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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.
Subtle product plugs seen in governor’s TV ad;

Subtle product plugs seen in governor’s TV ad;

<h3>Cafeteria table is set for controversy, some analysts say</h3><p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>"The governor of California should not be selling corporate products, especially for his corporate donors," said Carmen Balber of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, whose ArnoldWatch.org Web site is a compendium of outrages that the group attributes to the governor.</p>
Chicken Arnold

Chicken Arnold

<font face="Verdana,helvetica,Arial"> <br/> </font> <!-- body text starts --><!-- startbodytext --> <font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">48 hours is not much notice for a graduation day speaker to give to students on whether...</font>
Arrowhead’s Water Boy

Arrowhead’s Water Boy

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">An eagle-eyed ArnoldWatch tipster discovered some subliminal messaging in the Gov's latest TV ad blitz. Well, he didn't need 20-20 vision to catch this one.<br/> <br/> The ad features Arnold in...</font>
Court Gives Campaign Finance Laws a Green Light;

Court Gives Campaign Finance Laws a Green Light;

<h3>Ruling means strict limits on donations in three cities may finally take effect.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Simply because politicians dislike a law, that does not mean they can spend public money to fight it, particularly when those measures were put on the ballot by the public and voted by the public.</p>
Court Gives Campaign Finance Laws a Green Light;

Court Gives Campaign Finance Laws a Green Light;

<h3>Ruling means strict limits on donations in three cities may finally take effect.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>"This is a court saying that when the voters speak at the ballot, they must be heard," said Carmen Balber, with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, which sponsored the ballot initiatives. </p>
Council unhappy about ordinance

Council unhappy about ordinance

<p class="source">Pasadena Star-News (Pasadena, CA)</p> <p>"Pasadena does now have to accept what the voters said in 2001: That city officials shouldn't be able to take money from people they award public benefits,' said Carmen Balber, consumer advocate for the initiative's sponsor, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>
Council unhappy about ordinance

Council unhappy about ordinance

<p class="source">Pasadena Star-News (Pasadena, CA)</p> <p>"Pasadena does now have to accept what the voters said in 2001: That city officials shouldn't be able to take money from people they award public benefits,' said Carmen Balber, consumer advocate for the initiative's sponsor, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.</p>
City’s Lawsuit Against Self Dies

City’s Lawsuit Against Self Dies

<h3>Councilman not surprised about high court's decision</h3><p class="source">Santa Monica Daily Press</p> <p>City Hall suffered a third strike last month when the state Supreme Court refused to hear a case that involved the city suing itself, losing, appealing and losing again, over an initiative approved by voters more than four years ago.</p>
City’s Lawsuit Against Self Dies

City’s Lawsuit Against Self Dies

<h3>Councilman not surprised about high court's decision</h3><p class="source">Santa Monica Daily Press</p> <p>City Hall suffered a third strike last month when the state Supreme Court refused to hear a case that involved the city suing itself, losing, appealing and losing again, over an initiative approved by voters more than four years ago.</p>
Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich Team Up on Medical Data Bill

Hillary Clinton, Newt Gingrich Team Up on Medical Data Bill

<p class="source">CNSNews.com</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocacy organization, warns that the "huge databases" envisioned by the bill would contain information on a patient's illnesses, genetic predispositions, alcohol and drug addiction, medication history, and probably "personal identifier information," such as a Social Security Number.</p>
State Supreme Court Refuses to Take up Conflict Law

State Supreme Court Refuses to Take up Conflict Law

<p class="source">LookOut News (Santa Monica, CA)</p> <p>The California Supreme Court has declined to take up Santa Monica's challenge to one of the nation's strictest conflict of interest laws, likely putting an end to a four-year legal battle between the City and sponsors of the successful ballot measure.</p>