Privacy

State seeking return on stem cell research investment;

February 23, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Senate panel eyes conditional grants</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>"In case of unreasonable pricing by drug companies the state needs to have march-in rights that allow it bring the prices down to a reasonable level," said John Simpson, of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights in Santa Monica.</p>

Wisconsin foundation eases stem cell patent restrictions after groups’ legal challenge

February 21, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Biotech Week</p> <p>Policy changes announced that ease licensing requirements on human embryonic stem cell patents held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) are a step in the right direction but don't go far enough, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) said.</p>

Term-limits initiative proposed

February 16, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California)</p> <p>California has yet to move the presidential primary. A bill to do so passed the Senate this week and is pending in the Assembly, but the early primary has its critics. "The logical thing would be to put the presidential primary and the legislative primaries together as we did in the past when we moved up the primary," said Carmen Balber, a spokeswoman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "The reason the two are split is simple -- incumbent politicians want to extend the term of their office."</p>

Board to hand out stem cell research grants;

February 16, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Legal battle plays out as loans fund program</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>The board could only make "provisional" votes on the recommendations last night because only 16 members attended the meeting. Eighteen were required for a quorum. Several board members who had said they would be present for the historic vote could not make it at the last minute, said Dale Carlson, an institute spokesman. "It's outrageous that they could not get a quorum for what is their most high-profile event next to their first board meeting," said John Simpson, of the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights, who has been following the board's actions closely.</p>

California’s Voice in the 2008 Presidential Campaigns?

February 15, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Which Way LA? (National Public Radio - KCRW 89.9FM Los Angeles)</p> <p>The Governor and the Legislature are likely to move California's presidential primary up to February 5 of next year. The idea is to force Republican and Democratic candidates to actually campaign here, rather than just raising money. Just talking about it brought Rudy Giuliani in for a four-day tour. John McCain and Barack Obama will be here next week. Still, there's debate about whether an extra election is really a good idea. Would it mean real clout for the biggest state in the Union? Would it really work? What does it have to do with term limits? We hear a journalist following the story and advocates on both sides.</p>

Insurance chief appoints figure from industry;

February 14, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>CRITICS SAY MOVE BELIES POIZNER'S NEUTRAL IMAGE</h3><p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>The appointments have prompted questions about Poizner's commitment to create a centrist, independent office. One leading consumer rights advocate who endorsed Poizner instead of Democrat Cruz Bustamante was incensed by the choice of Gausewitz in particular, saying it creates a fox-guarding-the-henhouse scenario. "It contradicts what Poizner promised to the public,'' said Harvey Rosenfield, the author of Proposition 103, the landmark 1988 measure that established regulations for the auto insurance industry. "He's proposing putting an industry guy in charge of regulating the industry. That's devastating.''</p>

California’s presidential primary will likely move to February

February 13, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>In California's most previous changes to early primaries from June to March, legislative primaries also were included, said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "To create an extra election just to put term limits on the ballot," Court said, "and allow term-limited legislators to keep their jobs is such an abuse of taxpayer dollars."</p>

There’s More Than Meets the Eye to an Early Primary

February 8, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">KPCC 89.3FM (Southern California Public Radio)</p> <p>Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, says California politicians have an ulterior motive for supporting a February presidential primary.</p>

There’s More Than Meets the Eye to an Early Primary

February 8, 2007  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">KPCC 89.3FM (Southern California Public Radio)</p> <p>Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, says California politicians have an ulterior motive for supporting a February presidential primary.</p>

Guidelines on stem cell research offered;

February 2, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Group promotes worldwide practices</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>The Foundation For Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica praised provisions in guidelines that emphasize the need for researchers "to promote public benefit as their primary objective" when turning over discoveries to commercial firms.</p>

Runner, Kuehl preparing stem-cell legislation

February 1, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Capitol Weekly (California)</p> <p>The reason such a reminder is necessary is that legislators now are getting their first real crack at Proposition 71. The initiative was written with a three-year moratorium on any such legislation. Bills affecting the CIRM may pass this year, but cannot actually go into effect until 2008. "I think there has been an increased tendency to put that sort of bulletproofing into initiatives," said John Simpson, the stem-cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights. "This one probably went further than most." </p>

AT&T, Verizon spend millions to access California cable TV market

February 1, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>The contributions came as lawmakers were rewriting the rules governing the state cable industry to make it much easier for telephone companies to compete for the 7.4 million California households that subscribe to cable. "The $25 million the telephone industry spent on lobbying was the factor in passing the bill," said Carmen Balber, consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica group that has been critical of the measure.</p>