Insurance

Patenting the obvious?

May 2, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A patent ruling has delivered a serious blow to one US state's hopes of a biotechnology boom</h3><p class="source">Nature</p> <p>"A serious, public policy discussion needs to be had about what researchers can patent," says John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, California, and one of two non-profit organizations that challenged the patents.</p>

Arnold Knocks State Farm Off the $ Wagon

April 25, 2007  ·  Carmen Balber

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Arnold reported raising $512,500 in new campaign contributions over the last two weeks leading up to today's <a href="http://arnoldwatch.org/blogs/blogs_000991.php3">high-priced fundraiser</a> at...</font>

What’s Behind All the Bad Press for Health Insurers?

April 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">California Healthline</p> <p>"I think things have changed over the past three or four years," says Jerry Flanagan, health care policy director for the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights. "There's a new awareness of how the insurance industry -- and especially insurance profits -- have an impact on health care. I think people are paying attention more now than they ever have," Flanagan says. "We're getting closer to what might be considered a public outcry."</p>

UC Academic Senate Confirms BP Contract

April 20, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Berkeley Daily Planet (California)</p> <p>Also on hand for Thursday's votes was John M. Simpson of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has organized support for critics of the BP agreement. "Our only recourse now is to continue and try and shine light on what's happening and to raise the issue with UC regents," he said.</p>

Academic Senate Calls for BP Deal Oversight

April 20, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Daily Californian (Berkeley, CA)</p> <p>John Simpson, the stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the process at the meeting yesterday discouraged faculty members from expressing concerns over the campus negotiations with BP and that he felt the decision to pass the new resolutions "had already been settled in advance."</p>

Arnold’s Fundraising Total Tops $115 Million

April 18, 2007  ·  Mark Reback

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Arnold shows no signs of slowing down his prolific fundraising machine, and his total take is now just shy of $115.3 million. This is quite the opposite of what Arnold promised when first...</font>

State stem cell program head suddenly resigns

April 18, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE</p> <p>John Simpson, who has been monitoring the stem cell program on behalf of a Santa Monica nonprofit called the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the two resignations made public Tuesday clearly signaled problems in one of the most critical aspects of the stem cell program.</p>

Allstate hit with $2.8 million verdict in Katrina case

April 17, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>The jury found Northbrook, Ill.-based Allstate -- which claimed most of the damage was due to storm surge, an event not covered in its policy -- did not pay Robert Weiss enough money to cover wind damage to his home. The verdict included a $1.5 million penalty for the company's failure to pay the claim quickly enough.</p>

Embryonic stem cell pioneer chose to publish, not patent

April 16, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>"(James) Thomson made a very important contribution to science," said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "It just wasn't something that was patentable."</p>

Little angst at the gas pump;

April 16, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Poll shows most resigned to prices climbing</h3><p class="source">The Stockton Record</p> <p>Judy Dugan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights wants California lawmakers to regulate refinery production and gasoline supplies in storage, which she says would smooth out price spikes. "Oil companies built this system to keep supplies tight," Dugan said. "They know they will reap ever-higher overall profits without having to make or sell more gasoline. With only a handful of companies making most of the refined gasoline in California, they don't compete, they cooperate. The usual laws of supply and demand are broken."</p>

Redlining’s end a pinch for some

April 15, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Daily News</p> <p>There's a provision of Prop. 103 that's responsible for a serious change in insurance pricing that's already being felt by California consumers. Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, whose founder, Harvey Rosenfeld, wrote Prop. 103, explained that last year former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi issued a regulation forcing auto insurers to stop jacking up rates in certain neighborhoods -- redlining -- and base rates only on driving records.</p>

INSURANCE PROGRAM SPINNING ITS WHEELS;

April 14, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Autos: The Low-cost Option Finds Few Takers. Some Blame Marketing</h3><p class="source">The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA)</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights, the group that sponsored the bill creating the program, said he is disappointed that the insurance has not been more popular. Heller complained that the assigned risk plan, which administers the program, and insurance agents should be doing more to market the low-cost coverage.</p>