ecuadorean operation should be heard in a United States court. The operations, witnesses, plaintiffs, evidence, majority owner and relief sought by plaintiffs are all in Ecuador. The $40 million was not paid “to Ecuador’s Government” but for an extensive three-year program to clean up production sites and replant lands in Ecuador.
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Ecuadorean courts can hear and rule fairly on this case. Ecuadorean courts provide for the recovery of damages for personal injury and property damage. A significant part of the relief the plaintiffs seek — changes in environmental practices — could only be awarded by an Ecuadorean court. While I share your esteem for the United States judicial system, it cannot serve as the court of last resort for disputes arising anywhere on the planet. Nor should it when the Ecuadorean courts are ready, willing and able to do their job.
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DEVAL L. PATRICK
V.P. & General Counsel, Texaco Inc.
White Plains, Feb. 22, 1999
“While I share your esteem for the United States judicial system, it cannot serve as the court of last resort for disputes arising anywhere on the planet. Nor should it when the Ecuadorean courts are ready, willing and able to do their job.” Deval Patrick
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Implies that the Ecadorean courts are ready, willing and able to hear the case.
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The letter is dated over 7 years ago, so I’m wondering when did they start the case, and when will it be settled? How can we be assured that the letter wasn’t just part of a multinational corporation’s ploy to avoid taking the case to court and dragging it out long after the lifetimes of these people who’s lives were ruined by Texaco et al?
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Also, couldn’t the case be divided so that the tribes could sue for financial damages against the deep pockets in the USA? Then have the enviromental cleanup fulled funded?
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If you are going to “talk the talk”, you should “walk the walk”. For someone that claims they have always stood up for justice, I’m having a difficult time seeing the Texaco justice in the Amazon.
What about the leases to recover the oil? The rigs and equipment itself? The ability to do any work in the country in the future?
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I’m not so sure I agree with the claim that Texaco had no assets in Ecuador.
will we see a post on that from someone?
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Disclosure: Deval supporter here – but NOT because Joe Kennedy III was not in the race….
And it will be front paged within hours like this one never was…