Consumer Watchdog

Not So Open House

We dropped by Fred Sands' huge apricot-colored Italianate villa this morning to see if we could get in to his sale of…

State Farm Abandons ZIP Code Rates Plan;

Under pressure, the auto insurer agrees to comply with new pricing criteria and also will reduce fees.The Los Angeles Times State Farm's…

Trashing Clean Votes;

Former attorney general John Van de Kamp says Santa Monica is trashing its anti-corruption billLos Angeles City Beat "They basically trashed Proposition…

State Farm to End Zip-Code Based Auto Insurance Rates, Will Lower Prices for Millions of Drivers;

State's Largest Insurer Promises to Comply with Prop 103 Good Driver Reforms After Appeals Court Rejects Industry Challenge to Garamendi Rules

Santa Monica ‘Good Government Act’ approved by City Council for Nov. ballot exempts campaign contributions from law

The Argonaut (Santa Monica, CA) "Santa Monica prides themselves on being forward-thinking and it's ironic that Pasadena, that doesn't necessarily have that…

California initiative Prop 87 would tax oil to aid renewables, alternatives

Electric Power Daily Beth Willon, spokeswoman for the Yes on 87, dismissed conflict-of-interest concerns, calling them "oil company fiction." The No on…

Their creed is to crash politicians’ fundraisers

Sacramento Bee Sponsored by a group advocating a campaign finance measure on the Nov. 7 ballot, the "Dash for Cash" contest takes…

Yes on Prop 87 — Secretary of State Albright Backs Initiative

PR Newswire US Proposition 87 will reduce our use of foreign oil and increase the use of domestic fuel sources and will…

Schwarzenegger Put Himself Up For Sale With Fred Sands

Fred Sands, the big Los Angeles realtor, has a new listing. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be up for bid at Sands' Brentwood home…

Market cited in high gas prices

The San Diego Union-Tribune Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, likened the state's gasoline…

Report finds no evidence of manipulation in Calif. price spike;

But the study focused on underlying market forces affecting prices, not whether there was manipulation by oil companies.Associated Press A consumer group…

Group Announces “Crashing the Dash for Cash” Contest Outside One of 22 Capitol Fundraisers Today;

Unveils Channel89.org Webcast: Camera Crew at Political Fundraisers Expose Special Interest Influence in Capitol, Need for Prop 89

Gas price not pumped up;

State report says that oil companies didn't withhold suppliesTHE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Consumer advocates greeted the report with scorn. They compared the…

Refiners Not Faulted for Gas Prices;

Consumer advocates immediately branded study as apology for oil industryThe Los Angeles Times Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and…

Donors Sustain Stem-Cell Effort In California Amid Funding Battle

The Wall Street Journal Critics, however, consider it unseemly for a state agency to solicit private donations and worry that such contributions…

“Dash for Cash” Calendar

CA Report Shows Gas Prices Driven By Unplanned Outages;

Consumer Group Declares A Repeat of Energy Crisis & Says Schwarzenegger Should Not Be Soft On Refiners

Council Places Amendments to Anti-Corruption Initiative on Ballot

The LookOut/SurfSantaMonica.com (Santa Monica, CA) "If you do place this on the ballot, we'll make sure the public knows this is a…