Insurance

Auto rates could rise;

January 9, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Bid to downplay geography would cause 25 percent increase here.</h3><p class="source">The San Luis Obispo Tribune</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, one of the groups petitioning Garamendi for a change, counters that most consumers would see their rates altered only slightly. Bad drivers and good drivers would see the biggest increases and decreases, it</p>

Man drops plan for lawsuit over TV addiction

January 8, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Doug Heller, senior consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, Calif., said he increasingly hears of consumers who have a tough time getting out of contracts.</p>

Share your health care story

January 7, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Californian (Salinas, CA)</p> <p>FTCR has called on the Legislature and governor to keep SB2, and make the system affordable for consumers and business owners by cracking down on profiteering and waste.</p>

ReplayTV placates irate new customers

January 7, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Consumer advocate Doug Heller of Santa Monica's FTCR, said ReplayTV's actions were "exactly the kind of behavior that reminds us how important it is that we protect consumers' ability to go after businesses that have unfair and deceptive practices."</p>

State of a Special Interest

January 7, 2004  ·  Carmen Balber

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">In tonight's 20-minute State of the State address, Arnold is expected to make workers' compensation reform the key to his economic recovery plan. But in tonight's speech, insurance regulation is...</font>

Insuring Success for Team Arnold

January 6, 2004  ·  Doug Heller

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Just before Christmas Arnold created a new fundraising committee that can receive above-the-limit contributions from big corporations, despite the state's campaign finance limits. The committee,...</font>

Shades of Gray in No-Limits Contribution

December 30, 2003  ·  Jamie Court

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">After unseating Gray Davis for his pay-to-play politics, Arnold has accepted an above-the-limits contribution from a company that is the capitol's foremost practitioner of pay-to-play: Mercury...</font>

More homeowners dump quake insurance each year than buy it

December 24, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Contra Costa Times (California)</p> <p>Uninsured or underinsured homeowners face substantial financial risks: foreclosure, even bankruptcy. California taxpayers also would shoulder a massive burden, said Doug Heller, senior consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights.</p>

City Gets C Grade In Curbing Power Of Big Corporations

December 24, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Daily News</p> <p>Corporations in Los Angeles have too much power to promote their brands on public facilities, pollute the environment and control what people see and hear in the media, according to a report card released Tuesday by a group critical of corporate excesses.</p>

A Dimension with No Contribution Limits

December 23, 2003  ·  Carmen Balber

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Recently ArnoldWatch called on the Governor to divest his $1 million-plus holdings in Dimensional Fund Advisors - a private mutual fund company that has a contract to manage $636 million for...</font>

Telemortgaging;

December 21, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Be careful where you click! Too-good-to-be-true loan offers on the Web can lead to a barage of phone calls.</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"This is a deceptive practice, and it may be a violation of state unfair business practice laws" because these e-mailers are competing in the marketplace essentially by lying, said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights</p>

Insurance carriers curb risk;

December 19, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>More home policies canceled, rates hiked</h3><p class="source">Bangor Daily News (Maine)</p> <p>"Jacking up the rates has a double function," said Douglas Heller, senior consumer advocate for the California-based FTCR. "Those people that are buying the product are paying a much higher premium for their coverage. But it also serves as a deterrent:</p>