Consumer Watchdog

Newsom's Wildfire Proposal Sparks Reaction

By Dan Morain, CALMATTERS

April 15, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting pushback by lawmakers on some proposals.

Let the wildfire negotiations begin: PG&E stock popped, but lawmakers are balking at provocative proposals put forward by Gov. Gavin Newsom's "strike force" for recovering the increasingly staggering costs of climate-driven wildfires.

Especially hot: A suggestion that California reduce utilities' liability when they aren't at fault by overhauling inverse condemnation law.

Wildfires and PG&E: Newsom Asks Lawmakers To ‘Get Something Big Done’

By J.D. Morris and Alexei Koseff, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

April 12, 2019

https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Wildfires-climate-change-a…

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday challenged the Legislature to revise state laws on utilities’ wildfire liabilities, presenting lawmakers with a series of potentially controversial strategies to shield electric companies from growing costs fueled by climate change.

Editorial: Fix California’s Broken Can And Bottle Recycling System

EDITORIAL - By THE MERCURY NEWS & EAST BAY TIMES EDITORIAL BOARDS

April 12, 2019

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/04/12/editorial-fix-californias-broken…

Californians and their political leaders pride themselves on being environmental leaders. But when it comes to reusing materials from beverage containers, the state is stuck in the 1980s — and even at that we’re failing.

Investor-Owned Utility $ to CA Legislature and Officials Since 2011

RECIPIENT

PG&E

SEMPRA

SoCalEdison

Watchdog Group Opposes Bill That Would Exempt The Insurance Industry From A New Privacy Law

By Kevin Smith, SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE

April 2, 2019

https://www.sgvtribune.com/2019/04/02/watchdog-group-opposes-bill-that-…

A watchdog group is urging California Assembly Insurance Committee Chairman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim, to withdraw legislation that would exempt insurance companies from complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Consumer Groups Ask California to Require Insurance Disclosure of Fossil-Fuel Projects

By Timothy Darragh, BESTWIRE

March 26, 2019

A coalition of consumer organizations is asking the California Department of Insurance to mandate that insurers disclose the fossil-fuel projects they are underwriting.

The petition also asks the department to require insurers to disclose their investments in fossil fuel-related entities.

Climate Activists Petition for Carriers in California to Reveal Fossil Fuel Insureds

By Staff Reporters, INSURANCE JOURNAL

March 21, 2019

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2019/03/21/521377.htm

More than 60 environmental, consumer and social justice organizations on Thursday delivered a petition to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara seeking what is believed would be the first regulations in the nation requiring insurance companies to disclose the fossil fuel projects they insure.

Insurers Must Name Climate-Problem Clients, Nonprofits Say

By Cara Salvatore, LAW 360

March 21, 2019

https://www.law360.com/articles/1141417/insurers-must-name-climate-prob…

Law360 (March 21, 2019, 8:44 PM EDT) -- California is under pressure to force insurers to name the fossil-fuel projects they insure and underwrite, with nonprofit groups calling Thursday for emergency measures from the state’s insurance regulator.

Tom Elias: Let's Make The PUC Elective

Op-Ed Commentary by Tom Elias, THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE

March 15, 2019

https://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/opinion-columns/tom-elias-lets-ma…

Travel back in time to the mid-1980s, when California’s insurance rates for both cars and property were nearly the highest in America and climbing fast. In that era, state insurance commissioners, who held the power to stop much of that acceleration, were appointed by the governor.

Consumer Advocate Calls On State Attorney General To Investigate LA City Attorney’s Office

Testimony and documents submitted in federal court earlier this month said that an outside attorney retained to defend the city and the utility also represented a ratepayer who was the lead plaintiff in a 2015 class action lawsuit against the city. The city attorney’s office said it is investigation the allegation.

By Elizabeth Chou, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

March 14, 2019

6 Years After Overcharging Fiasco, DWP's Lawyer Accused Of Double-Dealing

By Dakota Smith & Kim Christensen, LOS ANGELES TIMES

March 13, 2019

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-paradis-dwp-lawsuit-201903…

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's reputation hit a low six years ago when the agency’s new billing system sent out wildly inaccurate bills, overcharging hundreds of thousands of customers.

Alleged Misconduct By Legal Counsel May Have Cheated Millions Of People Out Of Fair Settlement

By Gina Silva, KTTV FOX TV-11, Los Angeles, CA

March 11, 2019

http://www.foxla.com/news/local-news/alleged-misconduct-by-city-of-la-c…

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - Alleged misconduct by counsel at the City Attorney's Office may have resulted in millions of ratepayers being cheated out of a fair settlement.  

PG&E Wants To Pay $235 Million In 2019 Performance Bonuses

By J.D. Morris, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

March 8, 2019

https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/PG-E-seeks-permission-to-p…

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. wants permission from Bankruptcy Court to pay an estimated $235 million in 2019 performance bonuses to thousands of employees — a request opposed by wildfire victims, who want to be paid for the loss of their homes first.

Recycling Rate Declines In Green California

By Staff Reporters, QATAR TRIBUNE

March 8, 2019

In a state as devoted to the environment as California, it's hard to imagine state leaders accepting a sharp decline in recycling. But that's what has happened since January 2016, when recycling centres that gather single-use plastic, metal and glass bottles from consumers began closing in droves because reimbursement rates from the California Department of Resources Recycling (CalRecycle) were so low centers couldn't stay in business.

Should Stores Be Required To Take Back The Empty Containers They Sell?

By Michael Finney, KGO ABC TV-7 - San Francisco, CA

March 4, 2019

https://abc7news.com/society/should-stores-be-required-to-take-back-the…

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Convenience is not a new idea. Your grandparents had milk delivered to their doorsteps. Kids on bikes threw newspapers on driveways and when a coke was bought, it was returned to the same store for the nickel deposit.

MONEY BACK: If California opened more recycling centers and charged higher container deposits, would you return cans and bottles? That's the underlying premise of a new report by Consumer Watchdog. The group says it's a problem that Californians pay 5-ce

By Debra Kahn, POLITICO PRO

March 1, 2019

MONEY BACK: If California opened more recycling centers and charged higher container deposits, would you return cans and bottles?

That's the underlying premise of a new report by Consumer Watchdog. The group says it's a problem that Californians pay 5-cent deposit fees but are rarely returning containers themselves to get their cash back, reports POLITICO's Debra Kahn.

more

Consumer Watchdog Logo

Providing an effective voice for American consumers in an era when special interests dominate public discourse, government and politics. Non-partisan.

Stay tuned with us

Copyright © 2020 Consumer Watchdog. All rights reserved.