Insurance

Court to decide when lawsuit limit began

January 5, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Consumer advocates believe they hold a trump card: an e-mail sent in September from the official Prop. 64 campaign, saying the measure was not retroactive, in response to an inquiry from Daniel Sigler, an Orange County attorney.</p>

Bush launching campaign for second-term agenda;

January 5, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>President seeks changes on malpractice awards, tax code, Social Security</h3><p class="source">The Baltimore Sun</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which opposes Bush's plan, said Bush is "on a warpath to blame the ills of the health care system on a manufactured concept that lawsuits are the heart of the problem."</p>

Democrats Ready to Battle Gov.;

January 3, 2005  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Still in control of the Legislature, the party plans to be more assertive, especially on issues of concern to the middle class.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Arnold is the largest recipient of pharmaceutical donations in America except for George Bush. (Schwarzenegger has accepted $367,200 from drug companies according to an analysis by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.)</p>

States vs. U.S.: Who Will Police Insurance Firms?

December 31, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The New York Times</p> <p>"Federal regulation would substitute a deregulated environment that would wipe out what pitifully limited regulation exists at the state level," said Harvey Rosenfield, a California lawyer and founder of FTCR. "States need to pass laws to make regulation</p>

Middle-class Americans face life without health insurance

December 31, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"When the problem of the uninsured affects the middle class, there will be a political will in Sacramento to solve the problem," said Jerry Flanagan, health policy director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

OPINION – Express your outrage;

December 30, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>CA Board of Equalization gives tax refunds to corporations that paid no income taxes</h3><p class="source">Eureka Times-Standard (California)</p> <p>Critics are fuming over this, as should every Californian who has paid a cent in income tax.</p>

Firms that paid no state taxes set to get $82 million in refunds

December 28, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Riverside Press-Enterprise</p> <p>"To actually be giving a gift to companies that paid no taxes is a slap in the face of every taxpaying citizen in the state," said Doug Heller, an advocate for the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>

Citing Prop. 64, Firms Seek to Kill Lawsuits;

December 27, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>At least a dozen unfair-competition cases that existed before the measure's passage have come under challenge.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Opponents of Proposition 64 -- mainly environmental and consumer rights activists -- accuse business of pulling a bait-and-switch with voters by trying to apply the amended law retroactively.</p>

Insurers Back U.S. Oversight;

December 25, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>With states pushing to tighten their regulation, the industry embraces the idea of federal standards.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>The insurance industry is "threatening a federal takeover in order to scare our state lawmakers into weakening state consumer protections," said Doug Heller, executive director of FTCR in Los Angeles. "The push in D.C. is to lowest-common-denominator stan</p>

Financier to Lead Institute on Stem Cells

December 17, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The New York Times</p> <p>Some board members have been criticized for their ties to large biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and Amgen. Jerry Flanagan, an advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, warned of a web of conflicts.</p>

Party Is Over on Workers’ Comp

December 3, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has called for workers' comp premium reductions totaling 22% to match the savings by insurers, but the insurers are in the driver's seat. They don't have to listen to what he says.</p>

A Burd in the Hand

December 2, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Corporate reformer Sean Harrigan says that Arnold was the hand behind his ouster from his position as President of the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) today. CalPERS, the...</font>