Sacramento Bee (California) - March 4, 2008

The Giving Is Easy In State Capitol, 2007 List Shows

State law allows politicians to receive gifts totaling up to $390 annually from a single source. Not all politicians accept gifts, however. "In what other job in America do people get gifts just for having the job?" said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "I think there's a real problem when people consider their job a perpetual birthday party."...read more

The Sacramento Bee (California) - February 25, 2008

Speaker race is a Capitol brawl

With Fabian Núñez termed out, 10 Democrats are politicking for Assembly's biggest prize
Jamie Court, of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, contends that it's naive to think that political ties don't matter. "I think, unfortunately, that it's like a poker table -- and the biggest special interests are laying down bets," he said....read more

Ventura County Star (California) - February 16, 2008

Telecom outages incite calls for new regulation

"What the system is crying out for is regulation," said Harvey Rosenfield, founder of The Foundation For Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "The companies are deregulated," he said, "and in order to get them to pay you for the business that you lost, you have to sue them." Currently, there is no regulation in place that is applicable to such service failures, according to a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission, who spoke only on background without addressing the consumer rights group's concerns....read more

Los Angeles Times - February 15, 2008

Rules tighten pols' purse strings

State politicians will be required to explain how expenses paid for with campaign funds are tied to their office
Consumer groups urged the commission to go further. They suggested politicians should have to explain the official connection to travel within California, not just outside the state. And they urged the panel to require that travel itineraries be attached and activities such as golf explained. Carmen Balber of the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights told commissioners Thursday: "This is the $2,100 'meeting' at Spago; this is the $389 'meeting' at Pebble Beach; this is the money at the spas and the wineries, et cetera, et cetera. I think these are the types of expenditures that the average Californian is going to raise their eyebrows at, just as much as they're going to raise their eyebrows at the junket to Japan."...read more

San Jose Mercury News (California) - February 15, 2008

Election spending tallied: INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES SOARED, STATE WATCHDOG COMMISSION REPORTS

Campaign finance reform advocates, who support the FPPC effort, said the contributions provide powerful groups undue influence over issues. "It has a really frightening effect on politics," said Carmen Balber of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more

The San Francisco Chronicle - February 11, 2008

WATCHDOG TARGETS LAWMAKER JUNKETS

SPECIAL INTERESTS: How they get around voter-approved limits on campaign contributions
"I don't think special interests are spending any less," said Carmen Balber of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica consumer lobby that opposed the bill. "They are simply funneling the money through different avenues."...read more

Los Angeles Times - January 25, 2008

Stricter rules on political gifts considered;

The Fair Political Practices Commission wants to tighten disclosure requirements and could ban many contributions altogether.
Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, agreed, saying that if the panel "strips away the ability of the chamber to put the governor on a private jet, that's real valuable. That's a strong statement." He said gifts to the state's elected officials have become "a hidden economy."...read more

Los Angeles Times - January 23, 2008

Complaint accuses Nuñez of misusing charity

In a filing with the ethics panel, a foundation says the Assembly speaker used funds given to a nonprofit for political purposes. He denies the claim.
In a complaint filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights accused Nuñez of dodging state restrictions on campaign donations by asking donors to give to the nonprofit, then using the money for his political benefit....read more

Sacramento Bee - January 23, 2008

Group calls for probe of Núñez

A political watchdog group called Tuesday for a state investigation into Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez's channeling of corporate charitable funds through a nonprofit group to bankroll civic events that featured him....read more

Contra Costa Times (California) - December 29, 2007

Online consumer advocate resolves disputes;

LetterChamp writes wrongs
"This is fascinating. It's like having a John Edwards-style tort lawyer at a cut rate for smaller consumer complaints," said Judy Dugan, research director for Santa Monica consumer advocacy group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more