Privacy

Cable TV, Drug Bills Signed;

September 30, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>One law will let phone companies compete to sell pay television services. The other aims to cut medication costs for the uninsured.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, predicted that the law would lead to higher pay TV bills and poor service, because it gives the PUC little leverage over the phone or cable companies. He called it a gift to AT&T and Verizon. "This bill was wired by millions in campaign contributions and lobbying from AT&T and Verizon and tens of millions of dollars in aggressive media [ads] to thank Speaker Nunez and others."</p>

Drug costs can be remedied by price limitation

September 27, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Post (Ohio) - University Wire</p> <p>The reality is that the American drug industry, a massive business that rakes in billions every year, profits by maintaining high prices. Some corporations attribute the cost to research and development, though a report by The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights indicates these companies spend between three and five times their budget for R and D on marketing and advertising.</p>

HP= Huge (Arnold) Patron, Headed to Prison, Hoping for Pardon?

September 21, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Technology giant and Big-Brother-emulator Hewlett-Packard just gave Arnold another $25K. That moves the snoopiest firm in Silicon Valley up to #31 on the list of biggest donors to the Gov, with...</font>

The ‘clean’ campaign finance idea grows;

September 18, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Arizona experience mixed as California considers Prop. 89</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>By any measure, the 1998 initiative has taken plenty of special interest money out of statewide and legislative campaigns. Participation is voluntary, but the prospect of having the state pay all campaign expenses, combined with strict limits on private fundraising, are persuading more and more people to "run clean." </p>

A Tight Race With Loose Purse Strings;

September 17, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Democrats, Republicans are expected to spend a combined $8 million for the Orange County seat, one of the few that remains competitive.</h3><p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Daucher's campaign says it will hit Correa on his voting record as a three-term assemblyman, citing a 2004 study by the Foundation for Taxpayer an Consumer Rights concluding that he failed to vote 43.5% of the time on unsuccessful Assembly bills that often dealt with consumer protection.</p>

Ballot Watch: Proposition 89 – Public Campaign Financing

September 15, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee (California)</p> <p><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/media/2006/09/15/19/0916ballot.source.pdf">Click here</a> to view the full page color article with graphs and charts.</p>

WARF expects review of stem cell patents;

September 13, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Foundation says 95 percent of patent review requests are granted</h3><p class="source">Wisconsin Technology Network</p> <p>The legal challenge to WARF's stem cell patents was announced on July 18 and was filed by the Public Patent Foundation on behalf of the California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. The patent foundation filed a formal request with the Patent and Trademark Office to re-examine three stem cell patents held by WARF, and contends the patents are restricting scientific research.</p>

A Tight Grip on Tech Transfer;

September 11, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>A U. of Wisconsin foundation fiercely protects its patent rights, but critics say it impedes stem-cell research</h3><p class="source">The Chronicle of Higher Education</p> <p>In their request for re-examination of the patents, the groups contend that WARF officials, in aggressively asserting its patent rights, are impeding stem-cell research "at its infancy." "They have huge dollar signs in their eyes," says John M. Simpson, director of FTCR's Stem Cell Project.</p>

Sweet Subpoena:

September 1, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Capitol Hill is way overdue for a blockbuster investigation. Here are nine questions to get Congress rolling -- if it has the guts;</h3><p class="source">Mother Jones Magazine</p> <p>There is evidence to suggest practices reminiscent of Enron's market rigging: Last year, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based consumer group, released a series of internal memos from Chevron, Texaco, and Mobil that laid out the industry's thinking. A Texaco memo, for example, warned that "supply significantly exceeds demand year-round. This results in very poor refinery margins and very poor refinery financial results. Significant events need to occur to assist in reducing supplies and/or increasing thedemand for gasoline."</p>

At session-end, old bills take on brand new lives;

August 31, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Lawmakers now can hijack measures with impunity</h3><p class="source">THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE</p> <p>"It's one of the most pernicious practices in the Capitol because the public is locked out," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Gut and amend is a way of delivering big for the biggest donors when the public's attention and the media's scrutiny is diverted by hundreds of other bills."</p>

Pay-TV Bill OK’d by State Senate

August 31, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Los Angeles Times</p> <p>AT&T and Verizon lobbied heavily for the measure, AB 2987. AT&T spent nearly $18 million in lobbying efforts and donated $500,000 to political campaigns, according to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "This is a very complicated bill, and it's outrageous that all these amendments were made in the last days and we never were allowed to see them," said Megan Taylor, spokeswoman for the League of California Cities. The carriers controlled the process so thoroughly, Taylor said, that "on amendments we would send over to the Legislature, we'd hear back, 'Sorry, but AT&T said no.' "</p>

Cable competition bill clears Senate

August 31, 2006  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Contra Costa Times (California)</p> <p>Weakened regulations will eliminate the Public Utility Commission's ability to require the phone companies to offer services in low-income neighborhoods, and to provide quality service, said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "If the PUC doesn't have the power to take away a license, what good is a regulation? There's literally no one watching. And, with all these new amendments, it was done very secretively in a back room. They're trying as much as they can to avoid consumer protections," Court said.</p>