Privacy
S.F. Officials Earn More Than State Counterparts
Not everyone, however, agrees with the raise - or the logic behind it. "At a time when California is in a severe…
Dec 14, 2009Consumer Watchdog
Providing an effective voice for American consumers in an era when special interests dominate public discourse, government and politics. Non-partisan.
Articles by Consumer Watchdog
Privacy
Stem Cell Official’s Pay Tripled
The state's stem cell institute this week tripled the salary of one of its vice chairmen, former state Democratic Party chief Art…
Dec 13, 2009
Energy
CHP Withholds Costs Of Protecting Schwarzenegger
"The governor is interested in saving taxpayer dollars any way he can, which is why he has always paid for his own…
Dec 12, 2009
Healthcare
WellPoint Thrives As Public Plan Takes A Dive
As the health-care reform debate boiled over this week, so did WellPoint's stock price. Shares of the Indianapolis-based health insurance giant surged…
Dec 11, 2009
Privacy
Health insurers use Facebook to bribe online “lobbyists”
The health insurance industry is using Facebook for the equivalent of buying votes for cash at the polling booth. Business Insider tells…
Dec 11, 2009Financial Reform Approved Today By U.S. House Contains More Good Than Bad For Consumers, But More Work Needed, Says Consumer Watchdog
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consumer Watchdog applauded approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of its financial regulatory overhaul bill, H.R. 4173, including…
Dec 11, 2009
Insurance
Reform Bill Is Favorable For Banks
Federal Consumer Protection Laws Could Preempt State Laws A standoff this week that threatened to stall House debate over sweeping financial regulatory…
Dec 11, 2009
Insurance
DC Dispatch: How the House deals with financial reform
I'm having a hard time understanding how an industry that stole Americans’ money, gambled with it and pocketed billions, then came begging…
Dec 11, 2009
Healthcare
GOP is really, REALLY on message with insurers
What does Republican Party chair Michael Steele have to say about health reform? "Delay, stall, slow down and ultimately stop [the...
Dec 11, 2009
Insurance
Stem cell board triples vice chair’s pay
After only nine months on the job as vice chair of California's stem cell agency, former State Democratic Chairman Art Torres has…
Dec 11, 2009
Privacy
The “New Democrats” are really “The Banking Democrats”
If money is the mother milk of politics, then big bucks from the banks and financial industry are souring financial reform legislation…
Dec 10, 2009Sponsors of Anti-Consumer Amendments to U.S. House Financial Reform Bill Received $3.8 Million from Financial Sector in 2009
New Dems, Who Stalled Consideration of Bill Last Night, Raised $6.5 Million from Financial Sector This Year WASHINGTON, D.C. -- 34…
Dec 10, 2009Consumer Watchdog Releases Coercive Lobbying E-Mail to Employees of United Health Group, Calls It ‘Political Harrassment’ of Workers
Message demands that workers "confirm with your supervisor" that they will attend online meeting with top corporate lobbyist Washington, D.C. --…
Dec 10, 2009
Privacy
Stem Cell Agency Triples Salary For Vice Chair Art Torres
Former state Democratic Party head Art Torres got a $150,000 pay boost today for his work as co-vice chair of the California…
Dec 10, 2009
Energy
Rachelle Chong won’t be confirmed for 2nd term at CPUC
California Public Utilities Commissioner Rachelle Chong - the force behind California's land-line telephone service deregulation - will not be confirmed for a…
Dec 9, 2009
Insurance
UnitedHealth Urges Employees To Participate In Lobbyist Seminar
UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest health insurance carrier, is urging employees to tell supervisors if they will attend an online seminar on…
Dec 9, 2009
Privacy
What’s that again about Medicare?
Quote of the day, regarding an impending deal to let people from 55 to 64 years old join Medicare at their own…
Dec 9, 2009
Insurance
Rate Proceedings Chart – Pending and Completed
For a graph of the nearly $2 billion California consumers saved between 2003 and 2010, click here. Below is a chart of…
Dec 8, 2009