Privacy

Politics Enters State’s Stem Cell Research Program

January 30, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <strong>Just as Obama's election opens the door to progress, Democrats and Republicans square off over a key appointment.</strong> </p> <p> Art Torres, who served two decades as a state lawmaker before assuming the party chairmanship a dozen years ago, is being backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California and Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, among others. "With Torres, you get a new face," said John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog. "But there also is a bit of irony over the politicization of an agency created to avoid Bush politics." </p> <p>   </p>

White House camouflages ties to Google

January 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

The White House webmaster apparently is  hearing concerns from privacy advocates about exemptions from federal rules for <a href="http://www.youtube.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google's YouTube</a> video service, but I'm not applauding the latest response at all.

No Pink Slips for Bailed-Out Bank Execs

January 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> WASHINGTON, D.C. -- They've been bailed out, but not kicked out. At banks that are receiving federal bailout money nearly nine out of every 10 of the most senior executives from 2006 are still on the job, according to an Associated Press analysis of regulatory and company documents. Under the government's no-strings-attached bailout plan, taxpayers must take it on faith that bank executives will make better decisions this time around, said Jamie Court, president of the California-based group Consumer Watchdog. "When you deal with the same dogs, you're going to end up with the same fleas," Court said. </p>

What happened to stem cell agency’s $400K grant for an international meeting?

January 27, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Back in December leaders of California's stem cell agency were in a big rush to push through a $400,000 grant so the <a href="http://www.isscr.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Society for Stem Cell Research</a> could hold its annual meeting in...

White House website responds to privacy concerns about Google; additional steps needed

January 23, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Twelve hours after <a href="http://news.cnet.com/surveillance-state/?tag=rb_content;overviewHead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blogger Chris Soghoian</a> revealed privacy concerns about Google's involvement with the ...

Selection of stem cell vice chair delayed

January 21, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> The selection of a new vice chairman of <a href="http://www.cirm.ca.gov/faq/icoc.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California's stem cell board</a> won't take place at next week's meeting in San Francisco as many had expected. </p>

Our small slice of inaugural history

January 20, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> <br /> I can’t tell you what Michelle Obama wore to the inauguration, but here are a few photos of the million-plus inaugural crowd when it wasn’t pressed too thick for me to raise my arms to take a shot. </p> <p> From... </p>

California Limits Politicians’ Use Of Funds Raised For Ballot Measures

January 16, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<strong>Such money must be spent on specific propositions and can't be used as 'slush funds' to promote the politicians. The rules follow complaints about a Schwarzenegger panel formed to push redistricting</strong>.<br /> Carmen Balber, a leader of the group Consumer Watchdog, noted that last year the governor's committee spent $523,000 on executive jet services. Under the new rules, that travel would have to be related to a ballot measure. "Candidate ballot-measure committees now engage in the kind of Wild West spending that voters thought they eliminated when they approved limits on campaign contributions," Balber said.

Arnold’s unraveling state

January 15, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> California is such a mess that that the state's webcast cut off (on my L.A. computer, anyway) halfway through Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/018621.html#more">State of the State speech</a> this morning. It was probably the shortest such speech in modern times. No plans, no boasting, just one grim warning after another--and a heaping dose of shame on the Legislature, ignoring his own role in the gridlock.<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/018621.html#more"></a> </p>

Universal health care = Major new jobs, say nurses

January 14, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p> Among the biggest proponents of a Medicare-style universal health care plan is the <a href="www.calnurses.org">California Nurses Association. </a> Since no one else has wrapped up all the parts of a universal health system to say what it would "cost" and what its economic effects would be, the nurses did it themselves. Their preliminary study released today sketches the big picture, predicting that health care for everyone, in one big package, would create 2.6 million jobs and cost the economy as a whole only about $63 billion dollars--less than half of what one financial company, AIG, got in federal bailout money. </p>

Burnham President Receives A Warning

January 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<div class="story-header"> <strong>Letter He Wrote Triggered Complaint, Investigation</strong> </div> <div class="story-header"> Although the letter did not prompt the institute staff to reconsider its decision, the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog organization complained to the political practices commission that Reed violated the state conflict-of-interest law. State Controller John Chiang also asked the commission to investigate.<br /> </div>

Burnham Chief Acted Improperly On Stem Cell Grant

January 13, 2009  ·  Consumer Watchdog

Burnham Institute president John Reed improperly tried to influence a grant decision by California's $3 billion stem cell program, a state ethics committee said last week. In August, 2007, Reed urged the stem cell program to reconsider a rejected grant application from an employee at Burnham. The group Consumer Watchdog alleged that Reed's action was forbidden as a conflict of interest. It filed a complaint with the commission in December of that year.