Chevron Busts Family Budgets In Struggling California Town Of Casmalia
State PUC Grants Oil Giant’s Water Company 89.7 Percent Rate Increase; Chevron Wanted 138 Percent Santa Monica, CA -- A decision today …
May 15, 2008Consumer Watchdog
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Articles by Consumer Watchdog
Consumer Watchdog Raises Concern that Health Policy Cancellation Rules Have Been Derailed in Deal With Kaiser
Sees Improvement But is Concerned About Loss of Legal Remedies Santa Monica, CA -- A settlement with Kaiser Permanente over more 1,000…
May 15, 2008
Insurance
Phone Deregulation Plan Aimed At Easing Mergers’ Path
An attempt sponsored by Verizon to cut into the state Public Utilities Commission's power over telephone-company mergers is drawing fire from unlikely…
May 15, 2008Consumer Watchdog Warns HMO Regulator Not to Side With Insurers Over Illegal Coverage Cancellations
Big 5 Health Insurers Named In Cancellation Lawsuits Contributed $804,600 to Governor Santa Monica, CA -- Consumer Watchdog today said that according…
May 14, 2008
Healthcare
DMHC to Announce Deal with Insurer that Rescinded Policies
State regulators are scheduled to announce Thursday "an agreement with a major California health plan to reinstate health coverage immediately to enrollees…
May 14, 2008
Energy
Squeezed At Both Ends — Independent Refiners Watch Profits Sink As Consumption Falls
While drivers are facing sticker shock at the pump these days, here is a bigger shock: high prices are putting a strain…
May 14, 2008
Privacy
Stem cell loan policy OK’d
The stem cell agency's Biotech Loan Task Force approved a draft loan policy at its meeting last week and sent it on…
May 13, 2008Schwarzenegger Administration Should Reject Phony Emergency Declared by Insurance Commissioner Poizner to Help Insurers
Consumer Advocates Call On Office of Administrative Law To Resist Politics, Protect Public Santa Monica, CA – The Schwarzenegger administration should…
May 13, 2008Gas Up 11 Cents In Week, 34 Cents In a Month; Consumers’ Tax Incentive Going Straight to Gas Tanks
White House Scorns Action, Congress in Gridlock as Soaring Prices Push Inflation, Motorists Cry ‘Uncle’ Santa Monica, CA -- An 11-cent rise…
May 12, 2008Controller’s Stem Cell Agency Audit Ignores California Agency’s Built-in Flaws
Santa Monica, CA -- An audit of the state stem cell agency by California’s Controller ignores fundamental flaws in Proposition 71 that…
May 12, 2008
Privacy
Controller: Stem Cell Agency Passes Audit
State Controller John Chiang said an audit of the state's stem cell grant program found its conflict-of-interest policies, grant administration, administrative expenses…
May 12, 2008
Energy
Record Oil Company Earnings Haven’t Trickled Down to Gas Stations
BOUNTIFUL, UT -- During the first week in May, Doug Olson sold fuel at a loss. The co-owner of Slim Olson's gas…
May 11, 2008
Privacy
Community Colleges, Universities Asked to Join Stem Cell Program
State universities and community colleges got an invitation last week to join California's stem cell research program. A committee overseeing the $3…
May 10, 2008
Healthcare
Before ‘Big Oil U’ Was ‘Big Pharma U’
Consumer Watchdog has protested strings-attached grants from Big Oil to universities, but the oil companies are just following the path of Big…
May 9, 2008
Insurance
Rules, But No Cops
When the federal government passes a law but has no cops to enforce it, the crooks hold a "get out of jail…
May 9, 2008
Privacy
We’ve seen false redistricting promises before.
I'm not the only one skeptical of outgoing Speaker Núñez's reform credentials. A Merc...
May 9, 2008
Healthcare
One board member gets it
"All Californians are paying for Prop 71," said Dr. Claire Pomeroy, "so all should benefit from it." Dr. Pomeroy is the Dean…
May 9, 2008
Energy
Prices at the Pump Up at Dawn, Some by 20 Cents
Some gas stations in Arkansas raised regular by 20 cents overnight as record-setting oil futures gave retail prices a hefty boost Thursday.…
May 9, 2008