American Renaissance
Previous Story       Next Story       View Comments       Send This Page       Date Archives       Category Archives

In 2000 Suit, Linda Thompson Claims Gas Station Spill Led to Fear of Filling Up

More news stories on Elections

Lara Brenckle, Patriot-News (Harrisburg), October 27, 2009

Harrisburg City Council president and mayoral candidate Linda Thompson answers questions about her finances at Loveship Inc. headquarters on the 2300 block of North 5th Street in Harrisburg. At left is Gerry Robinson of Manheim Township, chairman of the board of Loveship Inc.

In a 2000 civil lawsuit filed in Bucks County, Linda Thompson claimed a faulty pump sprayed her with gasoline, leaving her in damaged clothing and with a lingering fear of filling up her cars with gasoline.

The suit, which is still moving through the court system, accused the Texaco Star Mart, Texaco, the station’s owner/operator Motiva Enterprises, Shell Oil Co. and Saudi Aramco, of negligence.

According to records from the Bucks County Prothonotary’s Office, Thompson, who is the Democratic candidate for mayor of Harrisburg, was traveling through Levittown on Aug. 1, 1998, when she stopped at the Texaco Star Mart to put gas in her car.

The gas pump broke and drenched her in gasoline, she claims in the suit.

In addition to a variety of physical symptoms, including extreme burns, persistent nausea and lightheadedness, the suit alleges that Thompson also said she suffered “psychological and emotional illness.”

“(Thompson) is unable to psychologically pump her own gas,” the suit states. It also notes that “(Thompson) becomes ill upon the smell of gas and will not seek to obtain gas until absolutely necessary as a result of this incident.”

Thompson asked for $50,000, plus interest, costs and attorney fees, for each of three claims she filed.

{snip}

[Editor’s Note: A story about Linda Thompson and her finances can be read here.]

Original article

(Posted on November 4, 2009)

     Previous story       Next Story       Post a Comment     Send This Page      Search

Comments

1 — Shawn (the female) wrote at 9:29 PM on November 4:

I’d be really leery of a Mayor who was scared to pump her own gas.

I’d be even more leery of a Mayor who filed a frivolous lawsuit the instant she saw dollar signs.

2 — badger wrote at 9:32 PM on November 4:

A not uncommon stick it to whitey ghetto lottery move!

3 — NBJ wrote at 9:53 PM on November 4:

Well if she suffers from psychological and emotional illness from a gas spill, she has no business trying to take on the stressful job as Mayor of a city. If she were to win and became stressed out while on the job, would the smell of town hall make her psychologically unable to perform her duties as Mayor?

4 — Chris N. wrote at 10:15 PM on November 4:

I have followed this story closely since the first article appeared in AR a few weeks ago. She was elected by a comfortable margin last night, and the gas station suit wasn’t the least of her baggage. Several blogs had good coverage, and I thought the best was: http://hbgforward.blogspot.com/

Here is a list of Linda Thompson highlights (or lowlights) from the aforementioned blog:

Thompson’s answers are by turns vague and contradictory.


  • Her conduct under pressure is unbecoming. She is contemptuous of those who disagree with her and has shown tendencies to be petty and vindictive.

  • Thompson’s grasp of ethics is tenuous as evidenced by the selection of the Harrisburg Authority chairman as her campaign manger.

  • Her nonprofit agency, LOVESHIP, promotes home ownership, yet Linda rents.

  • She has taken a zero interest $5,000 loan from LOVESHIP, yet tells the media the nonprofit is financially struggling.

  • LOVESHIP’s tax returns for 2008 are still not filed.

  • Thompson provides LOVESHIP clients with personal financial management counseling yet she’s had an outstanding student loan for 24 years and was sued by a credit card company this year for failure to pay a balance of $1,483.71.

  • Her employment history is murky and she’s collected unemployment compensation under questionable circumstances.

  • Linda’s $20,000 salary on City Council and $10,000 in rent LOVESHIP pays her for office allows her to drive a Mercedes-Benz and rent a luxury apartment.

  • She claims “transparency” yet bars a reporter from her press conference and declares questions about her nonprofit to be “off-limits.”

  • An alleged equipment malfunction while pumping gas has left Thompson too emotionally fragile to refuel her Benz and is the subject of lawsuits totaling $150,000.

  • Thompson is unapologetic in the fervor of her faith and her belief she has been anointed by God to preside over the City of Harrisburg. The separation of church and state is not a doctrine to which she subscribes.

  • Linda will play the race card without hesitation and frequently.

    • 5 — Anonymous wrote at 11:50 PM on November 4:

    Clearly she made the mistake of not including racial grievance in her lawsuit. Had she claimed that the gas station discriminated against her based on race, she would have stood a better chance of winning money. Some blacks don’t even know how the black lottery is played!

    6 — kgb wrote at 1:16 AM on November 5:

    “(Thompson) is unable to psychologically pump her own gas,” the suit states. …“(Thompson) becomes ill upon the smell of gas and will not seek to obtain gas until absolutely necessary as a result of this incident.”

    Kind of like the whites that Malvo and Muhammed were shooting at, right? They were afraid of buying their own gas because of getting shot by a trained pair of killers.

    7 — SKIP the psychic wrote at 10:34 AM on November 5:

    Skip the psychic predicts……..This charlatan will be settled with out of court, it’s what big companies do with blacks.

    8 — Marlow wrote at 11:01 AM on November 5:

    She’s the new mayor of Harrisburg. This speaks volumes for PA’s violent and monumentally ugly capital city.

    9 — john wrote at 4:52 PM on November 5:

    Nope, I checked. It’s not April 1st.

    This certifiable loony is now the mayor of Harrisburg, the capital of PA, where I (unhappily now) reside?

    This story reads like some spoof from the old National Lampoon.

    I’m going to Drudge to check this story out.


    Home      Top      Previous story       Next Story      Send This Page      Search