Privacy

Governor drops freeway fees to accelerate fiber-optic lines

January 7, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>Judy Dugan, of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, said she is troubled by the state's failure to get anything in return for giving up the fees. It could have demanded a commitment to lay cable in rural areas, she said, or that the telecommunications companies give up their opposition to some municipalities setting up free wireless service. "It's simply giving away something that will be a huge profit enabler," she said.</p>

Injured Schwarzenegger backs out of inaugural appearance

January 3, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the governor should have found more ways to open his parties and ceremonies to the public. He said the closed nature of the events -- and attendance by donors at all of them -- gives the impression that special interests have more access to Schwarzenegger than regular voters. "It seems to me that he has created such a bifurcation between the powerful interests and the people," Heller said. "The public doesn't even get a chance to hear him speak live. We have to watch it transmitted."</p>

Burning bridges

January 1, 2007  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Nature Biotechnology (Volume 25, No. 1 - Jan. 2007)</p> <p>One approach that has been taken to escape WARF's IP clutches is to challenge the validity of the Thomson patents. In October, the US Patent and Trademark Office accepted a request from a coalition of nonprofit groups in California to reexamine WARF's patents covering primate ES cells and their culturing techniques on the basis that the isolation methods were obvious. With annual earnings greater than $50 million, it seems likely that WARF will defend its IP vigorously, no matter what the cost.</p>

Schwarzenegger’s second inauguration promises to be lavish affair

December 29, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Jose Mercury News (California)</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a frequent critic of Schwarzenegger's $100-million-and-counting fundraising apparatus, derides the "inauguration slush fund" for offering "secret access to the governor and legislators."</p>

Can Schwarzenegger’s 2006 Comeback Survive?

December 28, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">National Public Radio (NPR) - Morning Edition</p> <p>Some Schwarzenegger watchers think the biggest obstacle to healthcare reform won't be Republicans or Democrats but the governor's own prodigious fundraising. Since taking office three years ago, he's raised more than $100 million. Jamie Court, the president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights says, "The question is whether this governor has got the cojones to go stand up to the insurers and the drug companies that have given him millions in political contributions."</p>

Bilking Builder Bets on Arnold

December 20, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">A Los Angeles jury just found that construction giant and Arnold inauguration donor Tutor-Saliba Corporation double-billed the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) when it built LA's Red Line...</font>

Inaugural “Money In” Still A Secret

December 16, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Governor Schwarzenegger still has not disclosed, as he promised, what companies are footing the bill for the two-day bash he's planning for his second inauguration. Perhaps his campaign staff is...</font>

Governor raises at least $640,000 for inaugural celebration

December 15, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Carmen Balber, a consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica-based group that has been critical of Schwarzenegger's fundraising, said the governor should have a no-frills inauguration and have taxpayers cover the costs. She said asking campaign contributors to foot the bill gives them a chance to gain more influence in the governor's office as he considers health-care reform and other issues that will cross his desk in 2007.</p>

Governor to start 2nd term with glitz, bipartisanship

December 13, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Watchdog groups say the galas hosted by Schwarzenegger are still deeply distressing. "It reminds me of the wedding scene in the 'Godfather,' when the whole syndicate is gathering to kiss the ring," says Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Every time the glass is raised, it makes you wonder how many favors to the big companies financing will come out of the taxpayers' pockets." Court says the governor should make a statement -- and pay his own tab.</p>

Difficult Departures

December 12, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Zach Hall, 69, brought both vision and pragmatism to the fledgling California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). On a board with many combative voices, he showed calm strength and a willingness to listen -- even to humble members of the taxpaying public, who are merely funding the $3 billion initiative. We hope that his successor will bring the same mix of qualities to this important position.</p>

Key stem cell study backer will retire

December 8, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>John Simpson of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights praised Hall for his "tremendous contribution," including the goals set forth in the 10-year plan he crafted and approved Thursday by the institute's board. "He more than anyone else has brought a sense of scientific realism to the process to counter the campaign hype of Prop. 71," Simpson said.</p>

Stem cell integrity;

December 6, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Agency with bucks still has some blinders</h3><p class="source">The Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p>The institute has made some good progress this year, including adoption of a strategic plan that sets realistic goals and lowers the inflated expectations of the Proposition 71 "countdown for cures" campaign. If institute leaders could take another step and come clean about internal conflicts, they could go a long way toward securing the trust they have risked squandering the last two years.</p>