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Letter to the editor

Homeowners may get break from new bill

By Times Wires
Published November 20, 2007

Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, has filed a bill to help those who applied for the My Safe Florida Home program but were deemed no longer eligible by the rule changes that occurred during the 2007 session. Senate Bill 644 will grandfather those applicants into the program allowing them to receive matching grants for structural improvements to their homes. About 7,500 applicants statewide were affected by the rule changes, about 1,000 of which are in the Tampa Bay area.

OAKLAND, Calif.

Mattel, others sued over lead in toys

Mattel Inc., which recalled more than 21-million Chinese-made toys this year, was sued along with 19 other firms by California officials for manufacturing or selling toys that contained illegally high amounts of lead. The companies failed to warn state residents about the risks posed by lead exposure, which can cause cancer and birth defects, California State Attorney General Jerry Brown and Los Angeles City Attorney Rockard Delgadillo said in a complaint filed Monday in state court. Mattel expected the suit and "has cooperated fully with the Attorney General's office," according to a company statement.

PHILADELPHIA

Disney wants suit over ride dismissed

Walt Disney Co. asked a judge to throw out a Pennsylvania company's lawsuit over the technology behind its Mission: Space ride, saying there's no evidence of wrongdoing. Environmental Tectonics Corp. sued Disney in 2005 claiming the company disclosed confidential information about the ride and falsely took credit for its development. The company, hired by Disney to design the ride, hasn't shown any evidence that it's been harmed, Disney attorney Laurence Shiekman said in U.S. District Court.

WASHINGTON

T-bill rates decline

Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills fell in Monday's auction, with rates on six-month bills falling to the lowest level in more than two years. The TreasuryDepartment auctioned$20-billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 3.390 percent, down from 3.430 percent last week. Another $19-billion in six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 3.460 percent, down from 3.625 percent last week. The three-month rate was the lowest since these bills averaged 2.850 percent on Aug. 20.

[Last modified November 20, 2007, 01:23:00]