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    Joshua Angell, also known as Josh Angell (born June 3, 1979), is an outspoken Liberal activist who has run a news blog since 2004, entitled "Voice Of The Majority" Angell, a frequent caller to radio shows such as Lynn Samuels, is often outspoken on what he calls "the lies of the Bush Crime Family". Known locally in Austin, Texas to appear at rallies and anti-war demonstrations, Angell is self described as "The most famous gay activist in Austin that everybody knows OF but nobody KNOWS".


    Sunday, October 31, 2004


     
    Laramie Crocker – who was at Deanfest/Democracyfest this year did a great Anti-War video. You can see it at:

    http://laramiecrocker.com/cargo.html

    This is “must see TV”. Please pass it on…


    Info on DF2005:
    http://myvoteismyvoice.com/html/deanfest_2005.html




     
    100 Facts and 1 OpinionThe Non-Arguable Case Against the Bush Administration
    by Judd Legum
    Click here to download, circulate and distribute a PDF version of this article.
    http://www.thenation.com/special/pdf/100facts.pdf IRAQ
    1. The Bush Administration has spent more than $140 billion on a war of choice in Iraq. Source: American Progress
    2. The Bush Administration sent troops into battle without adequate body armor or armored Humvees. Sources: Fox News, The Boston Globe
    3. The Bush Administration ignored estimates from Gen. Eric Shinseki that several hundred thousand troops would be required to secure Iraq. Source: PBS
    4. Vice President Cheney said Americans "will, in fact, be greeted as liberators" in Iraq. Source: The Washington Post
    5. During the Bush Administration's war in Iraq, more than 1,000 US troops have lost their lives and more than 7,000 have been injured. Source: globalsecurity.org
    6. In May 2003, President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit, stood under a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished," and triumphantly announced that major combat operations were over in Iraq. Asked if he had any regrets about the stunt, Bush said he would do it all over again. Source: Yahoo News
    7. Vice President Cheney said that Iraq was "the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault for many years, but most especially on 9/11." The bipartisan 9/11 Commission found that Iraq had no involvement in the 9/11 attacks and no collaborative operational relationship with Al Qaeda.Source: MSNBC , 9-11 Commission
    8. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said that high-strength aluminum tubes acquired by Iraq were "only really suited for nuclear weapons programs," warning "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." The government's top nuclear scientists had told the Administration the tubes were "too narrow, too heavy, too long" to be of use in developing nuclear weapons and could be used for other purposes.Source: New York Times
    9. The Bush Administration has spent just $1.1 billion of the $18.4 billion Congress approved for Iraqi reconstruction.Source: USA Today
    10. According to the Administration's handpicked weapon's inspector, Charles Duelfer, there is "no evidence that Hussein had passed illicit weapons material to al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations, or had any intent to do so." After the release of the report, Bush continued to insist, "There was a risk--a real risk--that Saddam Hussein would pass weapons, or materials, or information to terrorist networks."Sources: New York Times, White House news release
    11. According to Duelfer, the UN inspections regime put an "economic strangle hold" on Hussein that prevented him from developing a WMD program for more than twelve years.Source: Los Angeles Times TERRORISM
    12. After receiving a memo from the CIA in August 2001 titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack America," President Bush continued his monthlong vacation. Source: CNN.com
    13. The Bush Administration failed to commit enough troops to capture Osama bin Laden when US forces had him cornered in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan in November 2001. Instead, they relied on local warlords.Source: csmonitor.com
    14. The Bush Administration secured less nuclear material from sites around the world vulnerable to terrorists in the two years after 9/11 than were secured in the two years before 9/11.Source: nti.org
    15. The Bush Administration underfunded Nunn-Lugar--the program intended to keep the former Soviet Union's nuclear legacy out of the hands of terrorists and rogue states--by $45.5 million.Source: armscontrol.org
    16. The Bush Administration has assigned five times as many agents to investigate Cuban embargo violations as it has to track Osama bin Laden's and Saddam Hussein's money.Source: sfgate.com
    17. According to Congressional Research Service data, the Bush Administration has underfunded security at the nation's ports by more than $1 billion for fiscal year 2005. Source: American Progress
    18. The Bush Administration did not devote the resources necessary to prevent a resurgence in the production of poppies, the raw material used to create heroin, in Afghanistan--creating a potent new source of financing for terrorists.Source: Pakistan Tribune
    19. Vice President Cheney told voters that unless they elect George Bush in November, "we'll get hit again" by terrorists.Source: Washington Post
    20. Even though an Al Qaeda training manual suggests terrorists come to the United States and buy assault weapons, the Bush Administration did nothing to prevent the expiration of the ban.Source: sfgate.com
    21. Despite repeated calls for reinforcements, there are fewer experienced CIA agents assigned to the unit dealing with Osama bin Laden now than there were before 9/11.Source: New York Times
    22. Before 9/11, John Ashcroft proposed slashing counterterrorism funding by 23 percent.Source: americanprogress.org
    23. Between January 20, 2001, and September 10, 2001, the Bush Administration publicly mentioned Al Qaeda one time.Source: commondreams.org
    24. The Bush Administration granted the 9/11 Commission $3 million to investigate the September 11 attacks and $50 million to the commission that investigated the Columbia space shuttle crash.Source: commondreams.org
    25. More than three years after 9/11, just 5 percent of all cargo--including cargo transported on passenger planes--is screened.Source: commondreams.org NATIONAL SECURITY
    26. During the Bush Administration, North Korea quadrupled its suspected nuclear arsenal from two to eight weapons.Source: New York Times
    27. The Bush Administration has openly opposed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, undermining nuclear nonproliferation efforts.Source: commondreams.org
    28. The Bush Administration has spent $7 billion this year--and plans to spend $10 billion next year--for a missile defense system that has never worked in a test that wasn't rigged.Sources: www.gao.gov/new.items/d04409.pdf, Los Angeles Times
    29. The Bush Administration underfunded the needs of the nation's first responders by $98 billion, according to a Council on Foreign Relations study. Source: nationaldefensemagazine.org CRONYISM AND CORRUPTION
    30. The Bush Administration awarded a multibillion-dollar no-bid contract to Halliburton--a company that still pays Vice President Cheney hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred compensation each year (Cheney also has Halliburton stock options). The company then repeatedly overcharged the military for services, accepted kickbacks from subcontractors and served troops dirty food. Sources: The Washington Post, The Tapei Times, BBC News 3
    1. The Bush Administration told Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan about plans to go to war with Iraq before telling Secretary of State Colin Powell.Source: detnews.com
    32. The Bush Administration relentlessly pushed an energy bill containing $23.5 billion in corporate tax breaks, much of which would have benefited major campaign contributors. taxpayer.net, Washington Post
    33. The Bush Administration paid Iraqi-exile and neocon darling Ahmad Chalabi $400,000 a month for intelligence, including fabricated claims about Iraqi WMD. It continued to pay him for months after discovering that he was providing inaccurate information.Source: MSNBC
    34. The Bush Administration installed as top officials more than 100 former lobbyists, attorneys or spokespeople for the industries they oversee.Source: Source: commondreams.org
    35. The Bush Administration let disgraced Enron CEO Ken Lay--a close friend of President Bush--help write its energy policy.Source: MSNBC
    36. Top Bush Administration officials accepted $127,600 in jewelry and other presents from the Saudi royal family in 2003, including diamond-and-sapphire jewelry valued at $95,500 for First Lady Laura Bush.Source: Seattle Times
    37. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge awarded lucrative contracts to several companies in which he is an investor, including Microsoft, GE, Sprint, Pfizer and Oracle.Source: cq.com
    38. President Bush used images of firefighters carrying flag-draped coffins through the rubble of the World Trade Center to score political points in a campaign advertisement. Source: The Washington Post THE ECONOMY
    39. President Bush's top economic adviser, Greg Mankiw, said the outsourcing of American jobs abroad was "a plus for the economy in the long run."Source: CBS News
    40. The Bush Administration turned a $236 billion surplus into a $422 billion deficit.Sources: Fortune, dfw.com
    41. The Bush Administration implemented regulations that made millions of workers ineligible for overtime pay.Source: epinet.org
    42. The Bush Administration has crippled state budgets by underfunding federal mandates by $175 billion.Source: cbpp.org
    43. President Bush is the first President since Herbert Hoover to have a net loss of jobs--around 800,000--over a four-year term. Source: The Guardian
    44. The Bush Administration gave Accenture a multibillion-dollar border control contract even though the company moved its operations to Bermuda to avoid paying taxes. Sources: The New York Times, cantonrep.com
    45. In 2000, candidate George W. Bush said "the vast majority of my tax cuts go to the bottom end of the spectrum." He passed the tax cuts, but the top 20 percent of earners received 68 percent of the benefits.Sources: cbpp.org, vote-smart.org
    46. In 2000, candidate George W. Bush promised to pay down the national debt to a historically low level. As of September 30, the national debt stood at $7,379,052,696,330.32, a record high.Sources: www.georgewbush.com , Bureau of the Public Debt
    47. As major corporate scandals rocked the nation's economy, the Bush Administration reduced the enforcement of corporate tax law--conducting fewer audits, imposing fewer penalties, pursuing fewer prosecutions and making virtually no effort to prosecute corporate tax crimes.Source: iht.com
    48. The Bush Administration increased tax audits for the working poor.Source: theolympian.com
    49. In 2000, candidate George W. Bush promised to protect the Social Security surplus. As President, he spent all of it. Sources: georgewbush.com, Congressional Budget Office
    50. The Bush Administration proposed slashing funding for the largest federal public housing program, putting 2 million families in danger of losing their housing. Source: San Francisco Examiner
    51. The Bush Administration did nothing to prevent the minimum wage from falling to an inflation-adjusted fifty-year low. Source: Los Angeles Times EDUCATION
    52. The Bush Administration underfunded the No Child Left Behind Act by $9.4 billion.Source: nwitimes.com
    53. In 2000, candidate George W. Bush promised to increase the maximum federal scholarship, or Pell Grant, by 50 percent. Instead, each year he has been in office he has frozen or cut the maximum scholarship amount.Source: Source: edworkforce.house.gov x
    54. The Bush Administration's Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, called the National Education Association--a union of teachers--a "terrorist organization."Sources: CNN.com HEALTHCARE 55. The Bush Administration, in violation of the law, refused to allow Medicare actuary Richard Foster to tell members of Congress the actual cost of their Medicare bill. Instead, they repeated a figure they knew was $100 billion too low.Source: Washington Post, realcities.com
    56. The nonpartisan GAO concluded the Bush Administration created illegal, covert propaganda--in the form of fake news reports--to promote its industry-backed Medicare bill.Source: General Accounting Office
    57. The Bush Administration stunted research that could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, spinal injuries, heart disease and muscular dystrophy by placing severe restrictions on the use of federal dollars for embryonic stem-cell research.Source: CBS News
    58. The Bush Administration reinstated the "global gag rule," which requires foreign NGOs to withhold information about legal abortion services or lose US funds for family planning. Source: healthsciences.columbia.edu
    59. The Bush Administration authorized twenty companies that have been charged with fraud at the federal or state level to offer Medicare prescription drug cards to seniors. Source: American Progress
    60. The Bush Administration created a prescription drug card for Medicare that locks seniors into one card for up to a year but allows the corporations offering the cards to change their prices once a week. Source: Washington Post
    61. The Bush Administration blocked efforts to allow Medicare to negotiate cheaper prescription drug prices for seniors.Source: American Progress
    62. At the behest of the french fry industry, the Bush Administration USDA changed their definition of fresh vegetables to include frozen french fries.Source: commondreams.org
    63. In a case before the Supreme Court, the Bush Administrations sided with HMOs--arguing that patients shouldn't be allowed to sue HMOs when they are improperly denied treatment. With the Administration's help, the HMOs won. Source: ABC News
    64. The Bush Administration went to court to block lawsuits by patients who were injured by defective prescription drugs and medical devices. Source: Washington Post
    65. President Bush signed a Medicare law that allows companies that reduce healthcare benefits for retirees to receive substantial subsidies from the government.Source: Bloomberg News
    66. Since President Bush took office, more than 5 million people have lost their health insurance.Source: CNN.com
    67. The Bush Administration blocked a proposal to ban the use of arsenic-treated lumber in playground equipment, even though it conceded it posed a danger to children.Source: Miami Herald
    68. One day after President Bush bragged about his efforts to help seniors afford healthcare, the Administration announced the largest dollar increase of Medicare premiums in history.Source: iht.com
    69. The Bush Administration--at the behest of the tobacco industry--tried to water down a global treaty that aimed to help curb smoking.Source: tobaccofreekids.org
    70. The Bush Administration has spent $270 million on abstinence-only education programs even though there is no scientific evidence demonstrating that they are effective in dissuading teenagers from having sex or reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.Source: salon.com
    71. The Bush Administration slashed funding for programs that suggested ways, other than abstinence, to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. Source: LA Weekly ENVIRONMENT
    72. The Bush Administration gutted clean-air standards for aging power plants, resulting in at least 20,000 premature deaths each year.Source: cta.policy.net
    73. The Bush Administration eliminated protections on more than 200 million acres of public lands. Source: calwild.org
    74. President Bush broke his promise to place limits on carbon dioxide emissions, an essential step in combating global warming. Source: Washington Post
    75. Days after 9/11, the Bush Administration told people living near Ground Zero that the air was safe--even though they knew it wasn't--subjecting hundreds of people to unnecessary, debilitating ailments. Sierra Club , EPA
    76. The Bush Administration created a massive tax loophole for SUVs--allowing, for example, the write-off of the entire cost of a new Hummer. Source: Washington Post
    77. The Bush Administration put former coal-industry big shots in the government and let them roll back safety regulations, putting miners at greater risk of black lung disease.Source: New York Times
    78. The Bush Administration said that even though the weed killer atrazine was seeping into water supplies--creating, among other bizarre creatures, hermaphroditic frogs--there was no reason to regulate it.Source: Washington Post
    79. The Bush Administration has proposed cutting the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency by $600 million next year.Source: ems.org
    80. President Bush broke his campaign promise to end the maintenance backlog at national parks. He has provided just 7 percent of the funds needed, according to National Park Service estimates. Source: bushgreenwatch.org RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
    81. Since 9/11, Attorney General John Ashcroft has detained 5,000 foreign nationals in antiterrorism sweeps; none have been convicted of a terrorist crime.Source: hrwatch.org
    82. The Bush Administration ignored pleas from the International Committee of the Red Cross to stop the abuse of prisoners in US custody.Source: Wall Street Journal
    83. In violation of international law, the Bush Administration hid prisoners from the Red Cross so the organization couldn't monitor their treatment.Source: hrwatch.org
    84. The Bush Administration, without ever charging him with a crime, arrested US citizen José Padilla at an airport in Chicago, held him on a naval brig in South Carolina for two years, denied him access to a lawyer and prohibited any contact with his friends and family.Source: news.findlaw.com
    85. President Bush's top legal adviser wrote a memo to the President advising him that he can legally authorize torture.Source: news.findlaw.com
    86. At the direction of Bush Administration officials, the FBI went door to door questioning people planning on protesting at the 2004 political conventions.Source: New York Times
    87. The Bush Administration refuses to support the creation of an independent commission to investigate the abuse of foreign prisoners in American custody. Instead, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld selected the members of a commission to review the conduct of his own department.Source: humanrightsfirst.org
    FLIP FLOPS 88. President Bush opposed the creation of the 9/11 Commission before he supported it, delaying an essential inquiry into one of the greatest intelligence failure in American history.Source: americanprogressaction.org
    89. President Bush said gay marriage was a state issue before he supported a constitutional amendment banning it.Sources: CNN.com, White House
    90. President Bush said he was committed to capturing Osama bin Laden "dead or alive" before he said, "I truly am not that concerned about him."Source: americanprogressaction.org
    91. President Bush said we had found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, before he admitted we hadn't found them.Sources: White House, americanprogress.org
    92. President Bush said, "You can't distinguish between Al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror," before he admitted Saddam had no role in 9/11.Sources: White House, Washington Post
    BIOGRAPHY 93. George Bush didn't come close to meeting his commitments to the National Guard. Records show he performed no service in a six-month period in 1972 and a three-month period in 1973. Source: boston.com
    94. In June 1990 George Bush violated federal securities law when he failed to inform the SEC that he had sold 200,000 shares of his company, Harken Energy. Two months later the company reported significant losses and by the end of that year the stock had dropped from $3 to $1. Source: The Guardian
    95. When asked at an April 2004 press conference to name a mistake he made during his presidency, Bush couldn't think of one.Source: White House
    SECRECY 96. The Bush Administration refuses to release twenty-seven pages of a Congressional report that reportedly detail the Saudi Arabian government's connections to the 9/11 hijackers.Source: philly.com
    97. Last year the Bush Administration spent $6.5 billion creating 14 million new classified documents and securing old secrets--the highest level of spending in ten years.Source: openthegovernment.org
    98. The Bush Administration spent $120 classifying documents for every $1 it spent declassifying documents.Source: openthegovernment.org
    99. The Bush Administration has spent millions of dollars and defied numerous court orders to conceal from the public who participated in Vice President Cheney's 2001 energy task force.Source: Washington Post
    100. The Bush Administration--reversing years of bipartisan tradition--refuses to answer requests from Democratic members of Congress about how the White House is spending taxpayer money.Source: Washington Post
    OPINION If the past informs the future, four more years of the Bush Administration will be a tragic period in the history of the United States and the world.




     
    There is a lot of talk these days about patriotism and dissent. Most Americans have confused Patriotism with Nationalism, though the two are often diametrically opposed.
    Waving a flag is Nationalism. Dissent is Patriotism. "My country, right or wrong" and "USA: Love it or Leave it" is Nationalism. Pointing out dangerous flaws in government policy is Patriotism. Telling people to "Shut up and get in line with the President" or "If you don't like it, move to France" is the antithesis of Democracy. For a better understanding of Dissent and Patriotism, I leave you with these words from some of the greatest patriots in history:
    "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."- President Thomas Jefferson
    "It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from the government.- Thomas Paine
    "A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution". -- President James Madison
    "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither."- Ben Franklin
    "If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin."- Samuel Adams
    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."- Edmund Burke
    "This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it."- President Abraham Lincoln
    "In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce and brave man, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot."- 'Mark Twain'
    "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President."- President Theodore Roosevelt
    "The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly as necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."- President Theodore Roosevelt, 1912
    "I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son
    "So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we'll be called a democracy."- Roger Baldwin
    "Disobedience, in the eyes of any one who has read history, is man's original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion."- Oscar Wilde
    "Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it."- George Bernard Shaw
    "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."- Dr. Martin Luther King
    "Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph."- Haile Selassie
    "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."- Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.




     
    WASHINGTON (AP) --
    John Kerry used the Democrats' last pre-election broadcast Saturday to promise he would repair President Bush's mistakes at home and abroad if elected president.
    "In three days, you can choose a president who will defend this nation and fight for the middle class," he said.
    "And if you give me the chance, I will be that president." (Bush, Kerry focus on Midwest)
    The address echoes the lines that the Massachusetts senator is using at his final campaign stops, summarizing his policies and contrasting his vision with Bush's record.
    "In Iraq, I will bring our allies to our side and train Iraqis so that we can succeed and bring our troops home. I will fight a tougher, smarter, more effective war on terror," Kerry said.
    "But a president has to be able to do more than one thing at a time."
    "We can bring back good-paying jobs for middle-class families so that they don't just get by, they get ahead," he said.
    Kerry said a vote for Bush is a vote for four years of jobs moving overseas, rising health care costs, tax breaks for millionaires and energy policies written by oil companies.
    He pledged to work for better jobs, lower health care costs, middle-class tax breaks and energy independence.
    "In three days, we can change the course of our country," Kerry said.
    "I ask for your vote, and I ask for your help."




     
    APPLETON, Wisconsin (Reuters) --
    Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry declared solidarity Saturday with President Bush against Osama bin Laden, but criticized his Republican rival's strategy for capturing the al Qaeda leader.
    Three days before the election, the Massachusetts senator said he and Bush were united in their determination to hunt down bin Laden, who jolted the race Friday with a video threatening new violence. (Bush meets advisors over new bin Laden tape)
    But Kerry refused to back off his long-standing argument that Bush made a big mistake three years ago by failing to send American troops after bin Laden -- blamed for the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States -- when he was believed to be trapped in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan.
    "As Americans we are absolutely united, all of us -- there are no Democrats, there are no Republicans -- as Americans, we are united in our determination to destroy, capture, kill Osama bin Laden and all of the terrorists," he said.
    Without mentioning the tape directly, Kerry also said the United States still needed "the leadership of our troops and the strategies that make us safe" and promised to do better at both than Bush.
    "As I have said for two years now, when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora, it was wrong to outsource the job of capturing them to Afghan warlords," he told a rally in Appleton.
    Kerry aides said they would not let the new bin laden tape to overshadow the campaign debate over who could make America safer, but they clearly wrestled with how to handle it. (Special Report: America Votes 2004)
    Kerry had dropped his usual reference to Tora Bora at a rally in Miami on Friday night, after Bush accused the Democrat of using a local television interview to politicize the issue. In a response to a question about the bin Laden tape, Kerry had repeated his assertion that the president bungled the chance catch bin Laden.
    Kerry renewed the attack Saturday. "Instead of using the best-trained troops in the world who wanted to avenge America for what happened in New York and Pennsylvania and Washington, it was wrong to divert our forces from Afghanistan so that we could rush to the war in Iraq without a plan to win the peace," he said in Appleton.
    In a bitter and deadlocked campaign, some political analysts believe the bin Laden tape could help Bush by reminding voters of his perceived strength -- fighting the war on terror. Others said it could benefit Kerry by reminding them that the al Qaeda leader was still at large and a threat.
    "We will certainly know by Tuesday night sometime," Kerry adviser Mike McCurry said.
    Kerry pledged to use all his leadership skills "and that is, believe me, more than we have today" to fight "a smarter, more effective, tougher, more strategic war on terror."
    In a pitch to women voters and independents, Kerry painted an emotional picture of a spouse at a polling booth on Tuesday wondering how long a loved one would have to stay in Iraq and children wondering "daddy, mommy when are you coming home, are you coming home?"
    "And they're going to wonder whether or not we can afford four more years of a president who is unwilling to admit any mistake at all that he has made and says that he would do it all over again exactly the way that he has done it now."
    Kerry promised a new start in Iraq and said he would bring more allies in to help with security and reconstruction. But countries like France and Germany that opposed the war have given no indication of any new willingness to help even if the Democrat is elected.
    Campaigning in the critical battleground state of Wisconsin where more than 67,000 jobs have been lost since Bush took office, Kerry also blasted the president's economic record and rebuked him for favoring the powerful over the middle class. (Showdown state Wisconsin)




     
    MARIETTA, Ohio (AP) --
    Sen. John Edwards wants to be the voice inside voters' heads as they cast their ballots Tuesday.
    The Democratic vice presidential candidate implores people to picture themselves in voting booths asking themselves questions about President Bush's record. Then, Edwards crystalizes what he says is the choice voters face: "Four more years of the same. Or a fresh start for America."
    The approach, part of a repackaged speech, is similar to one the first-term senator sometimes used in North Carolina courtrooms when he was a trial lawyer. (Special Report: America Votes 2004)
    The gifted orator, for example, won a multimillion-dollar verdict after asking jurors to put themselves in the shoes of a child who would face challenges throughout her life because of injuries caused by a negligent company.
    On the campaign trail, the Democrat has tried to make policy personal by showing voters how the decisions made in Washington affect their daily lives, rather than packing his speeches with statistics and Senate-speak.
    That's more the approach of Sen. John Kerry. However, the top of the Democratic ticket did borrow the new voting spiel from his running mate this week after Edwards debuted it Tuesday in Reading, Pennsylvania.
    Edwards was a bit shaky as he read the retooled remarks from a podium for the first time. But by Saturday, the riff rolled off of his tongue before a crowd in front of a red-brick National Guard armory in this southeast Ohio river town.
    In three days, Edwards said, "you're going to pull that curtain back. You're going to walk in. You're going to look down at the ballot and on one side of the ballot will be George Bush and Dick Cheney. Four more years of the same. But on the other side will be John Kerry and John Edwards. A fresh start for America."
    Then, Edwards painted a scenario.
    "I want you to assume for just a minute that you go in the morning to vote. And you know, you just dropped your kids off at school and you're late for work and your car's about to run out of gas," he said. "And you walk in, and you're in a hurry. And you want to vote but you want to make the right choice. So you ask yourself: over the course of the last four years, has my price at the pump gone up?"
    "Yes!" answered the crowd in unison.
    "Has the cost of college gone up?" he asked.
    "Yes!" came the response.
    "Is George Bush ever going to do anything about this?"
    "No!"
    "Do I want four more years of the same?"
    "No!"
    "Or do I want a fresh start for America with President John Kerry in the White House?" Edwards yelled as his audience shrieked in agreement.
    In the same fashion, he then asked those in the crowd to picture themselves voting on their lunch break after picking up a prescription slip from their doctor and thinking about the rising cost of medicine and health insurance premiums under Bush.
    A final scenario had Edwards telling his audience to assume they were voting in the evening upon contemplating Bush's record on Iraq just after reading an e-mail from a friend serving in the war.
    His new pitch finished, Edwards ended with the one question he clearly wants to linger in voters' minds: "Do you want a fresh start for America with President John Kerry in the White House?"




     
    We are on track for historic turnout in this election. America is coming out in record numbers for John Kerry.
    And that has the Republicans scared. They have no plan, no hope, no way to win this election except to stop people from voting. Their strategy is simple:

    1: Discourage Democratic voters from going to the polls by filling the airwaves with predictions of doom and gloom.
    2: Delay voting and create lines at polls by challenging voters and election officials.
    3: Deny voters the opportunity to cast their votes and have them counted.

    But their strategy won't work. We will stop their attempts to deny our rights by using the best weapons in our arsenal: information and education.
    It's vital that you know your voting rights. Take a minute today to make sure that others know their rights, too. Download our guide to voting rights:
    http://www.democrats.org/votingrights/
    Make sure to print out multiple copies and help us spread the word by distributing them as widely as you can.
    For information about finding your polling place, use our polling place locator at Democrats.org:
    http://www.democrats.org/
    Remember: Voting is your right, and you are protected under the law. Exercise your right by voting for John Kerry, John Edwards, and all our Democratic candidates on November 2!



    Thursday, October 28, 2004


     

    Posted by Hello




     
    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) --
    One voter picks up letters at the post office because trucks kept hitting his mailbox. Another serves in Iraq. Hundreds more are homeless, listing shelters as permanent addresses.
    All are among the 35,000 whose eligibility has been challenged by the Ohio Republican Party.

    Because mail came back undelivered, the GOP says, those registrations could be fraudulent. Democrats say the GOP is trying to keep poor and minorities, who move more often, from voting.
    A federal judge put a temporarily halt to the challenges Wednesday, ruling in favor of Democrats who said the GOP was targeting new voters registered by political groups supporting Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic challenger to President Bush. U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott ruled that six county elections boards should stop hearings scheduled this week in Ohio, a hotly contested state in the presidential election. (Showdown states: Ohio)
    In southwest Ohio, Republicans challenged the registration of Surjo Panerjee, a fact his brother found unusual. Panerjee, 40, is an Army sergeant who is now in Falluja in Iraq.
    Panerjee, also a veteran of the first Gulf War, uses his brother's house in Centerville as a permanent address even though he has lived around the world, said his brother, Dr. Partha Banerjee.
    "He would laugh it off," Banerjee said. "He would say, 'I never get picked for anything nice -- why can't they give me a car or something?"'
    Republicans withdrew all 2,319 challenges in Montgomery County, including the one against Panerjee, after acknowledging several mistakes in its mailing. (Wild card: Who will vote?)
    In suburban Franklin County, the registration of Raven Shaffer was wrongly challenged because he gets mail at a post office box, according to the federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by Democrats. The "family's mailbox has been repeatedly hit by delivery trucks," the lawsuit said.
    Also in Franklin County, 291 homeless people are being questioned out of the 2,370 total challenges, according to an analysis of the challenges by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. In Cuyahoga County, 757 people of the 17,717 total being challenged are homeless. ( Poll: Americans skeptical about election)
    "We're very concerned that people that have chosen to participate in our democratic process, who took a big step in registering to vote and who were poised to go to the polls on November 2, are going to be disenfranchised, and we may never get them back," said Bill Faith, the coalition's executive director. (Special Report: America Votes 2004, showdown states)
    Mary Sullivan, 57, looked for work for a year after losing her job as a receptionist and prescription filler for a local drug maker in August 2003. She was evicted from her apartment after her money ran out this past June and spent two months at Friends of the Homeless, a shelter on Columbus' east side.
    "My vote has to be counted," Sullivan said. "Just because you're homeless doesn't mean you're stupid."
    Sullivan got a job caring for a 77-year-old widow at her suburban Columbus home in August. She had no idea her registration had been challenged.
    "I've been voting for presidents since I was old enough to vote," said Sullivan, a Kerry supporter. "Now they're taking away my constitutional right."
    It isn't just Kerry supporters who've had their registrations challenged. Roy Bottiggi, a 31-year-old registered Republican who plans to vote for President Bush, was confused when he got a call about a challenge to his registration. He has been a registered voter for 13 years, has lived in the same house for five years and voted in every election, general and primary, during that time.
    "I was a little bothered by it," Bottiggi, a resident of Willoughby in northeast Ohio, said Wednesday. "I never really had a problem until now."
    The Republican party withdrew its challenge after the Lake County Board of Elections documented his registration.
    Dlott, appointed by former President Clinton in 1995, said her temporary order would remain in effect until further rulings in the case. She scheduled a hearing in her Cincinnati court for Friday morning.




     
    An E-Mail That Is A Must Read:
    As the image below shows, you never know what you'll capture when you turn on a camera. We acquired this video of then Governor Bush yesterday and released it on the internet to promote our new initiative -- the Video Vote Vigil.
    As reports of organized voter intimidation and suppression efforts continue to surface, we must be prepared to shine a spotlight on the enemies of democracy. Together, we will send a message to would-be intimidators that they can’t hide from the eyes of the world. We want to make sure everyone who possesses the will to vote, does vote. If you'd like to help please go to http://www.vidvote.org/
    Please contribute what you can to cover our expenses, and sign up to join our army of volunteers who will spread out among the nation's polling places and record instances of voter intimidation and harassment. We will be asking for videotape, digitial photographs, even cell phone photographs of voter abuse. PLEASE NOTE: We are not asking people to videotape inside polling places, but rather in the streets outside the polls where most intimidation occurs. In most jurisdictions cameras are not allowed inside the polls.
    Forward this email to your friends and contacts. We need thousands of volunteers.
    When we revealed the videotape of President Bush shooting the finger, we couldn't help but notice that the image is much more powerful than a verbal description of his obscene gesture. Our efforts to document to abuse of voters this election will cast the perps in just such an unforgiving light.
    Distributing videotape and photographs of the abusers to the world will discourage and deter other would-be harassers from following through on their plans to keep millions of Americans away from the polls.
    Bush's "one-finger victory salute" attracted hundreds of thousand of visitors to our site. Now we need to turn our successful launch into election-day action. Please forward this email to others, contribute to the effort, and sign up as a vigilant protector of democracy.
    We don't want to do anything to disrupt the process or interfere with election officials in the performance of their official duties. But we can capture the harassers in the streets. Some will dress up in law-enforcement garb. In some places real law enforcement personnel will join the effort as they did in Florida in 2000 when many African-American voters spoke of being stopped at roadblocks and drivers license checks on their way to the polls.
    When the harassment does take place inside the polling place, victims can be interviewed outside. Testimonials will provide real-time, human stories about the attacks on democracy.
    We will try to focus the effort in important battleground states: Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico et cetera. We would ask volunteers to check with local organization officials about those precincts or areas of a community most likely to be targeted for intimidation and harassment. Sadly, it is often minority communities who are victimized by the harassment and intimidation.
    We will make it easy for volunteers to send us their pictures and videotapes. A simple online form will let us know where the abuse has happened and who uncovered and reported it.
    This is an unprecedented effort to protect our democracy. Join with us now.
    thank you,Glenn Smith




     
    Bush and Cheney are having many problems right now and we need to be talking about them as much as possible!
    Below are three transcripts with excellent credible information about Bush and Cheney and their big problems. The first transcript below is David Gergen and Wolf Blitzer talking about how Bush openly defied the Republican platform on supporting civil unions and then goes into more of Bush's big problems.Please show this to religious right leaning people who plan on voting for Bush on the only issues of abortion and gay rights. That should be a huge turn off to them and should cost Bush some of their votes! Please also tell them that Bush will NOT totally ban abortion like they think he will because he is quoted on record as saying on 10/28/03:http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20031028131409990025&_mpc=news%2e10%2e2 Bush Says U.S. Not Ready for Total Abortion Ban"Yes, I'll sign the ban on partial birth abortion," Bush said at a White House news conference. "And no, I don't think the culture has changed to the extent that the American people or the Congress would totally ban abortions."The transcript below that is about Cheney where Aaron Brown comments on him recently saying about his saying that "Iraq has been a remarkable success." Brown comments on that by respectfully saying that "There is real concern the Iraqi security forces are heavily infiltrated. More American troops are going to be sent in the weeks ahead. Someday we may get to remarkable success and given the cost in lives, Iraqi and American, we can only hope we do but with all due respect to the vice president we aren't even close to remarkable success yet."Below that is the transcript of a CNN interview with Senators Saxby Chambliss and Joe Biden on the missing weapons in Iraq issue that is dominating the news right now but is not really hurting Bush like it should be. Chambliss just gives lame excuses in his part of the interview while Biden gives substantive answers in his part!Please forward this documentation on to all people far and wide. These are very big problems for Bush and Cheney that are credibly documented and as many people as possible need to see this and be aware of this before election day!A vote for Bush is just a vote for more of the same of these problems!Mitch Dworkinhttp://www.johnkerry.com/index.html http://blog.johnkerry.com/rapidresponse/ John Kerry Rapid Response Center: Here is where you can see the truth about John Kerry and the issues through the Bush campaign's distortions!http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/ Official Kerry campaign press releases on the issues so that we can define what John Kerry is really for and to clear up the distortions of John Kerry from the Bush campaign, their surrogates, and the RNC!http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/cat_what_would_bush_learn.htmlWhat Would Bush Learn If He Read the Paper Today?This link contains excellent documentation of Bush's lousy record! --------------------http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/26/wbr.01.html Open up this link for the full transcript of this program!CNN WOLF BLITZER REPORTSAired October 26, 2004 - 17:00 ETBLITZER: Splitting from his party. On a highly sensitive issue, President Bush makes some surprising remarks on the issue of same sex civil unions. We'll have details. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)BLITZER: A surprise split between President Bush and his own party. In an interview earlier with ABC News, the president, who wants a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage said he isn't opposed to same sex civil unions. That's in direct conflict with the Republican party platform, which opposes any legal recognition or benefits for same-sex couples. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)BUSH: I don't think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's what a state chooses to do so. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Republican platform opposes it. BUSH: Well, I don't. I view the definition of marriage different from legal arrangements that enable people to have rights. I strongly believe that marriage ought to be defined as between -- a union between a man and a woman. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, the Republican platform on that, as far as you're concerned on that point is wrong? BUSH: Right. (END VIDEOTAPE)BLITZER: Let's talk a little bit about that and other subjects with David Gergen. He's a former adviser to presidents Nixon, Reagan, Ford, and Clinton. He is currently editor-at-large for "U.S. News & World Report." He's joining us now live from Boston. He also teaches at Harvard. He's a very busy guy. David, thanks very much for joining us. What do you make of the president going against his own party platform on this issue of same-sex civil unions? DAVID GERGEN, "U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT": Well, I have to say, it's very surprising. It seems to come from a genuine place and a place of caring. So, it's authentic on his part, but just a week before the election when the Republicans are trying very hard to get all the evangelicals out to vote and people who oppose this and of course the president has been doing better among black conservatives partly over this issue. It's a surprise to see him now state a week before the election a view that's in contradiction to his own platform. BLITZER: Let's talk about some other issues out there. The former president of the United States, the man you once worked for, Bill Clinton, stomping now for John Kerry. Is it going to help or hurt? GERGEN: I don't think there's any question it's going to help this time around. If Al Gore had wrapped himself around Clinton, I think he might be president today. The huge crowd that came out in Philadelphia yesterday I think is going to have an impact in the Pennsylvania race, which of course is one of the critical battlegrounds. And now for the president to go into a few things -- it's odd, isn't it, that if Clinton (UNINTELLIGIBLE) something for him, you know, all fall, I think he would have less impact in coming out in this way. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) when people feel in such a nostalgic mood about him, to come out in this way almost as a rock star, I think helps John Kerry. And what it's adding up to, Wolf, from the president's point of view, the president maintains a continuing lead in the national polls, but the lead is narrowing some and Kerry is gaining momentum this week, not only from the Clinton visit, but from the news itself. The events have taken a bad turn for the president this week. BLITZER: Well, some of those events like those missing explosives certainly, are bad news. But there's other events. Ayad Allawi today saying U.S.-led negligence resulted in that massacre of Iraqi troops, 50 of them or so over the weekend. There are series of bad news events for the president.GERGEN: Mr. Allawi did his friend, George Bush, no favors today by talking about gross negligence on part of the coalition forces, which are, of course, led by United States forces. It seems to me, he could have curbed those comments and helped his friend Mr. Bush. But that kind of comment coming 24 hours after there's a whole allegation of negligence on the part of the U.S. coalition provisional authority with regard to the 360 tons of explosives, those two things coming together and then you have on top of that today the story that leaks out that the administration wants at least $70 to $75 billion in additional spending next year in Iraq and Afghanistan, partly because of this insurgency and rising oil prices, that combination, Wolf, is exactly what a challenger like John Kerry needs to pump momentum into his campaign. On top of that, today, to have new consumer confidence numbers coming out, third month in a row in which they're down. They're down to a seven-month low altogether. That is providing as I say the ammunition that a challenger like John Kerry needs. The president needs to find a way to produce some fresh news of his own to change this momentum, because this race is tightening on him in ways that must be extremely uncomfortable and is very encouraging for the Kerry forces. BLITZER: David Gergen as usual, thanks very much for joining us. GERGEN: Thank you, Wolf. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/26/asb.01.html Open up this link for the full transcript of this program! CNN NEWSNIGHT AARON BROWNMissing Explosives Controversy ContinuesAired October 26, 2004 - 22:00 ETAARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening again everyone.In case you missed it yesterday the vice president, while on the campaign, asserted that Iraq has been a remarkable success. Now, in fairness to the vice president, he did acknowledge that things aren't easy right now and won't be but then he added that overall it's been a remarkable success.Even given the hyperbole that is inherent in a political campaign, remarkable success seems a bit over the top to me. The insurgency is growing not shrinking according to the Pentagon. Attacks on Americans and Iraqis have become so routine most don't even get reported anymore.There is real concern the Iraqi security forces are heavily infiltrated. More American troops are going to be sent in the weeks ahead. Someday we may get to remarkable success and given the cost in lives, Iraqi and American, we can only hope we do but with all due respect to the vice president we aren't even close to remarkable success yet.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/27/ltm.01.html Open up this link for the full transcript of this program! AMERICAN MORNINGAired October 27, 2004 - 07:00 ETO'BRIEN: Nearly 400 tons of missing explosives in Iraq has given Senator Kerry some powerful ammunition in the campaign's final days. Joining us to talk about it this morning is Georgia's Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss. He's in Moultrie, Georgia. And I asked him why the president had not made any statements on this particular issue. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS (R), GEORGIA: Well, the fact of the matter, Soledad, is this is a non-story. I mean, we have members of the press who happen to be embedded with 101st Airborne when they went into this area of Iraq on the 10th of April, 2003, and both NBC and Fox are both reporting that these weapons were not seen by them. So you know, this is a situation where John Kerry is once again taken the facts and tried to twist them, and politicize an issue that simply is a nonissue, and that's why the president is not -- doesn't see any reason to respond to questions on this. O'BRIEN: But the commander of the 101st Airborne actually said that his mission was not securing any explosives. So they didn't do the kind of detailed search that might be required to confirm or deny that there are any explosives there. He says that it wasn't their goal in the first place. So don't those reports lack a little heft.CHAMBLISS: Well, that's right. But the fact of the matter is that he did find and the news report confirms the fact there were an extensive amount of weapons there, artillery shells and other items that they did find, but there was absolutely no evidence or no indication that RMX, HDX or PETN, which are the 380 tons of explosives that are now claimed to have been looted or stolen, were there. So there is no story here because there was no indication they were there, and when they went missing, we don't know. O'BRIEN: Senator, Dick Cheney has said this. I want to play a small clip of what he said in Pensacola, Florida. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It is not at all clear that those explosives were even at the weapons facility when our troops arrived in the area of Baghdad. John Kerry doesn't mention that, nor does he mention the 400,000 tons of weapons and explosives that are troops have captured and are destroying. (END VIDEO CLIP)O'BRIEN: Let's grant that 400,000 tons of weapons and explosives is a really large number. But at the same time, the IAEA is calling this one site that was not secured one of the most important sites in and around Baghdad. So isn't the vice president kind of missing the point here? CHAMBLISS: No. What the vice president saying is that John Kerry is totally politicizing an issue where he is misconstruing the facts. You know, he fails to mention the fact that we did secure 400,000 tons of weapons similar to this. And we have destroyed those weapons. We removed the ability from Saddam Hussein to utilize those weapons to kill and harm Americans. Now John Kerry is taking a myth, the supposed looting or stealing of 380 tons of weapons, and even his own people, like Richard Holbrooke, say we have no idea whether those weapons were there or how they went missing, and he's trying to twist that and turn that to use it to his political advantage, and I think the vice president's exactly right in what he says. O'BRIEN: But isn't it concerning the idea that you have no idea, or the administration has no idea where those weapons are and when they went missing, when again, the IAEA says this is one of the most important and critical sites in Iraq? CHAMBLISS: Soledad, let me tell you what is concerning about this to me. Two points, you have the Democrats, John Kerry in particular, coming out now and talking about these weapons going missing. At the same time, John Kerry is an individual who has been so critical of this administration for saying that you went into Iraq knowing that there were no weapons of mass destruction. You cannot have it both ways. Secondly, we simply don't know when these weapons went missing. And they were under the control of the IAEA, which is an arm of the United Nations, the same organization that has carried out corrupt practices with respect to the oil-and-food program, and they are coming under fire for that. Is this a deflection away by the United Nations from that issue? Who knows, but it certainly was not a professional -- not very professional conduct on the part of the IAEA the way they have handled this. O'BRIEN: Do you find the timing suspicious. Several weeks this has been known about, but of course it's only becoming public days before the election? CHAMBLISS: Well, it's pretty interesting the story broke in "The New York Times," which is so pro-John Kerry it's unbelievable. And that also the "Times" broke it in advance of "60 Minutes," which we know is pretty incredible right now with respect to the reporting that they do, and they intended to air this on Sunday night before the election on Tuesday. So I don't think there's any question about what politics is involved here. And that's why it's so unfortunate that facts which are just simply wrong are being used to politicize this issue by folks like John Kerry. O'BRIEN: Senator, Saxby Chambliss joining us this morning. Nice to see you, sir. Thanks for your time.CHAMBLISS: Good to see you. Congratulations on your children. (END VIDEOTAPE)O'BRIEN: Thank you to the senator for that. Let's turn to the Democrats now. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is in Wilmington this morning. Let's get right to the statement that Senator Kerry released on Monday. And he basically said, after being warned about the danger of major stockpiles, the administration failed to guard those stockpiles, where these 380 tons of explosives were kept. It's unclear, isn't it, actually who failed to guard them. It's unclear if even U.S. troops were in Iraq when these explosives went missing. Isn't the senator wrong on this? SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: No, let's talk about the facts. I wish we were discussing this the day after this election, because it's so politicized, as has been stated here. The facts are that the International Atomic International Atomic Energy Commission and Mr. El Baradei on the -- in late 2002 and 2003 warned the United States and reported to the security council the existence of these weapons. They actually put them under seal. They actually put a seal on the door. No. 2, on July 9, 2003, there's explicit warning to the United States, if you go in these facilities there, it has this HMX and RDX. No. 3, on May of 2004, in a report from the international community that we -- to us, it said that we, quote, may be helping -- the terrorists, quote, may be helping themselves to the greatest explosive bonanza in history. Now, whose fault is this? I don't care whose fault it is. It's not the fault of our military troops. The commander who was on site who was in -- quoted today in the newspaper, said they never went in. They stop there. They never broke the seal. They did not know what was in there. And you know why they didn't? Not because of irresponsible, but because they had to move on to Baghdad, because they had too few troops. O'BRIEN: Forgive me for interrupting you, but you say you don't care whose fault it is, but actually John Kerry is very clearly pointing his finger at the administration. BIDEN: It is obviously the president's fault. There isn't any question. Look, the fact is -- let me read you what General Abizaid said just a year ago when he came into the United States Senate, he said, quote -- "There is more ammunition in Iraq than any place I've ever seen in my life, and it's not securable. I wish I could tell you we had it under control, but we don't." He went on to say, "There is certainly not enough forces anywhere to guard the ammunition in Iraq." O'BRIEN: But people would argue the IAEA, as you just pointed out, put a seal on these explosives. BIDEN: Right. O'BRIEN: Why seal them when you could destroy them? BIDEN: Oh, come on. Give me a break. Look, this is not the responsibility of the IAEA to destroy the weapons. They were in there as inspectors under a U.N. mandate. They went around looking for weapons of mass destruction. They said, look, this is what they have in this spot right here. We then said, you better get out of there, we're going to war. They got out of there. We went to war. We went to war. We're able to secure the oil fields, the oil ministry, we sent in commandos early for that reason. We sent in commandos for other places we thought were secure. The irony here is we went to stop weapons of mass destruction, and we probably proliferated more weapons of conventional capability than any time in history. It's not the fault of our military. Our military asked for 380,000 forces to go into Iraq. The secretary of defense said we only need 40. They settled on 250. And we ended up only being able to send 150. Now, that's not our military's fault. The fact is...O'BRIEN: Senator Chambliss would say, you know what, in all of this, the timing is very suspicious, just coming days before the election.BIDEN: John Kerry didn't know about this until it was reported in the press. Look, I was on CNN about a year and a half -- a year ago last August. I came back with two of my colleagues from being on site, two Republican colleagues, in Baghdad. We were paying $500 to anyone who would bring in a shoulder-held rocket launcher. I was told by one young captain of a guy coming up to him, paid him $500 for one rocket launcher, and the young guy said to him, can I bring in anymore. He said, yes, you can bring in as many as you want. He brought in a pickup truck full of these rocket launchers. General Abizaid testified in September of last year, the commander of all our forces there, that there are 650,000 tons, and I don't have enough troops to guard them. John McCain and Joe Biden said, send more troops, we need more troops. John Kerry said we need more troops to secure this. None of that was done because of the ideology of the Defense Department saying we don't need these troops. Look, no matter whether it's HMX, RDX, shoulder-held rocket launchers, there are still stockpiles we haven't been able to guard. There are the facts.O'BRIEN: Senator Biden, we are out of time. Thank you for joining us this morning. Nice to see you.BIDEN: Thank you. Thank you.Quick break. We're back in a moment.




     

    MC NEIL HOUSE APARTMENTS@ 6280 MC NEIL DRIVE IN AUSTIN TEXAS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH BLACK MOLD. THEY EVEN HAVE PAID TENANTS TO LEAVE AND STAY QUIET ABOUT THE MOLD PROBLEMS IN MANY APARTMENTS THERE. TWO OF NOTE ARE #611 AND #1007 Posted by Hello




     
    (AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, VOICE OF THE AUSTIN MAJORITY IS REPUBLISHING THE INFORMATION BELOW- THIS DECISION WAS MADE AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT BOTH APARTMENTS 611 AND 1007 AT MC NEIL HOUSE APARTMENTS ARE AGAIN BEING RENTED OUT! TOXIC MOLDS EXSIST AT MC NEIL HOUSE APARTMENTS!)
    The truth of what is going on at Mc Neil House Apartments, in Austin Texas.
    The management would have you believe:"THE BLACK MILDEW YOU SEE IS NOT MOLD"
    BUT WHAT THEY CALL MILDEW CAN BE DEADLY
    6280 Mc Neil Drive, Austin Texas 78729
    Many forms of hazardous mold exsist within it's dwellings.DO NOT SUBJECT YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY TO THIS!
    Mc Neil House Apartment Homes 6280 Mc Neil Drive Austin, Tx. 78729
    1-512-331-6100
    Apt. Manager: Dawn Aiello Co-Manager: Steve Terry Maintenance Lead: Ruben Maintenance: Gonzalo BLACK MOLD! TOXIC AND ALLERGENS IN MASS AMOUNTS! ATTEMPTED "REMEDY" BY STAFF= WHITE SPRAY PAINTFriday, February 27, 2004MC NEIL HOUSE DOES NOT VALUE IT'S TENANTS. THE MANAGER, UPON BEING TOLD NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT A MOLD PROBLEM, ONCE LEFT A NOTE ON THE DOOR STATING "MOLD HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. :) HAVE A NICE DAY!!!"- DAWN AIELLODAWN HAS ALSO MADE STATEMENTS SUCH AS "THE BLACK MILDEW YOU SEE IS NOT MOLD"BUT, BE INFORMED THAT DAWN AIELLO HAS NO DEGREE IN BIOLOGY AND IS NOT A CERTIFIED MOLD EXPERT.A CERTIFIED MOLD EXPERT CAME TO OUR APARTMENT AND NOTED SERIOUS MOLD INFESTATIONS.KEEP IN MIND THAT, MOLD SENDS OUT SPORES WHICH GET IN ALL OF YOUR PILLOWS, CLOTHES, CURTAINS, ETC..., AND WHEN YOU MOVE YOU TAKE IT WITH YOU.AND GUESS HOW MUCH WE PAY TO LIVE WITH MOLD AND BE TREATED LIKE TRASH? THE LIST PRICE ON OUR APARTMENT IS $1,269.00 MONTHLY.THE MANAGEMENT MAY GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A "RENT DEAL" AND GET YOU TO MOVE IN FOR LESS, HOWEVER, WHAT THEY DO NOT INFORM YOU OF IS ALL THE EXTRA EXPENSES, ELECTRIC BILLS FOR US RAN CLOSE TO $400.00 A MONTH, ONLY TO REALIZE THAT THE APT. WAS NOT VERY WELL WEATHER PROOFED OR INSULATED. YES, WE COMPLAINED, AND THE MANAGEMENT SENT MAINT. OUT. THEY APPLIED DUCT TAPE ON A CORNER OF A DOOR AND CONSIDERED IT COMPLETED.WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS? Posted by: Joshua / 4:00 PMQ. If mold is present in the walls of home when it is being built will the mold go away after the walls are sealed up as long as no water enters that wall area?1. A. No, mold does not "go away" after walls of a new home are sealed. If mold spores and mold growth are denied access to current moisture, they will simply go dormant, waiting for future water from high humidity [above 60%] or future roof leaks, plumbing leaks, etc. Even the smell of dormant mold can make some people sick. Mold needs to be removed from all new home timbers and building materials, and then the mold decontaminated area needs to be sprayed with two wet spray coatings of Coverage Plus mold fungicide and Tim-bor antimicrobial coating. 1. Exposure to mold is not healthy for anyone but the following individuals are at a higher risk for adverse heath effects: infants, children, elderly, immune compromised patients, pregnant women, and individuals with existing respiratory conditions. When inhaled, even in small amounts, mold can cause a wide range of health problems including respiratory problems (wheezing), nasal and sinus congestion, watery and red eyes, nose and throat irritation, skin irritation, aches and pains, fevers, and in some cases even death.A person who ingests or inhales a large number of spores may suffer adverse health effects.1. What health effects can be caused by exposure to mold?Exposure to any mold could cause health effects (e.g., allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itching, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache and fatigue) under the right conditions. Similarly, the same amount of mold may cause health effects in one person, but not in another, because some people are more sensitive to molds than others. These include:infants and children elderly persons immune compromised patients (i.e., people with HIV infection, cancer, liver disease, etc., or who are under-going chemotherapy) individuals with existing respiratory conditions, such as allergies and asthma. Should I be concerned about mold in my home?When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections and other respiratory problems for people. Exposure to high spore levels can cause the development of an allergy to the mold. Mold also can cause structural damage to your home.Can my home be tested for mold?1. Testing for molds is very difficult and expensive. Homeowners must hire a contractor to test their homes. Even if testing is done, no standards exist to judge what are acceptable amounts of mold. Testing cannot determine whether health effects will occur. Mold is normally found outdoors and counts fluctuate from day to day depending on the season. Due to the uncertainties associated with testing for molds, it is not recommended in most cases. If you can see or smell mold, testing is usually not necessary. It needs to be cleaned up.Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing.Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. .Not everyone has the same sensitivity to mold so it is possible for one person to experience discomfort while others living in the home to have no symptoms whatsoever. Individuals at the greatest risk include: Allergy and asthma sufferers. People with respiratory disease. People with compromised immune systems. Contact lens wearers. If mold in your home is the source of these issues, you will find that your health improves if you are away from your home for an extended period of time. Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing. Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. Why are we concerned about mold? Small amounts of mold growth in workplaces or homes (such as mildew on a shower curtain) or workplaces are not a major concern, but no mold should be permitted to grow and multiply indoors. When molds are present in large quantities, they may cause nuisance odors and health problems for some people. Mold can damage building materials, finishes and home furnishings. Some molds can cause structural damage to wood.How do molds affect people? Most people will have no reaction at all when exposed to molds. Allergic reactions, similar to common pollen or animal allergies, are the most common health effects for individuals sensitive to molds. Flu-like symptoms and skin rash may occur. Molds may also aggravate asthma. Fungal infections from building-associated molds may occur in people with serious immune disease but this is very rare. Who is affected by exposure to mold? For those who are affected by mold exposure, there can be a wide variation in how they react. People who may be affected more severely and quickly than others include:infants and children elderly people pregnant women individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies and asthma persons with weakened immune systems (for example, people with HIV infection, chemotherapy patients, or organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, autoimmune diseases.) Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.1. The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.NOTE: There are laws against endangerment of your health. The more people that know about the problem, the less likely the owner/manager is to continue endangering your health or to take illegal actions against you.Going to court is likely to take too long to keep you from further health problems, such as acquiring a life-long lung disease due to the mold. There are currently no legal limits on the amounts or types of mold in occupied buildings.1. If the owner/manager fails to quickly eliminate the mold problem, then you should do the following before the apartment owner/manager has a chance to cover-up the mold:Some molds that propagate indoors may, under some conditions, produce mycotoxins that can adversely affect living cells and organisms by a variety of mechanisms. Adverse effects of molds and mycotoxins have been recognized for centuries following ingestion of contaminated foods. Occupational diseases are also recognized in association with inhalation exposure to fungi, bacteria, and other organic matter, usually in industrial or agricultural settings. Molds growing indoors are believed by some to cause building-related symptoms. Despite a voluminous literature on the subject, the causal association remains weak and unproven, particularly with respect to causation by mycotoxins. One mold in particular, Stachybotrys chartarum, is blamed for a diverse array of maladies when it is found indoors. Despite its well-known ability to produce mycotoxins under appropriate growth conditions, years of intensive study have failed to establish exposure to S. chartarum in home, school, or office environments as a cause of adverse human health effects. Levels of exposure in the indoor environment, dose-response data in animals, and dose-rate considerations suggest that delivery by the inhalation route of a toxic dose of mycotoxins in the indoor environment is highly unlikely at best, even for the hypothetically most vulnerable subpopulations. Normal building materials and furnishings provide ample nutrition for many species of molds, but they can grow and amplify indoors only when there is an adequate supply of moisture. Where mold grows indoors there is an inappropriate source of water that must be corrected before remediation of the mold colonization can succeed. Mold growth in the home, school, or office environment should not be tolerated because mold physically destroys the building materials on which it grows, mold growth is unsightly and may produce offensive odors, and mold is likely to sensitize and produce allergic responses in allergic individuals.Molds and other fungi may adversely affect human health through three processes: 1) allergy; 2) infection; and 3) toxicity. One can estimate that about 10% of the population has allergic antibodies to fungal antigens. Only half of these, or 5%, would be expected to show clinical illness. Furthermore, outdoor molds are generally more abundant and important in airway allergic disease than indoor molds — leaving the latter with an important, but minor overall role in allergic airway disease. Allergic responses are most commonly experienced as allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis ("hay fever"). A rare, but much more serious immune-related condition, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), may follow exposure (usually occupational) to very high concentrations of fungal (and other microbial) proteins. Some molds have been known to produce toxins that are harmful to animals and humans when ingested, inhaled or in contact with the skin. The molds that produce toxins are known as toxigenic molds. The earliest known toxigenic molds, primarily Claviceps purpurea, produce the substance ergot. The ergot molds infect rye, grains and other grasses. Ingestion of ergot contaminated rye or other cereals causes ergotism. There are two types of ergotism recognized clinically: gangrenous and convulsive. Gangrenous ergotism affects the extremities as well as causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Convulsive ergotism affects the nerve system causing brain and spinal lesions which can lead to death or permanent mental impairment.Many molds in addition to ergot molds produce secondary toxic metabolites, such as alkaloids, cyclopeptides, and coumarins. Metabolites that can produce adverse health effects (mycotoxicoses) in animals and humans are collectively known as mycotoxins. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) publication on mycotoxins, available in 1990, indicated that there are more than 200 mycotoxins produced by a variety of common molds. Historically, mycotoxins are a problem to farmers and food industries and in Eastern European and third world countries. However, many toxigenic molds, such as Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra) and species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, have been found to infest buildings with known indoor air and building-related problems.In addition to mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds (moldy odors) released from actively growing molds may also pose a health risk.What are the health effects of mycotoxins?Mycotoxins may cause a variety of short-term as well as long-term adverse health effects. This ranges from immediate toxic response and immune-suppression to the potential long-term carcinogenic effect. Symptoms due to mycotoxins or toxins-containing airborne spores (particularly those of Stachybotrys chartarum) include dermatitis, recurring cold and flu-like symptoms, burning sore throat, headaches and excessive fatigue, diarrhea, and impaired or altered immune function. The ability of the body to fight off infectious diseases may be weakened resulting in opportunistic infections. Certain mycotoxins, such as zearalenone (F2 toxin), can cause infertility and stillbirths in pigs. Because these symptoms may also be caused by many other diseases, misdiagnoses of mycotoxin exposures are common. There are very few physicians with the experience or expertise in correctly diagnosing mycotoxin exposures or mycotoxicoses. Occupational or building-related exposures to mycotoxins through inhalation are slowly being recognized as a major indoor air quality problem. Generally, removal of causative agents is necessary. Treatment for symptomatic mycotoxicosis may be required. If exposure to molds and mycotoxins is suspected, consult an occupational health professional. Fungal growth in an indoor environment is often related to the availability of nutrient, water/moisture, proper temperature range and the presence of inoculum (often fungal spores). The key factor is water/moisture. Moisture control to reduce condensation and free water will prevent or control fungal growth.In an environment where water/moisture-related problems often lead to fungal growth, rapid response to the problem is the key solution. Mold-infested materials should be removed and replaced (see also below). Materials that can not be replaced should be decontaminated or treated. Consult an environmental microbiologist for such decontamination treatments. Proper project design and procedures are an important factor in a successful decontamination project. Biocidal application may be necessary under certain conditions. More importantly, before any decontamination is performed, water and excessive moisture must be controlled and eliminated.Most importantly, fungal infestation may be directly correlated with building operation and maintenance. Spores of Stachybotrys chartarum are wet and slimy. They do not easily become airborne. Their dissemination is likely through insects (such as cockroaches), rodents, water incursion or air stream. Without the assistance of insects, rodents and free running water, the likelihood of Stachybotrys chartarum spreading from one location to the other requires the disturbance of a dried slimy spore mass. Spores and hyphae of S. chartarum have been detected in air samples. Any detection of S. chartarum spores in indoor air should be considered significant.To prevent or eliminate fungal infestation in buildings, the following procedures should be observed:1. Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems must be properly filtered and maintained. 2. Water intrusion must be taken care of within 24 hours. Never overlook small leaks. Ignored small leaks are much more problematic than a properly handled major flood. For additional information on the proper handling of water intrusion, please see Enviros Vol. 3, No. 8 (August 1993); back issues are available. 3. Proper handling and storage of food to keep insects and rodents away from buildings. 4. In a warm, humid climate, a building engineer should be consulted to make sure that a moisture barrier is properly installed and that no condensation will occur. 5. Install dehumidifiers in areas where humidity is constantly high. Keep relative humidity between 20% and 50%. 6. If large areas of contamination are determined, asbestos-like remediation procedures are necessary. Consult an industrial hygienist with experience in asbestos remediation procedures, as well as in biohazard remediation. If a building is known to have extensive fungal growth, consult an industrial hygienist with training and experience in microbiological control. Human and environmental protection must be observed when removing and handling fungal contaminated materials.A case of attempted suicide with purified aflatoxin [B.sub.1] is reported to have occurred in 1966 in the USA. A young woman ingested a total of 5.5 mg of aflatoxin [B.sub.1] over 2 days and, 6 months later, a total of 35 mg over 2 weeks. Following the first exposure, she was admitted to hospital with a transient, nonpruritic, macular rash, nausea and headache; the second time she reported nausea only. Mold, in some of its myriad forms, has long been known to cause serious damage to some people's pulmonary systems. But over the last five years, for a mix of reasons, the literally creepy substance has also exerted increasing strains on the real estate industry, the insurance industry, the court system and architectural and construction practices.I've seen people become deathly ill," Mr. Krell said.Which hardly means that mold is harmless. "We know that there are a range of health effects related to mold exposure," said Dr. Maida P. Galvez"We know that families with strong histories of allergic diseases are more susceptible to these exposures," Dr. Galvez said, "that mold can exacerbate these conditions." At a minimum, mold can cause eye, ear, nose and throat irritation, as well as coughing and wheezing — sometimes severe and unrelenting.Still, mold can be deadly. Dr. Jordan Fink, a professor in the allergy and immunology division of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, said mold can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, resulting in progressive lung impairment. "There have been fatal cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis," he said, "because of the inflammation and scarring of pulmonary tissue." Mold thrives on moisture. And, as Mr. Garcia emphasized, remediation requires elimination of the source. "Whatever caused water damage must be fixed," he said. "Realistically, that should be done before the cleaning, because the mold will come back." Better yet, leaks should be eliminated before mold ever takes root.If mold does become visible — a big if, given that it also thrives in a building's dark recesses — a cleanup is in order.The Old Testament, while genteelly referring to mold as mildew, offers a harsh prescription. Speaking of "the priest," Leviticus 14, says: "If mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out." If mildew reappears, it says, "the house must be torn down."Mold releases microscopic fungal spores that, if inhaled, can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in sensitive people, Reynolds explains. It can also lead to sinus infections.Mold in the La Venezia ApartmentsLet me begin by introducing myself. My name is Gina Lewis and I moved into the apartments at La Venezia in November 2002. We moved out in April 2003. My husband, 3-year-old son and I were very impressed with the spacious apartment we moved into (Apartment 212). We wanted to make it homey and nice. We were welcomed with open arms and given a checklist. We were asked to write down any problems we thought there were with the apartment. We noticed a stain on the wall in our master bedroom and reported it to the maintenance person, Chris, (no longer with La Venezia). At first we thought we might have spilled coffee or tea on the wall and my husband painted over it. The stain reappeared after it had rained. We called maintenance again, but the problem was never fixed. At the time we rented the apartment, the complex was not owned by LaVenezia, L.L.C. It was operated and managed by Epoch Management.FEELING SICK around December 2002My son began getting cold symptoms. We started bringing him to the doctor and he was placed on antibiotic after antibiotic. He had diarrhea, green mucous discharge constantly running from his nose, temperatures, ear infections, etc. I remember one day driving in the car and he was on antibiotics and he tried to blow that discharge from his nose, but it would not come out. He said, “Mommy, look, I can breathe!” I thought, thank God. Hopefully this will be the last of it. However, it just kept continuing. We were constantly called to take my son out of daycare because of his high temperatures and vomiting. Let me state that his symptoms began well before he was placed in daycare. I was constantly out of work because of respiratory problems, bronchitis, ear infections, diarrhea, headaches, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, etc. Someone would ask me a question and a minute later I would forget the question or I would begin slurring my words. I was so forgetful. I never had any problems with asthma or my breathing before moving into La Venezia. We moved out of La Venezia in April, however I am still sick. I keep getting ear infections, my body constantly aches like the flu, I am exhausted all the time and I am going to be seen by a specialist shortly. The doctors are perplexed and my family is very worried about me. This has been a constant battle and I just want my health back so that I can enjoy time with my family. After work, I just go home and go to sleep. I sleep the weekends away and I am constantly taking Advil or placed on antibiotics. My husband was very ill while living at LaVenezia also. He also had breathing problems, diarrhea, headaches, etc.THE NEW OWNER AND HIS CONCERN FOR RESIDENTSIn January, I had spoken to David Taylor and he told me that he was not aware of the problems because he had just bought LaVenezia in January. He offered to move us into another apartment building after many letters and he was very cooperative when the health inspector came to point out the mold, the roof leaks, the cracks, poor paint jobs, window leaks, etc. He was somewhat apprehensive, but moved us into another building. We were also not obligated to the Lease Agreement from that day forward as I knew a little about Florida Law and the responsibility of the owner. Even though the health inspector showed him the problems and the mold in apartment 212, David Taylor would not admit to mold. He would only admit to water or plumbing problems. I find that quite peculiar, as water damage is the cause of mold.When Bob Kallotte (the health inspector) mentioned court to David Taylor and made a comment on David Taylor’s Rolex watch, David Taylor said that he wouldn’t be wearing that Rolex watch in court if he had to go. David Taylor also said to me that he had to worry about the buildings because of the next rainstorm. I find it strange that Florida has had an unusual amount of rain this season. Have you noticed any water intrusion in your apartment? The maintenance person, Ryan Berry came into our second apartment to look at the air conditioning unit and the window leaks we were complaining about. He said to my husband that he did not understand why we had window leaks as they had cleaned those windows up real good. Did you know that painting over mold or putting sealer over the mold only masks the problem? In fact, David Taylor sent us a letter from an “inspector”, Tony Posa. This “inspector” did inspections for hotels, yet we received an inspection from this man stating that there was no mold in our apartment. I thought it was a coincidence that the maintenance manager was hired by David Taylor and previously worked in the hotel industry. I found it interesting that we received a notice on our door from management saying they were doing air quality testing. What type of air quality testing? How thorough? How objective? Was it because they were looking out for our health or was it an attempt to make us believe that there were no mold problems with inadequate testing? Have you noticed the late night commercials regarding renting apartments at LaVenezia? They show the beautiful property, but they don’t show any remediation.DANGER - APARTMENT NUMBER TWO AND THE THREATS BEGINIt was not long before David Taylor and Beverly Crafts changed their attitude to nasty. I was approached by Beverly Crafts and David Taylor in a golf cart outside of my apartment (1875) before a gathering at the clubhouse. They were trying to intimidate me and I was in the car with my mother and son. David Taylor asked why I was still living there and why I was smoking if my mother had COPD. I responded by telling him that I was not smoking inside the car and I would not subject my mother and son to the smoke. Also take into consideration that when we did smoke, we went outside onto the lanai. We never smoked in the apartment. Of course he tried to blame our health issues on smoking.I found it ironic that he would bring this hypocrisy up in front of Beverly Crafts who does smoke. I also know the risks of smoking and health, but I have never heard that smoking contributes to memory loss, urinary tract infections and yeast infections. I chose to put a cigarette in my mouth and light it, however I did not choose to breathe in mold spores, I was forced without my knowledge. I also wonder how my son and mother (both nonsmokers) could develop breathing problems and a list of medical issues. Beverly Crafts called me crazy. At that time, I suggested to Mr. Taylor, if he wanted us to move he could waive our cost of rent and we would immediately move out. He did not respond well to that. In fact, he said, “It’s all about money with you isn’t it Gina?” I say to myself, all about money? Here we were paying for a hotel room, throwing away all of our belongings because of mold contamination, out of money, robbed of our health, out of health insurance, a child constantly having diarrhea and a green discharge from his nose, etc. and here is a man who has a wife and son highly allergic to mold.I wrote David Taylor a letter offering him and his family to live in Apartment 1825 while we were staying at the hotel. Of course he did not subject his family to the mold spores. I don’t think the man cared if we were homeless and sick or not. All he could think of was his business and his money. He then asked if my employer was aware that I was faxing letters to LaVenezia’s office. I explained that my employer’s assistant was well aware of what I had been doing. He also pointed out that he and his brother knew Larry Sewell (employer at the time) very well. I found it no coincidence that I lost my job soon after that.THE POLICE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR The same exact day following the golf cart incident, I was stopped by Beverly Crafts as I proceeded to go into the clubhouse to follow a neighbor (Pam Billichuk). She told me that I could not come in. I told her that I could and I did go into the clubhouse. The next thing I know, David Taylor pulls me to the side and tried to hint to me that he was my friend and that I should leave or Beverly would call the police. I gave him a wink and said sure you are my friend David. After all, who is in charge at LaVenezia, David Taylor or Beverly Crafts? I was peacefully handing out factual informational flyers and I believe that they did not want this information known to the other residents. I went back to my apartment to cook supper. Let me point out that we were paying rent at LaVenezia and paying for a hotel room at the same time because the apartment was uninhabitable. We could not cook dinner at the hotel so I proceeded to go to the Apartment 1825 and cook dinner when I heard a loud knock at my door. It was the police. They said they received a complaint that I was screaming across the clubhouse. Of course that was not true. I was told to remain silent and listen to what I could and could not do there. I patiently listened. I am legally allowed to send mail and also to stand outside of the clubhouse and hand out informational flyers to those who are willing to receive them. The second choice was not an option as I knew that David Taylor and Beverly Crafts would lie and call the police on me again. I thought this was funny…..after I received the riot act, one of the policemen asked me who he could call regarding mold in his home.MOM UNDERGOES UNNECESSARY SURGERYMy mother got very ill in Apartment 1825 after staying there for just a few hours. I had to fly to her home because the doctors could not understand what was wrong with her and thought she might be having heart trouble. She underwent a catheterization and the doctor did not find any blockage. Finally, she was placed on Prednisone an inhaler and an antibiotic. She was on her way to feeling better, but it was very stressful and scary.IF WE HAD ONLY KNOWN! In short, I am deeply disturbed that we rented from management and they were aware or shortly became very aware of mold issues. However, they continue to partially work on half of a building while the other half is still occupied. That is unheard of. There are dumpsters filled with wood and the smell of mold. There are apartments occupied that have not been remediated. People are getting sick and they don’t even know that it is caused by water intrusion leading to mold spores. Take a walk around your apartment complex and you will see for yourself. Doesn’t it seem strange to you that they are fixing the outside of the apartment buildings, but yet they are not tearing down the inside walls? We only saw the water damage in our apartment when management opened the wall and the ant infestation poured out. David Taylor had maintenance come in to work in apartment 212 while my husband was still moving. My husband had no idea the maintenance person was going to open the wall while he was in there. The man opened the wall and ants came pouring out onto the ceiling, the walls and the floors. My husband pulled out the video camera and taped it. That would explain the ant problem that we constantly had. Ants follow the water. Two movers from Two Men and a Truck were present that day and could not believe their eyes.MOVED OUT AND STILL FACING HEALTH ISSUESBeverly Crafts has called me crazy, she has also told me that I should move from Florida because there is mold everywhere, I have been threatened, I have lost jobs and my health. My husband has also lost his job. I have been harassed and threatened, however, I will continue with my freedom of speech and my purpose to make residents aware of this issue. I urge you to contact your Sarasota County Health Inspector, Bob Kallotte if you have been sick. The Sarasota County Health Department (Robert Kallotte) inspected our apartment at 212 in February 2003 and it is documented quite clearly that there was mold throughout the apartment due to water leaks. These records are public. Anyone can call and request any inspections done at LaVenezia. Don’t believe me. Make a call. See for yourself. WHY I CHOOSE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS The purpose of this letter is to create awareness in your LaVenezia apartment complex. Take a look around and see the cracks on the buildings, wood all over the place in dumpsters, etc. You will also see and smell mold. Now look to see if that building is unoccupied. The building should be empty while they are doing this work and the residents should be notified. Why? Simply because those microscopic mold spores cannot be seen with the naked eye. I do not want anyone else to experience this unhealthy exposure and the domino affect. However, I already know people who have lived there and have been sick. This issue has become so important to me that I am joining other groups to volunteer my time to set guidelines through the Environmental Protection Agency and legislature. Don’t kid yourself. This issue should be very important to the health insurance industry. After all, there are so many people who go to the doctor repeatedly because they are sick and they are initially told that they have a cold. Our tax dollars pay for this. The elderly are at stake and what about the out-of-pocket costs to pet owners? Please email if you wish to discuss this. My email address is….Ginalewis@hotmail.com. My telephone number is 918-9475. I can email you pictures and documentation or I can meet with you regarding this. You should be concerned for your health and your family’s health. You should also be concerned for your neighbor’s health.Sincerely, Gina LewisCc: David TaylorBeverly CraftsRobert KallotteMost people think that if they have mold, they must be a horrible housekeeper. Let me assure you that I have videos of my apartment and it was very clean. People are afraid to bring this issue up as they feel they may be accused of being a dirty person. Mold has nothing to do with housekeeping. Mold is caused by poor construction and water intrusion. Water that is dormant for 72 hours turns into dirty water causing mold. It is the mold spores that cause people to be ill. I have heard so many people defend themselves by stating they are clean people. Mold does not discriminate. Mold should not be growing in your apartment. 1. By Rachael Myer Arizona Daily Wildcat,February 14, 2000 Toxic mold from a former Christopher City resident's apartment probably caused stomach, intestinal and balance problems, a UA risk management official said Thursday. Kathy Skiles, who lived at the University of Arizona's family housing complex last semester, said she suffered health problems from her apartment that caused her to leave the UA in January. Julia Rosen, health and safety officer for Risk Management, is scheduled to finish a report this week about the mold in Skiles' carpeting at Christopher City Apartment Complex, 3401 N. Columbus Blvd. The complex houses UA students with families as well as many international students. "I think it could have explained her symptoms," Rosen said about the mold. Water dripped onto Skiles' carpet, which was made out of cellulose and allowed toxic mold to develop, Rosen said. "I'm compiling the results of our samples, and I need to get that report to Residence Life," Rosen said. James Van Arsdel, Residence Life director, said he was aware the report was being written by Rosen, but did not have first-hand knowledge of its findings. "Obviously it concluded that a resident may have come into contact with something that could have some adverse effect on them," Van Arsdel said. "It's hard for me to say anything else until I know what Julie (Rosen) has to say." But Van Arsdel said he was unsure of the mold's effect on Skiles. "I don't know if we can absolutely say that is what caused someone's symptoms," Van Arsdel said about the carpet mold. Skiles' problems began about the time she moved into her apartment, 32-G, in August. She said the apartment had a strong odor that is unlike anything she has ever smelled before. Her problems started as a runny nose and a headache, but developed into stomach and intestinal problems, as well as difficulty balancing. "In the earlier (part of the) semester, I was like a dead person walking - I was so sick," Skiles said in a telephone interview from Pennsylvania. "Six months ago, I had all these dreams and these things going for me," Skiles said. She added that personal problems - as well as poor health - contributed to her decision to leave UA. Skiles said even though she has moved more than 2,300 miles from Christopher City, she is unable to get rid of the smell of her old apartment. "My furniture still smells like Christopher City," said Skiles, who was studying psychology and eventually wanted to earn a doctoral degree. "My mom has used Febreeze on my sofa more times than I can count." In late September, Skiles contacted Christopher City maintenance about her illness. They flushed the air filter with bleach, but the smell persisted and her eyes still burned. "All along the way, they tell me that every so often there are problems with the air handlers," Skiles said. Christopher City maintenance staff also cleaned her carpet, but Skiles said it made no difference. In October, UA Campus Health officials told Skiles not to return to her apartment and signed a doctor's note stating that she should move out. Chemical analysis stated she had elevated liver levels, Skiles said. Risk Management conducted a report about the apartment and found that mold had grown on Skiles' air handlers, Skiles said. Christopher City gave Skiles the use of a guest apartment but she did not want to live there because the apartment smelled similar to her previous place. "I was not being overly picky here - they were not in the greatest shape," Skiles said. Van Arsdel said Residence Life helped Skiles as much as possible. "As I understand, our staff went to great lengths to determine what kind of problem there was," he said. "I don't have any doubt our staff took appropriate actions in that case - that's not a concern of mine." Skiles moved in with a friend, Charla Carr - who also lived at Christopher City - for the rest of the semester because she said she was tired of being sick. But Carr had problems with her apartment, too. Carr's daughter, Kylee, developed asthma about three months after the family moved into their apartment. Kylee, who had no previous or family history of asthma problems, developed asthma from mold in their apartment, Carr said. Kylee, 5, first had cold-like symptoms, and then she had trouble breathing at times. "I had asthma and it hurts because my tummy was hurt very bad," Kylee Carr said last week. "I feel happy I don't have it anymore." The family moved to an apartment closer to campus on Dec. 1 because of Kylee's health problems. Rosen said Carr's apartment had a different type of mold and also less mold than Skiles' apartment. Risk Management wrote a report about Carr's apartment Nov. 29 after Kylee became ill. The report, written by Rosen, stated black stains on Carr's insulated water pipes "suggested mold growth." Rosen found a "nickel-sized" black stain on a bedroom ceiling as well as mold in the air conditioner's condensation pan. Rosen said this mold would not have been present in the air while Carr lived there and would not have been a problem. She added that thousands of molds grow naturally. "In my opinion, there was very little mold at her apartment," Rosen said about Carr's residence. Van Arsdel said he has not personally spoken with Carr, but that his office acted appropriately. "I'm not aware of anything that we should have done that we haven't done," Van Arsdel said. Carr, a single parent, said she moved to Christopher City Aug. 1 from Seattle to earn a degree and provide a better future for her daughter. "I'm a little bitter," Carr said. "I think I'm really upset because people aren't aware of it." Carr was present while Southwest Hazard Control Inc., a Tucson hazardous materials remediation agency, painted over the pipes and bleached them. Rosen said her agency has conducted four complaint-driven reports in the last five years regarding Christopher City and the UA has taken action on all of them. The two latest reports were for the Carr and Skiles apartments. Another report was about pesticides used to control roaches and one was about an herbicide used in gravel. Martha Castleberry, Christopher City community services manager, said her office has received about a dozen complaints about health problems from residents during the past five years. Castleberry said the most frequent complaint residents make is about allergies with cold-like symptoms. "People get allergies that are so different, that's why its so hard to find out what's wrong with them" Castleberry said. She said many Christopher City residents are unaware of the danger of living in their apartments. "I firmly believe all the apartments have problems whether the residents are aware about it or not," Skiles said. Carr said she wants a decision made about Christopher City. "Just do something - close it down or fix it," Carr said. Like being strangled Three weeks after moving in, something was very wrong. Each time I climbed the stairs to my apartment, I wheezed. Once inside, I often felt like someone was strangling me, cutting off my air supply. I went to see my doctor. He told me I had asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or possibly both. 1. In November, I noticed slimy black mold - the kind you might find in the bathroom - on the window sills. Management said this happened all the time during the winter months; it was just condensation. Clean it with bleach, they said. That I did. Then the migraines came. For the next three months I also had continual sinus infections and strep throat. I blamed it all on the gas heat. It had been years since I lived in anything other than all-electric. When friends who visited complained of headaches that went away after they left the apartment, I still didn’t put two and two together.The only bright spot was Peaches and Mango, who by this time had joined me and had the run of the apartment. They would sit on my shoulder when I was on the computer or sewing, and "cuddle" with me when I watched TV. They were my new friends, in a new apartment, and new town. They were helping me to adjust to the empty nest syndrome.Something black was growing on the wall around the vent in the living room. I found the same splattering in my bedroom.But I continued to feel poorly. Then in March 2001 I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital for intestinal bleeding. I thought I had a severe case of food poisoningBy now, something black was growing on the wall around the heating and air-conditioning vent in the living room. The splattering grew to two feet by two feet across the ceiling and adjacent walls. I found the same thing in my bedroom. 1. Maintenance cleaned the black mold off with bleach. It came back. They cleaned it again, and applied a paint with fungicide. It came back.The cycle continued, even after maintenance said they had cleaned the ductwork and sprayed it with a fungicide. The biologist who came to my apartment discovered three types of mold, later identified as alternaria and rhizopus, both potentially toxic (see 1. Your Guide to Molds), and torulopus, implicated in some types of infections. Before leaving, he recommended that I crack the windows to allow more air to circulate and contact the codes compliance office of the city of Williamsburg. The city sent their own inspector to investigate, and he found the origin of the mold. It was in the insulation - not in the ductwork - that surrounded the intake vent for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Re: Mold at Canyon Springs Apartment in Lynnwood Washington Posted by empathetic on 8/11/03 1. Good luck. I lost everything I owned and am now living in a pop-up camper, having to move every couple of weeks. The laws are designed to protect the interest of the land owners, not the tenants. I had much medical and lab results identifying mold and pesticides and still couldn't get any justice. Try the media, governer's office, mayor's office, congressman' office. Type one letter and cc to all others with notation at bottom of cc recepients. Report your attorney to the attorney disciplinary board. Document everything, but remember, I had 'proof' and it still wasn't enough. On 8/08/03, DSmith wrote: > I lived at Canyon Springs apartment unit, bldg.C for three > years, 1998-2001. In that three years my son and I > experience one asthamtic cold after another along with > other medical conditions that the doctor could not diganois > correctly, even my doctor was wondering why we were having > so many colds, he never tested us for mold alergy.> I finally gave a 30 day notice to vacate my lease one > month early when I discovered mold growing through the > walls and in the carpet of my apartment.> When I told the manager about the mold and asked her to > come look at the unit she stated she could not come down > because she (Lisa) was pregent. She sent the matinence man > (Dewitt)down to look at the unit who stated that there was > water steeping in becasue of the flashing on the exterior > of the bldg which needed sealed, and he actually stated to > me that I better get used to the mold because I live in the > NW. I call Snohomish county health department to come to > the apartment and they stated they could not come to my > complex because there was so many cases of mold in > Snohomish county, Washington state apartments they could > not hangle the load. I chose to vacate the apartment in > doing so I now owe a termination fee of $1400.00. I made > sure that I took pictures and a viedo of the apartment upon > vacating and it is clear in the viedo that there was mold > growing in my apartment.> I sent my viedo and a letter stating what I experienced to > Washington state public health department in Olympia the > director of Washington state viewed the viedo and he could > see evidence from the viedo that there was mold growing on > the walls and through the carpet in my unit. In his letter > he refered me to the Snohomish county Department of > Planning and Develeopment and I contacted the Department of > Planning and Develeopment who sent me a letter stating they > could not handle the case because I had vacated the > apartment, if I would have stayed in the apartment they > could have come out and tested the apartment at a charge, > $125.00.> I went to a lawyer who view the viedo and stated I had a > case, I was charged $3500.00 after I took a year developing > this case than my lawyer wanted more money, the lawyer > stated it could cost me up to $20,000.00 to take this case > to court.> I decided to go to small claims court and at that court > hearing I was told I did not have resonable cause to move. > Even with evidence of the condition of the apartment and > $5000.00 later Canyon Springs is allowed to let this > condition exsit. I know that there are other cases against > this complex from other tenants that have or are dealing > with with mold in there units. I hope writting and posting > this message on this chatboard I can be of help to others > who are experiencing this same problem and make a statment > to owners of these apartments that they need to fix the > problem and should not charge tenants a fee for chosing to > vacate due to health issue.> If you have any question about this complex or any other > complex in Washington State please email me and I will help > you along in your process of getting a case together on > this complex or any other complex in Snohomish county, I > did a lot of work on my own and have alot of information > that is for Washington state residents and the issue with > mold....I could find no offical department of Washington > state that would stand up for our tenant rights.........> DSmith at DSmith9826@aol.comPosted by: Joshua / 3:40 PMTHIS WEBSITE AND BLOG ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED SOON. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REPRODUCE, COPY OR OTHERWISE. BECOME INFORMED ON HAZARDS TO YOUR HEALTH LIKE MOLD. THERE IS A LOT OF INFO HERE ABOUT OUR PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS FACTS TO HELP YOU. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME : JOSHUA.P.ANGELL@ATT.NETMOLD IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE EPA, THERE IS NO LEGAL AMOUNT OF MOLD IN A RENTAL DWELLING. TOXIC MOLD AND ALLERGENIC MOLDS IN LARGE AMOUNTS ARE HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH. Posted by: Joshua / 3:33 PMFeb. 14, 2004Dawn,After writing the email that we have printed out and place in the rent $$ deposit box, we continued to do research about mildews and molds. We have printed out for you our findings, which differ very much from what we have been told about what is going on in our apartment, as well as what was going on in apartment #1007, which we moved out of due to mildew/mold problems caused by a faulty AC unit.We no longer wish to live in such conditions. We are asking to be released from our lease, without penalty, so that we may begin looking for a new place to live. Please type out a release from our lease contract. Of course, we will continue to live here until we have found a new place, but will give ample notice to you once we do find a new place to live.As you may or may not be aware, Joshua is in the healthcare field, as well as his credentials and degrees. We believe that our apartment is unhealthy, do to our repeated headaches, dizziness, and nausea sensations. We have done extensive research into other people who have had the same problems in apartment dwellings, and due to our health issues(nausea, dizziness, headaches, breathing problems, sinus infections, chronic fatigue), and to our research, among problems with accusations from the maintenance staff, accusations from the management, and issues regarding noise levels, and being blocked in by other tenant’s cars, we believe it would be best for us to find a new place to live. All of these problems have made this living situation very unpleasant. We hope that you will respect our decision in this matter. Please provide us with a typed and signed letter releasing us from our apartment. We would also like to have you write in that letter the amount of rents that we have paid, and the dates that the rent was paid on, (for our protection so that we may have documentation of our payments, other than our cashed checks and banking statements). If you do not wish to write this in your letter of release to us, copies of rent receipts (including receipts from our stay in apartment #1007), will suffice.We are enclosing a verification letter, from the ACORN Housing Corporation, where we will begin the process of buying a place to live. We have pre-filled the letter out for you, and enclosed a copy. We are asking that you please fill it out and sign the form, and fax it back to us at1-512-331-5852. Please also staple a copy of this form to our letter of release, so that we will have a non-faxed copy. Please place all of this in a sealed envelope and leave it at our entryway.We appreciate your cooperation in this matter, and wish you and Mc Neil House the very best in your future endeavors.Tenants, apartment #6116280 Mc Neil DriveAustin, Texas 78729Posted by: Joshua / 3:22 PMFeb.21 2004From/Tenants #611 Joshua Angell DD,CNA,CHHA &James Wyckoff, Jr.To/ Mc Neil House ApartmentsWhat we want:Sanitizing of all personal items in Apartment #611/ and all personal property packed and moved to 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin.Since mold spores are microscopic, and nearly as light as air itself, they are easily drawn through heating and cooling system and the attached duct work. Spores also tend to lodge in the dirt within these systems as well as in the evaporator coils (the dirty ducts provide all the needed food sources and moisture for mold to grow). Therefore, all personal items will be packed and cleaned outside of the building.THE SPECIALISTS WILL BE PICKED BY THE TENANT’S.VERIFY MOLD/POLLUTION INSURANCENearly all contractor”s insurance policies have an exclusion relating to mold. Your contractor should provide proof of coverage with either an endorsement to his/her policy specifically stating mold remediation or a separate pollution insurance policy. Any remediation contractor properly trained and insured will be glad to provide you with this information. PREVENTION OF CROSS CONTAMINATIONSince mold spores (including molds that are not Toxic Black Mold) are microscopic and very light, attempted clean-up activities may actually spread the contamination while the contractor is trying to remove the mold spores. Containment boxes will be erected with negative pressure (i.e. a vacuum type environment) so that any contaminants will be drawn into the HEPA filtration, and not spread on the tenant’s property..HEPA FILTRATION High Efficiency Particle Arrestors (HEPA) filtering units will also be employed along with the containment boxes. These filtration units should be allowed to operate during cleaning or as suggested by the mold expert, as well as AT LEAST 72-120 hours after all remediation and final clean-up is complete, at the request of the tenants. Do not assume that your filtration is a true HEPA filtering device unless it is certified as true HEPA.DETAILED CLEANINGTenant’s property will be cleaned meticulously since microorganisms and spores thrive in dust and dirt. The property will all be cleaned thoroughly. Items such as the couch, love seat, pillows, waterbed mattress, box spring, etc. can not be cleaned and need to be removed and destroyed. (These items will be replaced at a cost to Mc Neil House)In addition to any items that can not be cleaned (as determined by the mold expert, Mc Neil House will pay for the tenants large air purifier@ $ 39.99 (that needs to be destroyed), as well as three wall socket air purifier units@ $19.95 each (that need to be destroyed).Professionally sanitize all of the tenants personal property and home furnishings that have been inside the apartment, and pack, box, and place into containers to be delivered to the Tenant’s new address, 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin Texas. (At the cost of Mc Neil House). The containers will be tested by a mold inspector (at the cost of Mc Neil House), and the results must be approved by the Tenant’s before being delivered.Since cleaning and packing will take time, Mc Neil House will pay for a hotel stay while it is being done, and must be a hotel that allows pets.In addition to this, since future health issues may occur, and because of the aggravation and inconvience of moving twice, soon to be three times, after our numerous complaints of mold in #1007 and #611 for Mc Neil House’s attempts to cover evidence of mold with white spray paint and having unqualified persons to diagnose the problems telling us it was nothing. (So we had a Certified Qualified individual inspect our dwelling confirming we had a serious mold infestation that occurred before us moving in and continues to grow due to improper remediation.) Thus, making it worse, we have had to live in these conditions and have recurrent sinus infections, headaches, dizziness, noise level problems, being blocked in by cars, etc., Mc Neil House will refund all rent monies paid while at Apartment #611. If this is agreed to the tenants will not seek rent monies and damages from Apartment #1007.Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________FINAL SAMPLING OF PERSONAL PROPERTYSampling via various methods (cultures, air samples, swab samples, etc.) will be done. Since spores are microscopic, the only way to verify and document that the proper cleaning has been completed successfully is to have sampling done by an independent 3rd party. An independent 3rd party, trained in mold remediation and sampling, will take the samples AND interpret the results.(To be approved by the Tenants). Samples should be taken aggressively. A reference sample will also be taken of outside conditions for analysis and comparison. NOTE: Final sampling will not be considered until all visible dirt and dust has been removed and professionally sanitized on all of the personal property. It is impossible to remove 100% of all contaminants from surfaces, but dusty and dirty conditions will not be sufficient. The goal of final sampling is to make the tenant’s comfortable with moving their property into their new home, by providing a report that the items have been cleaned successfully.RECONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITIONAny reconstruction or demolition of the apartment will not begin until all of the Tenants property has been professionally sanitized and moved to 5203 Heritage Village Drive Austin ,Texas.(at a cost to Mc Neil House) CONTRACTOR/ Mold Expert VERIFICATIONI verify that each of the above steps, and any other necessary steps, have been completed as noted above. I verify that my results are accurate, and I have no affiliation with Mc Neil House Apts., other than that is who is paying for my services. As of this date , ______________, I have completed each of the above steps and the final samples and final results have been collected and approved by an independent 3rd party trained in proper sampling protocol and I verify that all samples have been handled following the proper chain-of-custody.Certified Mold Remediation Expert / Name _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY / Tenant : _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY / Tenant : _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY /Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY /Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________Mc Neil House:I Understand that:During and after removal or remediation of the mold, it may be necessary(as determined by the mold expert) to conduct sampling to determine if sanitizing has been successful. (This will be performed at a cost to Mc Neil House.)Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________Professionally sanitize all of the tenants personal property and home furnishings that have been inside the apartment, and pack, box, and place into containers to be delivered to the Tenant’s new address, 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin Texas. (At the cost of Mc Neil House). The containers will be tested by a mold inspector, and the results must be approved by the Tenant’s before being delivered.I understand that all personal property will be cleaned and sanitized, packed and boxed and delivered to 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin, at a cost to Mc Neil House.Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________Agreement Not To Publicize Problems:If this contract is agreed to in full form, the Tenant’s agree not to publicize that they have ever had a problem in any sort or fashion, with Mc Neil House Apartments.If this contract is not agreed to by Mc Neil House, both tenants maintain the right of free speech and may publicize any issues they have had while living at Mc Neil House, in any way shape or form(i.e. over 100 pictures ,samples, statements, detailed notes of all requests, copies of letters sent and given, professional mold expert documentation, a can of KILZ spray paint left behind on the day the vents were to be cleaned, etc. ).Mc Neil House/ Tenant: _________________ DATE __________________Mc Neil House/ Tenant: _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY /Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________MC NEIL HOUSE MUST RESPOND WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS, IN WRITING.Posted by: Joshua / 3:22 PMQ. If mold is present in the walls of home when it is being built will the mold go away after the walls are sealed up as long as no water enters that wall area?1. A. No, mold does not "go away" after walls of a new home are sealed. If mold spores and mold growth are denied access to current moisture, they will simply go dormant, waiting for future water from high humidity [above 60%] or future roof leaks, plumbing leaks, etc. Even the smell of dormant mold can make some people sick. Mold needs to be removed from all new home timbers and building materials, and then the mold decontaminated area needs to be sprayed with two wet spray coatings of Coverage Plus mold fungicide and Tim-bor antimicrobial coating. 1. Exposure to mold is not healthy for anyone but the following individuals are at a higher risk for adverse heath effects: infants, children, elderly, immune compromised patients, pregnant women, and individuals with existing respiratory conditions. When inhaled, even in small amounts, mold can cause a wide range of health problems including respiratory problems (wheezing), nasal and sinus congestion, watery and red eyes, nose and throat irritation, skin irritation, aches and pains, fevers, and in some cases even death.A person who ingests or inhales a large number of spores may suffer adverse health effects.1. What health effects can be caused by exposure to mold?Exposure to any mold could cause health effects (e.g., allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itching, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache and fatigue) under the right conditions. Similarly, the same amount of mold may cause health effects in one person, but not in another, because some people are more sensitive to molds than others. These include:infants and children elderly persons immune compromised patients (i.e., people with HIV infection, cancer, liver disease, etc., or who are under-going chemotherapy) individuals with existing respiratory conditions, such as allergies and asthma. Should I be concerned about mold in my home?When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections and other respiratory problems for people. Exposure to high spore levels can cause the development of an allergy to the mold. Mold also can cause structural damage to your home.Can my home be tested for mold?1. Testing for molds is very difficult and expensive. Homeowners must hire a contractor to test their homes. Even if testing is done, no standards exist to judge what are acceptable amounts of mold. Testing cannot determine whether health effects will occur. Mold is normally found outdoors and counts fluctuate from day to day depending on the season. Due to the uncertainties associated with testing for molds, it is not recommended in most cases. If you can see or smell mold, testing is usually not necessary. It needs to be cleaned up.Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing.Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. .Not everyone has the same sensitivity to mold so it is possible for one person to experience discomfort while others living in the home to have no symptoms whatsoever. Individuals at the greatest risk include: Allergy and asthma sufferers. People with respiratory disease. People with compromised immune systems. Contact lens wearers. If mold in your home is the source of these issues, you will find that your health improves if you are away from your home for an extended period of time. Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing. Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. Why are we concerned about mold? Small amounts of mold growth in workplaces or homes (such as mildew on a shower curtain) or workplaces are not a major concern, but no mold should be permitted to grow and multiply indoors. When molds are present in large quantities, they may cause nuisance odors and health problems for some people. Mold can damage building materials, finishes and home furnishings. Some molds can cause structural damage to wood.How do molds affect people? Most people will have no reaction at all when exposed to molds. Allergic reactions, similar to common pollen or animal allergies, are the most common health effects for individuals sensitive to molds. Flu-like symptoms and skin rash may occur. Molds may also aggravate asthma. Fungal infections from building-associated molds may occur in people with serious immune disease but this is very rare. Who is affected by exposure to mold? For those who are affected by mold exposure, there can be a wide variation in how they react. People who may be affected more severely and quickly than others include:infants and children elderly people pregnant women individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies and asthma persons with weakened immune systems (for example, people with HIV infection, chemotherapy patients, or organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, autoimmune diseases.) Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.1. The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.NOTE: There are laws against endangerment of your health. The more people that know about the problem, the less likely the owner/manager is to continue endangering your health or to take illegal actions against you.Going to court is likely to take too long to keep you from further health problems, such as acquiring a life-long lung disease due to the mold. There are currently no legal limits on the amounts or types of mold in occupied buildings.1. If the owner/manager fails to quickly eliminate the mold problem, then you should do the following before the apartment owner/manager has a chance to cover-up the mold:Some molds that propagate indoors may, under some conditions, produce mycotoxins that can adversely affect living cells and organisms by a variety of mechanisms. Adverse effects of molds and mycotoxins have been recognized for centuries following ingestion of contaminated foods. Occupational diseases are also recognized in association with inhalation exposure to fungi, bacteria, and other organic matter, usually in industrial or agricultural settings. Molds growing indoors are believed by some to cause building-related symptoms. Despite a voluminous literature on the subject, the causal association remains weak and unproven, particularly with respect to causation by mycotoxins. One mold in particular, Stachybotrys chartarum, is blamed for a diverse array of maladies when it is found indoors. Despite its well-known ability to produce mycotoxins under appropriate growth conditions, years of intensive study have failed to establish exposure to S. chartarum in home, school, or office environments as a cause of adverse human health effects. Levels of exposure in the indoor environment, dose-response data in animals, and dose-rate considerations suggest that delivery by the inhalation route of a toxic dose of mycotoxins in the indoor environment is highly unlikely at best, even for the hypothetically most vulnerable subpopulations. Normal building materials and furnishings provide ample nutrition for many species of molds, but they can grow and amplify indoors only when there is an adequate supply of moisture. Where mold grows indoors there is an inappropriate source of water that must be corrected before remediation of the mold colonization can succeed. Mold growth in the home, school, or office environment should not be tolerated because mold physically destroys the building materials on which it grows, mold growth is unsightly and may produce offensive odors, and mold is likely to sensitize and produce allergic responses in allergic individuals.Molds and other fungi may adversely affect human health through three processes: 1) allergy; 2) infection; and 3) toxicity. One can estimate that about 10% of the population has allergic antibodies to fungal antigens. Only half of these, or 5%, would be expected to show clinical illness. Furthermore, outdoor molds are generally more abundant and important in airway allergic disease than indoor molds — leaving the latter with an important, but minor overall role in allergic airway disease. Allergic responses are most commonly experienced as allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis ("hay fever"). A rare, but much more serious immune-related condition, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), may follow exposure (usually occupational) to very high concentrations of fungal (and other microbial) proteins. Some molds have been known to produce toxins that are harmful to animals and humans when ingested, inhaled or in contact with the skin. The molds that produce toxins are known as toxigenic molds. The earliest known toxigenic molds, primarily Claviceps purpurea, produce the substance ergot. The ergot molds infect rye, grains and other grasses. Ingestion of ergot contaminated rye or other cereals causes ergotism. There are two types of ergotism recognized clinically: gangrenous and convulsive. Gangrenous ergotism affects the extremities as well as causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Convulsive ergotism affects the nerve system causing brain and spinal lesions which can lead to death or permanent mental impairment.Many molds in addition to ergot molds produce secondary toxic metabolites, such as alkaloids, cyclopeptides, and coumarins. Metabolites that can produce adverse health effects (mycotoxicoses) in animals and humans are collectively known as mycotoxins. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) publication on mycotoxins, available in 1990, indicated that there are more than 200 mycotoxins produced by a variety of common molds. Historically, mycotoxins are a problem to farmers and food industries and in Eastern European and third world countries. However, many toxigenic molds, such as Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra) and species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, have been found to infest buildings with known indoor air and building-related problems.In addition to mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds (moldy odors) released from actively growing molds may also pose a health risk.What are the health effects of mycotoxins?Mycotoxins may cause a variety of short-term as well as long-term adverse health effects. This ranges from immediate toxic response and immune-suppression to the potential long-term carcinogenic effect. Symptoms due to mycotoxins or toxins-containing airborne spores (particularly those of Stachybotrys chartarum) include dermatitis, recurring cold and flu-like symptoms, burning sore throat, headaches and excessive fatigue, diarrhea, and impaired or altered immune function. The ability of the body to fight off infectious diseases may be weakened resulting in opportunistic infections. Certain mycotoxins, such as zearalenone (F2 toxin), can cause infertility and stillbirths in pigs. Because these symptoms may also be caused by many other diseases, misdiagnoses of mycotoxin exposures are common. There are very few physicians with the experience or expertise in correctly diagnosing mycotoxin exposures or mycotoxicoses. Occupational or building-related exposures to mycotoxins through inhalation are slowly being recognized as a major indoor air quality problem. Generally, removal of causative agents is necessary. Treatment for symptomatic mycotoxicosis may be required. If exposure to molds and mycotoxins is suspected, consult an occupational health professional. Fungal growth in an indoor environment is often related to the availability of nutrient, water/moisture, proper temperature range and the presence of inoculum (often fungal spores). The key factor is water/moisture. Moisture control to reduce condensation and free water will prevent or control fungal growth.In an environment where water/moisture-related problems often lead to fungal growth, rapid response to the problem is the key solution. Mold-infested materials should be removed and replaced (see also below). Materials that can not be replaced should be decontaminated or treated. Consult an environmental microbiologist for such decontamination treatments. Proper project design and procedures are an important factor in a successful decontamination project. Biocidal application may be necessary under certain conditions. More importantly, before any decontamination is performed, water and excessive moisture must be controlled and eliminated.Most importantly, fungal infestation may be directly correlated with building operation and maintenance. Spores of Stachybotrys chartarum are wet and slimy. They do not easily become airborne. Their dissemination is likely through insects (such as cockroaches), rodents, water incursion or air stream. Without the assistance of insects, rodents and free running water, the likelihood of Stachybotrys chartarum spreading from one location to the other requires the disturbance of a dried slimy spore mass. Spores and hyphae of S. chartarum have been detected in air samples. Any detection of S. chartarum spores in indoor air should be considered significant.To prevent or eliminate fungal infestation in buildings, the following procedures should be observed:1. Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems must be properly filtered and maintained. 2. Water intrusion must be taken care of within 24 hours. Never overlook small leaks. Ignored small leaks are much more problematic than a properly handled major flood. For additional information on the proper handling of water intrusion, please see Enviros Vol. 3, No. 8 (August 1993); back issues are available. 3. Proper handling and storage of food to keep insects and rodents away from buildings. 4. In a warm, humid climate, a building engineer should be consulted to make sure that a moisture barrier is properly installed and that no condensation will occur. 5. Install dehumidifiers in areas where humidity is constantly high. Keep relative humidity between 20% and 50%. 6. If large areas of contamination are determined, asbestos-like remediation procedures are necessary. Consult an industrial hygienist with experience in asbestos remediation procedures, as well as in biohazard remediation. If a building is known to have extensive fungal growth, consult an industrial hygienist with training and experience in microbiological control. Human and environmental protection must be observed when removing and handling fungal contaminated materials.A case of attempted suicide with purified aflatoxin [B.sub.1] is reported to have occurred in 1966 in the USA. A young woman ingested a total of 5.5 mg of aflatoxin [B.sub.1] over 2 days and, 6 months later, a total of 35 mg over 2 weeks. Following the first exposure, she was admitted to hospital with a transient, nonpruritic, macular rash, nausea and headache; the second time she reported nausea only. Mold, in some of its myriad forms, has long been known to cause serious damage to some people's pulmonary systems. But over the last five years, for a mix of reasons, the literally creepy substance has also exerted increasing strains on the real estate industry, the insurance industry, the court system and architectural and construction practices.I've seen people become deathly ill," Mr. Krell said.Which hardly means that mold is harmless. "We know that there are a range of health effects related to mold exposure," said Dr. Maida P. Galvez"We know that families with strong histories of allergic diseases are more susceptible to these exposures," Dr. Galvez said, "that mold can exacerbate these conditions." At a minimum, mold can cause eye, ear, nose and throat irritation, as well as coughing and wheezing — sometimes severe and unrelenting.Still, mold can be deadly. Dr. Jordan Fink, a professor in the allergy and immunology division of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, said mold can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, resulting in progressive lung impairment. "There have been fatal cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis," he said, "because of the inflammation and scarring of pulmonary tissue." Mold thrives on moisture. And, as Mr. Garcia emphasized, remediation requires elimination of the source. "Whatever caused water damage must be fixed," he said. "Realistically, that should be done before the cleaning, because the mold will come back." Better yet, leaks should be eliminated before mold ever takes root.If mold does become visible — a big if, given that it also thrives in a building's dark recesses — a cleanup is in order.The Old Testament, while genteelly referring to mold as mildew, offers a harsh prescription. Speaking of "the priest," Leviticus 14, says: "If mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out." If mildew reappears, it says, "the house must be torn down."Mold releases microscopic fungal spores that, if inhaled, can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in sensitive people, Reynolds explains. It can also lead to sinus infections.Mold in the La Venezia ApartmentsLet me begin by introducing myself. My name is Gina Lewis and I moved into the apartments at La Venezia in November 2002. We moved out in April 2003. My husband, 3-year-old son and I were very impressed with the spacious apartment we moved into (Apartment 212). We wanted to make it homey and nice. We were welcomed with open arms and given a checklist. We were asked to write down any problems we thought there were with the apartment. We noticed a stain on the wall in our master bedroom and reported it to the maintenance person, Chris, (no longer with La Venezia). At first we thought we might have spilled coffee or tea on the wall and my husband painted over it. The stain reappeared after it had rained. We called maintenance again, but the problem was never fixed. At the time we rented the apartment, the complex was not owned by LaVenezia, L.L.C. It was operated and managed by Epoch Management.FEELING SICK around December 2002My son began getting cold symptoms. We started bringing him to the doctor and he was placed on antibiotic after antibiotic. He had diarrhea, green mucous discharge constantly running from his nose, temperatures, ear infections, etc. I remember one day driving in the car and he was on antibiotics and he tried to blow that discharge from his nose, but it would not come out. He said, “Mommy, look, I can breathe!” I thought, thank God. Hopefully this will be the last of it. However, it just kept continuing. We were constantly called to take my son out of daycare because of his high temperatures and vomiting. Let me state that his symptoms began well before he was placed in daycare. I was constantly out of work because of respiratory problems, bronchitis, ear infections, diarrhea, headaches, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, etc. Someone would ask me a question and a minute later I would forget the question or I would begin slurring my words. I was so forgetful. I never had any problems with asthma or my breathing before moving into La Venezia. We moved out of La Venezia in April, however I am still sick. I keep getting ear infections, my body constantly aches like the flu, I am exhausted all the time and I am going to be seen by a specialist shortly. The doctors are perplexed and my family is very worried about me. This has been a constant battle and I just want my health back so that I can enjoy time with my family. After work, I just go home and go to sleep. I sleep the weekends away and I am constantly taking Advil or placed on antibiotics. My husband was very ill while living at LaVenezia also. He also had breathing problems, diarrhea, headaches, etc.THE NEW OWNER AND HIS CONCERN FOR RESIDENTSIn January, I had spoken to David Taylor and he told me that he was not aware of the problems because he had just bought LaVenezia in January. He offered to move us into another apartment building after many letters and he was very cooperative when the health inspector came to point out the mold, the roof leaks, the cracks, poor paint jobs, window leaks, etc. He was somewhat apprehensive, but moved us into another building. We were also not obligated to the Lease Agreement from that day forward as I knew a little about Florida Law and the responsibility of the owner. Even though the health inspector showed him the problems and the mold in apartment 212, David Taylor would not admit to mold. He would only admit to water or plumbing problems. I find that quite peculiar, as water damage is the cause of mold.When Bob Kallotte (the health inspector) mentioned court to David Taylor and made a comment on David Taylor’s Rolex watch, David Taylor said that he wouldn’t be wearing that Rolex watch in court if he had to go. David Taylor also said to me that he had to worry about the buildings because of the next rainstorm. I find it strange that Florida has had an unusual amount of rain this season. Have you noticed any water intrusion in your apartment? The maintenance person, Ryan Berry came into our second apartment to look at the air conditioning unit and the window leaks we were complaining about. He said to my husband that he did not understand why we had window leaks as they had cleaned those windows up real good. Did you know that painting over mold or putting sealer over the mold only masks the problem? In fact, David Taylor sent us a letter from an “inspector”, Tony Posa. This “inspector” did inspections for hotels, yet we received an inspection from this man stating that there was no mold in our apartment. I thought it was a coincidence that the maintenance manager was hired by David Taylor and previously worked in the hotel industry. I found it interesting that we received a notice on our door from management saying they were doing air quality testing. What type of air quality testing? How thorough? How objective? Was it because they were looking out for our health or was it an attempt to make us believe that there were no mold problems with inadequate testing? Have you noticed the late night commercials regarding renting apartments at LaVenezia? They show the beautiful property, but they don’t show any remediation.DANGER - APARTMENT NUMBER TWO AND THE THREATS BEGINIt was not long before David Taylor and Beverly Crafts changed their attitude to nasty. I was approached by Beverly Crafts and David Taylor in a golf cart outside of my apartment (1875) before a gathering at the clubhouse. They were trying to intimidate me and I was in the car with my mother and son. David Taylor asked why I was still living there and why I was smoking if my mother had COPD. I responded by telling him that I was not smoking inside the car and I would not subject my mother and son to the smoke. Also take into consideration that when we did smoke, we went outside onto the lanai. We never smoked in the apartment. Of course he tried to blame our health issues on smoking.I found it ironic that he would bring this hypocrisy up in front of Beverly Crafts who does smoke. I also know the risks of smoking and health, but I have never heard that smoking contributes to memory loss, urinary tract infections and yeast infections. I chose to put a cigarette in my mouth and light it, however I did not choose to breathe in mold spores, I was forced without my knowledge. I also wonder how my son and mother (both nonsmokers) could develop breathing problems and a list of medical issues. Beverly Crafts called me crazy. At that time, I suggested to Mr. Taylor, if he wanted us to move he could waive our cost of rent and we would immediately move out. He did not respond well to that. In fact, he said, “It’s all about money with you isn’t it Gina?” I say to myself, all about money? Here we were paying for a hotel room, throwing away all of our belongings because of mold contamination, out of money, robbed of our health, out of health insurance, a child constantly having diarrhea and a green discharge from his nose, etc. and here is a man who has a wife and son highly allergic to mold.I wrote David Taylor a letter offering him and his family to live in Apartment 1825 while we were staying at the hotel. Of course he did not subject his family to the mold spores. I don’t think the man cared if we were homeless and sick or not. All he could think of was his business and his money. He then asked if my employer was aware that I was faxing letters to LaVenezia’s office. I explained that my employer’s assistant was well aware of what I had been doing. He also pointed out that he and his brother knew Larry Sewell (employer at the time) very well. I found it no coincidence that I lost my job soon after that.THE POLICE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR The same exact day following the golf cart incident, I was stopped by Beverly Crafts as I proceeded to go into the clubhouse to follow a neighbor (Pam Billichuk). She told me that I could not come in. I told her that I could and I did go into the clubhouse. The next thing I know, David Taylor pulls me to the side and tried to hint to me that he was my friend and that I should leave or Beverly would call the police. I gave him a wink and said sure you are my friend David. After all, who is in charge at LaVenezia, David Taylor or Beverly Crafts? I was peacefully handing out factual informational flyers and I believe that they did not want this information known to the other residents. I went back to my apartment to cook supper. Let me point out that we were paying rent at LaVenezia and paying for a hotel room at the same time because the apartment was uninhabitable. We could not cook dinner at the hotel so I proceeded to go to the Apartment 1825 and cook dinner when I heard a loud knock at my door. It was the police. They said they received a complaint that I was screaming across the clubhouse. Of course that was not true. I was told to remain silent and listen to what I could and could not do there. I patiently listened. I am legally allowed to send mail and also to stand outside of the clubhouse and hand out informational flyers to those who are willing to receive them. The second choice was not an option as I knew that David Taylor and Beverly Crafts would lie and call the police on me again. I thought this was funny…..after I received the riot act, one of the policemen asked me who he could call regarding mold in his home.MOM UNDERGOES UNNECESSARY SURGERYMy mother got very ill in Apartment 1825 after staying there for just a few hours. I had to fly to her home because the doctors could not understand what was wrong with her and thought she might be having heart trouble. She underwent a catheterization and the doctor did not find any blockage. Finally, she was placed on Prednisone an inhaler and an antibiotic. She was on her way to feeling better, but it was very stressful and scary.IF WE HAD ONLY KNOWN! In short, I am deeply disturbed that we rented from management and they were aware or shortly became very aware of mold issues. However, they continue to partially work on half of a building while the other half is still occupied. That is unheard of. There are dumpsters filled with wood and the smell of mold. There are apartments occupied that have not been remediated. People are getting sick and they don’t even know that it is caused by water intrusion leading to mold spores. Take a walk around your apartment complex and you will see for yourself. Doesn’t it seem strange to you that they are fixing the outside of the apartment buildings, but yet they are not tearing down the inside walls? We only saw the water damage in our apartment when management opened the wall and the ant infestation poured out. David Taylor had maintenance come in to work in apartment 212 while my husband was still moving. My husband had no idea the maintenance person was going to open the wall while he was in there. The man opened the wall and ants came pouring out onto the ceiling, the walls and the floors. My husband pulled out the video camera and taped it. That would explain the ant problem that we constantly had. Ants follow the water. Two movers from Two Men and a Truck were present that day and could not believe their eyes.MOVED OUT AND STILL FACING HEALTH ISSUESBeverly Crafts has called me crazy, she has also told me that I should move from Florida because there is mold everywhere, I have been threatened, I have lost jobs and my health. My husband has also lost his job. I have been harassed and threatened, however, I will continue with my freedom of speech and my purpose to make residents aware of this issue. I urge you to contact your Sarasota County Health Inspector, Bob Kallotte if you have been sick. The Sarasota County Health Department (Robert Kallotte) inspected our apartment at 212 in February 2003 and it is documented quite clearly that there was mold throughout the apartment due to water leaks. These records are public. Anyone can call and request any inspections done at LaVenezia. Don’t believe me. Make a call. See for yourself. WHY I CHOOSE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS The purpose of this letter is to create awareness in your LaVenezia apartment complex. Take a look around and see the cracks on the buildings, wood all over the place in dumpsters, etc. You will also see and smell mold. Now look to see if that building is unoccupied. The building should be empty while they are doing this work and the residents should be notified. Why? Simply because those microscopic mold spores cannot be seen with the naked eye. I do not want anyone else to experience this unhealthy exposure and the domino affect. However, I already know people who have lived there and have been sick. This issue has become so important to me that I am joining other groups to volunteer my time to set guidelines through the Environmental Protection Agency and legislature. Don’t kid yourself. This issue should be very important to the health insurance industry. After all, there are so many people who go to the doctor repeatedly because they are sick and they are initially told that they have a cold. Our tax dollars pay for this. The elderly are at stake and what about the out-of-pocket costs to pet owners? Please email if you wish to discuss this. My email address is….Ginalewis@hotmail.com. My telephone number is 918-9475. I can email you pictures and documentation or I can meet with you regarding this. You should be concerned for your health and your family’s health. You should also be concerned for your neighbor’s health.Sincerely, Gina LewisCc: David TaylorBeverly CraftsRobert KallotteMost people think that if they have mold, they must be a horrible housekeeper. Let me assure you that I have videos of my apartment and it was very clean. People are afraid to bring this issue up as they feel they may be accused of being a dirty person. Mold has nothing to do with housekeeping. Mold is caused by poor construction and water intrusion. Water that is dormant for 72 hours turns into dirty water causing mold. It is the mold spores that cause people to be ill. I have heard so many people defend themselves by stating they are clean people. Mold does not discriminate. Mold should not be growing in your apartment. 1. By Rachael Myer Arizona Daily Wildcat,February 14, 2000 Toxic mold from a former Christopher City resident's apartment probably caused stomach, intestinal and balance problems, a UA risk management official said Thursday. Kathy Skiles, who lived at the University of Arizona's family housing complex last semester, said she suffered health problems from her apartment that caused her to leave the UA in January. Julia Rosen, health and safety officer for Risk Management, is scheduled to finish a report this week about the mold in Skiles' carpeting at Christopher City Apartment Complex, 3401 N. Columbus Blvd. The complex houses UA students with families as well as many international students. "I think it could have explained her symptoms," Rosen said about the mold. Water dripped onto Skiles' carpet, which was made out of cellulose and allowed toxic mold to develop, Rosen said. "I'm compiling the results of our samples, and I need to get that report to Residence Life," Rosen said. James Van Arsdel, Residence Life director, said he was aware the report was being written by Rosen, but did not have first-hand knowledge of its findings. "Obviously it concluded that a resident may have come into contact with something that could have some adverse effect on them," Van Arsdel said. "It's hard for me to say anything else until I know what Julie (Rosen) has to say." But Van Arsdel said he was unsure of the mold's effect on Skiles. "I don't know if we can absolutely say that is what caused someone's symptoms," Van Arsdel said about the carpet mold. Skiles' problems began about the time she moved into her apartment, 32-G, in August. She said the apartment had a strong odor that is unlike anything she has ever smelled before. Her problems started as a runny nose and a headache, but developed into stomach and intestinal problems, as well as difficulty balancing. "In the earlier (part of the) semester, I was like a dead person walking - I was so sick," Skiles said in a telephone interview from Pennsylvania. "Six months ago, I had all these dreams and these things going for me," Skiles said. She added that personal problems - as well as poor health - contributed to her decision to leave UA. Skiles said even though she has moved more than 2,300 miles from Christopher City, she is unable to get rid of the smell of her old apartment. "My furniture still smells like Christopher City," said Skiles, who was studying psychology and eventually wanted to earn a doctoral degree. "My mom has used Febreeze on my sofa more times than I can count." In late September, Skiles contacted Christopher City maintenance about her illness. They flushed the air filter with bleach, but the smell persisted and her eyes still burned. "All along the way, they tell me that every so often there are problems with the air handlers," Skiles said. Christopher City maintenance staff also cleaned her carpet, but Skiles said it made no difference. In October, UA Campus Health officials told Skiles not to return to her apartment and signed a doctor's note stating that she should move out. Chemical analysis stated she had elevated liver levels, Skiles said. Risk Management conducted a report about the apartment and found that mold had grown on Skiles' air handlers, Skiles said. Christopher City gave Skiles the use of a guest apartment but she did not want to live there because the apartment smelled similar to her previous place. "I was not being overly picky here - they were not in the greatest shape," Skiles said. Van Arsdel said Residence Life helped Skiles as much as possible. "As I understand, our staff went to great lengths to determine what kind of problem there was," he said. "I don't have any doubt our staff took appropriate actions in that case - that's not a concern of mine." Skiles moved in with a friend, Charla Carr - who also lived at Christopher City - for the rest of the semester because she said she was tired of being sick. But Carr had problems with her apartment, too. Carr's daughter, Kylee, developed asthma about three months after the family moved into their apartment. Kylee, who had no previous or family history of asthma problems, developed asthma from mold in their apartment, Carr said. Kylee, 5, first had cold-like symptoms, and then she had trouble breathing at times. "I had asthma and it hurts because my tummy was hurt very bad," Kylee Carr said last week. "I feel happy I don't have it anymore." The family moved to an apartment closer to campus on Dec. 1 because of Kylee's health problems. Rosen said Carr's apartment had a different type of mold and also less mold than Skiles' apartment. Risk Management wrote a report about Carr's apartment Nov. 29 after Kylee became ill. The report, written by Rosen, stated black stains on Carr's insulated water pipes "suggested mold growth." Rosen found a "nickel-sized" black stain on a bedroom ceiling as well as mold in the air conditioner's condensation pan. Rosen said this mold would not have been present in the air while Carr lived there and would not have been a problem. She added that thousands of molds grow naturally. "In my opinion, there was very little mold at her apartment," Rosen said about Carr's residence. Van Arsdel said he has not personally spoken with Carr, but that his office acted appropriately. "I'm not aware of anything that we should have done that we haven't done," Van Arsdel said. Carr, a single parent, said she moved to Christopher City Aug. 1 from Seattle to earn a degree and provide a better future for her daughter. "I'm a little bitter," Carr said. "I think I'm really upset because people aren't aware of it." Carr was present while Southwest Hazard Control Inc., a Tucson hazardous materials remediation agency, painted over the pipes and bleached them. Rosen said her agency has conducted four complaint-driven reports in the last five years regarding Christopher City and the UA has taken action on all of them. The two latest reports were for the Carr and Skiles apartments. Another report was about pesticides used to control roaches and one was about an herbicide used in gravel. Martha Castleberry, Christopher City community services manager, said her office has received about a dozen complaints about health problems from residents during the past five years. Castleberry said the most frequent complaint residents make is about allergies with cold-like symptoms. "People get allergies that are so different, that's why its so hard to find out what's wrong with them" Castleberry said. She said many Christopher City residents are unaware of the danger of living in their apartments. "I firmly believe all the apartments have problems whether the residents are aware about it or not," Skiles said. Carr said she wants a decision made about Christopher City. "Just do something - close it down or fix it," Carr said. Like being strangled Three weeks after moving in, something was very wrong. Each time I climbed the stairs to my apartment, I wheezed. Once inside, I often felt like someone was strangling me, cutting off my air supply. I went to see my doctor. He told me I had asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or possibly both. 1. In November, I noticed slimy black mold - the kind you might find in the bathroom - on the window sills. Management said this happened all the time during the winter months; it was just condensation. Clean it with bleach, they said. That I did. Then the migraines came. For the next three months I also had continual sinus infections and strep throat. I blamed it all on the gas heat. It had been years since I lived in anything other than all-electric. When friends who visited complained of headaches that went away after they left the apartment, I still didn’t put two and two together.The only bright spot was Peaches and Mango, who by this time had joined me and had the run of the apartment. They would sit on my shoulder when I was on the computer or sewing, and "cuddle" with me when I watched TV. They were my new friends, in a new apartment, and new town. They were helping me to adjust to the empty nest syndrome.Something black was growing on the wall around the vent in the living room. I found the same splattering in my bedroom.But I continued to feel poorly. Then in March 2001 I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital for intestinal bleeding. I thought I had a severe case of food poisoningBy now, something black was growing on the wall around the heating and air-conditioning vent in the living room. The splattering grew to two feet by two feet across the ceiling and adjacent walls. I found the same thing in my bedroom. 1. Maintenance cleaned the black mold off with bleach. It came back. They cleaned it again, and applied a paint with fungicide. It came back.The cycle continued, even after maintenance said they had cleaned the ductwork and sprayed it with a fungicide. The biologist who came to my apartment discovered three types of mold, later identified as alternaria and rhizopus, both potentially toxic (see 1. Your Guide to Molds), and torulopus, implicated in some types of infections. Before leaving, he recommended that I crack the windows to allow more air to circulate and contact the codes compliance office of the city of Williamsburg. The city sent their own inspector to investigate, and he found the origin of the mold. It was in the insulation - not in the ductwork - that surrounded the intake vent for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Re: Mold at Canyon Springs Apartment in Lynnwood Washington Posted by empathetic on 8/11/03 1. Good luck. I lost everything I owned and am now living in a pop-up camper, having to move every couple of weeks. The laws are designed to protect the interest of the land owners, not the tenants. I had much medical and lab results identifying mold and pesticides and still couldn't get any justice. Try the media, governer's office, mayor's office, congressman' office. Type one letter and cc to all others with notation at bottom of cc recepients. Report your attorney to the attorney disciplinary board. Document everything, but remember, I had 'proof' and it still wasn't enough. On 8/08/03, DSmith wrote: > I lived at Canyon Springs apartment unit, bldg.C for three > years, 1998-2001. In that three years my son and I > experience one asthamtic cold after another along with > other medical conditions that the doctor could not diganois > correctly, even my doctor was wondering why we were having > so many colds, he never tested us for mold alergy.> I finally gave a 30 day notice to vacate my lease one > month early when I discovered mold growing through the > walls and in the carpet of my apartment.> When I told the manager about the mold and asked her to > come look at the unit she stated she could not come down > because she (Lisa) was pregent. She sent the matinence man > (Dewitt)down to look at the unit who stated that there was > water steeping in becasue of the flashing on the exterior > of the bldg which needed sealed, and he actually stated to > me that I better get used to the mold because I live in the > NW. I call Snohomish county health department to come to > the apartment and they stated they could not come to my > complex because there was so many cases of mold in > Snohomish county, Washington state apartments they could > not hangle the load. I chose to vacate the apartment in > doing so I now owe a termination fee of $1400.00. I made > sure that I took pictures and a viedo of the apartment upon > vacating and it is clear in the viedo that there was mold > growing in my apartment.> I sent my viedo and a letter stating what I experienced to > Washington state public health department in Olympia the > director of Washington state viewed the viedo and he could > see evidence from the viedo that there was mold growing on > the walls and through the carpet in my unit. In his letter > he refered me to the Snohomish county Department of > Planning and Develeopment and I contacted the Department of > Planning and Develeopment who sent me a letter stating they > could not handle the case because I had vacated the > apartment, if I would have stayed in the apartment they > could have come out and tested the apartment at a charge, > $125.00.> I went to a lawyer who view the viedo and stated I had a > case, I was charged $3500.00 after I took a year developing > this case than my lawyer wanted more money, the lawyer > stated it could cost me up to $20,000.00 to take this case > to court.> I decided to go to small claims court and at that court > hearing I was told I did not have resonable cause to move. > Even with evidence of the condition of the apartment and > $5000.00 later Canyon Springs is allowed to let this > condition exsit. I know that there are other cases against > this complex from other tenants that have or are dealing > with with mold in there units. I hope writting and posting > this message on this chatboard I can be of help to others > who are experiencing this same problem and make a statment > to owners of these apartments that they need to fix the > problem and should not charge tenants a fee for chosing to > vacate due to health issue.> If you have any question about this complex or any other > complex in Washington State please email me and I will help > you along in your process of getting a case together on > this complex or any other complex in Snohomish county, I > did a lot of work on my own and have alot of information > that is for Washington state residents and the issue with > mold....I could find no offical department of Washington > state that would stand up for our tenant rights.........> DSmith at DSmith9826@aol.comPosted by: Joshua / 3:20 PM1. From: joshua.p.angell@att.netTo: info@mcneilhouse.comCc: joshua.p.angell@att.netSubject: vents, apt#611Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 00:03:15 +0000Dawn,Just wanted to let you know that the vent cleaning service did not show up today. It is now 5:30 PM. This was VERY inconvienent because we made it a point to leave and have the pets outside in the COLD garage. I checked both wireless phones and our home phone voicemail as well as the fax machine,... There wasn't a single message from Mc Neil House.(until 5pm at night!) I guess I just expected that you guys would have called and informed us that nobody was going to show. We'll have to get together on re-scheduling this. We only recieved a call by Steve in the LATE afternoon that it had been canceled due to RAIN.We are wondering, you had a crew fix the hole on the roof above our doorway. The other day when it was raining so hard it was leaking, still.Do you know when they were going to patch the enormous hole in the roof over our doorway? Not only is it very embarrassing for us to visitors, it drops pieces of junk down that we constantly are tracking inside and having to clean up.The day of that rain is the same day that we noticed that our refrigerator in the kitchen has sunk into the floor even more so than when we reported this on our initial move in. There must be a pretty serious leak above our apartment.Also, when we moved in, Reuban was supposed to fix the fireplace, so that you could have a fire in it. Here we are in mid-Feb. and it still has not been touched. You know, the apts. that have fireplaces are more $$$, but it is no good if you can't use it. We haven't had use of the fireplace since we moved in. Will there be a refund of the premium $ for the fireplace?On an additional note, the police no longer bother coming out to deal with the noise complaints. Last night, at about 3:30 am there was yelling and very loud music coming through the walls again. The music is so loud that the tenants do not even answer the doorbell to handle a complaint because they can't hear it. The authorities have stated that this is an issue to take up with the apartment management to be resolved. All they can do (if they bother to come out) is ask them to turn the noise down.Furthermore, the guys on the end are still blocking vehicles in. The towing company is in south Austin, so if you need to get out quickly, it is impossible. Often, Hospice will page that a patient needs to be seen at an odd hour, but you cannot leave due to being blocked in.It has been wet lately. To let you know, NO plants have been watered. We had a discussion with the neighbors that have a leaky garage. They have told us that you were telling them it was the flashing on the roof, and not due to plant watering, but rather due to the flashing. However, you were telling us it was DEFINATELY due to the watering of the plants, because it was identified to you by the roofers that worked over our doorway. We too wanted to question the roofers, but the spanish/english dictionary wasn't handy.Our relationship with the neighbors is now very good,(now that we have had the chance to discuss the truth), in fact they were over here last night. (many months of tension between tenants was very stressful, and as it turns out, there wasn't any problems between us, we only believed what we were being told by the management here. This does not make for a pleasant living situation. He (the neighbor) denies any mention of threats made to damage property, and said that that was a lie spun by McNeil house. Upon discussing the air quality and the "mildew" that we have reported about these buildings, we have found that we are not the only tenants with problems. Our health concerns are still on all of our minds. Headaches, dizziness and nausea in these buildings may be from that stuff infesting the walls(imagine 2 years of feeling sick, all the while being told the balck "mildew" wasn't anything to be worried over.)Our fridge is sinking through the floor, while the neighbors bathtub is sinking through the floor. Somewhere, there is a water leak. This is evident by the black fibers and growths behind all of the light sockets, and around the vents. We have taken some pictures of the problems, when they are developed we will share them with you, so that you can add them to our renter's file. It would be interesting to compare them to the complaints that we had in #1007. Have you found the documentation of all of our service calls and complaints for #1007 yet? We had asked you to see the file, but have never had the invitation.Hopefully, you have since resolved the problem for the new tenants in #1007.In the future, please be more considerate of our busy schedules for service cancellations.Thank you, tenants, #611Posted by: Joshua / 3:20 PMFeb. 17, 2004To:Mc Neil House Apts./Dawn Aiello(Apartments Manager)CC: undisclosed other personsDawn,We are in receipt of your documentation that you wish for us to sign. Your post-it note stated that we must sign and return the “Agreed Early Lease Termination And Move Out Date”, by Feb 18, or we will be assessed a termination fee of $1,078.65. We have consulted an attorney, and be advised that your wish to have us sign and return this form would constitute a settlement. We will not sign this form, due to the fact that we may be seeking damages from Mc Neil House (long term and short term health problems, sanitation fees of clothing, furniture, and personal items for mold spore removal, etc.). If we in fact signed this form, it would prevent us from filing a lawsuit and seeking damages. Therefore, we will not sign this document, but will, agree to be moved out by 11:59 pm on March 31, 2004. We will also agree to provide a statement from a doctor(Mc Neil House will pay in full any medical charges incurred at the time of service), due to the effects of the buildings on our health. However, please be advised, that we will not pay out of pocket or let our health insurance companies pay out of pocket for Doctor’s exams, for co-pays lab tests (blood work, liver toxicity, etc), loss of hours worked due to Doctors visits, any medications required taken short term or long term due to the effects of our health from the premises, and will hold you liable for any future monetary losses related to health issues or otherwise incurred from the premises. In our letters, (of which we have copies), we asked you yet again to provide us with documentation of all of our service request records for both #1007 and #611, and furnish to us a copy of the many, many documents that are in our files from both apartments #1007 and #611. However, you did not furnish these or reply to the request, yet again. At least a span of four months has gone by since we requested these items, which “couldn’t be located” at that time. So, we ask yet again to see these documents. The first time we asked, you verbally agreed to this and never followed up.Also, in our letter, we asked for a refund of the portions of rents paid (additional $$$ for having a fireplace in an apartment), due to the negligence of your maintenance staff in making our fireplace usable. Reuban agreed to fix the fireplace at the time of our move in, and since then we had complained and the issue has still gone unanswered. We are not required to pay for an amenity that we do not have. We have not had a useable fireplace since our move in date, so we are entitled to a refund for not having the use of it. Please be advised, that we have a copy of the letter you left at our door many months ago, (when we called complaining about health problems and concerns due to mold in the apartment), at which time you rather unprofessionally wrote “Mold has been around since the beginning of time. It is everywhere. Have a Nice Day!!! :) Dawn”. This lead us to believe that we were safe in the apartment. However, (as the many documents of research we provided you) this is not true.It is not very professional to tell your paying tenants in a letter “The accusations that are very false and unfounded in your letters are unfortunate.” Not only are you calling us liars and delivering insult, with all due respect, our accusations are VERY founded, because we have documentation in a notebook of the dates and times we called regarding problems, we have mold samples to prove our accusations, we have many detailed color photographs of the vents, walls, ceilings, etc., and we have written and signed documentation that you have, in fact, made statements regarding us to other tenants. We also have a evidence of white spray paint left by the maintenance staff, of which they tell tenants to spray paint over the problem areas. Of course, any of this will hold up in court. In your letter, you stated that “The leak is coming from the patio and the neighbors themselves have told of the plants.”This is not true, in fact, the neighbors, in statement to us, told us that you told them any leaks were related to flashing on the roof;( and NOT related to plants on an OUTDOOR cement balcony which is exposed to the elements and to rainwater. )However, we do have several photographs of the hole that has been over our entranceway that pours rainwater through it. This neglected problem is a concern. When we first complained of a damaged roof by the entrance to our apartment, we were told to wait for your remodel and that it would be fixed. The remodel crew drywall taped the area and painted over the hole, allow rainwater to gather in it, and eventually resulting in a bigger hole. Your statement that it has been rainy for 10 days and you had to wait for sheet rock to dry out is no excuse. This was a complaint made aware to you upon our move into our apartment, NOT just over the past ten days.Also, we let you know upon move in, as well as Reuban, that our fridge was sinking into our floor. When it rains, there are moist spots in various areas of this building. Our statement about these problems is not “unfounded” as you said, they are widely talked about by tenants and Reuban is many times the radio address.To call our accusations of the noise level “unfounded”, is false on your behalf, it has been an ongoing problem since we moved in, and there have been many occasions of the police being called. You told the neighbors we were the complainers, and they HONKED and SHOUTED at James in the morning regarding your telling them that the complaints were from apt. #611. We after that incident reported it to you.Our complaints about being blocked in by other cars are also not “unfounded”, many, many complaints have been filed with ALL of your staff and it is an ongoing problem for many other tenants as well, to which, any of them will tell you who creates the problem, should you ask.Lastly, in our lease agreement, section 6 of the Mold Info Addendum, it states “Do not clean or apply biocides to :1) visible mold on porous surfaces such as sheet rock walls or ceilings, or 2), large areas of visible mold on non-porous surfaces. Instead notify us in writing, and we will take appropriate action in compliance with Section 92.051 et seq of The Texas Property Code, subject to the special exceptions for natural disasters.”We have notified you countless times both verbal, email(which nobody has ever responded to in any form), and in writing of the mold problems(both in #611 and #1007) and concerns, and the problem has NOT been remedied by McNeil House. This is a clear violation of the property code. In fact, we moved from #1007 because of a mold problem due to a faulty AC unit, into #611 and have encountered the same problems here.We will be notifying you with estimates for sanitation and replacement of items if and when this becomes necessary.So in closing, we will not sign and accept your settlement offer, as further legal actions may be pursued by us.Regards, Tenants in #611 Posted by: Joshua / 3:18 PM ¶ 6:55 PM
    The truth of what is going on at Mc Neil House Apartments, in Austin Texas. The management would have you believe:"THE BLACK MILDEW YOU SEE IS NOT MOLD"BUT WHAT THEY CALL MILDEW CAN BE DEADLY6280 Mc Neil Drive, Austin Texas 78729Many forms of hazardous mold exsist within it's dwellings.DO NOT SUBJECT YOURSELF OR YOUR FAMILY TO THIS! Mc Neil House Apartment Homes 6280 Mc Neil Drive Austin, Tx. 78729 1-512-331-6100 Apt. Manager: Dawn Aiello Co-Manager: Steve Terry Maintenance Lead: Ruben Maintenance: Gonzalo BLACK MOLD! TOXIC AND ALLERGENS IN MASS AMOUNTS! ATTEMPTED "REMEDY" BY STAFF= WHITE SPRAY PAINTFriday, February 27, 2004MC NEIL HOUSE DOES NOT VALUE IT'S TENANTS. THE MANAGER, UPON BEING TOLD NUMEROUS TIMES ABOUT A MOLD PROBLEM, ONCE LEFT A NOTE ON THE DOOR STATING "MOLD HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. :) HAVE A NICE DAY!!!"- DAWN AIELLODAWN HAS ALSO MADE STATEMENTS SUCH AS "THE BLACK MILDEW YOU SEE IS NOT MOLD"BUT, BE INFORMED THAT DAWN AIELLO HAS NO DEGREE IN BIOLOGY AND IS NOT A CERTIFIED MOLD EXPERT.A CERTIFIED MOLD EXPERT CAME TO OUR APARTMENT AND NOTED SERIOUS MOLD INFESTATIONS.KEEP IN MIND THAT, MOLD SENDS OUT SPORES WHICH GET IN ALL OF YOUR PILLOWS, CLOTHES, CURTAINS, ETC..., AND WHEN YOU MOVE YOU TAKE IT WITH YOU.AND GUESS HOW MUCH WE PAY TO LIVE WITH MOLD AND BE TREATED LIKE TRASH? THE LIST PRICE ON OUR APARTMENT IS $1,269.00 MONTHLY.THE MANAGEMENT MAY GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A "RENT DEAL" AND GET YOU TO MOVE IN FOR LESS, HOWEVER, WHAT THEY DO NOT INFORM YOU OF IS ALL THE EXTRA EXPENSES, ELECTRIC BILLS FOR US RAN CLOSE TO $400.00 A MONTH, ONLY TO REALIZE THAT THE APT. WAS NOT VERY WELL WEATHER PROOFED OR INSULATED. YES, WE COMPLAINED, AND THE MANAGEMENT SENT MAINT. OUT. THEY APPLIED DUCT TAPE ON A CORNER OF A DOOR AND CONSIDERED IT COMPLETED.WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS? Posted by: Joshua / 4:00 PMQ. If mold is present in the walls of home when it is being built will the mold go away after the walls are sealed up as long as no water enters that wall area?1. A. No, mold does not "go away" after walls of a new home are sealed. If mold spores and mold growth are denied access to current moisture, they will simply go dormant, waiting for future water from high humidity [above 60%] or future roof leaks, plumbing leaks, etc. Even the smell of dormant mold can make some people sick. Mold needs to be removed from all new home timbers and building materials, and then the mold decontaminated area needs to be sprayed with two wet spray coatings of Coverage Plus mold fungicide and Tim-bor antimicrobial coating. 1. Exposure to mold is not healthy for anyone but the following individuals are at a higher risk for adverse heath effects: infants, children, elderly, immune compromised patients, pregnant women, and individuals with existing respiratory conditions. When inhaled, even in small amounts, mold can cause a wide range of health problems including respiratory problems (wheezing), nasal and sinus congestion, watery and red eyes, nose and throat irritation, skin irritation, aches and pains, fevers, and in some cases even death.A person who ingests or inhales a large number of spores may suffer adverse health effects.1. What health effects can be caused by exposure to mold?Exposure to any mold could cause health effects (e.g., allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itching, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache and fatigue) under the right conditions. Similarly, the same amount of mold may cause health effects in one person, but not in another, because some people are more sensitive to molds than others. These include:infants and children elderly persons immune compromised patients (i.e., people with HIV infection, cancer, liver disease, etc., or who are under-going chemotherapy) individuals with existing respiratory conditions, such as allergies and asthma. Should I be concerned about mold in my home?When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections and other respiratory problems for people. Exposure to high spore levels can cause the development of an allergy to the mold. Mold also can cause structural damage to your home.Can my home be tested for mold?1. Testing for molds is very difficult and expensive. Homeowners must hire a contractor to test their homes. Even if testing is done, no standards exist to judge what are acceptable amounts of mold. Testing cannot determine whether health effects will occur. Mold is normally found outdoors and counts fluctuate from day to day depending on the season. Due to the uncertainties associated with testing for molds, it is not recommended in most cases. If you can see or smell mold, testing is usually not necessary. It needs to be cleaned up.Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing.Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. .Not everyone has the same sensitivity to mold so it is possible for one person to experience discomfort while others living in the home to have no symptoms whatsoever. Individuals at the greatest risk include: Allergy and asthma sufferers. People with respiratory disease. People with compromised immune systems. Contact lens wearers. If mold in your home is the source of these issues, you will find that your health improves if you are away from your home for an extended period of time. Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing. Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. Why are we concerned about mold? Small amounts of mold growth in workplaces or homes (such as mildew on a shower curtain) or workplaces are not a major concern, but no mold should be permitted to grow and multiply indoors. When molds are present in large quantities, they may cause nuisance odors and health problems for some people. Mold can damage building materials, finishes and home furnishings. Some molds can cause structural damage to wood.How do molds affect people? Most people will have no reaction at all when exposed to molds. Allergic reactions, similar to common pollen or animal allergies, are the most common health effects for individuals sensitive to molds. Flu-like symptoms and skin rash may occur. Molds may also aggravate asthma. Fungal infections from building-associated molds may occur in people with serious immune disease but this is very rare. Who is affected by exposure to mold? For those who are affected by mold exposure, there can be a wide variation in how they react. People who may be affected more severely and quickly than others include:infants and children elderly people pregnant women individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies and asthma persons with weakened immune systems (for example, people with HIV infection, chemotherapy patients, or organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, autoimmune diseases.) Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.1. The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.NOTE: There are laws against endangerment of your health. The more people that know about the problem, the less likely the owner/manager is to continue endangering your health or to take illegal actions against you.Going to court is likely to take too long to keep you from further health problems, such as acquiring a life-long lung disease due to the mold. There are currently no legal limits on the amounts or types of mold in occupied buildings.1. If the owner/manager fails to quickly eliminate the mold problem, then you should do the following before the apartment owner/manager has a chance to cover-up the mold:Some molds that propagate indoors may, under some conditions, produce mycotoxins that can adversely affect living cells and organisms by a variety of mechanisms. Adverse effects of molds and mycotoxins have been recognized for centuries following ingestion of contaminated foods. Occupational diseases are also recognized in association with inhalation exposure to fungi, bacteria, and other organic matter, usually in industrial or agricultural settings. Molds growing indoors are believed by some to cause building-related symptoms. Despite a voluminous literature on the subject, the causal association remains weak and unproven, particularly with respect to causation by mycotoxins. One mold in particular, Stachybotrys chartarum, is blamed for a diverse array of maladies when it is found indoors. Despite its well-known ability to produce mycotoxins under appropriate growth conditions, years of intensive study have failed to establish exposure to S. chartarum in home, school, or office environments as a cause of adverse human health effects. Levels of exposure in the indoor environment, dose-response data in animals, and dose-rate considerations suggest that delivery by the inhalation route of a toxic dose of mycotoxins in the indoor environment is highly unlikely at best, even for the hypothetically most vulnerable subpopulations. Normal building materials and furnishings provide ample nutrition for many species of molds, but they can grow and amplify indoors only when there is an adequate supply of moisture. Where mold grows indoors there is an inappropriate source of water that must be corrected before remediation of the mold colonization can succeed. Mold growth in the home, school, or office environment should not be tolerated because mold physically destroys the building materials on which it grows, mold growth is unsightly and may produce offensive odors, and mold is likely to sensitize and produce allergic responses in allergic individuals.Molds and other fungi may adversely affect human health through three processes: 1) allergy; 2) infection; and 3) toxicity. One can estimate that about 10% of the population has allergic antibodies to fungal antigens. Only half of these, or 5%, would be expected to show clinical illness. Furthermore, outdoor molds are generally more abundant and important in airway allergic disease than indoor molds — leaving the latter with an important, but minor overall role in allergic airway disease. Allergic responses are most commonly experienced as allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis ("hay fever"). A rare, but much more serious immune-related condition, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), may follow exposure (usually occupational) to very high concentrations of fungal (and other microbial) proteins. Some molds have been known to produce toxins that are harmful to animals and humans when ingested, inhaled or in contact with the skin. The molds that produce toxins are known as toxigenic molds. The earliest known toxigenic molds, primarily Claviceps purpurea, produce the substance ergot. The ergot molds infect rye, grains and other grasses. Ingestion of ergot contaminated rye or other cereals causes ergotism. There are two types of ergotism recognized clinically: gangrenous and convulsive. Gangrenous ergotism affects the extremities as well as causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Convulsive ergotism affects the nerve system causing brain and spinal lesions which can lead to death or permanent mental impairment.Many molds in addition to ergot molds produce secondary toxic metabolites, such as alkaloids, cyclopeptides, and coumarins. Metabolites that can produce adverse health effects (mycotoxicoses) in animals and humans are collectively known as mycotoxins. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) publication on mycotoxins, available in 1990, indicated that there are more than 200 mycotoxins produced by a variety of common molds. Historically, mycotoxins are a problem to farmers and food industries and in Eastern European and third world countries. However, many toxigenic molds, such as Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra) and species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, have been found to infest buildings with known indoor air and building-related problems.In addition to mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds (moldy odors) released from actively growing molds may also pose a health risk.What are the health effects of mycotoxins?Mycotoxins may cause a variety of short-term as well as long-term adverse health effects. This ranges from immediate toxic response and immune-suppression to the potential long-term carcinogenic effect. Symptoms due to mycotoxins or toxins-containing airborne spores (particularly those of Stachybotrys chartarum) include dermatitis, recurring cold and flu-like symptoms, burning sore throat, headaches and excessive fatigue, diarrhea, and impaired or altered immune function. The ability of the body to fight off infectious diseases may be weakened resulting in opportunistic infections. Certain mycotoxins, such as zearalenone (F2 toxin), can cause infertility and stillbirths in pigs. Because these symptoms may also be caused by many other diseases, misdiagnoses of mycotoxin exposures are common. There are very few physicians with the experience or expertise in correctly diagnosing mycotoxin exposures or mycotoxicoses. Occupational or building-related exposures to mycotoxins through inhalation are slowly being recognized as a major indoor air quality problem. Generally, removal of causative agents is necessary. Treatment for symptomatic mycotoxicosis may be required. If exposure to molds and mycotoxins is suspected, consult an occupational health professional. Fungal growth in an indoor environment is often related to the availability of nutrient, water/moisture, proper temperature range and the presence of inoculum (often fungal spores). The key factor is water/moisture. Moisture control to reduce condensation and free water will prevent or control fungal growth.In an environment where water/moisture-related problems often lead to fungal growth, rapid response to the problem is the key solution. Mold-infested materials should be removed and replaced (see also below). Materials that can not be replaced should be decontaminated or treated. Consult an environmental microbiologist for such decontamination treatments. Proper project design and procedures are an important factor in a successful decontamination project. Biocidal application may be necessary under certain conditions. More importantly, before any decontamination is performed, water and excessive moisture must be controlled and eliminated.Most importantly, fungal infestation may be directly correlated with building operation and maintenance. Spores of Stachybotrys chartarum are wet and slimy. They do not easily become airborne. Their dissemination is likely through insects (such as cockroaches), rodents, water incursion or air stream. Without the assistance of insects, rodents and free running water, the likelihood of Stachybotrys chartarum spreading from one location to the other requires the disturbance of a dried slimy spore mass. Spores and hyphae of S. chartarum have been detected in air samples. Any detection of S. chartarum spores in indoor air should be considered significant.To prevent or eliminate fungal infestation in buildings, the following procedures should be observed:1. Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems must be properly filtered and maintained. 2. Water intrusion must be taken care of within 24 hours. Never overlook small leaks. Ignored small leaks are much more problematic than a properly handled major flood. For additional information on the proper handling of water intrusion, please see Enviros Vol. 3, No. 8 (August 1993); back issues are available. 3. Proper handling and storage of food to keep insects and rodents away from buildings. 4. In a warm, humid climate, a building engineer should be consulted to make sure that a moisture barrier is properly installed and that no condensation will occur. 5. Install dehumidifiers in areas where humidity is constantly high. Keep relative humidity between 20% and 50%. 6. If large areas of contamination are determined, asbestos-like remediation procedures are necessary. Consult an industrial hygienist with experience in asbestos remediation procedures, as well as in biohazard remediation. If a building is known to have extensive fungal growth, consult an industrial hygienist with training and experience in microbiological control. Human and environmental protection must be observed when removing and handling fungal contaminated materials.A case of attempted suicide with purified aflatoxin [B.sub.1] is reported to have occurred in 1966 in the USA. A young woman ingested a total of 5.5 mg of aflatoxin [B.sub.1] over 2 days and, 6 months later, a total of 35 mg over 2 weeks. Following the first exposure, she was admitted to hospital with a transient, nonpruritic, macular rash, nausea and headache; the second time she reported nausea only. Mold, in some of its myriad forms, has long been known to cause serious damage to some people's pulmonary systems. But over the last five years, for a mix of reasons, the literally creepy substance has also exerted increasing strains on the real estate industry, the insurance industry, the court system and architectural and construction practices.I've seen people become deathly ill," Mr. Krell said.Which hardly means that mold is harmless. "We know that there are a range of health effects related to mold exposure," said Dr. Maida P. Galvez"We know that families with strong histories of allergic diseases are more susceptible to these exposures," Dr. Galvez said, "that mold can exacerbate these conditions." At a minimum, mold can cause eye, ear, nose and throat irritation, as well as coughing and wheezing — sometimes severe and unrelenting.Still, mold can be deadly. Dr. Jordan Fink, a professor in the allergy and immunology division of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, said mold can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, resulting in progressive lung impairment. "There have been fatal cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis," he said, "because of the inflammation and scarring of pulmonary tissue." Mold thrives on moisture. And, as Mr. Garcia emphasized, remediation requires elimination of the source. "Whatever caused water damage must be fixed," he said. "Realistically, that should be done before the cleaning, because the mold will come back." Better yet, leaks should be eliminated before mold ever takes root.If mold does become visible — a big if, given that it also thrives in a building's dark recesses — a cleanup is in order.The Old Testament, while genteelly referring to mold as mildew, offers a harsh prescription. Speaking of "the priest," Leviticus 14, says: "If mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out." If mildew reappears, it says, "the house must be torn down."Mold releases microscopic fungal spores that, if inhaled, can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in sensitive people, Reynolds explains. It can also lead to sinus infections.Mold in the La Venezia ApartmentsLet me begin by introducing myself. My name is Gina Lewis and I moved into the apartments at La Venezia in November 2002. We moved out in April 2003. My husband, 3-year-old son and I were very impressed with the spacious apartment we moved into (Apartment 212). We wanted to make it homey and nice. We were welcomed with open arms and given a checklist. We were asked to write down any problems we thought there were with the apartment. We noticed a stain on the wall in our master bedroom and reported it to the maintenance person, Chris, (no longer with La Venezia). At first we thought we might have spilled coffee or tea on the wall and my husband painted over it. The stain reappeared after it had rained. We called maintenance again, but the problem was never fixed. At the time we rented the apartment, the complex was not owned by LaVenezia, L.L.C. It was operated and managed by Epoch Management.FEELING SICK around December 2002My son began getting cold symptoms. We started bringing him to the doctor and he was placed on antibiotic after antibiotic. He had diarrhea, green mucous discharge constantly running from his nose, temperatures, ear infections, etc. I remember one day driving in the car and he was on antibiotics and he tried to blow that discharge from his nose, but it would not come out. He said, “Mommy, look, I can breathe!” I thought, thank God. Hopefully this will be the last of it. However, it just kept continuing. We were constantly called to take my son out of daycare because of his high temperatures and vomiting. Let me state that his symptoms began well before he was placed in daycare. I was constantly out of work because of respiratory problems, bronchitis, ear infections, diarrhea, headaches, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, etc. Someone would ask me a question and a minute later I would forget the question or I would begin slurring my words. I was so forgetful. I never had any problems with asthma or my breathing before moving into La Venezia. We moved out of La Venezia in April, however I am still sick. I keep getting ear infections, my body constantly aches like the flu, I am exhausted all the time and I am going to be seen by a specialist shortly. The doctors are perplexed and my family is very worried about me. This has been a constant battle and I just want my health back so that I can enjoy time with my family. After work, I just go home and go to sleep. I sleep the weekends away and I am constantly taking Advil or placed on antibiotics. My husband was very ill while living at LaVenezia also. He also had breathing problems, diarrhea, headaches, etc.THE NEW OWNER AND HIS CONCERN FOR RESIDENTSIn January, I had spoken to David Taylor and he told me that he was not aware of the problems because he had just bought LaVenezia in January. He offered to move us into another apartment building after many letters and he was very cooperative when the health inspector came to point out the mold, the roof leaks, the cracks, poor paint jobs, window leaks, etc. He was somewhat apprehensive, but moved us into another building. We were also not obligated to the Lease Agreement from that day forward as I knew a little about Florida Law and the responsibility of the owner. Even though the health inspector showed him the problems and the mold in apartment 212, David Taylor would not admit to mold. He would only admit to water or plumbing problems. I find that quite peculiar, as water damage is the cause of mold.When Bob Kallotte (the health inspector) mentioned court to David Taylor and made a comment on David Taylor’s Rolex watch, David Taylor said that he wouldn’t be wearing that Rolex watch in court if he had to go. David Taylor also said to me that he had to worry about the buildings because of the next rainstorm. I find it strange that Florida has had an unusual amount of rain this season. Have you noticed any water intrusion in your apartment? The maintenance person, Ryan Berry came into our second apartment to look at the air conditioning unit and the window leaks we were complaining about. He said to my husband that he did not understand why we had window leaks as they had cleaned those windows up real good. Did you know that painting over mold or putting sealer over the mold only masks the problem? In fact, David Taylor sent us a letter from an “inspector”, Tony Posa. This “inspector” did inspections for hotels, yet we received an inspection from this man stating that there was no mold in our apartment. I thought it was a coincidence that the maintenance manager was hired by David Taylor and previously worked in the hotel industry. I found it interesting that we received a notice on our door from management saying they were doing air quality testing. What type of air quality testing? How thorough? How objective? Was it because they were looking out for our health or was it an attempt to make us believe that there were no mold problems with inadequate testing? Have you noticed the late night commercials regarding renting apartments at LaVenezia? They show the beautiful property, but they don’t show any remediation.DANGER - APARTMENT NUMBER TWO AND THE THREATS BEGINIt was not long before David Taylor and Beverly Crafts changed their attitude to nasty. I was approached by Beverly Crafts and David Taylor in a golf cart outside of my apartment (1875) before a gathering at the clubhouse. They were trying to intimidate me and I was in the car with my mother and son. David Taylor asked why I was still living there and why I was smoking if my mother had COPD. I responded by telling him that I was not smoking inside the car and I would not subject my mother and son to the smoke. Also take into consideration that when we did smoke, we went outside onto the lanai. We never smoked in the apartment. Of course he tried to blame our health issues on smoking.I found it ironic that he would bring this hypocrisy up in front of Beverly Crafts who does smoke. I also know the risks of smoking and health, but I have never heard that smoking contributes to memory loss, urinary tract infections and yeast infections. I chose to put a cigarette in my mouth and light it, however I did not choose to breathe in mold spores, I was forced without my knowledge. I also wonder how my son and mother (both nonsmokers) could develop breathing problems and a list of medical issues. Beverly Crafts called me crazy. At that time, I suggested to Mr. Taylor, if he wanted us to move he could waive our cost of rent and we would immediately move out. He did not respond well to that. In fact, he said, “It’s all about money with you isn’t it Gina?” I say to myself, all about money? Here we were paying for a hotel room, throwing away all of our belongings because of mold contamination, out of money, robbed of our health, out of health insurance, a child constantly having diarrhea and a green discharge from his nose, etc. and here is a man who has a wife and son highly allergic to mold.I wrote David Taylor a letter offering him and his family to live in Apartment 1825 while we were staying at the hotel. Of course he did not subject his family to the mold spores. I don’t think the man cared if we were homeless and sick or not. All he could think of was his business and his money. He then asked if my employer was aware that I was faxing letters to LaVenezia’s office. I explained that my employer’s assistant was well aware of what I had been doing. He also pointed out that he and his brother knew Larry Sewell (employer at the time) very well. I found it no coincidence that I lost my job soon after that.THE POLICE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR The same exact day following the golf cart incident, I was stopped by Beverly Crafts as I proceeded to go into the clubhouse to follow a neighbor (Pam Billichuk). She told me that I could not come in. I told her that I could and I did go into the clubhouse. The next thing I know, David Taylor pulls me to the side and tried to hint to me that he was my friend and that I should leave or Beverly would call the police. I gave him a wink and said sure you are my friend David. After all, who is in charge at LaVenezia, David Taylor or Beverly Crafts? I was peacefully handing out factual informational flyers and I believe that they did not want this information known to the other residents. I went back to my apartment to cook supper. Let me point out that we were paying rent at LaVenezia and paying for a hotel room at the same time because the apartment was uninhabitable. We could not cook dinner at the hotel so I proceeded to go to the Apartment 1825 and cook dinner when I heard a loud knock at my door. It was the police. They said they received a complaint that I was screaming across the clubhouse. Of course that was not true. I was told to remain silent and listen to what I could and could not do there. I patiently listened. I am legally allowed to send mail and also to stand outside of the clubhouse and hand out informational flyers to those who are willing to receive them. The second choice was not an option as I knew that David Taylor and Beverly Crafts would lie and call the police on me again. I thought this was funny…..after I received the riot act, one of the policemen asked me who he could call regarding mold in his home.MOM UNDERGOES UNNECESSARY SURGERYMy mother got very ill in Apartment 1825 after staying there for just a few hours. I had to fly to her home because the doctors could not understand what was wrong with her and thought she might be having heart trouble. She underwent a catheterization and the doctor did not find any blockage. Finally, she was placed on Prednisone an inhaler and an antibiotic. She was on her way to feeling better, but it was very stressful and scary.IF WE HAD ONLY KNOWN! In short, I am deeply disturbed that we rented from management and they were aware or shortly became very aware of mold issues. However, they continue to partially work on half of a building while the other half is still occupied. That is unheard of. There are dumpsters filled with wood and the smell of mold. There are apartments occupied that have not been remediated. People are getting sick and they don’t even know that it is caused by water intrusion leading to mold spores. Take a walk around your apartment complex and you will see for yourself. Doesn’t it seem strange to you that they are fixing the outside of the apartment buildings, but yet they are not tearing down the inside walls? We only saw the water damage in our apartment when management opened the wall and the ant infestation poured out. David Taylor had maintenance come in to work in apartment 212 while my husband was still moving. My husband had no idea the maintenance person was going to open the wall while he was in there. The man opened the wall and ants came pouring out onto the ceiling, the walls and the floors. My husband pulled out the video camera and taped it. That would explain the ant problem that we constantly had. Ants follow the water. Two movers from Two Men and a Truck were present that day and could not believe their eyes.MOVED OUT AND STILL FACING HEALTH ISSUESBeverly Crafts has called me crazy, she has also told me that I should move from Florida because there is mold everywhere, I have been threatened, I have lost jobs and my health. My husband has also lost his job. I have been harassed and threatened, however, I will continue with my freedom of speech and my purpose to make residents aware of this issue. I urge you to contact your Sarasota County Health Inspector, Bob Kallotte if you have been sick. The Sarasota County Health Department (Robert Kallotte) inspected our apartment at 212 in February 2003 and it is documented quite clearly that there was mold throughout the apartment due to water leaks. These records are public. Anyone can call and request any inspections done at LaVenezia. Don’t believe me. Make a call. See for yourself. WHY I CHOOSE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS The purpose of this letter is to create awareness in your LaVenezia apartment complex. Take a look around and see the cracks on the buildings, wood all over the place in dumpsters, etc. You will also see and smell mold. Now look to see if that building is unoccupied. The building should be empty while they are doing this work and the residents should be notified. Why? Simply because those microscopic mold spores cannot be seen with the naked eye. I do not want anyone else to experience this unhealthy exposure and the domino affect. However, I already know people who have lived there and have been sick. This issue has become so important to me that I am joining other groups to volunteer my time to set guidelines through the Environmental Protection Agency and legislature. Don’t kid yourself. This issue should be very important to the health insurance industry. After all, there are so many people who go to the doctor repeatedly because they are sick and they are initially told that they have a cold. Our tax dollars pay for this. The elderly are at stake and what about the out-of-pocket costs to pet owners? Please email if you wish to discuss this. My email address is….Ginalewis@hotmail.com. My telephone number is 918-9475. I can email you pictures and documentation or I can meet with you regarding this. You should be concerned for your health and your family’s health. You should also be concerned for your neighbor’s health.Sincerely, Gina LewisCc: David TaylorBeverly CraftsRobert KallotteMost people think that if they have mold, they must be a horrible housekeeper. Let me assure you that I have videos of my apartment and it was very clean. People are afraid to bring this issue up as they feel they may be accused of being a dirty person. Mold has nothing to do with housekeeping. Mold is caused by poor construction and water intrusion. Water that is dormant for 72 hours turns into dirty water causing mold. It is the mold spores that cause people to be ill. I have heard so many people defend themselves by stating they are clean people. Mold does not discriminate. Mold should not be growing in your apartment. 1. By Rachael Myer Arizona Daily Wildcat,February 14, 2000 Toxic mold from a former Christopher City resident's apartment probably caused stomach, intestinal and balance problems, a UA risk management official said Thursday. Kathy Skiles, who lived at the University of Arizona's family housing complex last semester, said she suffered health problems from her apartment that caused her to leave the UA in January. Julia Rosen, health and safety officer for Risk Management, is scheduled to finish a report this week about the mold in Skiles' carpeting at Christopher City Apartment Complex, 3401 N. Columbus Blvd. The complex houses UA students with families as well as many international students. "I think it could have explained her symptoms," Rosen said about the mold. Water dripped onto Skiles' carpet, which was made out of cellulose and allowed toxic mold to develop, Rosen said. "I'm compiling the results of our samples, and I need to get that report to Residence Life," Rosen said. James Van Arsdel, Residence Life director, said he was aware the report was being written by Rosen, but did not have first-hand knowledge of its findings. "Obviously it concluded that a resident may have come into contact with something that could have some adverse effect on them," Van Arsdel said. "It's hard for me to say anything else until I know what Julie (Rosen) has to say." But Van Arsdel said he was unsure of the mold's effect on Skiles. "I don't know if we can absolutely say that is what caused someone's symptoms," Van Arsdel said about the carpet mold. Skiles' problems began about the time she moved into her apartment, 32-G, in August. She said the apartment had a strong odor that is unlike anything she has ever smelled before. Her problems started as a runny nose and a headache, but developed into stomach and intestinal problems, as well as difficulty balancing. "In the earlier (part of the) semester, I was like a dead person walking - I was so sick," Skiles said in a telephone interview from Pennsylvania. "Six months ago, I had all these dreams and these things going for me," Skiles said. She added that personal problems - as well as poor health - contributed to her decision to leave UA. Skiles said even though she has moved more than 2,300 miles from Christopher City, she is unable to get rid of the smell of her old apartment. "My furniture still smells like Christopher City," said Skiles, who was studying psychology and eventually wanted to earn a doctoral degree. "My mom has used Febreeze on my sofa more times than I can count." In late September, Skiles contacted Christopher City maintenance about her illness. They flushed the air filter with bleach, but the smell persisted and her eyes still burned. "All along the way, they tell me that every so often there are problems with the air handlers," Skiles said. Christopher City maintenance staff also cleaned her carpet, but Skiles said it made no difference. In October, UA Campus Health officials told Skiles not to return to her apartment and signed a doctor's note stating that she should move out. Chemical analysis stated she had elevated liver levels, Skiles said. Risk Management conducted a report about the apartment and found that mold had grown on Skiles' air handlers, Skiles said. Christopher City gave Skiles the use of a guest apartment but she did not want to live there because the apartment smelled similar to her previous place. "I was not being overly picky here - they were not in the greatest shape," Skiles said. Van Arsdel said Residence Life helped Skiles as much as possible. "As I understand, our staff went to great lengths to determine what kind of problem there was," he said. "I don't have any doubt our staff took appropriate actions in that case - that's not a concern of mine." Skiles moved in with a friend, Charla Carr - who also lived at Christopher City - for the rest of the semester because she said she was tired of being sick. But Carr had problems with her apartment, too. Carr's daughter, Kylee, developed asthma about three months after the family moved into their apartment. Kylee, who had no previous or family history of asthma problems, developed asthma from mold in their apartment, Carr said. Kylee, 5, first had cold-like symptoms, and then she had trouble breathing at times. "I had asthma and it hurts because my tummy was hurt very bad," Kylee Carr said last week. "I feel happy I don't have it anymore." The family moved to an apartment closer to campus on Dec. 1 because of Kylee's health problems. Rosen said Carr's apartment had a different type of mold and also less mold than Skiles' apartment. Risk Management wrote a report about Carr's apartment Nov. 29 after Kylee became ill. The report, written by Rosen, stated black stains on Carr's insulated water pipes "suggested mold growth." Rosen found a "nickel-sized" black stain on a bedroom ceiling as well as mold in the air conditioner's condensation pan. Rosen said this mold would not have been present in the air while Carr lived there and would not have been a problem. She added that thousands of molds grow naturally. "In my opinion, there was very little mold at her apartment," Rosen said about Carr's residence. Van Arsdel said he has not personally spoken with Carr, but that his office acted appropriately. "I'm not aware of anything that we should have done that we haven't done," Van Arsdel said. Carr, a single parent, said she moved to Christopher City Aug. 1 from Seattle to earn a degree and provide a better future for her daughter. "I'm a little bitter," Carr said. "I think I'm really upset because people aren't aware of it." Carr was present while Southwest Hazard Control Inc., a Tucson hazardous materials remediation agency, painted over the pipes and bleached them. Rosen said her agency has conducted four complaint-driven reports in the last five years regarding Christopher City and the UA has taken action on all of them. The two latest reports were for the Carr and Skiles apartments. Another report was about pesticides used to control roaches and one was about an herbicide used in gravel. Martha Castleberry, Christopher City community services manager, said her office has received about a dozen complaints about health problems from residents during the past five years. Castleberry said the most frequent complaint residents make is about allergies with cold-like symptoms. "People get allergies that are so different, that's why its so hard to find out what's wrong with them" Castleberry said. She said many Christopher City residents are unaware of the danger of living in their apartments. "I firmly believe all the apartments have problems whether the residents are aware about it or not," Skiles said. Carr said she wants a decision made about Christopher City. "Just do something - close it down or fix it," Carr said. Like being strangled Three weeks after moving in, something was very wrong. Each time I climbed the stairs to my apartment, I wheezed. Once inside, I often felt like someone was strangling me, cutting off my air supply. I went to see my doctor. He told me I had asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or possibly both. 1. In November, I noticed slimy black mold - the kind you might find in the bathroom - on the window sills. Management said this happened all the time during the winter months; it was just condensation. Clean it with bleach, they said. That I did. Then the migraines came. For the next three months I also had continual sinus infections and strep throat. I blamed it all on the gas heat. It had been years since I lived in anything other than all-electric. When friends who visited complained of headaches that went away after they left the apartment, I still didn’t put two and two together.The only bright spot was Peaches and Mango, who by this time had joined me and had the run of the apartment. They would sit on my shoulder when I was on the computer or sewing, and "cuddle" with me when I watched TV. They were my new friends, in a new apartment, and new town. They were helping me to adjust to the empty nest syndrome.Something black was growing on the wall around the vent in the living room. I found the same splattering in my bedroom.But I continued to feel poorly. Then in March 2001 I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital for intestinal bleeding. I thought I had a severe case of food poisoningBy now, something black was growing on the wall around the heating and air-conditioning vent in the living room. The splattering grew to two feet by two feet across the ceiling and adjacent walls. I found the same thing in my bedroom. 1. Maintenance cleaned the black mold off with bleach. It came back. They cleaned it again, and applied a paint with fungicide. It came back.The cycle continued, even after maintenance said they had cleaned the ductwork and sprayed it with a fungicide. The biologist who came to my apartment discovered three types of mold, later identified as alternaria and rhizopus, both potentially toxic (see 1. Your Guide to Molds), and torulopus, implicated in some types of infections. Before leaving, he recommended that I crack the windows to allow more air to circulate and contact the codes compliance office of the city of Williamsburg. The city sent their own inspector to investigate, and he found the origin of the mold. It was in the insulation - not in the ductwork - that surrounded the intake vent for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Re: Mold at Canyon Springs Apartment in Lynnwood Washington Posted by empathetic on 8/11/03 1. Good luck. I lost everything I owned and am now living in a pop-up camper, having to move every couple of weeks. The laws are designed to protect the interest of the land owners, not the tenants. I had much medical and lab results identifying mold and pesticides and still couldn't get any justice. Try the media, governer's office, mayor's office, congressman' office. Type one letter and cc to all others with notation at bottom of cc recepients. Report your attorney to the attorney disciplinary board. Document everything, but remember, I had 'proof' and it still wasn't enough. On 8/08/03, DSmith wrote: > I lived at Canyon Springs apartment unit, bldg.C for three > years, 1998-2001. In that three years my son and I > experience one asthamtic cold after another along with > other medical conditions that the doctor could not diganois > correctly, even my doctor was wondering why we were having > so many colds, he never tested us for mold alergy.> I finally gave a 30 day notice to vacate my lease one > month early when I discovered mold growing through the > walls and in the carpet of my apartment.> When I told the manager about the mold and asked her to > come look at the unit she stated she could not come down > because she (Lisa) was pregent. She sent the matinence man > (Dewitt)down to look at the unit who stated that there was > water steeping in becasue of the flashing on the exterior > of the bldg which needed sealed, and he actually stated to > me that I better get used to the mold because I live in the > NW. I call Snohomish county health department to come to > the apartment and they stated they could not come to my > complex because there was so many cases of mold in > Snohomish county, Washington state apartments they could > not hangle the load. I chose to vacate the apartment in > doing so I now owe a termination fee of $1400.00. I made > sure that I took pictures and a viedo of the apartment upon > vacating and it is clear in the viedo that there was mold > growing in my apartment.> I sent my viedo and a letter stating what I experienced to > Washington state public health department in Olympia the > director of Washington state viewed the viedo and he could > see evidence from the viedo that there was mold growing on > the walls and through the carpet in my unit. In his letter > he refered me to the Snohomish county Department of > Planning and Develeopment and I contacted the Department of > Planning and Develeopment who sent me a letter stating they > could not handle the case because I had vacated the > apartment, if I would have stayed in the apartment they > could have come out and tested the apartment at a charge, > $125.00.> I went to a lawyer who view the viedo and stated I had a > case, I was charged $3500.00 after I took a year developing > this case than my lawyer wanted more money, the lawyer > stated it could cost me up to $20,000.00 to take this case > to court.> I decided to go to small claims court and at that court > hearing I was told I did not have resonable cause to move. > Even with evidence of the condition of the apartment and > $5000.00 later Canyon Springs is allowed to let this > condition exsit. I know that there are other cases against > this complex from other tenants that have or are dealing > with with mold in there units. I hope writting and posting > this message on this chatboard I can be of help to others > who are experiencing this same problem and make a statment > to owners of these apartments that they need to fix the > problem and should not charge tenants a fee for chosing to > vacate due to health issue.> If you have any question about this complex or any other > complex in Washington State please email me and I will help > you along in your process of getting a case together on > this complex or any other complex in Snohomish county, I > did a lot of work on my own and have alot of information > that is for Washington state residents and the issue with > mold....I could find no offical department of Washington > state that would stand up for our tenant rights.........> DSmith at DSmith9826@aol.comPosted by: Joshua / 3:40 PMTHIS WEBSITE AND BLOG ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED SOON. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REPRODUCE, COPY OR OTHERWISE. BECOME INFORMED ON HAZARDS TO YOUR HEALTH LIKE MOLD. THERE IS A LOT OF INFO HERE ABOUT OUR PROBLEMS, AS WELL AS FACTS TO HELP YOU. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME : JOSHUA.P.ANGELL@ATT.NETMOLD IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE EPA, THERE IS NO LEGAL AMOUNT OF MOLD IN A RENTAL DWELLING. TOXIC MOLD AND ALLERGENIC MOLDS IN LARGE AMOUNTS ARE HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH. Posted by: Joshua / 3:33 PMFeb. 14, 2004Dawn,After writing the email that we have printed out and place in the rent $$ deposit box, we continued to do research about mildews and molds. We have printed out for you our findings, which differ very much from what we have been told about what is going on in our apartment, as well as what was going on in apartment #1007, which we moved out of due to mildew/mold problems caused by a faulty AC unit.We no longer wish to live in such conditions. We are asking to be released from our lease, without penalty, so that we may begin looking for a new place to live. Please type out a release from our lease contract. Of course, we will continue to live here until we have found a new place, but will give ample notice to you once we do find a new place to live.As you may or may not be aware, Joshua is in the healthcare field, as well as his credentials and degrees. We believe that our apartment is unhealthy, do to our repeated headaches, dizziness, and nausea sensations. We have done extensive research into other people who have had the same problems in apartment dwellings, and due to our health issues(nausea, dizziness, headaches, breathing problems, sinus infections, chronic fatigue), and to our research, among problems with accusations from the maintenance staff, accusations from the management, and issues regarding noise levels, and being blocked in by other tenant’s cars, we believe it would be best for us to find a new place to live. All of these problems have made this living situation very unpleasant. We hope that you will respect our decision in this matter. Please provide us with a typed and signed letter releasing us from our apartment. We would also like to have you write in that letter the amount of rents that we have paid, and the dates that the rent was paid on, (for our protection so that we may have documentation of our payments, other than our cashed checks and banking statements). If you do not wish to write this in your letter of release to us, copies of rent receipts (including receipts from our stay in apartment #1007), will suffice.We are enclosing a verification letter, from the ACORN Housing Corporation, where we will begin the process of buying a place to live. We have pre-filled the letter out for you, and enclosed a copy. We are asking that you please fill it out and sign the form, and fax it back to us at1-512-331-5852. Please also staple a copy of this form to our letter of release, so that we will have a non-faxed copy. Please place all of this in a sealed envelope and leave it at our entryway.We appreciate your cooperation in this matter, and wish you and Mc Neil House the very best in your future endeavors.Tenants, apartment #6116280 Mc Neil DriveAustin, Texas 78729Posted by: Joshua / 3:22 PMFeb.21 2004From/Tenants #611 Joshua Angell DD,CNA,CHHA &James Wyckoff, Jr.To/ Mc Neil House ApartmentsWhat we want:Sanitizing of all personal items in Apartment #611/ and all personal property packed and moved to 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin.Since mold spores are microscopic, and nearly as light as air itself, they are easily drawn through heating and cooling system and the attached duct work. Spores also tend to lodge in the dirt within these systems as well as in the evaporator coils (the dirty ducts provide all the needed food sources and moisture for mold to grow). Therefore, all personal items will be packed and cleaned outside of the building.THE SPECIALISTS WILL BE PICKED BY THE TENANT’S.VERIFY MOLD/POLLUTION INSURANCENearly all contractor”s insurance policies have an exclusion relating to mold. Your contractor should provide proof of coverage with either an endorsement to his/her policy specifically stating mold remediation or a separate pollution insurance policy. Any remediation contractor properly trained and insured will be glad to provide you with this information. PREVENTION OF CROSS CONTAMINATIONSince mold spores (including molds that are not Toxic Black Mold) are microscopic and very light, attempted clean-up activities may actually spread the contamination while the contractor is trying to remove the mold spores. Containment boxes will be erected with negative pressure (i.e. a vacuum type environment) so that any contaminants will be drawn into the HEPA filtration, and not spread on the tenant’s property..HEPA FILTRATION High Efficiency Particle Arrestors (HEPA) filtering units will also be employed along with the containment boxes. These filtration units should be allowed to operate during cleaning or as suggested by the mold expert, as well as AT LEAST 72-120 hours after all remediation and final clean-up is complete, at the request of the tenants. Do not assume that your filtration is a true HEPA filtering device unless it is certified as true HEPA.DETAILED CLEANINGTenant’s property will be cleaned meticulously since microorganisms and spores thrive in dust and dirt. The property will all be cleaned thoroughly. Items such as the couch, love seat, pillows, waterbed mattress, box spring, etc. can not be cleaned and need to be removed and destroyed. (These items will be replaced at a cost to Mc Neil House)In addition to any items that can not be cleaned (as determined by the mold expert, Mc Neil House will pay for the tenants large air purifier@ $ 39.99 (that needs to be destroyed), as well as three wall socket air purifier units@ $19.95 each (that need to be destroyed).Professionally sanitize all of the tenants personal property and home furnishings that have been inside the apartment, and pack, box, and place into containers to be delivered to the Tenant’s new address, 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin Texas. (At the cost of Mc Neil House). The containers will be tested by a mold inspector (at the cost of Mc Neil House), and the results must be approved by the Tenant’s before being delivered.Since cleaning and packing will take time, Mc Neil House will pay for a hotel stay while it is being done, and must be a hotel that allows pets.In addition to this, since future health issues may occur, and because of the aggravation and inconvience of moving twice, soon to be three times, after our numerous complaints of mold in #1007 and #611 for Mc Neil House’s attempts to cover evidence of mold with white spray paint and having unqualified persons to diagnose the problems telling us it was nothing. (So we had a Certified Qualified individual inspect our dwelling confirming we had a serious mold infestation that occurred before us moving in and continues to grow due to improper remediation.) Thus, making it worse, we have had to live in these conditions and have recurrent sinus infections, headaches, dizziness, noise level problems, being blocked in by cars, etc., Mc Neil House will refund all rent monies paid while at Apartment #611. If this is agreed to the tenants will not seek rent monies and damages from Apartment #1007.Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________FINAL SAMPLING OF PERSONAL PROPERTYSampling via various methods (cultures, air samples, swab samples, etc.) will be done. Since spores are microscopic, the only way to verify and document that the proper cleaning has been completed successfully is to have sampling done by an independent 3rd party. An independent 3rd party, trained in mold remediation and sampling, will take the samples AND interpret the results.(To be approved by the Tenants). Samples should be taken aggressively. A reference sample will also be taken of outside conditions for analysis and comparison. NOTE: Final sampling will not be considered until all visible dirt and dust has been removed and professionally sanitized on all of the personal property. It is impossible to remove 100% of all contaminants from surfaces, but dusty and dirty conditions will not be sufficient. The goal of final sampling is to make the tenant’s comfortable with moving their property into their new home, by providing a report that the items have been cleaned successfully.RECONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITIONAny reconstruction or demolition of the apartment will not begin until all of the Tenants property has been professionally sanitized and moved to 5203 Heritage Village Drive Austin ,Texas.(at a cost to Mc Neil House) CONTRACTOR/ Mold Expert VERIFICATIONI verify that each of the above steps, and any other necessary steps, have been completed as noted above. I verify that my results are accurate, and I have no affiliation with Mc Neil House Apts., other than that is who is paying for my services. As of this date , ______________, I have completed each of the above steps and the final samples and final results have been collected and approved by an independent 3rd party trained in proper sampling protocol and I verify that all samples have been handled following the proper chain-of-custody.Certified Mold Remediation Expert / Name _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY / Tenant : _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY / Tenant : _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY /Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY /Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________Mc Neil House:I Understand that:During and after removal or remediation of the mold, it may be necessary(as determined by the mold expert) to conduct sampling to determine if sanitizing has been successful. (This will be performed at a cost to Mc Neil House.)Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________Professionally sanitize all of the tenants personal property and home furnishings that have been inside the apartment, and pack, box, and place into containers to be delivered to the Tenant’s new address, 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin Texas. (At the cost of Mc Neil House). The containers will be tested by a mold inspector, and the results must be approved by the Tenant’s before being delivered.I understand that all personal property will be cleaned and sanitized, packed and boxed and delivered to 5203 Heritage Village Drive, Austin, at a cost to Mc Neil House.Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________Agreement Not To Publicize Problems:If this contract is agreed to in full form, the Tenant’s agree not to publicize that they have ever had a problem in any sort or fashion, with Mc Neil House Apartments.If this contract is not agreed to by Mc Neil House, both tenants maintain the right of free speech and may publicize any issues they have had while living at Mc Neil House, in any way shape or form(i.e. over 100 pictures ,samples, statements, detailed notes of all requests, copies of letters sent and given, professional mold expert documentation, a can of KILZ spray paint left behind on the day the vents were to be cleaned, etc. ).Mc Neil House/ Tenant: _________________ DATE __________________Mc Neil House/ Tenant: _________________ DATE __________________WITNESSED BY /Mc Neil House/ Name & Title: _________________ DATE __________________MC NEIL HOUSE MUST RESPOND WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS, IN WRITING.Posted by: Joshua / 3:22 PMQ. If mold is present in the walls of home when it is being built will the mold go away after the walls are sealed up as long as no water enters that wall area?1. A. No, mold does not "go away" after walls of a new home are sealed. If mold spores and mold growth are denied access to current moisture, they will simply go dormant, waiting for future water from high humidity [above 60%] or future roof leaks, plumbing leaks, etc. Even the smell of dormant mold can make some people sick. Mold needs to be removed from all new home timbers and building materials, and then the mold decontaminated area needs to be sprayed with two wet spray coatings of Coverage Plus mold fungicide and Tim-bor antimicrobial coating. 1. Exposure to mold is not healthy for anyone but the following individuals are at a higher risk for adverse heath effects: infants, children, elderly, immune compromised patients, pregnant women, and individuals with existing respiratory conditions. When inhaled, even in small amounts, mold can cause a wide range of health problems including respiratory problems (wheezing), nasal and sinus congestion, watery and red eyes, nose and throat irritation, skin irritation, aches and pains, fevers, and in some cases even death.A person who ingests or inhales a large number of spores may suffer adverse health effects.1. What health effects can be caused by exposure to mold?Exposure to any mold could cause health effects (e.g., allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itching, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache and fatigue) under the right conditions. Similarly, the same amount of mold may cause health effects in one person, but not in another, because some people are more sensitive to molds than others. These include:infants and children elderly persons immune compromised patients (i.e., people with HIV infection, cancer, liver disease, etc., or who are under-going chemotherapy) individuals with existing respiratory conditions, such as allergies and asthma. Should I be concerned about mold in my home?When airborne mold spores are present in large numbers, they can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, asthma episodes, infections and other respiratory problems for people. Exposure to high spore levels can cause the development of an allergy to the mold. Mold also can cause structural damage to your home.Can my home be tested for mold?1. Testing for molds is very difficult and expensive. Homeowners must hire a contractor to test their homes. Even if testing is done, no standards exist to judge what are acceptable amounts of mold. Testing cannot determine whether health effects will occur. Mold is normally found outdoors and counts fluctuate from day to day depending on the season. Due to the uncertainties associated with testing for molds, it is not recommended in most cases. If you can see or smell mold, testing is usually not necessary. It needs to be cleaned up.Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing.Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. .Not everyone has the same sensitivity to mold so it is possible for one person to experience discomfort while others living in the home to have no symptoms whatsoever. Individuals at the greatest risk include: Allergy and asthma sufferers. People with respiratory disease. People with compromised immune systems. Contact lens wearers. If mold in your home is the source of these issues, you will find that your health improves if you are away from your home for an extended period of time. Common symptoms of exposure to mold range from the following: Headache, fatigue, shortness of breath. Sinus congestion, coughing and sneezing. Eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Dizziness and nausea. Why are we concerned about mold? Small amounts of mold growth in workplaces or homes (such as mildew on a shower curtain) or workplaces are not a major concern, but no mold should be permitted to grow and multiply indoors. When molds are present in large quantities, they may cause nuisance odors and health problems for some people. Mold can damage building materials, finishes and home furnishings. Some molds can cause structural damage to wood.How do molds affect people? Most people will have no reaction at all when exposed to molds. Allergic reactions, similar to common pollen or animal allergies, are the most common health effects for individuals sensitive to molds. Flu-like symptoms and skin rash may occur. Molds may also aggravate asthma. Fungal infections from building-associated molds may occur in people with serious immune disease but this is very rare. Who is affected by exposure to mold? For those who are affected by mold exposure, there can be a wide variation in how they react. People who may be affected more severely and quickly than others include:infants and children elderly people pregnant women individuals with respiratory conditions or allergies and asthma persons with weakened immune systems (for example, people with HIV infection, chemotherapy patients, or organ or bone marrow transplant recipients, autoimmune diseases.) Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.1. The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.NOTE: There are laws against endangerment of your health. The more people that know about the problem, the less likely the owner/manager is to continue endangering your health or to take illegal actions against you.Going to court is likely to take too long to keep you from further health problems, such as acquiring a life-long lung disease due to the mold. There are currently no legal limits on the amounts or types of mold in occupied buildings.1. If the owner/manager fails to quickly eliminate the mold problem, then you should do the following before the apartment owner/manager has a chance to cover-up the mold:Some molds that propagate indoors may, under some conditions, produce mycotoxins that can adversely affect living cells and organisms by a variety of mechanisms. Adverse effects of molds and mycotoxins have been recognized for centuries following ingestion of contaminated foods. Occupational diseases are also recognized in association with inhalation exposure to fungi, bacteria, and other organic matter, usually in industrial or agricultural settings. Molds growing indoors are believed by some to cause building-related symptoms. Despite a voluminous literature on the subject, the causal association remains weak and unproven, particularly with respect to causation by mycotoxins. One mold in particular, Stachybotrys chartarum, is blamed for a diverse array of maladies when it is found indoors. Despite its well-known ability to produce mycotoxins under appropriate growth conditions, years of intensive study have failed to establish exposure to S. chartarum in home, school, or office environments as a cause of adverse human health effects. Levels of exposure in the indoor environment, dose-response data in animals, and dose-rate considerations suggest that delivery by the inhalation route of a toxic dose of mycotoxins in the indoor environment is highly unlikely at best, even for the hypothetically most vulnerable subpopulations. Normal building materials and furnishings provide ample nutrition for many species of molds, but they can grow and amplify indoors only when there is an adequate supply of moisture. Where mold grows indoors there is an inappropriate source of water that must be corrected before remediation of the mold colonization can succeed. Mold growth in the home, school, or office environment should not be tolerated because mold physically destroys the building materials on which it grows, mold growth is unsightly and may produce offensive odors, and mold is likely to sensitize and produce allergic responses in allergic individuals.Molds and other fungi may adversely affect human health through three processes: 1) allergy; 2) infection; and 3) toxicity. One can estimate that about 10% of the population has allergic antibodies to fungal antigens. Only half of these, or 5%, would be expected to show clinical illness. Furthermore, outdoor molds are generally more abundant and important in airway allergic disease than indoor molds — leaving the latter with an important, but minor overall role in allergic airway disease. Allergic responses are most commonly experienced as allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis ("hay fever"). A rare, but much more serious immune-related condition, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), may follow exposure (usually occupational) to very high concentrations of fungal (and other microbial) proteins. Some molds have been known to produce toxins that are harmful to animals and humans when ingested, inhaled or in contact with the skin. The molds that produce toxins are known as toxigenic molds. The earliest known toxigenic molds, primarily Claviceps purpurea, produce the substance ergot. The ergot molds infect rye, grains and other grasses. Ingestion of ergot contaminated rye or other cereals causes ergotism. There are two types of ergotism recognized clinically: gangrenous and convulsive. Gangrenous ergotism affects the extremities as well as causes gastrointestinal symptoms. Convulsive ergotism affects the nerve system causing brain and spinal lesions which can lead to death or permanent mental impairment.Many molds in addition to ergot molds produce secondary toxic metabolites, such as alkaloids, cyclopeptides, and coumarins. Metabolites that can produce adverse health effects (mycotoxicoses) in animals and humans are collectively known as mycotoxins. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) publication on mycotoxins, available in 1990, indicated that there are more than 200 mycotoxins produced by a variety of common molds. Historically, mycotoxins are a problem to farmers and food industries and in Eastern European and third world countries. However, many toxigenic molds, such as Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra) and species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, have been found to infest buildings with known indoor air and building-related problems.In addition to mycotoxins, volatile organic compounds (moldy odors) released from actively growing molds may also pose a health risk.What are the health effects of mycotoxins?Mycotoxins may cause a variety of short-term as well as long-term adverse health effects. This ranges from immediate toxic response and immune-suppression to the potential long-term carcinogenic effect. Symptoms due to mycotoxins or toxins-containing airborne spores (particularly those of Stachybotrys chartarum) include dermatitis, recurring cold and flu-like symptoms, burning sore throat, headaches and excessive fatigue, diarrhea, and impaired or altered immune function. The ability of the body to fight off infectious diseases may be weakened resulting in opportunistic infections. Certain mycotoxins, such as zearalenone (F2 toxin), can cause infertility and stillbirths in pigs. Because these symptoms may also be caused by many other diseases, misdiagnoses of mycotoxin exposures are common. There are very few physicians with the experience or expertise in correctly diagnosing mycotoxin exposures or mycotoxicoses. Occupational or building-related exposures to mycotoxins through inhalation are slowly being recognized as a major indoor air quality problem. Generally, removal of causative agents is necessary. Treatment for symptomatic mycotoxicosis may be required. If exposure to molds and mycotoxins is suspected, consult an occupational health professional. Fungal growth in an indoor environment is often related to the availability of nutrient, water/moisture, proper temperature range and the presence of inoculum (often fungal spores). The key factor is water/moisture. Moisture control to reduce condensation and free water will prevent or control fungal growth.In an environment where water/moisture-related problems often lead to fungal growth, rapid response to the problem is the key solution. Mold-infested materials should be removed and replaced (see also below). Materials that can not be replaced should be decontaminated or treated. Consult an environmental microbiologist for such decontamination treatments. Proper project design and procedures are an important factor in a successful decontamination project. Biocidal application may be necessary under certain conditions. More importantly, before any decontamination is performed, water and excessive moisture must be controlled and eliminated.Most importantly, fungal infestation may be directly correlated with building operation and maintenance. Spores of Stachybotrys chartarum are wet and slimy. They do not easily become airborne. Their dissemination is likely through insects (such as cockroaches), rodents, water incursion or air stream. Without the assistance of insects, rodents and free running water, the likelihood of Stachybotrys chartarum spreading from one location to the other requires the disturbance of a dried slimy spore mass. Spores and hyphae of S. chartarum have been detected in air samples. Any detection of S. chartarum spores in indoor air should be considered significant.To prevent or eliminate fungal infestation in buildings, the following procedures should be observed:1. Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems must be properly filtered and maintained. 2. Water intrusion must be taken care of within 24 hours. Never overlook small leaks. Ignored small leaks are much more problematic than a properly handled major flood. For additional information on the proper handling of water intrusion, please see Enviros Vol. 3, No. 8 (August 1993); back issues are available. 3. Proper handling and storage of food to keep insects and rodents away from buildings. 4. In a warm, humid climate, a building engineer should be consulted to make sure that a moisture barrier is properly installed and that no condensation will occur. 5. Install dehumidifiers in areas where humidity is constantly high. Keep relative humidity between 20% and 50%. 6. If large areas of contamination are determined, asbestos-like remediation procedures are necessary. Consult an industrial hygienist with experience in asbestos remediation procedures, as well as in biohazard remediation. If a building is known to have extensive fungal growth, consult an industrial hygienist with training and experience in microbiological control. Human and environmental protection must be observed when removing and handling fungal contaminated materials.A case of attempted suicide with purified aflatoxin [B.sub.1] is reported to have occurred in 1966 in the USA. A young woman ingested a total of 5.5 mg of aflatoxin [B.sub.1] over 2 days and, 6 months later, a total of 35 mg over 2 weeks. Following the first exposure, she was admitted to hospital with a transient, nonpruritic, macular rash, nausea and headache; the second time she reported nausea only. Mold, in some of its myriad forms, has long been known to cause serious damage to some people's pulmonary systems. But over the last five years, for a mix of reasons, the literally creepy substance has also exerted increasing strains on the real estate industry, the insurance industry, the court system and architectural and construction practices.I've seen people become deathly ill," Mr. Krell said.Which hardly means that mold is harmless. "We know that there are a range of health effects related to mold exposure," said Dr. Maida P. Galvez"We know that families with strong histories of allergic diseases are more susceptible to these exposures," Dr. Galvez said, "that mold can exacerbate these conditions." At a minimum, mold can cause eye, ear, nose and throat irritation, as well as coughing and wheezing — sometimes severe and unrelenting.Still, mold can be deadly. Dr. Jordan Fink, a professor in the allergy and immunology division of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, said mold can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, resulting in progressive lung impairment. "There have been fatal cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis," he said, "because of the inflammation and scarring of pulmonary tissue." Mold thrives on moisture. And, as Mr. Garcia emphasized, remediation requires elimination of the source. "Whatever caused water damage must be fixed," he said. "Realistically, that should be done before the cleaning, because the mold will come back." Better yet, leaks should be eliminated before mold ever takes root.If mold does become visible — a big if, given that it also thrives in a building's dark recesses — a cleanup is in order.The Old Testament, while genteelly referring to mold as mildew, offers a harsh prescription. Speaking of "the priest," Leviticus 14, says: "If mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out." If mildew reappears, it says, "the house must be torn down."Mold releases microscopic fungal spores that, if inhaled, can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in sensitive people, Reynolds explains. It can also lead to sinus infections.Mold in the La Venezia ApartmentsLet me begin by introducing myself. My name is Gina Lewis and I moved into the apartments at La Venezia in November 2002. We moved out in April 2003. My husband, 3-year-old son and I were very impressed with the spacious apartment we moved into (Apartment 212). We wanted to make it homey and nice. We were welcomed with open arms and given a checklist. We were asked to write down any problems we thought there were with the apartment. We noticed a stain on the wall in our master bedroom and reported it to the maintenance person, Chris, (no longer with La Venezia). At first we thought we might have spilled coffee or tea on the wall and my husband painted over it. The stain reappeared after it had rained. We called maintenance again, but the problem was never fixed. At the time we rented the apartment, the complex was not owned by LaVenezia, L.L.C. It was operated and managed by Epoch Management.FEELING SICK around December 2002My son began getting cold symptoms. We started bringing him to the doctor and he was placed on antibiotic after antibiotic. He had diarrhea, green mucous discharge constantly running from his nose, temperatures, ear infections, etc. I remember one day driving in the car and he was on antibiotics and he tried to blow that discharge from his nose, but it would not come out. He said, “Mommy, look, I can breathe!” I thought, thank God. Hopefully this will be the last of it. However, it just kept continuing. We were constantly called to take my son out of daycare because of his high temperatures and vomiting. Let me state that his symptoms began well before he was placed in daycare. I was constantly out of work because of respiratory problems, bronchitis, ear infections, diarrhea, headaches, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, etc. Someone would ask me a question and a minute later I would forget the question or I would begin slurring my words. I was so forgetful. I never had any problems with asthma or my breathing before moving into La Venezia. We moved out of La Venezia in April, however I am still sick. I keep getting ear infections, my body constantly aches like the flu, I am exhausted all the time and I am going to be seen by a specialist shortly. The doctors are perplexed and my family is very worried about me. This has been a constant battle and I just want my health back so that I can enjoy time with my family. After work, I just go home and go to sleep. I sleep the weekends away and I am constantly taking Advil or placed on antibiotics. My husband was very ill while living at LaVenezia also. He also had breathing problems, diarrhea, headaches, etc.THE NEW OWNER AND HIS CONCERN FOR RESIDENTSIn January, I had spoken to David Taylor and he told me that he was not aware of the problems because he had just bought LaVenezia in January. He offered to move us into another apartment building after many letters and he was very cooperative when the health inspector came to point out the mold, the roof leaks, the cracks, poor paint jobs, window leaks, etc. He was somewhat apprehensive, but moved us into another building. We were also not obligated to the Lease Agreement from that day forward as I knew a little about Florida Law and the responsibility of the owner. Even though the health inspector showed him the problems and the mold in apartment 212, David Taylor would not admit to mold. He would only admit to water or plumbing problems. I find that quite peculiar, as water damage is the cause of mold.When Bob Kallotte (the health inspector) mentioned court to David Taylor and made a comment on David Taylor’s Rolex watch, David Taylor said that he wouldn’t be wearing that Rolex watch in court if he had to go. David Taylor also said to me that he had to worry about the buildings because of the next rainstorm. I find it strange that Florida has had an unusual amount of rain this season. Have you noticed any water intrusion in your apartment? The maintenance person, Ryan Berry came into our second apartment to look at the air conditioning unit and the window leaks we were complaining about. He said to my husband that he did not understand why we had window leaks as they had cleaned those windows up real good. Did you know that painting over mold or putting sealer over the mold only masks the problem? In fact, David Taylor sent us a letter from an “inspector”, Tony Posa. This “inspector” did inspections for hotels, yet we received an inspection from this man stating that there was no mold in our apartment. I thought it was a coincidence that the maintenance manager was hired by David Taylor and previously worked in the hotel industry. I found it interesting that we received a notice on our door from management saying they were doing air quality testing. What type of air quality testing? How thorough? How objective? Was it because they were looking out for our health or was it an attempt to make us believe that there were no mold problems with inadequate testing? Have you noticed the late night commercials regarding renting apartments at LaVenezia? They show the beautiful property, but they don’t show any remediation.DANGER - APARTMENT NUMBER TWO AND THE THREATS BEGINIt was not long before David Taylor and Beverly Crafts changed their attitude to nasty. I was approached by Beverly Crafts and David Taylor in a golf cart outside of my apartment (1875) before a gathering at the clubhouse. They were trying to intimidate me and I was in the car with my mother and son. David Taylor asked why I was still living there and why I was smoking if my mother had COPD. I responded by telling him that I was not smoking inside the car and I would not subject my mother and son to the smoke. Also take into consideration that when we did smoke, we went outside onto the lanai. We never smoked in the apartment. Of course he tried to blame our health issues on smoking.I found it ironic that he would bring this hypocrisy up in front of Beverly Crafts who does smoke. I also know the risks of smoking and health, but I have never heard that smoking contributes to memory loss, urinary tract infections and yeast infections. I chose to put a cigarette in my mouth and light it, however I did not choose to breathe in mold spores, I was forced without my knowledge. I also wonder how my son and mother (both nonsmokers) could develop breathing problems and a list of medical issues. Beverly Crafts called me crazy. At that time, I suggested to Mr. Taylor, if he wanted us to move he could waive our cost of rent and we would immediately move out. He did not respond well to that. In fact, he said, “It’s all about money with you isn’t it Gina?” I say to myself, all about money? Here we were paying for a hotel room, throwing away all of our belongings because of mold contamination, out of money, robbed of our health, out of health insurance, a child constantly having diarrhea and a green discharge from his nose, etc. and here is a man who has a wife and son highly allergic to mold.I wrote David Taylor a letter offering him and his family to live in Apartment 1825 while we were staying at the hotel. Of course he did not subject his family to the mold spores. I don’t think the man cared if we were homeless and sick or not. All he could think of was his business and his money. He then asked if my employer was aware that I was faxing letters to LaVenezia’s office. I explained that my employer’s assistant was well aware of what I had been doing. He also pointed out that he and his brother knew Larry Sewell (employer at the time) very well. I found it no coincidence that I lost my job soon after that.THE POLICE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR The same exact day following the golf cart incident, I was stopped by Beverly Crafts as I proceeded to go into the clubhouse to follow a neighbor (Pam Billichuk). She told me that I could not come in. I told her that I could and I did go into the clubhouse. The next thing I know, David Taylor pulls me to the side and tried to hint to me that he was my friend and that I should leave or Beverly would call the police. I gave him a wink and said sure you are my friend David. After all, who is in charge at LaVenezia, David Taylor or Beverly Crafts? I was peacefully handing out factual informational flyers and I believe that they did not want this information known to the other residents. I went back to my apartment to cook supper. Let me point out that we were paying rent at LaVenezia and paying for a hotel room at the same time because the apartment was uninhabitable. We could not cook dinner at the hotel so I proceeded to go to the Apartment 1825 and cook dinner when I heard a loud knock at my door. It was the police. They said they received a complaint that I was screaming across the clubhouse. Of course that was not true. I was told to remain silent and listen to what I could and could not do there. I patiently listened. I am legally allowed to send mail and also to stand outside of the clubhouse and hand out informational flyers to those who are willing to receive them. The second choice was not an option as I knew that David Taylor and Beverly Crafts would lie and call the police on me again. I thought this was funny…..after I received the riot act, one of the policemen asked me who he could call regarding mold in his home.MOM UNDERGOES UNNECESSARY SURGERYMy mother got very ill in Apartment 1825 after staying there for just a few hours. I had to fly to her home because the doctors could not understand what was wrong with her and thought she might be having heart trouble. She underwent a catheterization and the doctor did not find any blockage. Finally, she was placed on Prednisone an inhaler and an antibiotic. She was on her way to feeling better, but it was very stressful and scary.IF WE HAD ONLY KNOWN! In short, I am deeply disturbed that we rented from management and they were aware or shortly became very aware of mold issues. However, they continue to partially work on half of a building while the other half is still occupied. That is unheard of. There are dumpsters filled with wood and the smell of mold. There are apartments occupied that have not been remediated. People are getting sick and they don’t even know that it is caused by water intrusion leading to mold spores. Take a walk around your apartment complex and you will see for yourself. Doesn’t it seem strange to you that they are fixing the outside of the apartment buildings, but yet they are not tearing down the inside walls? We only saw the water damage in our apartment when management opened the wall and the ant infestation poured out. David Taylor had maintenance come in to work in apartment 212 while my husband was still moving. My husband had no idea the maintenance person was going to open the wall while he was in there. The man opened the wall and ants came pouring out onto the ceiling, the walls and the floors. My husband pulled out the video camera and taped it. That would explain the ant problem that we constantly had. Ants follow the water. Two movers from Two Men and a Truck were present that day and could not believe their eyes.MOVED OUT AND STILL FACING HEALTH ISSUESBeverly Crafts has called me crazy, she has also told me that I should move from Florida because there is mold everywhere, I have been threatened, I have lost jobs and my health. My husband has also lost his job. I have been harassed and threatened, however, I will continue with my freedom of speech and my purpose to make residents aware of this issue. I urge you to contact your Sarasota County Health Inspector, Bob Kallotte if you have been sick. The Sarasota County Health Department (Robert Kallotte) inspected our apartment at 212 in February 2003 and it is documented quite clearly that there was mold throughout the apartment due to water leaks. These records are public. Anyone can call and request any inspections done at LaVenezia. Don’t believe me. Make a call. See for yourself. WHY I CHOOSE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS The purpose of this letter is to create awareness in your LaVenezia apartment complex. Take a look around and see the cracks on the buildings, wood all over the place in dumpsters, etc. You will also see and smell mold. Now look to see if that building is unoccupied. The building should be empty while they are doing this work and the residents should be notified. Why? Simply because those microscopic mold spores cannot be seen with the naked eye. I do not want anyone else to experience this unhealthy exposure and the domino affect. However, I already know people who have lived there and have been sick. This issue has become so important to me that I am joining other groups to volunteer my time to set guidelines through the Environmental Protection Agency and legislature. Don’t kid yourself. This issue should be very important to the health insurance industry. After all, there are so many people who go to the doctor repeatedly because they are sick and they are initially told that they have a cold. Our tax dollars pay for this. The elderly are at stake and what about the out-of-pocket costs to pet owners? Please email if you wish to discuss this. My email address is….Ginalewis@hotmail.com. My telephone number is 918-9475. I can email you pictures and documentation or I can meet with you regarding this. You should be concerned for your health and your family’s health. You should also be concerned for your neighbor’s health.Sincerely, Gina LewisCc: David TaylorBeverly CraftsRobert KallotteMost people think that if they have mold, they must be a horrible housekeeper. Let me assure you that I have videos of my apartment and it was very clean. People are afraid to bring this issue up as they feel they may be accused of being a dirty person. Mold has nothing to do with housekeeping. Mold is caused by poor construction and water intrusion. Water that is dormant for 72 hours turns into dirty water causing mold. It is the mold spores that cause people to be ill. I have heard so many people defend themselves by stating they are clean people. Mold does not discriminate. Mold should not be growing in your apartment. 1. By Rachael Myer Arizona Daily Wildcat,February 14, 2000 Toxic mold from a former Christopher City resident's apartment probably caused stomach, intestinal and balance problems, a UA risk management official said Thursday. Kathy Skiles, who lived at the University of Arizona's family housing complex last semester, said she suffered health problems from her apartment that caused her to leave the UA in January. Julia Rosen, health and safety officer for Risk Management, is scheduled to finish a report this week about the mold in Skiles' carpeting at Christopher City Apartment Complex, 3401 N. Columbus Blvd. The complex houses UA students with families as well as many international students. "I think it could have explained her symptoms," Rosen said about the mold. Water dripped onto Skiles' carpet, which was made out of cellulose and allowed toxic mold to develop, Rosen said. "I'm compiling the results of our samples, and I need to get that report to Residence Life," Rosen said. James Van Arsdel, Residence Life director, said he was aware the report was being written by Rosen, but did not have first-hand knowledge of its findings. "Obviously it concluded that a resident may have come into contact with something that could have some adverse effect on them," Van Arsdel said. "It's hard for me to say anything else until I know what Julie (Rosen) has to say." But Van Arsdel said he was unsure of the mold's effect on Skiles. "I don't know if we can absolutely say that is what caused someone's symptoms," Van Arsdel said about the carpet mold. Skiles' problems began about the time she moved into her apartment, 32-G, in August. She said the apartment had a strong odor that is unlike anything she has ever smelled before. Her problems started as a runny nose and a headache, but developed into stomach and intestinal problems, as well as difficulty balancing. "In the earlier (part of the) semester, I was like a dead person walking - I was so sick," Skiles said in a telephone interview from Pennsylvania. "Six months ago, I had all these dreams and these things going for me," Skiles said. She added that personal problems - as well as poor health - contributed to her decision to leave UA. Skiles said even though she has moved more than 2,300 miles from Christopher City, she is unable to get rid of the smell of her old apartment. "My furniture still smells like Christopher City," said Skiles, who was studying psychology and eventually wanted to earn a doctoral degree. "My mom has used Febreeze on my sofa more times than I can count." In late September, Skiles contacted Christopher City maintenance about her illness. They flushed the air filter with bleach, but the smell persisted and her eyes still burned. "All along the way, they tell me that every so often there are problems with the air handlers," Skiles said. Christopher City maintenance staff also cleaned her carpet, but Skiles said it made no difference. In October, UA Campus Health officials told Skiles not to return to her apartment and signed a doctor's note stating that she should move out. Chemical analysis stated she had elevated liver levels, Skiles said. Risk Management conducted a report about the apartment and found that mold had grown on Skiles' air handlers, Skiles said. Christopher City gave Skiles the use of a guest apartment but she did not want to live there because the apartment smelled similar to her previous place. "I was not being overly picky here - they were not in the greatest shape," Skiles said. Van Arsdel said Residence Life helped Skiles as much as possible. "As I understand, our staff went to great lengths to determine what kind of problem there was," he said. "I don't have any doubt our staff took appropriate actions in that case - that's not a concern of mine." Skiles moved in with a friend, Charla Carr - who also lived at Christopher City - for the rest of the semester because she said she was tired of being sick. But Carr had problems with her apartment, too. Carr's daughter, Kylee, developed asthma about three months after the family moved into their apartment. Kylee, who had no previous or family history of asthma problems, developed asthma from mold in their apartment, Carr said. Kylee, 5, first had cold-like symptoms, and then she had trouble breathing at times. "I had asthma and it hurts because my tummy was hurt very bad," Kylee Carr said last week. "I feel happy I don't have it anymore." The family moved to an apartment closer to campus on Dec. 1 because of Kylee's health problems. Rosen said Carr's apartment had a different type of mold and also less mold than Skiles' apartment. Risk Management wrote a report about Carr's apartment Nov. 29 after Kylee became ill. The report, written by Rosen, stated black stains on Carr's insulated water pipes "suggested mold growth." Rosen found a "nickel-sized" black stain on a bedroom ceiling as well as mold in the air conditioner's condensation pan. Rosen said this mold would not have been present in the air while Carr lived there and would not have been a problem. She added that thousands of molds grow naturally. "In my opinion, there was very little mold at her apartment," Rosen said about Carr's residence. Van Arsdel said he has not personally spoken with Carr, but that his office acted appropriately. "I'm not aware of anything that we should have done that we haven't done," Van Arsdel said. Carr, a single parent, said she moved to Christopher City Aug. 1 from Seattle to earn a degree and provide a better future for her daughter. "I'm a little bitter," Carr said. "I think I'm really upset because people aren't aware of it." Carr was present while Southwest Hazard Control Inc., a Tucson hazardous materials remediation agency, painted over the pipes and bleached them. Rosen said her agency has conducted four complaint-driven reports in the last five years regarding Christopher City and the UA has taken action on all of them. The two latest reports were for the Carr and Skiles apartments. Another report was about pesticides used to control roaches and one was about an herbicide used in gravel. Martha Castleberry, Christopher City community services manager, said her office has received about a dozen complaints about health problems from residents during the past five years. Castleberry said the most frequent complaint residents make is about allergies with cold-like symptoms. "People get allergies that are so different, that's why its so hard to find out what's wrong with them" Castleberry said. She said many Christopher City residents are unaware of the danger of living in their apartments. "I firmly believe all the apartments have problems whether the residents are aware about it or not," Skiles said. Carr said she wants a decision made about Christopher City. "Just do something - close it down or fix it," Carr said. Like being strangled Three weeks after moving in, something was very wrong. Each time I climbed the stairs to my apartment, I wheezed. Once inside, I often felt like someone was strangling me, cutting off my air supply. I went to see my doctor. He told me I had asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or possibly both. 1. In November, I noticed slimy black mold - the kind you might find in the bathroom - on the window sills. Management said this happened all the time during the winter months; it was just condensation. Clean it with bleach, they said. That I did. Then the migraines came. For the next three months I also had continual sinus infections and strep throat. I blamed it all on the gas heat. It had been years since I lived in anything other than all-electric. When friends who visited complained of headaches that went away after they left the apartment, I still didn’t put two and two together.The only bright spot was Peaches and Mango, who by this time had joined me and had the run of the apartment. They would sit on my shoulder when I was on the computer or sewing, and "cuddle" with me when I watched TV. They were my new friends, in a new apartment, and new town. They were helping me to adjust to the empty nest syndrome.Something black was growing on the wall around the vent in the living room. I found the same splattering in my bedroom.But I continued to feel poorly. Then in March 2001 I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital for intestinal bleeding. I thought I had a severe case of food poisoningBy now, something black was growing on the wall around the heating and air-conditioning vent in the living room. The splattering grew to two feet by two feet across the ceiling and adjacent walls. I found the same thing in my bedroom. 1. Maintenance cleaned the black mold off with bleach. It came back. They cleaned it again, and applied a paint with fungicide. It came back.The cycle continued, even after maintenance said they had cleaned the ductwork and sprayed it with a fungicide. The biologist who came to my apartment discovered three types of mold, later identified as alternaria and rhizopus, both potentially toxic (see 1. Your Guide to Molds), and torulopus, implicated in some types of infections. Before leaving, he recommended that I crack the windows to allow more air to circulate and contact the codes compliance office of the city of Williamsburg. The city sent their own inspector to investigate, and he found the origin of the mold. It was in the insulation - not in the ductwork - that surrounded the intake vent for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Re: Mold at Canyon Springs Apartment in Lynnwood Washington Posted by empathetic on 8/11/03 1. Good luck. I lost everything I owned and am now living in a pop-up camper, having to move every couple of weeks. The laws are designed to protect the interest of the land owners, not the tenants. I had much medical and lab results identifying mold and pesticides and still couldn't get any justice. Try the media, governer's office, mayor's office, congressman' office. Type one letter and cc to all others with notation at bottom of cc recepients. Report your attorney to the attorney disciplinary board. Document everything, but remember, I had 'proof' and it still wasn't enough. On 8/08/03, DSmith wrote: > I lived at Canyon Springs apartment unit, bldg.C for three > years, 1998-2001. In that three years my son and I > experience one asthamtic cold after another along with > other medical conditions that the doctor could not diganois > correctly, even my doctor was wondering why we were having > so many colds, he never tested us for mold alergy.> I finally gave a 30 day notice to vacate my lease one > month early when I discovered mold growing through the > walls and in the carpet of my apartment.> When I told the manager about the mold and asked her to > come look at the unit she stated she could not come down > because she (Lisa) was pregent. She sent the matinence man > (Dewitt)down to look at the unit who stated that there was > water steeping in becasue of the flashing on the exterior > of the bldg which needed sealed, and he actually stated to > me that I better get used to the mold because I live in the > NW. I call Snohomish county health department to come to > the apartment and they stated they could not come to my > complex because there was so many cases of mold in > Snohomish county, Washington state apartments they could > not hangle the load. I chose to vacate the apartment in > doing so I now owe a termination fee of $1400.00. I made > sure that I took pictures and a viedo of the apartment upon > vacating and it is clear in the viedo that there was mold > growing in my apartment.> I sent my viedo and a letter stating what I experienced to > Washington state public health department in Olympia the > director of Washington state viewed the viedo and he could > see evidence from the viedo that there was mold growing on > the walls and through the carpet in my unit. In his letter > he refered me to the Snohomish county Department of > Planning and Develeopment and I contacted the Department of > Planning and Develeopment who sent me a letter stating they > could not handle the case because I had vacated the > apartment, if I would have stayed in the apartment they > could have come out and tested the apartment at a charge, > $125.00.> I went to a lawyer who view the viedo and stated I had a > case, I was charged $3500.00 after I took a year developing > this case than my lawyer wanted more money, the lawyer > stated it could cost me up to $20,000.00 to take this case > to court.> I decided to go to small claims court and at that court > hearing I was told I did not have resonable cause to move. > Even with evidence of the condition of the apartment and > $5000.00 later Canyon Springs is allowed to let this > condition exsit. I know that there are other cases against > this complex from other tenants that have or are dealing > with with mold in there units. I hope writting and posting > this message on this chatboard I can be of help to others > who are experiencing this same problem and make a statment > to owners of these apartments that they need to fix the > problem and should not charge tenants a fee for chosing to > vacate due to health issue.> If you have any question about this complex or any other > complex in Washington State please email me and I will help > you along in your process of getting a case together on > this complex or any other complex in Snohomish county, I > did a lot of work on my own and have alot of information > that is for Washington state residents and the issue with > mold....I could find no offical department of Washington > state that would stand up for our tenant rights.........> DSmith at DSmith9826@aol.comPosted by: Joshua / 3:20 PM1. From: joshua.p.angell@att.netTo: info@mcneilhouse.comCc: joshua.p.angell@att.netSubject: vents, apt#611Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 00:03:15 +0000Dawn,Just wanted to let you know that the vent cleaning service did not show up today. It is now 5:30 PM. This was VERY inconvienent because we made it a point to leave and have the pets outside in the COLD garage. I checked both wireless phones and our home phone voicemail as well as the fax machine,... There wasn't a single message from Mc Neil House.(until 5pm at night!) I guess I just expected that you guys would have called and informed us that nobody was going to show. We'll have to get together on re-scheduling this. We only recieved a call by Steve in the LATE afternoon that it had been canceled due to RAIN.We are wondering, you had a crew fix the hole on the roof above our doorway. The other day when it was raining so hard it was leaking, still.Do you know when they were going to patch the enormous hole in the roof over our doorway? Not only is it very embarrassing for us to visitors, it drops pieces of junk down that we constantly are tracking inside and having to clean up.The day of that rain is the same day that we noticed that our refrigerator in the kitchen has sunk into the floor even more so than when we reported this on our initial move in. There must be a pretty serious leak above our apartment.Also, when we moved in, Reuban was supposed to fix the fireplace, so that you could have a fire in it. Here we are in mid-Feb. and it still has not been touched. You know, the apts. that have fireplaces are more $$$, but it is no good if you can't use it. We haven't had use of the fireplace since we moved in. Will there be a refund of the premium $ for the fireplace?On an additional note, the police no longer bother coming out to deal with the noise complaints. Last night, at about 3:30 am there was yelling and very loud music coming through the walls again. The music is so loud that the tenants do not even answer the doorbell to handle a complaint because they can't hear it. The authorities have stated that this is an issue to take up with the apartment management to be resolved. All they can do (if they bother to come out) is ask them to turn the noise down.Furthermore, the guys on the end are still blocking vehicles in. The towing company is in south Austin, so if you need to get out quickly, it is impossible. Often, Hospice will page that a patient needs to be seen at an odd hour, but you cannot leave due to being blocked in.It has been wet lately. To let you know, NO plants have been watered. We had a discussion with the neighbors that have a leaky garage. They have told us that you were telling them it was the flashing on the roof, and not due to plant watering, but rather due to the flashing. However, you were telling us it was DEFINATELY due to the watering of the plants, because it was identified to you by the roofers that worked over our doorway. We too wanted to question the roofers, but the spanish/english dictionary wasn't handy.Our relationship with the neighbors is now very good,(now that we have had the chance to discuss the truth), in fact they were over here last night. (many months of tension between tenants was very stressful, and as it turns out, there wasn't any problems between us, we only believed what we were being told by the management here. This does not make for a pleasant living situation. He (the neighbor) denies any mention of threats made to damage property, and said that that was a lie spun by McNeil house. Upon discussing the air quality and the "mildew" that we have reported about these buildings, we have found that we are not the only tenants with problems. Our health concerns are still on all of our minds. Headaches, dizziness and nausea in these buildings may be from that stuff infesting the walls(imagine 2 years of feeling sick, all the while being told the balck "mildew" wasn't anything to be worried over.)Our fridge is sinking through the floor, while the neighbors bathtub is sinking through the floor. Somewhere, there is a water leak. This is evident by the black fibers and growths behind all of the light sockets, and around the vents. We have taken some pictures of the problems, when they are developed we will share them with you, so that you can add them to our renter's file. It would be interesting to compare them to the complaints that we had in #1007. Have you found the documentation of all of our service calls and complaints for #1007 yet? We had asked you to see the file, but have never had the invitation.Hopefully, you have since resolved the problem for the new tenants in #1007.In the future, please be more considerate of our busy schedules for service cancellations.Thank you, tenants, #611Posted by: Joshua / 3:20 PMFeb. 17, 2004To:Mc Neil House Apts./Dawn Aiello(Apartments Manager)CC: undisclosed other personsDawn,We are in receipt of your documentation that you wish for us to sign. Your post-it note stated that we must sign and return the “Agreed Early Lease Termination And Move Out Date”, by Feb 18, or we will be assessed a termination fee of $1,078.65. We have consulted an attorney, and be advised that your wish to have us sign and return this form would constitute a settlement. We will not sign this form, due to the fact that we may be seeking damages from Mc Neil House (long term and short term health problems, sanitation fees of clothing, furniture, and personal items for mold spore removal, etc.). If we in fact signed this form, it would prevent us from filing a lawsuit and seeking damages. Therefore, we will not sign this document, but will, agree to be moved out by 11:59 pm on March 31, 2004. We will also agree to provide a statement from a doctor(Mc Neil House will pay in full any medical charges incurred at the time of service), due to the effects of the buildings on our health. However, please be advised, that we will not pay out of pocket or let our health insurance companies pay out of pocket for Doctor’s exams, for co-pays lab tests (blood work, liver toxicity, etc), loss of hours worked due to Doctors visits, any medications required taken short term or long term due to the effects of our health from the premises, and will hold you liable for any future monetary losses related to health issues or otherwise incurred from the premises. In our letters, (of which we have copies), we asked you yet again to provide us with documentation of all of our service request records for both #1007 and #611, and furnish to us a copy of the many, many documents that are in our files from both apartments #1007 and #611. However, you did not furnish these or reply to the request, yet again. At least a span of four months has gone by since we requested these items, which “couldn’t be located” at that time. So, we ask yet again to see these documents. The first time we asked, you verbally agreed to this and never followed up.Also, in our letter, we asked for a refund of the portions of rents paid (additional $$$ for having a fireplace in an apartment), due to the negligence of your maintenance staff in making our fireplace usable. Reuban agreed to fix the fireplace at the time of our move in, and since then we had complained and the issue has still gone unanswered. We are not required to pay for an amenity that we do not have. We have not had a useable fireplace since our move in date, so we are entitled to a refund for not having the use of it. Please be advised, that we have a copy of the letter you left at our door many months ago, (when we called complaining about health problems and concerns due to mold in the apartment), at which time you rather unprofessionally wrote “Mold has been around since the beginning of time. It is everywhere. Have a Nice Day!!! :) Dawn”. This lead us to believe that we were safe in the apartment. However, (as the many documents of research we provided you) this is not true.It is not very professional to tell your paying tenants in a letter “The accusations that are very false and unfounded in your letters are unfortunate.” Not only are you calling us liars and delivering insult, with all due respect, our accusations are VERY founded, because we have documentation in a notebook of the dates and times we called regarding problems, we have mold samples to prove our accusations, we have many detailed color photographs of the vents, walls, ceilings, etc., and we have written and signed documentation that you have, in fact, made statements regarding us to other tenants. We also have a evidence of white spray paint left by the maintenance staff, of which they tell tenants to spray paint over the problem areas. Of course, any of this will hold up in court. In your letter, you stated that “The leak is coming from the patio and the neighbors themselves have told of the plants.”This is not true, in fact, the neighbors, in statement to us, told us that you told them any leaks were related to flashing on the roof;( and NOT related to plants on an OUTDOOR cement balcony which is exposed to the elements and to rainwater. )However, we do have several photographs of the hole that has been over our entranceway that pours rainwater through it. This neglected problem is a concern. When we first complained of a damaged roof by the entrance to our apartment, we were told to wait for your remodel and that it would be fixed. The remodel crew drywall taped the area and painted over the hole, allow rainwater to gather in it, and eventually resulting in a bigger hole. Your statement that it has been rainy for 10 days and you had to wait for sheet rock to dry out is no excuse. This was a complaint made aware to you upon our move into our apartment, NOT just over the past ten days.Also, we let you know upon move in, as well as Reuban, that our fridge was sinking into our floor. When it rains, there are moist spots in various areas of this building. Our statement about these problems is not “unfounded” as you said, they are widely talked about by tenants and Reuban is many times the radio address.To call our accusations of the noise level “unfounded”, is false on your behalf, it has been an ongoing problem since we moved in, and there have been many occasions of the police being called. You told the neighbors we were the complainers, and they HONKED and SHOUTED at James in the morning regarding your telling them that the complaints were from apt. #611. We after that incident reported it to you.Our complaints about being blocked in by other cars are also not “unfounded”, many, many complaints have been filed with ALL of your staff and it is an ongoing problem for many other tenants as well, to which, any of them will tell you who creates the problem, should you ask.Lastly, in our lease agreement, section 6 of the Mold Info Addendum, it states “Do not clean or apply biocides to :1) visible mold on porous surfaces such as sheet rock walls or ceilings, or 2), large areas of visible mold on non-porous surfaces. Instead notify us in writing, and we will take appropriate action in compliance with Section 92.051 et seq of The Texas Property Code, subject to the special exceptions for natural disasters.”We have notified you countless times both verbal, email(which nobody has ever responded to in any form), and in writing of the mold problems(both in #611 and #1007) and concerns, and the problem has NOT been remedied by McNeil House. This is a clear violation of the property code. In fact, we moved from #1007 because of a mold problem due to a faulty AC unit, into #611 and have encountered the same problems here.We will be notifying you with estimates for sanitation and replacement of items if and when this becomes necessary.So in closing, we will not sign and accept your settlement offer, as further legal actions may be pursued by us.Regards, Tenants in #611 Posted by: Joshua / 3:18 PM ¶ 6:55 PM



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