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Consumer Watchdog

Privacy

Consumer Watchdog investigations and advocacy on data privacy, surveillance, AI, and your right to control your personal information.
Senate Banking Committee Endorses Cox

Senate Banking Committee Endorses Cox

<p class="source">CFO.com</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights reportedly criticized Cox's testimony about his work in the 1980s as a private lawyer for First Pension Corp., a former pension-funds administrator. The group reportedly asserted that Cox omitted "important facts about the extent of his involvement with companies that perpetrated a $130 million fraud on small investors," reported Reuters.</p>
Despite controversies, Governor’s fund-raising team carries on

Despite controversies, Governor’s fund-raising team carries on

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>"If this is not a violation of the law - which it might be - it's certainly a violation of the spirit of the law," said Carmen Balber, from the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "The governor is fund-raising for his political committees and then pocketing some of that cash. That's not right."</p>
Muscle king’s rise and stumble;

Muscle king’s rise and stumble;

<h3>The governor's climb to fame was closely connected to the supplement industry and its magazines.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>"By working for the magazines, Arnold is working for the magazines' paymasters," Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights Executive Director Doug Heller said last week, before the governor relinquished his title.</p>
Coming Clean

Coming Clean

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Arnold did the right thing this afternoon by severing his multi-million dollar contract with the muscle mags. But the fact that Arnold's team defiantly defended the deal yesterday indicates he's...</font>
Supplementary Income

Supplementary Income

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Arnold told voters he was so rich that he didn't need anyone else's money; he could be trusted not to be corrupted. Well, disclosures in today's papers and filings with the Securities and...</font>
Governor pumps up lobby group;

Governor pumps up lobby group;

<h3>With a bill pending, he backs the dietary supplement industry</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>Deepening his personal involvement in an industry that has business pending at the Capitol, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this year helped dietary supplement companies launch a lobbying group.</p>
Monitoring Malcontents;

Monitoring Malcontents;

<h3>Why do the governor's critics keep finding themselves targets of strange police scrutiny?</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Bay Guardian</p> <p>"That's something no one has ever explained to our satisfaction," Carmen Balber, a consumer advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, told us. Balber said she made numerous calls to the LASD over a 10-day period immediately following the two incidents, and filed a complaint.</p>
Drug firms arming for battle at ballot box;

Drug firms arming for battle at ballot box;

<h3>$43 million in past month alone given to fight stringent prescription discounts</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"The drug companies are putting their cannon at the top of the hill and daring the unions to climb it," said Jamie Court, president of Santa Monica's FTCR. "The money is a deterrent, designed to convince union and consumer groups not to further fund their initiative."</p>
Stem cell committee takes steps to increase disclosure

Stem cell committee takes steps to increase disclosure

<h3>Regulations don't go as far as other state agencies</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>Jerry Flanagan, Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights spokesman, issued a statement criticizing the new rules and pointing out that 10 of the 29 oversight committee members have holdings or serve on boards of biotech firms.</p>
Chasing Hiram’s Ghost

Chasing Hiram’s Ghost

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Arnold has often likened himself to the great populist Governor Hiram Johnson and is now doing so in prominent Internet advertising. Well here are a few well chosen words from Hiram for Arnold: ...</font>