Insurance

Insurers sue to block rate-setting rules;

July 21, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>INDUSTRY CONTENDS AUTO PREMIUMS WILL RISE UNDER NEW REGULATIONS</h3><p class="source">San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>The insurance companies "are dragging their feet in the mud,'' said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a non-profit consumer group. "They just want to charge drivers as much as they want if they live in communities that they don't like. This is a last-ditch effort.''</p>

Groups urge revocation of stem-cell patents;

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>CALIFORNIA'S INSTITUTE MAY BE HARMED, THEY SAY</h3><p class="source">San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the Public Patent Foundation petitioned the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to revoke three patents held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. The public interest groups contend the patents -- issued in 1998, 2001 and 2006 -- never should have been granted and are "causing significant public harm" by forcing some U.S. scientists to pursue stem-cell studies in other countries where the patents aren't enforced.</p>

DRIVING LESS WILL CUT INSURANCE PREMIUM;

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>YOUR RATE NO LONGER FIGURED BY ZIP CODE</h3><p class="source">Modesto Bee</p> <p>Department officials said that under the new regulations, a person's driving record and miles driven are the top two factors in insurance rates. "You should call your agent or your insurance company and say you need to be re-rated," Doug Heller with FTCR said.</p>

UW stem cell patents face challenge: Groups say ownership of rights hurts research, drives scientists away

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)</p> <p>A California-based consumer group and a stem cell scientist took action Tuesday to overturn the landmark patents on human embryonic stem cells held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, claiming that the patents hinder research, drive scientists overseas and waste taxpayer money.</p>

Prop. 89: So Good It’s Scary — to Sacramento

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>"Teachers' ideas should be strong enough to sway politicians; otherwise, their students are in trouble," said Court. "But this union, like many other people, believe they are heard because of the power of their money and not the power of their ideas. Prop. 89 is going to be a recall of politics as usual."</p>

Groups, scientist want to overturn WARF’s stem cell patents

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press </p> <p>The Public Patent Foundation, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, and Jeanne Loring, a stem cell scientist at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in California, claim that the patents hinder research, push scientists to pursue work overseas and represent a waste of taxpayer money. "It's absolutely absurd that one person or organization could own the rights to life itself," said John Simpson, stem cell project director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, based in California.</p>

Stem cell patents challenged

July 19, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>The group argues that the patents are overly broad and will discourage companies from bringing stem cell treatments to market. The issue is particularly glaring in California, where many hope to see medical breakthroughs from $3 billion in bond funding authorized by Proposition 71. "We don't think the research developments are going to come to fruition" if the patents stand, said John Simpson, spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "That's why we're trying to break the patents."</p>

Level playing field for whom?

July 17, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Eureka Times Standard (California)</p> <p>The telephone and cable companies claim all they want is a level playing field. To that, I say horse-pucky. Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights president Jamie Court says: "Nobody cared about leveling the playing field for the consumer. The consumer gets the shaft here."</p>

CEO to Out of State Donors: Arnold is Our Insurance Policy

July 17, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">The head of America's 7th largest insurance company recently wrote Illinois-based CEOs and big business barons about a $25,000 per head Schwarzenegger fundraiser originally scheduled for today...</font>

New System for Determining Auto Insurance Rates Backed

July 15, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>"Californians have waited 17 years, six months and eight days to end the system of basing auto insurance premiums based on where you live, rather than how you drive," said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, the successor to the organization that pushed Proposition 103. He predicted that "in coming months, we are going to see reform and it's going to feel good for a lot of motorists."</p>

Auto insurers pressed

July 13, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE</p> <p>This week, the Automobile Club of Southern California broke ranks with the industry and said it would voluntarily begin implementing the new rules by Dec. 1. It simultaneously announced plans to cut rates across the board by $134 million or 7 percent on average, thanks to an improvement in its claims-paying experience. As a result of the two moves, 88 percent of its customers will see lower rates and 12 percent will see higher rates.</p>

Strong Arm the Strong Man

July 13, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">rnold has talked tough about prison reform since he took office, but the Strong Man's promises evaporated in 2006 when two successive corrections secretaries quit the job. Rod Hickman, who'd...</font>