Insurance

Cellphone Companies Win on the PUC’s Bad Call

February 2, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Our governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, ripped away these regulatory chains after six major wireless companies begged him to liberate them from their bondage. Schwarzenegger's PUC silenced the consumer-rights types who had spent four years hashing out the co</p>

Court Rebuffs Challenge to Corruption Initiative

February 1, 2005  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p class="source">Los Angeles Daily Journal</p> <p>The Oaks Initiative, which was backed by activist Harvey Rosenfield's Santa Monica-based FTCR, prohibits city officials from taking campaign contributions, large gifts or jobs from people who receive city contract work worth more than $25,000.</p>

Court Rebuffs Challenge to Corruption Initiative

February 1, 2005  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<p class="source">Los Angeles Daily Journal</p> <p>The Oaks Initiative, which was backed by activist Harvey Rosenfield's Santa Monica-based FTCR, prohibits city officials from taking campaign contributions, large gifts or jobs from people who receive city contract work worth more than $25,000.</p>

Appeals Court Deals Blow to City

February 1, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The LookOut (Santa Monica, CA)</p> <p>Voters approved the strongest conflict of interest initiative in the nation to fight corruption in four California cities, and it's time that protection was carried out in those cities and brought to other cities across the state, said Carmen Balber, con</p>

Nurses Take on the $50 Million Man

February 1, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Governor Schwarzenegger told the LA Times Saturday that he would raise about $50 million for his 2005 special election ballot initiative campaigns from national sources. Wall Street has the...</font>

Car Dealers in Capitol’s Fast Lane;

January 29, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>While Schwarzenegger declares war on 'special interests,' he has helped one of the state's most effective lobbies get showroom treatment.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>After the dealers and the rest of the auto industry helped underwrite Schwarzenegger's 2003 gubernatorial campaign, giving him more than $1 million through his first year in office, the Republican sided with dealers last year by killing their most hated</p>

Missing out on a windfall

January 28, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)</p> <p>In the midst of yet another budget deficit, the Doyle administration missed a chance to obtain perhaps tens of millions of dollars by negotiating a concession package before approving the merger of two giant health insurance firms last year.</p>

Nurse: Can I Have a Socket Wrench?

January 27, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Arnold's head honcho on consumer issues said today that in order to save money, California should "cross-train" its consumer protection investigators. In fact, Secretary of State and...</font>

Eighteen California companies win $80.8 million in tax refunds

January 25, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Critics claim the companies recently paid no state income taxes.</h3><p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>The board awarded the refunds with little discussion and no public documents detailing the size of individual refunds despite testimony calling them an absurd giveaway as the state contends with budget deficits.</p>

State (Wisconsin) missed chance at health care payoff for poor;

January 24, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Others saw opportunity in insurance company merger</h3><p class="source">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, health-care advocate for the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, disagreed and said Wisconsin's law clearly provides plenty of room to hold up mergers based on likelihood of passing along burdensome merger cost</p>

Amid Broken Promises, Many Begin to Doubt Schwarzenegger

January 20, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The question political insiders are starting to ask about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is potentially one of the most damaging that can be asked about a politician. Can you believe him? Can you trust him? Will he keep his word?</p>

Firm hires governor’s fund-raiser to pitch program to agencies

January 19, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>"This is the worst kind of influence peddling," said Jamie Court, president of FTCR, a Santa Monica-based consumer group. "This type of cash register politics is the very thing that Schwarzenegger ran Gray Davis out of office for."</p>