Associated Press - January 16, 2008

As economy weakens, strong 2007 4th quarter results for oil companies may raise eyebrows

"This wouldn't matter if we were talking about shoes," said Judy Dugan, research director at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which advocates more government oversight of the industry. "But oil is like water. It's a necessity," she said. "And (oil producers) don't want to give up these profits even though they know what it's doing to the economy. If Congress and the Bush administration don't act now to regulate energy markets, they're throwing ordinary consumers and the national economy to the speculative wolves."...read more

Los Angeles Times - August 13, 2007

Lawmakers seek changes in campaign finance reporting;

Open-government groups oppose the efforts, saying that the bills would allow special interests to overwhelm elections.
"Politicians are whittling away at the laws meant to deny special interests a stranglehold on California politics," said Carmen Balber, a spokeswoman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "But the details of campaign laws are as important as their core; shave off the edges and the whole campaign finance structure crumbles."...read more

Pasadena Star-News (California) - February 27, 2007

Council OKs strict donation guidelines

The act, once known as Measure B, was approved by voters in 2001 by a 60 percent margin. In November, voters accepted a revised version of the measure, which city officials said would further clarify and strengthen the law. The more recent amendments were minor but important enough to raise a red flag for Carmen Balber, consumer advocate for the Santa Monica- based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more

The Los Angeles Times - November 9, 2006

Many local measures approved;

Santa Monica residents vote for clean beaches, clean government. Pasadenans opt to strengthen campaign finance reforms.
With all of the votes counted, 53% of Santa Monica voters rejected Proposition W, which the City Council had backed. The measure would have overturned the Oaks Amendment, passed in 2000. "At the end of a very long ballot, the public rejected undue influence by developers and other special interests in local government," said Carmen Balber of Election Watchdog, a political action committee sponsored by the Campaign for Consumer Rights. ...read more

Pasadena Weekly - November 2, 2006

Better B-havior;

Once targeted for extinction by city leaders, Measure B re-emerges as a popular move to halt the corrupting influence of money in Pasadena politics
It's an old story: Business seeks contract; councilman approves spending taxpayer funds; contractor contributes hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars to that councilman's campaign come election season. But if voters approve Measure B this week for the second time in six years, it should never happen again in Pasadena, say good government activists....read more

Pasadena Star-News (California) - October 30, 2006

Measure B revisions draw fire

Carmen Balber, an advocate for The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, noted that the city didn't allow onto the ballot for the revised Measure B proposed campaign contribution limits by the task force. She said the foundation monitored the task force and supports all proposed revisions to the law. "After four months that the task force looked at this measure, listened to input from people across the community and looked at the intent of the voters, it came up with a balanced proposal that, in the end, will expand what voters intended for barring political kickbacks."...read more

Pasadena Weekly - October 11, 2006

Council passes on "Clean Money"

The proposition is supported by the California Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters of California, original Measure B-sponsors the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and various senior, minority, union, environment and peace groups. Several activists attended Monday's meeting to urge the council to endorse Proposition 89, including a nurse who blamed insurance company spending on political campaigns for stifling health care reform, a local business owner and members of the senior community....read more

Los Angeles City Beat - August 17, 2006

Trashing Clean Votes;

Former attorney general John Van de Kamp says Santa Monica is trashing its anti-corruption bill
"They basically trashed Proposition LL and showed really utter disdain for campaign finance reform," said former Attorney General John Van de Kamp, who had urged Santa Monica officials to take a page from Pasadena's playbook. "I'm disappointed, because I always thought Santa Monica has been considered a relatively progressive community and they are, I think, turning backwards," he added....read more

The Argonaut (Santa Monica, CA) - August 17, 2006

Santa Monica 'Good Government Act' approved by City Council for Nov. ballot exempts campaign contributions from law

"Santa Monica prides themselves on being forward-thinking and it's ironic that Pasadena, that doesn't necessarily have that reputation, is going forward with strong reform, while Santa Monica is trying to throw it overboard," said Carmen Balber, a consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more

The LookOut/SurfSantaMonica.com (Santa Monica, CA) - August 15, 2006

Council Places Amendments to Anti-Corruption Initiative on Ballot

"If you do place this on the ballot, we'll make sure the public knows this is a bait and switch, (replacing) true reform here in Santa Monica with a measure that would override the prevention of kick-backs," said Carmen Balber, consumer advocate for the Foundation for Consumers and Taxpayers Rights, which sponsored the initiative....read more