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Private-practice lawyers divide their days into billable hours that help them focus their time and energy most effectively. Should they spend 7,430 hours at $300 a tick-tock on a fender-bender between a 1987 Toronado and a 1985 Yugo? Even if they conclude that lawsuit is worth the effort, the client gets the final say because he's the one paying the bill.
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli doesn't live by billable hours, but he should do a cost/benefit analysis on his many legal battles, particularly when his clients, the taxpayers of Virginia, can't yank the checkbook away even if they want.
Cuccinelli filed a new demand for documents from the University of Virginia this week after his initial effort was tossed out by a judge.
The scaled-back civil investigative demand seeks paperwork related to one state grant totaling $214,700 awarded to climate scientist Michael Mann and two colleagues in 2001.
The attorney general contends that Mann may have violated Virginia's Fraud Against Taxpayers Act, which went into effect two years after the grant was awarded.
The university has thus far spent $352,874.76 defending itself against Cuccinelli's legal antics.
The fees are being paid with private funds, but those donations could be used for need-based scholarships, microscopes or even football helmets.
Even if Cuccinelli manages to convince a judge that it's possible for Mann to break a law before it exists, and even if Mann is forced to give back a grant that mostly went to someone else, the state is still in the hole by $138,174.76.
Cuccinelli's office says he has spent a grand total of $737.89. That's probably about what it's worth, but the figure does not include the time of two staff attorneys assigned to the case. Their salaries plus the court reporter and transcription costs are still coming out of taxpayers' pockets.
Cuccinelli is determined to undermine in court Mann's "hockey stick graph," showing an increase in global temperatures over recent decades. The veracity of the graph is a question for scientists to debate.
The question taxpayers should be asking is whether they can afford to keep Cuccinelli as their lawyer.
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Pilot Not Sufficiently Disinterested
As Pilot has long crusaded on behalf of global warming, Mann's legal trouble can damage the prestige of the newspaper. Isn't that true?
Two things follow. At this point, the Pilot can't editorialize in this smug manner. Too invested.
Second, the Pilot would be smart not to crusade quite so much. It undermines credibility.
Bruce Deitrick Price
Lost opportunity cost
Those of us involved in economic development simply cringe every time the AG announces another of his witchhunts. With knowledge workers the envy of every economic development agency in the nation, the actions of Cuccinelli in preparing to sue a scientist over his work because he, the AG, does not agree with it is a chilling reminder of what a politician building his personal resume can do to a state's economic developmemnt program. Frankly, if I were the Chairman of a major corporation, I would simply cross Virginia off the list. Why subject the firm, its officers and directors, and shareholders to this additional risk when other state's will do all they can to attract a firm with scientists doing cutting edge research. So while I am concerned about the waste of public money caused by Cuccinelli's actions, what I am really concerned about is the lost opportunity cost.
hmmm
just wondering. Can anyone please explain the other 11 documented incidences of global warming that have affected the Earth. Ten ice ages means 11 warming trends, none of these events happened since the appearance of modern humans. So if these events have been a constant and reoccurring in Earth's history, how did this possibly happen when man was not here? If the science is solid, why so many lies, why peer review only from peers already in the loop, why put pressure on professional journals to not publish conflicting research, why so much gerrymandering data, why the out and out lies by journalist (not scientist) that have been included in IPCC reports? Mann has claimed to have lost or misplaced the original data that was used to come up with the hockey stick graph, what kind of science research looses or misplaces their data. He claims he never thought it would be that central, well from a science perspective that is just lazy, incompetent, or fraudulent. Any scientist, in any field, that discovered a trend of that magnitude would document every detail in the minutest degree. It speaks volumes that Mann did not follow standard scientific protocol while doing his research
Is this possible?
"Even if Cuccinelli manages to convince a judge that it's possible for Mann to break a law before it exists..."
How can this be justified, if true? If this is possible, then the city could put up stop signs, and retroactively fine everyone who had gone through that intersection. I realize the reasoning behind "ignorance of the law is no excuse", but this leaves my mind completely boggled, a very uncomfortable condition. The mere fact that a law does not exist is no defense for breaking it? C'mON, people!
kenny should be forced to accurately anounce the true costs
If kenny dosnt count the cost of the attorneys involved in this case then I submit that that bobby crate an independent investigator to investigate kenny's fraud in the cost to his suite. The investigator could subpoena all the emails and data related to this suit
You just don't get it.
The posters that are rallying in supporting the AG are at best being short-sighted. For every one of you that deny the existence of global warming there is someone else that is going to defend it. This is a subject that brings both sides to the forefront but in reality can never be positively proven, kind of like the existence of God. While science can be studied and verified there will always be people that will deny it. The only real question here is, should the Attorney General of Virginia, spend the taxpayer's money on this case? In my opinion, the answer is NO. It is a blatant waste of time and energy, and dragging out the debate is useless.
The university could have
The university could have saved all that money if they cooperated in the beginning. Are we supposed to feel sorry for them?
Breaking News: Pilot concerned about Taxpayers.
So..........The Pilot Editorial Staff is concerned about the Taxpayers. Since when..... The Pilot, Obama, ACORN, the Unions, and the Democrats are the ones who are in favor of taxing the heck out of taxpayers to pay for their income redistribution schemes. Only in a poorly spun editorial attacking a Republican would the Pilot state their "concern" for the working taxpayer.
Unfortunately Cuccinelli will March Forward
For as much press as the Pilot gives Cuccinelli as well as other papers throughout the state (and I even daresay in the region), he continues to plow forward with his half-baked notions of "saving" the Commonwealth. The unfortunate fact is that he has always shown a lack of good judgment (you can be book smart - but entirely out of sync with the rest of the world) from day one in office. This clown was ELECTED to the office - so the best we can all do is wait until his term is up, make sure that we elect someone who will clean up his predecessor's mess, and pray that Cuccinelli stops his childish antics.
no the question is.......
"The question taxpayers should be asking is whether they can afford to keep Cuccinelli as their lawyer."
the real question is how long can this country tolerate it's children and media being misled by wacko psuedo science educators