The Los Angeles Times - December 31, 2006 Healthy? Insurers don't buy it;
Minor ailments can thwart applicants for individual policies. The San Diego Union-Tribune - December 30, 2006 Moderate gas prices expected in new year;
This year's high costs contribute to decline Sacramento Bee (California) - December 30, 2006 Inaugural to keep governor busy;
Stars and donors with state business ponied up $1.35 million so far. The San Jose Mercury News (California) - December 29, 2006 Schwarzenegger's second inauguration promises to be lavish affair The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a frequent critic of Schwarzenegger's $100-million-and-counting fundraising apparatus, derides the "inauguration slush fund" for offering "secret access to the governor and legislators."...read more The San Francisco Chronicle - December 29, 2006 HEALTH CARE: LOOKING FOR ANSWERS;
States lead latest charge in effort to solve crisis over medical coverage Contra Costa Times (California) - December 29, 2006 Moderates may shift state Senate If pro-business Democrats stand in the way of pro-consumer legislation, Democrats won't be distinguishable from Republicans, said consumer advocate Jamie Court. "There will be a tug of war for the heart and soul of the Senate," Court said, "and it's going to be up to the leadership to make sure the Democratic Party stands for their traditional values of consumer and environmental protection, and not just helping their biggest donors."...read more National Public Radio (NPR) - Morning Edition - December 28, 2006 Can Schwarzenegger's 2006 Comeback Survive? Some Schwarzenegger watchers think the biggest obstacle to healthcare reform won't be Republicans or Democrats but the governor's own prodigious fundraising. Since taking office three years ago, he's raised more than $100 million. Jamie Court, the president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights says, "The question is whether this governor has got the cojones to go stand up to the insurers and the drug companies that have given him millions in political contributions."...read more Contra Costa Times (California) - December 28, 2006
Farmers to slash premium fees in 2007, leading to significant savings for owners and renters The San Francisco Examiner - December 27, 2006 California's stem cell institute moving forward despite snags CIRM is also to be commended for creating a strategic plan in 2006 that will guide spending decisions for the next 10 years, said John Simpson, the stem cell project director for The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a watchdog organization. The agency fell short, however, according to Simpson, by not establishing more rules that would have guaranteed Californians affordable access to any cures or therapies developed by entities -- including for-profit organizations -- that receive the state funding....read more The Los Angeles Times - December 27, 2006 Pinch at the pump worst in 25 years;
State motorists paid an average of $2.81 a gallon this year. 2007 may not bring much relief. The Daily News of Los Angeles - December 27, 2006 RUNNERS' TRIP TO BRAZIL A JUNKET?;
LAWMAKER DUO SAYS IT'S WORK The Los Angeles Times - December 27, 2006 Farmers plans to cut rates for homeowners;
The insurer's proposed 12% to 15% reduction in premiums would apply to most of its 1.3 million customers in California. The San Francisco Chronicle - December 22, 2006 Second Democrat puts forth health care overhaul plan -- focus on kids Jerry Flanagan, spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, pointed out that the Núñez plan does nothing to rein in what he considers to be excessive insurance profits. "There's a total lack of attention to health insurance overhead, and that's the fastest-increasing driver in health care," he said. "Without taking on health insurance greed, there's no way to balance the health care books and make reforms add up."...read more The Los Angeles Times - December 22, 2006 Assembly speaker proposes healthcare plan;
State Assembly speaker says more employers should help pay for medical insurance. Associated Press - December 22, 2006 Consumer group likens South America trip to Abramoff junkets The Santa Monica-based consumer group FTCR obtained itineraries and other records about the South America trip through a California Public Records Act request. "The average citizen will never be on an even playing field with powerful business interests that spend tens of thousands of dollars wining and dining and vacationing with government officials like this," Doug Heller with FTCR said. "There should be a bright line that prohibits officials from taking international trips paid by private interest groups."...read more The Orange County Register (California) - December 19, 2006 O.C. firms fund governor's galas;
Adams Steel, Irvine Co. and three others donate at least $110,000 for the January inaugural events. The Sacramento Bee (California) - December 16, 2006
Donor list includes health insurers and builders who have agendas in the Capitol. The San Francisco Chronicle - December 16, 2006 Health industry gives to governor's inauguration fund;
Donations coincide with planning for revamp of system The San Francisco Chronicle - December 15, 2006 Governor raises at least $640,000 for inaugural celebration Carmen Balber, a consumer advocate for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica-based group that has been critical of Schwarzenegger's fundraising, said the governor should have a no-frills inauguration and have taxpayers cover the costs. She said asking campaign contributors to foot the bill gives them a chance to gain more influence in the governor's office as he considers health-care reform and other issues that will cross his desk in 2007....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - December 13, 2006 Health care debate hits fever pitch A consumer group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, advocates cutting health care costs by regulating health insurance premiums and extending the state's power to get drug discounts by purchasing in bulk....read more The San Francisco Chronicle - December 13, 2006 Governor to start 2nd term with glitz, bipartisanship Watchdog groups say the galas hosted by Schwarzenegger are still deeply distressing. "It reminds me of the wedding scene in the 'Godfather,' when the whole syndicate is gathering to kiss the ring," says Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Every time the glass is raised, it makes you wonder how many favors to the big companies financing will come out of the taxpayers' pockets." Court says the governor should make a statement -- and pay his own tab....read more The San Francisco Chronicle - December 12, 2006 Zach Hall, 69, brought both vision and pragmatism to the fledgling California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). On a board with many combative voices, he showed calm strength and a willingness to listen -- even to humble members of the taxpaying public, who are merely funding the $3 billion initiative. We hope that his successor will bring the same mix of qualities to this important position....read more The Kansas City Star - December 12, 2006 Regulators enjoy cozy relationship with insurance industry;
Oversight is all too often an oversight National Underwriter - Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition - December 11, 2006 Consumer Group Hammers Report On Governance Regs;
Financial connection to Greenberg organization cited The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - December 8, 2006
Ex-assemblyman's reversal draws fire The San Jose Mercury News (California) - December 8, 2006 Former head of California insurance committee takes insurance job Vargas, who left office last month, headed the Assembly Insurance Committee for the past four years, a post from which he advocated legislation benefiting the insurance sector, said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "While he was chairman he often sided with the industry and now we know why," Heller said. "He saw a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."...read more The San Francisco Chronicle - December 8, 2006 Drug firms to get part of stem cell grant pool;
State institute would see a share of their profits The Los Angeles Times - December 8, 2006 Key stem cell study backer will retire John Simpson of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights praised Hall for his "tremendous contribution," including the goals set forth in the 10-year plan he crafted and approved Thursday by the institute's board. "He more than anyone else has brought a sense of scientific realism to the process to counter the campaign hype of Prop. 71," Simpson said....read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - December 7, 2006
10-year spending strategy likely to get board approval. Capitol Weekly (California) - December 6, 2006 Juan Vargas, former Assembly Insurance Committee chairman, takes job with Safeco Vargas' job change drew a critical response from Doug Heller, the executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, who said Vargas appeared to favor the insurance industry during his stint as chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee. "This is exactly what we're saying is wrong in Sacramento," Heller said. "It casts a cloud over his entire chairmanship of that committee. It's as if he was interviewing for that job for four years, and presented his credentials by attacking consumer protections in order to defend the insurance industry." Heller noted that two of Vargas' committee consultants also took jobs in the industry. ...read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - December 6, 2006
Agency with bucks still has some blinders The San Francisco Chronicle - December 4, 2006
Many Bay Area Assembly members who gave big bucks to Dems get choice assignments East Bay Business Times (California) - December 4, 2006 Stem cell grantees may be required to share profits John Simpson, the stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights who is an outspoken advocate for a direct financial payback to the state, said he was happy to see the rules. "When this all started, there were serious proposals that there would be no payback to the state at all and that the only payback would be in terms of the jobs created and perhaps the taxes," he said. "I'm happy to see they put the payback in and it's a reasonable rate." But Simpson expressed concern over issues of assuring access to therapies that result from work financed by the institute....read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - December 3, 2006
Aides say governor may ask employers to shoulder worker coverage, but is seeking other ideas. The Daily News of Los Angeles - December 3, 2006 HEALTH CARE REFORMS ARE TOP PRIORITY Santa Monica-based activist group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights suggests the government regulate the health insurance industry the same way it regulates auto insurance. Under such a plan, any increases in premiums would have to be approved by the state insurance commissioner. "We need to treat health care like we used to treat energy and we currently treat garbage disposal and cable television, we need to regulate it like a utility," said Jerry Flanagan, an advocate with the foundation....read more The San Jose Mercury News (California) - December 2, 2006 Pro-business Senate Dems could tilt Legislature If pro-business Democrats stand in the way of pro-consumer legislation, Democrats won't be distinguishable from Republicans, said consumer advocate Jamie Court. "There will be a tug of war for the heart and soul of the Senate,'' Court said, "and it's going to be up to the leadership to make sure the Democratic Party stands for their traditional values of consumer and environmental protection, and not just helping their biggest donors.''...read more The New York Post - December 1, 2006
PLAN TO KEEP WALL ST. IN THE MONEY The San Jose Mercury News (California) - December 1, 2006 Money finally flowing at California stem cell agency Proposition backers spent more than $40 million during the 2004 campaign that included television advertisements featuring actors Michael J. Fox and the paraplegic Christopher Reeve, who died days after filming his spot. "People were left with the impression that Superman would walk again," said John Simpson, another critic at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Los Angeles....read more The Washington Post - December 1, 2006 Report on Corporate Rules Is Assailed;
Panel's Business Ties Spark Outcry The San Francisco Examiner - November 29, 2006 Watchdog groups: Stem cell proposals need transparency In February, the stem cell agency is expected to announce the grant recipients, but who applied will remain confidential. John Simpson, an official with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, called for a more transparent system during a public comment period before the panel retreated into closed session....read more Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (California) - November 27, 2006 Payback is a tricky issue for California's stem cell institute;
Rules would give state bang for stem cell bucks Associated Press - November 26, 2006 AP Analysis: Firms Crimping Oil Supplies Skeptics like U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., got more vocal. They began to suspect that Shell wanted to shut the refinery to sell pricier gas from its bigger refineries elsewhere in the region. By taking a hit at Bakersfield, maybe Shell could come out ahead. "They were trying to squeeze the market in every possible way," Wyden insists....read more The Los Angeles Times - November 23, 2006 Healthcare premiums to soar for entertainers Insurers are increasingly adopting a "take-it-or-leave-it strategy," said Jerry Flanagan, an advocate with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "The market has collapsed so much that insurers left in the game don't have to offer good rates to big groups."...read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - November 22, 2006 Governor opens new donor fund;
Officeholder account can pay for parties or bonuses for his staff. The San Jose Mercury News (California) - November 22, 2006 Stem-cell overseers face built-in conflict The stem-cell oversight committee is going to have to decide. Though the committee has the word "independent'' in its official title, it's highly unlikely that the 13 institutional representatives will act in any way that is independent of the interests of their employers. And, as has been repeatedly demonstrated, what is best for the state's universities and research institutions is by no means necessarily what's best for all Californians....read more Associated Press - November 21, 2006 Governor opens fundraising account;
Critic calls it slush fund Associated Press - November 17, 2006 Assembly speaker receives $4 million donation from state party A spokeswoman for one watchdog group questioned whether the arrangement was legal, since the source of the funds could be companies or individuals that already contributed the maximum allowable amount to Nunez. "It's money laundering and they are contributions the speaker should return," said Carmen Balber of the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has disagreed with Nunez over fundraising issues in the past....read more The Los Angeles Times - November 17, 2006
School district complaints point to a Villaraigosa committee, which may allow donors to circumvent contribution limits. The Wall Street Journal - November 15, 2006 In Medicaid, Private HMOs Take a Big, and Profitable, Role;
Managing Care for the Poor, They Prosper by Cutting Beleaguered States' Costs The Los Angeles Times - November 14, 2006
A state agency plans a move that would make it harder for insurers to drop sick policyholders. THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - November 13, 2006 Gas prices drifting back up after a nice slide;
Bay Area drivers see up to 5-cent increase; critics suspicious of pre-election declines The Kansas City Star - November 12, 2006 Highway funding shortchanged -- Loophole enhances 'hot fuel' profits
IRS measuring rule allows oil industry to manipulate gasoline and diesel taxes. Los Angeles Times - November 11, 2006
Time Warner, swamped with complaints, tries to mollify former Adelphia and Comcast customers. The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - November 10, 2006 New drug price tag: $1.2 billion Jerry Flanagan, health care policy director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, dismissed the Tufts report's drug industry-generated "fuzzy numbers." Such reports are part of a "desperate strategy" by the biotech industry to insulate itself from reforms when the new Congress convenes in January, he said....read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - November 10, 2006 Gas prices creep up after election - may have bottomed The high prices earlier this year generated a combined $31.6 billion in third-quarter profits for five of the world's largest oil companies: ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP and Royal Dutch Shell. "There was a political motive to keep gasoline prices low," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "Now that the election's over, we're going to see prices going up. Oil companies are going to go back to artificially shorting the market."...read more The San Jose Mercury News (California) - November 9, 2006 Measures opposed by special interest defeated; "This makes the case for why we need curbs on initiative spending,'' said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Every initiative with money against it went down. It was the money that spoke. Right now, it's a process unusable for anyone except people that have money. That's not democracy, that's a market.''...read more The Los Angeles Times - November 9, 2006
Santa Monica residents vote for clean beaches, clean government. Pasadenans opt to strengthen campaign finance reforms. The New York Times - November 8, 2006 Los Angeles Paper Ousts Top Editor The news of Mr. Baquet's ouster prompted a local group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, to urge subscribers to tell the Tribune Company to stop further cuts at the paper or to risk cancellation of their subscriptions. Jamie Court, president of the group, which is nonpartisan and nonprofit, also scolded the company for allowing the news to come out on a busy news day, saying, ''It is obvious that the owner of Los Angeles's largest news organization wanted to bury this news in the maelstrom of Election Day, even at the risk of shaking up its staff.''...read more The Los Angeles Times - November 8, 2006 TIMES EDITOR IS OUT AFTER FIGHTING CUTS;
Dean Baquet defied a corporate effort that he said would diminish quality. Associated Press - November 8, 2006 Future unclear as LA Times editor ousted One consumer group launched a "Take Back Our Newspaper" campaign, urging readers to cancel their subscriptions unless the Times pledges not to make further cuts. "It is especially egregious that Tribune's action comes on election day, when L.A. Times journalists are working at top speed and for long hours to cover a critical national election,' said Jamie Court, president of Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more Inside Bay Area (California) - November 8, 2006 Although Kaiser sees challenges in its future, consumer advocate Jamie Court is a little more skeptical about Kaiser's predicament. "This is a company that has stashed away millions if not billions of dollars over the last decade, so if anyone can afford hard times, it is them," said Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "I think their cries are just code for, 'We want more from the government,' and I think the fact that elections are the same day has a lot to do with it."...read more The Los Angeles Times - November 6, 2006 Lower pump prices fuel political conspiracy theories;
Many Americans think the recent drop is tied to the Bush administration and GOP election hopes. Kansas City Business Journal (Kansas & Missouri) - November 6, 2006 Sprint Nextel rate increase gives some pretext to leave Harvey Rosenfield, founder of The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer watchdog group based in Santa Monica, Calif., that frequently sues wireless companies, said any customer affected should be able to disconnect. "I don't think that Sprint Nextel has a prayer on this," Rosenfield said. "I think (consumers) can file suit."...read more The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - November 4, 2006 Buckle up! Pump prices set to take off The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica said a study it had commissioned found a pattern of oil refiners cutting profits before three national elections, including this year. Judy Dugan, the foundation's research director, said the lack of access to oil company operations records made charges of election-period price rigging hard to prove conclusively, but she added that companies can't disprove the charge without opening their books....read more The Los Angeles Times - November 3, 2006 Potential ballot-box profits raise concern Yusef Robb, a spokesman for Yes on 87, calls such arguments "a lot of smoke thrown up by oil companies" to scare voters. "All the dollars will be given out through a competitive, public process," he said. The panel would meet in public, he said, and funding would be monitored by independent auditors, the state controller's office and an oversight committee....read more Pasadena Weekly - November 2, 2006
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 Marketplace Radio Program (American Public Media) - November 2, 2006 Eminent domain's slippery, costly slope Measures in four Western states would force local governments to pay property owners if regulations -- such as zoning -- reduce their property value. Commentator Jamie Court argues that would actually hurt taxpayers and homeowners....read more Pasadena Weekly - November 2, 2006 Voter enrichment: Proposition 89 looks to take big money out of politics Supporters of Proposition 89 -- which would set new limits on campaign contributions and allow candidates to reject private funding altogether -- argue large corporate donors are funneling so much money into political campaigns that their influence over the business of Sacramento has basically taken government out of the hands of the people....read more The Los Angeles Times - November 2, 2006 CVS to buy top manager of drug plans;
The $21-billion deal for Caremark would create a dominant company in the pharmacy market. Associated Press - November 2, 2006 Schwarzenegger donations top $113 million;
On pace to become California's biggest-ever fundraiser The Scientist Magazine - November 1, 2006 Working With Stem Cells? Pay Up;
What the Wisconsin patent stranglehold means for researchers. Can someone own the cells that make up what is important about a human embryo? The Scientist Magazine - November 1, 2006
Once the Bush Administration policy is fixed, there's another problem that's at least as large. $400,000 per license to work with stem cells: outrageous The Sacramento Bee (California) - November 1, 2006 Build public trust in stem cell institute The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is going to dole out $3 billion in taxpayer money over the next decade to support the state's stem cell researchers. Everyone concerned claims they want a transparent process to ensure that awards are based on scientific merit, not favoritism and cronyism. Despite mouthing high-minded slogans, the institute's leaders frequently miss the mark whenever there is a clear opportunity to transact the public's business in public. Bottom line: They want our money. They must tell us who they are and ask for it in public...read more Pasadena Star-News (California) - October 30, 2006 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 The Orange County Register (California) - October 30, 2006 Angelides vs. Schwarzenegger - The public trust;
Latest ads in governor's race focus on integrity. Sacramento Bee (California) - October 29, 2006 California initiative would limit corporate spending;
Corporate contribution limits called ploy, fair The Los Angeles Times - October 29, 2006 Lockyer not tough enough for some;
Critics say the attorney general, now running for treasurer, has failed to diligently prosecute corrupt officials. He defends his record. The Los Angeles Times - October 28, 2006 Chevron earnings surge to a record;
The oil company posts a profit of $5 billion, boosted by strong sales at the gasoline pump. THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - October 27, 2006 'Orgy' of spending on political ads -- $500 million breaks state record "The amount of money being spent in 2006 blows away every other record," said Carmen Balber, spokeswoman with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, based in Santa Monica. "We have the most prolific fundraising governor in state history and ballot measures that are attracting record amounts of spending. "It's a half billion dollars, and most of it is being spent to protect the status quo," she said....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - October 27, 2006 State planning to fire health care official;
He worked on OK for acquisition by group he invested in The Los Angeles Times - October 26, 2006 State moves to fire HMO regulator;
Kevin Donohue defends his role in reviewing a buyout while owning UnitedHealth stock. The Orange County Register (California) - October 25, 2006 Outside money fuels incumbents' runs;
Three seats are up for grabs Nov. 7 on the San Juan Capistrano City Council. Associated Press - October 24, 2006 Campaign watchdog nixes electronic reporting of pledges Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the decision would allow major contributors to look like "mom and pop political donors" because reporting of their contributions would be spread out. "They've been given new ways to contribute in the dark. If sunshine is the best antiseptic, this is a total eclipse. You can be sure that politicians are going to use this as another way to hide from voters their true identity."...read more The Orange County Register (California) - October 24, 2006 Fundraising practice could be regulated;
'Pledging' has drawn fire because it delays reporting of campaign donations. The Ventura County Star (California) - October 23, 2006 Political funding could change;
Prop. 89 makes financing public The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - October 21, 2006 Contractor for stem cell institute folds;
Computerized system for grants is at issue Sacramento Bee (California) - October 20, 2006 Both sides pump big bucks into Prop 87 fight Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, vouched for the initiative's safeguards. "California has some of the toughest political reform provisions and open-meeting laws in the nation," he said. "And this existing agency will be subject to those laws. That gives consumer agencies, like mine, an opportunity to hold it accountable."...read more Marin Independent Journal (California) - October 20, 2006 Invest in the future, not war;
Candidate supports Prop 87 The San Jose Mercury News (California) - October 20, 2006 Corporations on spending tear -- Big Oil, tobacco firms pour big money into campaigns
Big business campaign funding, mostly to thwart initiatives, has hit $157 million so far this election THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - October 19, 2006
Patients claimed they were dumped by their insurer The Los Angeles Times - October 19, 2006 Kaiser Told to Reinstate Coverage;
Regulators' action in a kidney patient's case comes as scrutiny over cancellations grows. San Jose Mercury News (California) - October 19, 2006 Political ad replays on YouTube;
BACKERS HOPE EXTRA EXPOSURE SPURS PROPOSITION 89 The Record (Bergen County, NJ) - October 19, 2006
Small shipments from Canada OK The Los Angeles Times - October 18, 2006 Blue Cross Settling Patients' Lawsuits;
The big insurer, accused of illegally canceling some policies, agrees to pay its ex-customers. Sacramento Bee (California) - October 16, 2006 Proposition 89: Public financing measure an election fix or a bigger mess? The measure would provide public financing for state candidates and place new restrictions on ballot-measure campaigns. "In politics, you get what you pay for -- and until the public pays for elections, they're not going to get an honest government," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more The Wisconsin State Journal - October 15, 2006 Was stem-cell advance 'obvious'? John Simpson, stem-cell director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the license fees demanded by WARF for commercial research using the patented cells or processes are "stifling research in the United States and forcing some money overseas."...read more The Los Angeles Times - October 15, 2006 PROPOSITIONS -- Public Works Package Leads the Way Prop 89 - Public financing of campaigns. What it would do: Raise corporate and banking taxes by $200 million a year to pay for public financing of campaigns for state office; cap donations to state candidates; limit the amount contributors could can give per year to candidates and political parties; and restrict corporate and probably union donations to ballot measures. Chief proponents: California Nurses Assn., state Treasurer Phil Angelides, California Common Cause, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, California Clean Money Campaign....read more UPI - United Press International - October 13, 2006 Clinton endorses Calif. oil tax vote (Prop 87) Prop. 87 is also endorsed by former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., as well as many state and local politicians. Groups such as the state American Lung Association, Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and Americans for Energy Independence, among others, have also signed onto the proposal....read more The San Jose Mercury News (California) - October 12, 2006 FDA approves Avastin for lung cancer On Wednesday, the company went a step further, announcing that it will cap Avastin's price for eligible colon cancer and lung cancer patients at $55,000 a year. The company has yet to define what an eligible patient is, but Jamie Court of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights isn't impressed. "$55,000 is more than the median income,'' Court said. "That's not exactly a price break.''...read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - October 12, 2006 Stem cell board plans to make big grants in '07 "No matter how good the scientific strategic plan is, it's meaningless without the proper policies in place," said John Simpson, director of a Prop. 71 monitoring project at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Los Angeles. "I don't think they're there yet."...read more The New York Times - October 12, 2006 Genentech Caps Cost of Cancer Drug for Some Patients It is not clear whether Genentech's move will mollify critics. Jerry Flanagan, health care policy director at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer group in Santa Monica, Calif., said that Genentech ''cannot expect that this will appease patients that are being priced out of life itself.''...read more The Daily News of Los Angeles - October 12, 2006
FIRMS, UNIONS HAVE STAKE IN KEEPING COUNCIL MEMBERS IN OFFICE The Los Angeles Times - October 12, 2006 Schwarzenegger Cracks Jokes on Leno Show as Angelides Fumes Meanwhile, supporters of Proposition 89, the campaign-finance initiative on the November ballot, attempted to capitalize on the situation by purchasing advertising time during the show. They have produced a 30-second ad that suggests that Schwarzenegger broke his promise to clean out special interests from Sacramento, and scheduled it to run in Monterey, Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara during the show. "This initiative is finally giving people the opportunity to do something about the problem they thought they were answering in the recall," said Jamie Court with FTCR in Santa Monica, a backer of the public-financing initiative....read more Marketplace Radio Program (American Public Media) - October 11, 2006 Take the politics out of the money A poll out today from Pew and the Associated Press says voters' interest this fall is the highest it's been in more than a decade. Americans are talking politics at home and around the office water cooler. They're going to campaign events. They're talking about it in church. And they're opening up their pocketbooks. Best guesses are something near two billion dollars will be plowed into the mid-term elections. But commentator and consumer advocate Jamie Court says the trick is to change how that money's spent....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 The Los Angeles Times - October 10, 2006 So Much Cash, So Few Votes -- Less Corporate Money, More Voters;
Proposition 89 would loosen corporations' stranglehold on elections, a major factor in keeping turnout low. The Scientist Magazine - October 10, 2006 WARF stem cell patents challenged;
Research could get faster and cheaper if the patents are narrowed, some scientists say Contra Costa Times (California) - October 8, 2006 Pricey campaigns & political rap PROPOSITION 89 HAS ITS OWN SONG: TV adds, radio spots, newspapers ads, campaign Web sites, forums, protests... When it comes to getting their message out, the folks behind YesOn89 -- the so-called Clean Money proposition -- are thinking outside the box....read more Contra Costa Times (California) - October 8, 2006 Proponents say a public financing system (Prop 89) would free elected officials to pursue the needs of regular Californians rather than big business or labor benefactors, and also allow elected officials to spend less time fund-raising....read more The Washington Post - October 5, 2006 U.S. Patent Office To Reexamine Stem Cell Patents Patent examiners said in recent rulings that the claims by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the Public Patent Foundation raise substantial questions about whether the patents are valid....read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - October 5, 2006 Poizner Says He's A 'Reformer' Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said: "It's pretty telling when you have a newcomer to politics who has virtually unlimited resources saying that it's very difficult to operate in this big-money climate." But Court expressed disappointment that Poizner does not support public financing. Court's organization supports Proposition 89, the public financing initiative on the Nov. 7 ballot, as does Bustamante. ...read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - October 5, 2006 Candid forecast on stem cell research hopes;
10-year outlook cautions against early results from $3 billion plan The Sacramento Bee (California) - October 5, 2006 Insurance Chief Candidates Like Night and Day;
MONEY, EXPERIENCE DIFFER IN RACE PITTING POLITICO VS. ENTREPRENEUR San Jose Mercury News (California) - October 5, 2006
INSTITUTE REPORT SAYS USABLE TREATMENTS ARE YEARS AWAY The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - October 5, 2006 Stem cell plans include creation of embryo bank "During the Proposition 71 campaign, proponents implied that miraculous cures were just around the corner," said John M. Simpson, stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "This plan acknowledges just how difficult the task ahead is and is a welcome change from the hype that has all too often been associated with stem cell research. Californians are entitled to an honest assessment of the prospects for research they are funding."...read more The Daily Cardinal - University Wire - October 4, 2006 U.S. government to scrutinize U. Wisconsin stem cell patents The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which owns the patents that control the five stem cell lines grown at UW-Madison and the methods used to propagate the cells, is allegedly restricting research in other states, according to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based organization....read more The Sacramento Bee (California) - October 4, 2006 Patents for stem cells get new look;
Agency's assessment could affect research OK'd by state voters Wisconsin State Journal - October 4, 2006 Stem-cell patents to be reviewed The review was requested by the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which is involved in California's new $3 billion stem-cell research initiative. The watchdog group and others involved in the initiative have been sparring with WARF over the patents and associated commercial research license fees to use stem cells. The licenses range from $75,000 to $400,000....read more Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - October 4, 2006 CUSTOMS TO STOP SEIZING LOW-COST IMPORTED DRUGS "The U.S. should be importing Canadian drug policy, not Canadian drugs, so seniors don't have to cross the border or rely on fly-by-night Internet pharmacies to buy their prescription drugs," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - October 4, 2006 Stem cell patents get a review;
Case challenges licenses, royalty claims by University of Wisconsin Orlando Sentinel (Florida) - October 4, 2006 U.S. to allow drugs mailed from Canada;
Customs vows to stop confiscating small shipments. The New York Times - October 4, 2006 Agency Agrees to Review Human Stem Cell Patents In their request for a re-examination, the consumer group FTCR and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) said Dr. Thomson's work did not deserve patents because three scientific papers by others and one previous patent had already laid out how to derive embryonic stem cells in various animals including mice, pigs and sheep....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - October 4, 2006 Foundation-held stem cell patents to be re-examined;
High fees, restrictive guidelines have objectors seeking reversal The Chronicle of Higher Education - October 4, 2006 Patent Office to Review Challenge to Key Stem-Cell Patents Held by U. of Wisconsin Two public-interest groups -- the Public Patent Foundation, in New York City, and the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, in Santa Monica, Calif. -- had filed challenges to the patents in July. The groups asserted that the patents were overly broad and should never have been issued because other scientists had previously conducted experiments and published papers on that topic that made Mr. Thomson's inventions obvious to someone skilled in the art of such science....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - October 3, 2006 Some health care info options if you need help The California Patient's Guide summarizes health-care rights and remedies available to all residents of the state. The guide was prepared by the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, with help from the California departments of Consumer Affairs and Managed Health Care. www.calpatientguide.org....read more The San Jose Mercury News (California) - October 3, 2006 Federal agency to re-examine U.S. stem cell patents Patent examiners said in recent rulings that the claims by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) raise substantial new questions about whether the patents are valid. "We take that as a positive thing," said John Simpson of the California-based FTCR. "We obviously would like to see them completely revoked because the way they are being asserted right now is an impediment to research."...read more East Bay Business Times (California) - October 3, 2006 Patent office to re-evaluate key stem cell patents The Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights along with the Public Patent Foundation petitioned have called the patents "overreaching" and said they are impeding scientific progress and driving vital research overseas....read more Bloomberg News - October 3, 2006 U.S. Agency to Review Wisconsin Stem Cell Patents The patents will be reassessed because there's "a substantial likelihood" that previous research by other scientists could supersede the Wisconsin claims, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said in a statement on its website....read more Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel - October 3, 2006 Wisconsin stem cell patents to get review The foundations aren't motivated by jealousy over Wisconsin's patents, said John M. Simpson, of the California-based FTCR. "If California had these patents with these claims, we'd be trying to challenge them," said Simpson, who was born in Madison and whose mother worked in a research lab on the UW-Madison campus. ...read more Inside Bay Area (California) - October 1, 2006 Low-cost insurance programs in slow lane Agents who submit an application for a high-risk policy to the assigned risk program can earn a hefty commission since the premiums are higher than policies written for good drivers, said Doug Heller, executive director of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "But part of the deal is that they are obligated to provide drivers (with low-cost insurance) who simply cannot afford to buy insurance in the regular private market," he said. ...read more Inside Bay Area (California) - October 1, 2006
State offers uninsured motorists inexpensive options - but few sign up Inside Bay Area (California) - October 1, 2006 DMV giving notice to motorists with lapsed policies "Now people are going to be getting reminded by the DMV that they've got a problem with their registration because of an insurance lapse. I think that will spur people to get it," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. Heller and Speier would like to see the DMV include information about the low-cost auto insurance program in the notices that are sent out....read more Associated Press - September 30, 2006 Schwarzenegger signs cable TV, prescription drug discount bills Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said there are not nearly enough protections in a bill he called "the biggest gift to any special interest in Sacramento this year."...read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - September 30, 2006 Phone firms can get statewide franchise for TV;
Cable competition opens as governor signs legislation The Los Angeles Times - September 30, 2006
One law will let phone companies compete to sell pay television services. The other aims to cut medication costs for the uninsured. The Post (Ohio) - University Wire - September 27, 2006 Drug costs can be remedied by price limitation 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....read more The Los Angeles Times - September 26, 2006 Taking Aim at California Election Funding
Among other changes, Prop. 89 would limit corporate spending -- but not that of tribes and trial lawyers -- on ballot measures. The Los Angeles Times - September 25, 2006 Insurers Liking the Coverage of Schwarzenegger's Policies "People expected of Arnold Schwarzenegger independent advisors who would bring a fresh perspective," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "Instead, the governor has brought in State Farm and its cronies."...read more The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - September 24, 2006 Gasoline prices fall 13 cents this week The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica believes that manipulation of state gasoline supply did play a role in rising prices here. Judy Dugan, research director for the foundation, said inventory and production data from the California Energy Commission showed increases in gasoline for export at critical points during the summer run-up, which she said was evidence of market manipulation....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - September 22, 2006 State fines Blue Cross $200,000 Some consumer advocacy groups were underwhelmed by the state's actions. "A single fine of $200,000 to a company that made $185 million in profit in just one quarter this year is chump change and not enough to bring about the type of systemic reform we need," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more The Los Angeles Times - September 22, 2006 Blue Cross Faces Fine for Voiding Policy;
The $200,000 penalty is the first in a continuing probe of allegations that the insurer illegally dumped sick patients. The Los Angeles Times - September 22, 2006
Wal-Mart plans to slash the cost of 291 generic drugs to $4 beginning today in Florida. Sacramento Bee (California) - September 22, 2006 State fines Blue Cross $200,000;
Plan canceled a policy. Electric Utility Week - September 21, 2006 California voters signal interest in plan to tax oil to boost renewables According to an early August Field Poll, 52% of voters sampled said they would vote for the proposition after being read its official ballot summary. Despite the well-funded "No on 87" campaign, Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Consumer & Taxpayer Rights, said he thinks Proposition 87 will prevail. "Voters' anger will help the initiative overcome the up to $40 million that the oil companies will raise to try to defeat it," said Heller....read more Sacramento Bee (California) - September 20, 2006 Secret plan alleged on campaign financing;
Measure's foes say nurses group is trying to limit opposition to its future health care strategy. The Los Angeles Times - September 20, 2006 Blue Cross Moves to Quell Furor;
The health insurer, accused of dumping sick policyholders, says it will alter procedures. Visalia Times-Delta (California) - September 18, 2006 Gov. Schwarzenegger says he favors health insurance for the people of California, but one has to wonder what he has in mind. This is to be expected: He chooses his affiliations and draws his political lines clearly. According to the Foundation for Taxpayers and Consumer Rights (FTCR), the "health industry boosted [him] to nearly $100 million in campaign donations, with a $125,000 burst of contributions in August alone. The industry has given him $4 million overall."...read more The San Francisco Chronicle - September 18, 2006 The 'clean' campaign finance idea grows;
Arizona experience mixed as California considers Prop. 89 The Los Angeles Times - September 17, 2006 A Tight Race With Loose Purse Strings;
Democrats, Republicans are expected to spend a combined $8 million for the Orange County seat, one of the few that remains competitive. The Los Angeles Times - September 17, 2006 Sick but Insured? Think Again;
Lawsuits accuse insurance companies of retroactively dumping families that rack up large bills. Firms defend their policies, but the state is investigating. Sacramento Bee (California) - September 15, 2006 Ballot Watch: Proposition 89 - Public Campaign Financing Click here to view the full page color article with graphs and charts....read more Contra Costa Times (California) - September 14, 2006 Home, auto insurance rates to decline;
Safeco Corp., 21st Century Co. announce plan to slash premiums; other firms expected to follow ABC7 KGO-TV SF - September 14, 2006 Controversy Over Stem Cell Committee John Simpson, Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights: "The voters enacted law and they expect the law to be followed as they enacted it, and while he may be a wonderful gentleman, he clearly has no medical background and should step down."...read more Wisconsin Technology Network - September 13, 2006 WARF expects review of stem cell patents;
Foundation says 95 percent of patent review requests are granted The Chronicle of Higher Education - September 11, 2006 A Tight Grip on Tech Transfer;
A U. of Wisconsin foundation fiercely protects its patent rights, but critics say it impedes stem-cell research Sacramento Bee - September 6, 2006 Homeowners to see insurance drop;
State pressures top companies to reduce rates; many residents will get double-digit declines in annual costs The NewStandard - September 5, 2006 Oil Lobby Accused of Killing California Anti-Gouging Law The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights had backed the Attorney General in shepherding the bill through the Assembly, and the apparent about-face shocked the state-based watchdog group. Research Director Judy Dugan speculated that the bill's death was likely the result of intense pressure from the oil-industry lobby, which has successfully rallied state lawmakers to block nearly a dozen other proposals to regulate oil companies in this legislative session....read more Modern Healthcare - September 4, 2006 Advocacy group's game takes HMO whacking to new level;
Who was that caped RN? It's Nurse Avenger! Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida) - September 3, 2006 Reinsurance market goes high-tech to predict disasters;
Hurricane outlooks are closely watched at such places as the Lloyd's of London insurance market building. The Los Angeles Times - September 2, 2006 Allstate Seeks Big Boost in Premiums Consumer activist Doug Heller called Allstate's request an outrageous ploy in its wrangling with regulators. "In an environment where rates will come down for homeowners, a company that makes these rate hike threats will probably be rebuffed by its customers," he said....read more FinancialWire - September 1, 2006 STUDY: US DRIVERS ARE CASH COW FOR BIG OIL The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said once taxes are deducted, U.S. gas prices in July were 24 cents a gallon higher than in Europe. While Europeans pay more than $5 a gallon, most of the pump price reflects government taxes....read more Mother Jones Magazine - September 1, 2006
Capitol Hill is way overdue for a blockbuster investigation. Here are nine questions to get Congress rolling -- if it has the guts; THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 31, 2006 State tries to reduce title fees "I think it's going to save a lot of people a lot of money," said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, who supports the proposal but was not at the meeting. "I think the insurers will fight. They'll file a lawsuit I suspect. Garamendi has a pretty good track record in terms of beating the insurers when they try to avoid reforms."...read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 31, 2006 At session-end, old bills take on brand new lives;
Lawmakers now can hijack measures with impunity The Los Angeles Times - August 31, 2006 Pay-TV Bill OK'd by State Senate 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.' "...read more The Los Angeles Times - August 31, 2006 Juice, Grease and Muscle Can Beat Merit Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, estimates the two phone companies and their employees contributed more than $1 million to lawmakers and political parties. The "cable bill" measure, which passed the Senate Wednesday night, may have gotten through the Legislature merely on its merits. But it couldn't have sailed through with such overwhelming, bipartisan support without all that nourishing juice....read more Contra Costa Times (California) - August 31, 2006 Cable competition bill clears Senate 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....read more The Los Angeles Times - August 31, 2006 Checks Roll In as Laws Flow Out;
As legislators vote on hundreds of bills before their session ends, special interests affected by the measures donate thousands of dollars. Reuters Newswires - August 31, 2006 U.S. drivers subsidize European pump prices - report The report from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights also showed that profit margins were much larger for multinational oil companies' refinery operations in the United States than those located in Europe....read more Oakland Tribune - August 30, 2006 Perata, others enter final workweek under clouds
Half-million-dollar contribution from developers came after Senate leader pulled flood-plain legislation KGO-TV ABC - San Francisco, CA - August 30, 2006 Prop. 89 Supporters' Unique Campaign;
Campaign Finance Reform Initiative The Orange County Register - August 30, 2006 Pledging muddles campaign finance picture;
Legislators accept promises instead of cash, confounding watchdogs who want to know who is trying to influence bills as the session winds down. The Daily News of Los Angeles - August 29, 2006 SACRAMENTO SERENDIPITY; FORTUNE FAVORS THE WELL-CONNECTED Perhaps the politicians earnestly believe that their positions of power have nothing to do with the good fortunes of their friends, loved ones and supporters. But it's hard to believe that the special interests who fund the politicians aren't seeking some kind of a return on their investment, even if no quid pro quo is ever actually discussed....read more UPI - United Press International - August 29, 2006 "Nurse avenger" joins Calif. health battle The goal of the game is to get 20-somethings, who have the highest rate of uninsurance in the state, to take notice of the debate taking place in the legislature, foundation spokesman Jerry Flanagan said....read more The Kansas City Star - August 29, 2006 'Hot' fuel triggers investigation;
One state decides to pursue the gas-pumping problem after an inquiry by The Star finds it's costing consumers $2.3 billion a year. THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 28, 2006 Big business lobbies hard for video licensing bill;
Creating statewide franchises would shake up telecom world Associated Press - August 28, 2006 California Assembly passes bill to provide universal health care Under the measure, "the billions of dollars now wasted on insurance middlemen, CEO pay, record corporate profits, overhead and advertising will be used to provide good, affordable care for all who need it," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocacy group based in Santa Monica....read more The Kansas City Star - August 28, 2006 Technology, new rules a hot-fuel fix The energy industry has repeatedly blocked efforts in America to install retail fuel dispensers that automatically adjust for temperature change. The American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents the industry, contends it would cost too much to fix the problem. Moreover, it believes that consumers don't want to be bothered by pumps that adjust the size of a gallon to make sure they get the same amount of energy no matter what the temperature....read more The San Diego Union Tribune - August 28, 2006 Donors to governor get posts of prestige;
Del Mar Fair Board a prized assignment The San Diego Union-Tribune - August 27, 2006 Insurance commissioner's proposal to roll back service fee goes to court Wednesday Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, says sky-high title and escrow fees, not rising home prices, have fueled interest in insurance reform. "This problem has been identified all around the country," Heller said. "Nowhere has it been addressed."...read more The Kansas City Star - August 27, 2006 Hot fuel for you and cold cash for big oil:
When gasoline gets hot, it expands. But U.S. fuel pumps don't account for the bigger volume, and it's costing American consumers about $2.3 billion a year. Inside Bay Area (California) - August 26, 2006 Cable monopoly bill in works as lawmakers wrap up session "The cloud of industry influence over our elected officials in this debate is just as thick as it was when politicians crafted the doomed electricity deregulation law in 1996," said Judy Dugan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more Santa Barbara News-Press (California) - August 26, 2006 Area gas prices drop but remain higher than points south "The companies demand whatever is possible at the pump, no matter what the actual production and distribution costs are," said Jamie Court, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "Their quarterly profits show that what we pay at the pump has no relation to supply costs," Mr. Court said. "What it boils down to is, it's a rip-off."...read more Sacramento Bee - August 25, 2006 Builders' clout cited as flood bills stall Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, said the building industry has become increasingly powerful since Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took office. "Let me put it this way: The governor is the tractor, and they're working the gears," Florez said. "And you can quote me."...read more Sacramento Bee - August 25, 2006 Rebuilding California, a campaign committee founded by Don Perata to promote housing, transportation and flood control, received a $500,000 donation from the Building Industry Association two days after the Senate President Pro Tem killed flood-control legislation opposed by the group. ...read more Sacramento Bee - August 25, 2006 Patent foes get a break in fight;
Breakthrough in stem-cell engineering may weaken group's lock on research. The Los Angeles Times - August 24, 2006 Governor Moves to Undercut Angelides "He (Arnold) is telling everyone to 'hold your breath and trust me,' " said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica advocacy group. "History makes me leery of believing there's any real reform contained in any of these last-minute legislative deals."...read more Wisconsin Technology Network - August 24, 2006 There's a new dynamic in the stem cell debate;
Impact of new stem cell extraction on WARF patents remains unclear THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 23, 2006 Guess who's crashing fundraisers Doug Heller with FTCR said that with more than 1,700 pieces of legislation pending -- affecting everything from cable regulation to global warming -- all the schmoozing between politicians and powerful money interests has repercussions for the public. "It's just disgusting because at the end of the day, there is zero public interest in allowing politicians to hold fundraisers while legislating," Heller said....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - August 23, 2006 Yet while some analysts and consumer watchdog groups speculate that more price cuts at the pump are likely in coming days, no one is ready to declare that the worst is over. "The world price of crude oil, and concerns about Israel or Iran, don't mean anything when it comes to the price of gas in your hometown," said Tim Hamilton, an energy consultant to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "What drives the price is how much gasoline you have on hand, what's in your inventory."...read more Austin American-Statesman (Texas) - August 23, 2006 Arnold flexes fundraising muscle in Texas ArnoldWatch, a project of California's nonpartisan Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, says Schwarzenegger has corralled more than $97 million in donations since 2003. Doug Heller of ArnoldWatch called Schwarzenegger "the most prolific fundraiser in California history. He usually doesn't travel anywhere without holding a fundraiser. He's very efficient."...read more PR Newswire US - August 22, 2006 Yes on 87: The Oil Companies' Web of Fiction Put the oil companies front and center in your advertising, instead of hiding behind front people and concealing the true backers of the campaign against Proposition 87: Chevron, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Occidental and other oil companies. ...read more The Scientist - August 22, 2006 Stem cell disclosure resisted;
Financial ties of grant reviewers for California stem cell institute kept confidential The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA) - August 21, 2006
Insurance: Emphasizing Driving Records Over Zip Codes Will Cost Certain People Money, Experts Say. WEST Magazine (The Los Angeles Times) - August 20, 2006
Who's to blame when an adoption fails? In this case, a greedy matchmaker eager for a quick 'sale.' The Los Angeles Times - August 17, 2006 State Farm Abandons ZIP Code Rates Plan;
Under pressure, the auto insurer agrees to comply with new pricing criteria and also will reduce fees. Los Angeles City Beat - August 17, 2006
Former attorney general John Van de Kamp says Santa Monica is trashing its anti-corruption bill The Argonaut (Santa Monica, CA) - August 17, 2006 "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 Electric Power Daily - August 17, 2006 California initiative Prop 87 would tax oil to aid renewables, alternatives Beth Willon, spokeswoman for the Yes on 87, dismissed conflict-of-interest concerns, calling them "oil company fiction." The No on 87 campaign has raised about $30 million so far, and oil producers Chevron and Aera Energy have made the biggest donations....read more Ventura County Star - August 17, 2006 Lawmakers rake in end-of-session cash FTCR is promoting Proposition 89 on the Nov. 7 ballot, an initiative sponsored by the California Nurses Association that would create a system of voluntary public financing for campaigns for state offices. Under its terms, candidates who agreed to foreswear private contributions could qualify for public financing of their campaigns by first raising a threshold number of $5 contributions to prove their earnestness. ...read more Sacramento Bee - August 17, 2006 Their creed is to crash politicians' fundraisers Sponsored by a group advocating a campaign finance measure on the Nov. 7 ballot, the "Dash for Cash" contest takes a reality TV-style approach to highlight the need for stricter contribution limits. The sponsor, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), is giving away a pair of Sacramento Kings tickets to the person who can crash the most political fundraisers between now and the end of the legislative session Aug. 31. FTCR has even set up a mock Web station at www.Channel89.org featuring a reporter interviewing lobbyists at fundraisers....read more PR Newswire US - August 17, 2006 Yes on Prop 87 -- Secretary of State Albright Backs Initiative Proposition 87 will reduce our use of foreign oil and increase the use of domestic fuel sources and will not increase gas prices or reduce oil production. That has been proven in Alaska, Louisiana, Texas and every other oil producing state in the nation, which have for decades charged drilling fees similar to the one called for by Prop 87. Prop 87 is a $4 billion effort to reduce California's dependence on gasoline and diesel by 25% over the next 10 years, which will be funded by oil drilling fees paid by oil companies....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - August 16, 2006 Market cited in high gas prices Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, likened the state's gasoline market to what took place during the electricity crisis. "Oil companies are ripping off Californians in exactly the same way as electricity profiteers -- by shorting the market," Court said. He called on Schwarzenegger, who ordered the report, to return millions of dollars of campaign contributions from the energy industry....read more Associated Press - August 16, 2006 Report finds no evidence of manipulation in Calif. price spike;
But the study focused on underlying market forces affecting prices, not whether there was manipulation by oil companies. THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 16, 2006
State report says that oil companies didn't withhold supplies The Los Angeles Times - August 16, 2006 Refiners Not Faulted for Gas Prices;
Consumer advocates immediately branded study as apology for oil industry The Wall Street Journal - August 16, 2006 Donors Sustain Stem-Cell Effort In California Amid Funding Battle Critics, however, consider it unseemly for a state agency to solicit private donations and worry that such contributions may bias funding decisions once CIRM begins to make grants to companies. "You don't normally have a state agency going around hat in hand, begging from people who potentially have a vested interest in the outcomes of what the agency is doing," says John Simpson, director of the stem-cell project at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer group in Santa Monica, Calif....read more The Los Angeles Times - August 16, 2006 Sacramento's orgy of bagels, cocktails and cash;
State leaders belly up to the bars and buffets for their annual, unseemly special-interest shakedown. 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 Modern Healthcare - August 14, 2006
Largest HMO gearing up for HSAs, expansion The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina) - August 13, 2006 REBELLING AGAINST REBATES: RED TAPE, RIP-OFFS SOUR SOME STORES ON CASH-BACK OFFERS Groups like the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights have railed against rebate programs, saying some have become rip-offs. Many store advertisements, the group says, display the sales price in large letters while showing the "after rebate" tag in small letters. Sometimes customers leave with few or no instructions on how to claim the rebate, the group says....read more Inside Bay Area (California) - August 11, 2006 Auto insurers take hit on judge's ruling "The decision is a very, very powerful statement in support of Commissioner Garamendi's rules," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "The old system is unfair."...read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 11, 2006 $5 million settlement over Kaiser kidney unit;
HMO agrees to pay record fine, make charitable donation Associated Press - August 10, 2006 Drivers likely hurt by BP oil shutdown Soaring profits have also opened BP up to much criticism over why it hasn't dedicated ample funds toward safety and maintenance yet has plunged about $36 billion into stock buybacks since 2000. This week's news confirms what many have chided the company for lately: an explosion last year at BP's Texas City, Texas, refinery that killed 15; a large oil spill at Prudhoe Bay earlier this year that has become part of a criminal investigation; and allegations of energy-market manipulation by BP traders this summer....read more The Sacramento Bee - August 9, 2006 Second insurer OKs new rule on auto rates Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, called the insurance industry's claims groundless. "It's not all doom and gloom. These two companies are showing that you can sell insurance at good rates to good drivers and follow the law without the sky falling," he said....read more LA Weekly (California) - August 9, 2006 Naked Politics: Democratic sleaze and the Clean Money campaign The argument against the measure (Prop 89) is that one way or another Big Money is going to find its way into campaigns and that unions and Democrats can't retreat from the frontlines of spending. Jay Hansen, the legislative director of the state's building trades union council, rebutted that notion at the Democratic meeting. "We can't win the money war," he said. "We shouldn't be spending on endless fund raising. We should be spending on organizing our members."...read more The Los Angeles Times - August 9, 2006 Insurance rate cuts? Here's the lowdown;
New state measures would downplay ZIP Codes and focus on motorists' driving. Generally, that's good news for L.A., bad for Bishop. All Things Considered - National Public Radio (NPR) - August 8, 2006 The Political Clout of California's Nurses Last year, their association took on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and helped crush his ballot initiatives. Now, the nurses are expanding their agenda --even though some unions aren't on their side. ...read more The San Francisco Chronicle - August 8, 2006 Angelides calls Schwarzenegger big-time pal of business Angelides said Schwarzenegger has gone from advocating reform to becoming one the biggest abusers of the campaign finance system. "This governor has raised over $100 million in special interest money," said Angelides. "He has done what no other governor has ever done in doing the bidding of big special interests." Angelides pointed out that none of the reforms Schwarzenegger talked about during the recall campaign has been adopted. ...read more Pasadena Weekly - August 8, 2006 SM gives anti-corruption law 'the cold shoulder' "Santa Monica used to be regarded as the far-out municipality, especially with its resistance to development and all that, and you would think that Santa Monica would be in the forefront of good government, particularly as it relates to campaign finance reform. Here they have just cold-shouldered the whole business, as far as I can see," said former state Attorney General John Van de Kamp, who headed Pasadena's task force....read more The Santa Monica Daily Press - August 8, 2006
Council set to debate initiative that aims to clarify campaign contribution law The Los Angeles Times - August 8, 2006 Oilfield Closure to Hit Pumps;
A shutdown in Alaska will affect refiners in Western states, but it's not clear how badly. Pessimists say gas could reach $4 a gallon. The San Diego Union-Tribune - August 8, 2006 A costly hitch in the pipeline;
Corrosion will force lengthy shutdown in Alaska; more pain at the pump seen as early as this week Modern Healthcare - August 7, 2006
Questions arise about why the transparency-preaching Blues association is getting quiet about its members' fiscal results The Los Angeles Times - August 4, 2006 Angelides Backs Public Financing of Campaigns;
The Democrat, who is running for governor, defies key supporters and endorses Prop. 89. THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - August 4, 2006 Angelides puts money on public election finance;
Support could rile candidate's major union contributors US Fed News - August 3, 2006 CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: HYPOCRISY - THY NAME IS ARNOLD Since announcing his appearance on the Tonight Show, Arnold has raised $94,440,043 according to the Foundation for Taxpayers and Consumer Rights. He also promised campaign finance reform: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the final weeks before the Oct. 7 recall election, pledged to introduce a "People's Reform Plan" that would bar the governor and members of the Legislature from raising campaign donations while working on the state budget. "But now, nearly a month after the new governor introduced his budget, he continues to jet around the state and the nation, seeking campaign donations of up to $500,000 apiece, becoming the most aggressive fund-raising governor in California's history." (San Francisco Chronicle, February 6th, 2004)...read more The San Jose Mercury News (California) - August 3, 2006 Angelides endorses campaign-finance reform The initiative (Prop 89) is supported by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has criticized both Republicans and Democrats for taking special interest money. "The real question is will Gov. Schwarzenegger join him?" said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based foundation. "This is exactly what Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wanted to do -- to clean up corruption and end the backroom deals."...read more Los Angeles Times - August 2, 2006 Sharing Quality Time With the Gov. I suggested that to save face, Schwarzenegger ought to endorse Proposition 89 or come up with some other meaningful campaign finance reform. ...read more Associated Press - August 1, 2006 Schwarzenegger spends $7 million on ads and still has money left Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which is supporting the measure, said the fact that business and labor groups had come together to oppose the measure shows how threatening it is to the status quo. "Only a genuine campaign finance reform overhaul like Proposition 89 could force big labor and big business onto the same team because no cash-rich special interest will be able to buy the Legislature if Prop. 89 passes," he said in an e-mailed statement....read more Modern Healthcare - July 31, 2006 Schwarzenegger's reforms seen as influenced by cash WellPoint isn't the only company chipping in to aid with Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign. PacifiCare Health Systems has made a total of $83,500 in contributions both before and after the state managed-care department approved its $9.2 billion merger with UnitedHealth Group in December 2005, and drugmakers have chipped in $1.08 million since 2003....read more The Sacramento Bee - July 31, 2006 Democrats roll out their big fundraising gun "It was appalling that Schwarzenegger was doing it, and it's equally appalling that Angelides is playing that game," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which backs an initiative to provide public campaign financing....read more The Bakersfield Californian - July 31, 2006 New insurance rules spur debate "It's the law," Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi said when asked why he pushed for the changes. "Good drivers should get the same rates for the same coverage no matter where they live." Harvey Rosenfield, the crusading president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the author of Proposition 103, said, "It really is a testament to the greed and arrogance of the insurance industry that they have managed to delay this for 18 years,"...read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - July 30, 2006 Foundation's stem cell patents impede research, scientists say Nonprofit labs get off easy, compared with what commercial biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies must pay, WARF's critics say. According to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which filed the July 18 challenge to the WARF patent, licensing fees can go as high as $250,000....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - July 29, 2006 Chevron quarterly profit: $4.4 billion;
Falling below Wall Street's expectations, San Ramon oil company posts record results that spur outcry from consumer advocates The San Jose Mercury News (California) - July 29, 2006
DEEP POCKETS AIMED AT EDUCATION, ENERGY The Los Angeles Times - July 29, 2006 Chevron's Net Income Jumps 18%;
Persistently high oil and gasoline prices give the company another record quarter. But its shares slip because the results miss forecasts. The Houston Chronicle - July 28, 2006 Earnings stay hefty for ExxonMobil, Shell;
Energy giants confront political implications The Chronicle of Higher Education - July 28, 2006 Bush Vetoes Bill to Loosen Policy on Stem-Cell Research In related news, two public-interest organizations last week mounted a legal challenge to patents on a technique for deriving human embryonic stem cells, claiming that the three patents, owned by a University of Wisconsin affiliate, are "overreaching" and should be revoked....read more Agence France Presse - July 27, 2006 Sparks fly as ExxonMobil profit tops 10 billion dollars The California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said sky-high fuel prices had nothing to do with oft-cited factors such as Middle East unrest or instability in Nigeria. "Refining profits at this level are pure greed and the real explanation for outrageous prices at the pump," said the FTCR's Judy Dugan....read more The San Jose Mercury News (California) - July 26, 2006 Hecklers greet governor on 2nd day of campaign tour When Schwarzenegger arrived in Glendale, Carmen Balber, who supports Proposition 89, which would limit campaign contributions and authorize public financing for state candidates, asked him to support the measure. "He wouldn't commit to it," she complained....read more The Oakland Tribune - July 26, 2006 Stem cell agency looks for patrons;
State biotech leaders discuss possible sources of research funding Associated Press - July 25, 2006 Governor, Democratic rival unveil competing health care plans Jerry Flanagan with FTCR, noted that the conversation never touched on the record profits of insurance companies, whose representatives were among the panelists. He said advertising and salaries have become the fastest-growing component of health care costs outpacing even prescription drugs. "When they're at the table and the patients are not, the discussion is all about how we can make consumers use less rather than how we can make health care more affordable," Flanagan said....read more The Los Angeles Times - July 25, 2006 Ruling Threatens Consumer Lawsuits;
A state Supreme Court decision could void many cases filed before Proposition 64's passage. Contra Costa Times (California) - July 25, 2006 Governor outlines medical plans;
Schwarzenegger at summit puts focus on technology; Angelides dismisses meeting as a tardy campaign ploy Delaware News Journal - July 25, 2006 Time is money... for doctors & patients;
More often, canceling an appointment at the last minute or failing to show up will cost you The Oakland Tribune - July 24, 2006 New life for California stem cell agency John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has been monitoring CIRM's policy decisions, said that the agency needs a clear plan for governing ownership of any scientific discoveries made with state funds before issuing any grants. "You wouldn't shoot a $150 million movie without a script," he said....read more The New Standard - July 24, 2006 Stem Cell Battle Gestates Outside the Beltway FTCR's John Simpson said that while patents are a routine part of the commercialization of treatments, WARF's control was "too far upstream" in the research process. The scope of WARF's patent rights, he said, means that researchers may have to obtain costly licenses at the most-basic stages in the development of potential cures. FTCR also speculates that under WARF's patent controls, even non-profit researchers would need WARF's approval to develop stem-cell-based cures, and that WARF would also control scientists' ability to exchange cell lines among themselves to advance research....read more Contra Costa Times (California) - July 23, 2006 Officials in line for pensions based on jobs held briefly;
Those who leave office in January would get retirement package based on a salary increase granted in December Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel - July 23, 2006 Stem cell patents make group a target;
Challenge points up state's role in bringing technology to market The Oakland Tribune - July 21, 2006 State lends $150M to stem cell agency A day after President Bush vetoed expansion of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday ordered a $150 million loan to the state's stem cell agency, which has been hamstrung by litigation....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - July 21, 2006 Insurance groups sue to halt new regulations Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, whose founder Harvey Rosenfield wrote Proposition 103, said insurers like the status quo "because they have made so much money off of us. They're afraid that the $2 billion in profits that they made in 2005 from California drivers might come down."...read more Sacramento Bee - July 21, 2006
Suits fight new rate setting tied to driver's record, not ZIP code. Associated Press - July 21, 2006 Insurers sue Calif. over new auto rules "We will fight to ensure that this anti-consumer lawsuit does not stop the savings that good drivers have been waiting nearly two decades to receive," said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "With auto insurers coming off the most profitable year in a generation, customers should view with contempt any insurance company that joins this lawsuit."...read more San Jose Mercury News (California) - July 21, 2006 Insurers sue to block rate-setting rules;
INDUSTRY CONTENDS AUTO PREMIUMS WILL RISE UNDER NEW REGULATIONS The Los Angeles Times - July 21, 2006 State Takes Lead in Stem Cell Efforts;
A day after President Bush's veto, the governor orders a $150-million loan to kick-start research now stalled by litigation. The Baltimore Sun - July 20, 2006 Leaving stem cell politics behind;
Researchers focus on human testing San Jose Mercury News (California) - July 19, 2006 Groups urge revocation of stem-cell patents;
CALIFORNIA'S INSTITUTE MAY BE HARMED, THEY SAY The New York Times - July 19, 2006 Stem Cell Bill Seen as a Qualified Boon for Research Yesterday the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a watchdog group in California, filed a request to the United States Patent and Trademark Office to invalidate the Wisconsin patents. The group, assisted by the Public Patent Foundation, said earlier work by other scientists had made the work done in Wisconsin obvious and not patentable....read more Wisconsin Technology Network - July 19, 2006 Request to re-examine WARF stem cell patents escalates war of words;
Scientist says James Thomson "followed recipe" of other researchers Modesto Bee - July 19, 2006 DRIVING LESS WILL CUT INSURANCE PREMIUM;
YOUR RATE NO LONGER FIGURED BY ZIP CODE Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin) - July 19, 2006 A California-based consumer group and a stem cell scientist took action Tuesday to overturn the landmark patents on human embryonic stem cells held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, claiming that the patents hinder research, drive scientists overseas and waste taxpayer money....read more The Los Angeles Times - July 19, 2006 Prop. 89: So Good It's Scary -- to Sacramento "Teachers' ideas should be strong enough to sway politicians; otherwise, their students are in trouble," said Court. "But this union, like many other people, believe they are heard because of the power of their money and not the power of their ideas. Prop. 89 is going to be a recall of politics as usual."...read more The Los Angeles Times - July 19, 2006 Wider Stem Cell Research Sought;
Taxpayer advocacy group challenges three patents it says have discouraged work on embryonic tissue. Associated Press - July 19, 2006 Groups, scientist want to overturn WARF's stem cell patents The Public Patent Foundation, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, and Jeanne Loring, a stem cell scientist at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in California, claim that the patents hinder research, push scientists to pursue work overseas and represent a waste of taxpayer money. "It's absolutely absurd that one person or organization could own the rights to life itself," said John Simpson, stem cell project director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, based in California....read more Sacramento Bee - July 19, 2006 The group argues that the patents are overly broad and will discourage companies from bringing stem cell treatments to market. The issue is particularly glaring in California, where many hope to see medical breakthroughs from $3 billion in bond funding authorized by Proposition 71. "We don't think the research developments are going to come to fruition" if the patents stand, said John Simpson, spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "That's why we're trying to break the patents."...read more Wisconsin State Journal - July 19, 2006 WARF stem-cell patents challenged "The folks in Wisconsin need to get the dollar signs out of their eyes and stop impeding vital research that needs to go forward," said John Simpson, stem-cell project director of the watchdog group....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - July 19, 2006 Review of stem cell patents is sought;
Consumer groups say researchers 'handcuffed' Inside Higher Ed (insidehighered.com) - July 19, 2006 One of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights's main points that it hopes to convey to the patent office is that animal stem cell research, conducted with public money, prior to the Wisconsin patents made the patented material both possible and obvious, and that it should therefore be un-patentable....read more Science Magazine Online - July 18, 2006 Groups Target Stem Cell Patents "All [WARF] really did here was follow what a number of stem cell scientists were showing," says John Simpson with the Santa Monica, California-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), which is leading the effort with nonprofit patent-watchdog Public Patent Foundation. "They tried to pull a fast one on the Patent Office -- they've been caught with their hand in the cookie jar," says Dan Ravicher, an attorney with Public Patent....read more Contra Costa Times (California) - July 18, 2006 Consumer groups file to have stem cell patents rescinded On Tuesday, two consumer groups filed challenges with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking to have the patents rescinded. The groups maintain that the patents are overly broad and that previous work by other scientists made Thompson's breakthroughs obvious and unpatentable. "The debate in Washington is morally based, but what's at stake with the patents is essentially money," said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, one of the groups that filed the challenge....read more The Wall Street Journal - July 18, 2006 How a University's Patents May Limit Stem-Cell Research John Simpson, an official at the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, who is bringing the challenge, says WARF's efforts to enforce its patents are "damaging, impeding the free flow of ideas and creating a problem." Mr. Simpson's group got involved in the dispute earlier this year after Wisconsin officials said they would demand a share of state revenue from California's voter-approved stem-cell initiative....read more Eureka Times Standard (California) - July 17, 2006 The telephone and cable companies claim all they want is a level playing field. To that, I say horse-pucky. Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights president Jamie Court says: "Nobody cared about leveling the playing field for the consumer. The consumer gets the shaft here."...read more The Los Angeles Times - July 16, 2006 Healthcare in Need of Major Surgery Jamie Court of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has campaigned for healthcare reforms that always get derailed, says it's largely because of the great lobbying power of a filthy rich healthcare industry that likes things as they are. "It just shows how crazy the patchwork maze of programs is," said Court. "These are people who worked their whole lives, and she's not entitled to healthcare. She's got to get divorced to get it."...read more The Los Angeles Times - July 15, 2006 New System for Determining Auto Insurance Rates Backed "Californians have waited 17 years, six months and eight days to end the system of basing auto insurance premiums based on where you live, rather than how you drive," said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, the successor to the organization that pushed Proposition 103. He predicted that "in coming months, we are going to see reform and it's going to feel good for a lot of motorists."...read more Sacramento Bee - July 15, 2006
State will share in firms' earnings based on fruits of university research. Contra Costa Times (California) - July 15, 2006 Panel scraps stem cell discovery-sharing rule Supporters (of Prop 71) have high hopes for the research, believing it will lead to new therapies and maybe even cures for a host of debilitating diseases. "All Californians must have affordable access to the results of the research they pay for," said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer watchdog group....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - July 14, 2006 Big Oil lobbyists stall bills in Legislature that industry opposes "Democrats are supposed to care about people who are being forced to choose between filling up their cars and having more food on the table," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "It is insane that in a state where Democrats control both houses of the Legislature, they can't attack this issue," he said. "The only reason there has not been more action is that politicians are scared to take them on."...read more Sacramento Bee - July 13, 2006
Don't weaken rules on stem cell licensing THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - July 13, 2006 This week, the Automobile Club of Southern California broke ranks with the industry and said it would voluntarily begin implementing the new rules by Dec. 1. It simultaneously announced plans to cut rates across the board by $134 million or 7 percent on average, thanks to an improvement in its claims-paying experience. As a result of the two moves, 88 percent of its customers will see lower rates and 12 percent will see higher rates....read more Associated Press - July 11, 2006 Auto Club of SoCal to change how car insurance is calculated The Auto Club's decision sends a message to other insurers that "they can respect the wishes of the voters and make money at the same time," said Harvey Rosenfield of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. The Santa Monica attorney wrote Proposition 103 and has been working ever since to see it fully enforced....read more San Jose Mercury News (California) - July 11, 2006
BAY AREA FIRMS RESIST INSURER'S MOVE TO BASE POLICY ON DRIVING RECORD Pasadena Star-News (California) - July 11, 2006 Some drivers' insurance rates to be slashed "Across the state, certainly across the county, you see rate disparities from one ZIP code to the next that are so extreme as to be almost unbelievable," said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica-based consumer advocacy group that wrote the proposition....read more Morning Edition - National Public Radio (NPR) - July 11, 2006 California Auto Insurer Changes Rate Model Ratepayer advocates in California, have been fighting for nearly 20 years, to get auto insurers to set their rates on how and where you drive, rather than where you park your car at night. Back in 1988, voters passed a referendum to get insurers to do just that. Consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield authored the bill, but years of court fights held up the plan. Yesterday, Rosenfield said, victory felt sweet....read more The Los Angeles Times - July 10, 2006
Rates would emphasize safety and mileage, not ZIP Codes, for drivers insured by Auto Club. Adherence to Prop. 103 is a win for Garamendi. The Daily News of Los Angeles - July 9, 2006 VOTERS FACE CAMPAIGN ONSLAUGHT FOR PROPOSITIONS Doug Heller, executive director of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights, said his group supports the public campaign financing and oil tax measures. "There are some opportunities for the little guy here that don't show up that often,'' Heller said. "The big guys, the well-heeled lobbying interests, always have their day in government. This ballot gives the regular citizens the chance to have their day.''...read more Day To Day Radio Program (National Public Radio-NPR) - July 7, 2006 Cingular Sued for Service Lapses The consumer watchdog group is arguing that these customers were charged for services that they shouldn't have had to pay for in the first place. Just last month, by the way, there was a ruling from a state appeals court in California, that it was upholding a $12 million fine against Cingular, for signing up customers faster than they could provide adequate service for....read more Marketplace NPR Radio Program (American Public Media) - July 7, 2006 Lay's legacy: Commoditize everything Commentator and consumer advocate Jamie Court says Kenneth Lay's vision has become the operating principle from Wall Street to Capitol Hill....read more Associated Press - July 7, 2006 Cingular accused of deceiving customers The lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract and violations of consumer protection laws, seeks class-action status on behalf of the more than 20 million customers AT&T Wireless had at the time of the merger. Many paid $18 "transfer" fees to switch to Cingular plans and were required to buy new phones or pay other fees, said the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle....read more The Los Angeles Times - July 7, 2006 Cingular Sued by Users It Inherited;
Former AT&T Wireless customers say they are being overcharged for using a new network. BackStage Magazine - July 6, 2006 You Can Lower Your Doctor Bill -- Just Ask According to the California Patient's Guide of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based nonprofit education and advocacy group, "Everything is negotiable -- with the HMO, the HMO doctor, the HMO hospital.... You're paying the bills, not only as a consumer, but also as a taxpayer who helps fund the medical system."...read more The Los Angeles Times - July 5, 2006
Earthquake insurance rates just dropped 22% statewide. For those who don't have coverage -- most of us -- it might be time to consider it. The San Diego Union-Tribune - July 4, 2006 Declining gas prices may soon be memory;
S.D. average for regular up 6 cents since Friday The Miami Herald - July 3, 2006 When your iPod breaks, repair firms cash in;
Several budding repair firms have found a big market in fixing busted music players THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - July 2, 2006 Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, said he has no doubt that Comcast and other cable companies will abandon all local franchise agreements in favor of one-size-fits-all state franchising. "Nobody cared about leveling the playing field for the consumer," he said. "The consumer gets the shaft here."...read more The Los Angeles Times - June 29, 2006 Fall Ballot Is a $46-Billion Question;
Five bond measures and four tax-hike efforts contribute to the record tally. The
issues are expected to complicate political alliances. The Los Angeles Times - June 28, 2006 Knabe Again Votes for a Client of Lobbyist Son Officials at several watchdog groups, including the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the Center for Governmental Studies, have said Knabe's practice of making decisions that affect his son's clients represents an ethical conflict of interest, if not a legal one....read more The San Francisco Chronicle - June 28, 2006 Ballot measures could be pitfalls for candidates;
Governor hopefuls may face backlash for taking a stand THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - June 28, 2006 Telecom bill opposition fades;
Cable TV operators approve amendments on competition The Los Angeles Times - June 28, 2006 Cities May Lose Hold on Cable;
A compromise on a bill to let phone giants offer pay-TV service would strip California localities of most of their power over the cable industry. LA Weekly - June 28, 2006
Don't expect Phil or Arnold to rush to endorse the clean-money initiative Associated Press - June 27, 2006 Public campaign financing initiative makes ballot The nurses' initiative would authorize public financing for candidates for governor, the Legislature and other state offices who collect a certain number of signatures and $5 contributions. They also must agree not to take private donations beyond some initial money to organize their campaigns....read more Sacramento Bee - June 24, 2006
Panel OKs the first salary increases for top elected officials in six years. The Los Angeles Times - June 24, 2006 Top California Officials to Get 18% Pay Hike;
Panel approves raises for a dozen top elective posts. Critics assail the boost in salaries. Associated Press - June 23, 2006 Telephone companies press lawmakers for access to cable TV market "It's pretty naive to think AT&T is doing this to give us lower prices," said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "They are doing it to have more choices themselves so they can charge as much as they like for services and construct lines in communities without local elected officials being able to stop them."...read more Marketplace Radio Program (American Public Media) - June 22, 2006 Federal cable franchise? Bad idea With all the talk about net neutrality, commentator Jamie Court says we've missed another important debate ý a possible rollback in local restrictions on cable companies......read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - June 22, 2006 Passing marks for California stem cell agency in first annual audit;
Some concerns voiced, however, on future oversight Associated Press - June 18, 2006 Wisconsin, California could spar over stem cells The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is discussing concerns over use of its stem cells by a California institute hoping to disburse $3 billion in stem cell research grants. The outcome of discussions with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a state entity, could affect the development of stem cell therapies far beyond the two states, both parties say....read more The Los Angeles Times - June 18, 2006
Payback for no-show legislators. Politicians who don't vote on important bills don't win. Sacramento Bee - June 18, 2006 Funds flow on telecom legislation:
State's star lobbyists and PR firms take sides on cable franchise bill Wisconsin State Journal - June 18, 2006 Wisconsin and California locked in stem-cell struggle The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a nonprofit watchdog group in California, called on CIRM to challenge WARF's patents in court. "It would truly be a shame if a research organization in Wisconsin threw up a blockade to vital, publicly funded research in California," John Simpson, stem-cell project director for the group, wrote in a letter to WARF....read more The Lancet - June 17, 2006 US Physician-Senator Bill Frist Disappoints On Health Frist has also sought to gain legal protections for vaccine makers, in some cases giving them near total immunity from lawsuits. A citizen advocacy group opposed to the measure, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, argued that Frist and 41 other senators have a conflict of interest in this case, because they own US16 million in pharmaceutical stock....read more The Los Angeles Times - June 16, 2006 Panel Told to Rev Up Pump Price Inquiry;
Schwarzenegger orders regulators to accelerate an investigation into a recent 'unique spike' in the state's fuel market. The San Diego Union-Tribune - June 9, 2006 Gov. Romney, in San Diego, touts Mass. insurance law;
Critics say law doesn't fit in California The Los Angeles Times - June 9, 2006 Anti-Gouging Bill Targets Big Oil Firms;
Legislation would make it easier for the governor and attorney general to counter market manipulators as gasoline prices climb. The San Jose Mercury News - June 9, 2006 Biotech exec's contribution called conflict;
FIRM WILL SEEK FUNDING FROM STEM-CELL INSTITUTE The San Diego Union-Tribune - June 8, 2006 Institute's chairman raps senator for bill;
Klein's letter draws reaction over politics THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - June 8, 2006
Worth a second look if you're without quake insurance CBS News (National) - June 6, 2006 Calif. Demands Answers On Oil Prices "They (big oil) intentionally short the market using exporting or control of the refinery production," says Tim Hamilton, a petroleum industry consultant hired by a consumer group to investigate why California's gasoline stockpiles run so much lower than the rest of the country, another factor driving high prices. ...read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - June 6, 2006 Policy of success for director of Marsh & McLennan in San Diego Industry critics say insurers are overstating the weather's impact on insurance in order to raise rates. "It's a way for the insurance companies to panic the public into spending more than they should have to pay," said Harvey Rosenfield, who heads the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica....read more The Los Angeles Times - June 2, 2006 Healthcare Costs Spur Calls for Limits on Profits;
State officials target insurers' use of funds as the debate turns from services to finances. The Los Angeles Times - June 2, 2006 Tobacco Helps Fund Anti-Tobacco Ad;
The flier accuses tax board hopeful Judy Chu, a staunch foe of the industry, of being soft on the issue. Rival says he has no tie to the attack. The San Diego Union-Tribune - June 2, 2006 Initiative's creator keeps tinkering;
Senator, oversight panel often at odds Sacramento Bee - June 2, 2006
Initiative czar morphs into a critic The Los Angeles Times - June 2, 2006 Lawmakers OK Minimum Wage Bills;
Legislators ignore the governor's warning on automatic increases. The measures are passed amid a flurry of votes cast before deadline. Sacramento Bee - June 1, 2006 Assembly OKs cable franchises from state;
Also passed is a bill limiting Valley homes in floodplains. The San Jose Mercury News - June 1, 2006 Legal delays may be a plus for state's stem-cell effort; California's stem-cell agency needs to do all it can to ensure there are no scandals like the one that emerged last January in South Korea, when announced major stem-cell breakthroughs were discovered to be fraudulent. ...read more The Orange County Register - June 1, 2006 Outside forces shape Umberg v. Correa fight
Tom Umberg has raised and spent more money than Lou Correa to win the Democratic nomination in the 34th Senate District, but no less than seven independent committees have pitched in to fight for Correa. Associated Press - June 1, 2006 Assembly approves bill to broaden the cable business Consumer rights groups said the bill's unanimous passage should serve as a warning sign. "A bipartisan late night deregulation effort should warrant serious concern by the public because it was not crafted for consumers but by, for and of the telecom giants," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights."...read more The Sacramento Bee - May 26, 2006 Garamendi blasts insurers, alleges 'excessive profits' Garamendi said a financial analysis of the state's 20 largest auto, property and casualty insurers found that companies have paid less than normal for claims in the past two years. "The insurance companies are literally giving less and less money to the policyholders and more and more money to Wall Street, to fat executive salaries and overhead expenses," Garamendi said during a Capitol news conference Thursday. "It's time for the rates to be brought in."...read more CBS-TV National Morning News - May 25, 2006 Oil companies deny manipulating oil prices, though newly-released consumer report claims otherwise Oil companies continue to blame the cost of ethanol and other additives for the price increases. But the study found that during this spring's price surge, Washington state's gasoline, which does not include ethanol, increased just as much as California's, which is an ethanol blend....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - May 25, 2006 Price-gouging on insurance alleged;
State chief will hold hearings this summer The Los Angeles Times - May 25, 2006 State's Low Fuel Reserves Criticized;
Refiners limit on-hand gasoline inventory to boost profit, a consumer group's report alleges. Marketplace Radio Program (American Public Media) - May 23, 2006 Depends what you mean by 'gouged'... With outrageous gasoline prices sucking the life out of the economy, why doesn't the federal government apply the same state standard for price gouging prosecutions all the time, not just during emergencies? ...read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - May 23, 2006 Feds: No collusion or price gouging;
Blame it on Katrina: Investigators say oil costs rose because of supply and demand, not corporate greed California Sen. Boxer: 'Report proves that this administration is owned and operated by big oil' Arkansas Business - May 22, 2006 For-Profit Health Insurance Carriers Getting the Blues "The merger of WellPoint and Anthem, which formed the new WellPoint company, gave away close to $450 million in executive compensation," said Jerry Flanagan, health care policy director for the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights in Santa Monica, Calif. "With those execs' salaries and golden parachutes, it means only one thing: We pay more for less coverage."...read more Wisconsin Technology Network - May 22, 2006 California group says ruling weakens WARF's stem cell patent;
WARF spokesman calls the assertion "much ado about nothing" San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California) - May 19, 2006 Bustamante sowing conflict-of-interest seeds Consumer advocate Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, insists that "There are no exceptions, there are no excuses, because contributions and gifts come with expectations."...read more Sacramento Bee - May 18, 2006 California gas-price gap with rest of U.S. grows Attorney General Bill Lockyer has issued subpoenas to every California refinery for evidence of "profiteering and gouging." The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a watchdog group based in Santa Monica, accused California refiners of "artificially withholding supply through tactics that would be the envy of Enron."...read more The Los Angeles Times - May 16, 2006 Gasoline Costs Fall Slightly in State;
Pump prices average $3.33, a weekly survey shows. It's unclear how long the break will last. The Los Angeles Times - May 15, 2006 Races to Put a New Face on Capitol;
With term limits, the Assembly will see an influx of newcomers, while a band of moderates seeks Senate seats held by liberals. The San Francisco Chronicle - May 14, 2006 Big Oil limiting gasoline supply;
California pays for corporate chicanery St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) - May 14, 2006 Health bill caught in lobbying game For starters, Blue Cross's decision to sit this round out helped clear the path for Thursday's Senate vote; in previous years, the bill never made it out of committee, let alone to a full Senate vote. "Their (past) opposition to it has kept the bill from ever moving in the Senate," said Jerry Flanagan, of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based consumer advocacy organization....read more The Baltimore Sun - May 11, 2006 Junk health insurance bill would put big burden on families May 11, 2006 A measure that is nearing a final vote in Congress would greatly expand the reach of insurers offering bare-bones plans that saddle policyholders with no cap on their payments once their paltry coverage limits are reached. Maryland, like New York and a few other states with strong consumer insurance protections, has so far been spared the misery inflicted by such junk insurance....read more BestWire - May 11, 2006 INSURERS' CONSOLIDATION FUELS DEBATE OVER RISING U.S. HEALTH COSTS Despite health plans' historically high profit margins, premiums for patients keep rising without an expansion of benefits, Rohack said in his statement. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a California-based group, contends that health insurers spend 20% of premiums on "overhead," including profit and administration....read more The Houston Chronicle - May 10, 2006 KATRINA AFTERMATH; Homeowners tell State Farm that one size doesn't fit all;
Lawsuit accuses insurer of using a single report to deny many claims THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - May 10, 2006 Anti-gouging laws don't cut gas prices;
State probed 50 potential cases; no charges The Wall Street Journal - May 10, 2006 Wary of Backlash, Cancer-Drug Makers Weigh Price Limits Medicare reimbursements are in line with drugs' actual selling prices, and physicians and hospitals can no longer afford to forgive co-payments. As a result, many elderly cancer patients without supplemental prescription-drug insurance end up on the hook for thousands of dollars. "There's a groundswell of patients who are outraged," says Jerry Flanagan, health-care policy director for the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, a Los Angeles watchdog group....read more Sacramento Bee (California) - May 9, 2006 Insurance chief claims 'blackmail';
He wants probe, says industry leveled ad threat over auto plan. Contra Costa Times (California) - May 9, 2006 Top Dems contend for No. 2 post;
Insurance chief, two senators look to boost lieutenant governor's role The San Francisco Chronicle - May 9, 2006 As bond issue is set, big bucks rolling in to Schwarzenegger Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said he believes that car dealers are concerned about how the Schwarzenegger administration plans to oversee key parts of the new "Car Buyers Bill of Rights" that limits interest on dealer car loans and sets higher used car standards. ...read more The New Standard - May 8, 2006 Stem-cell Research Blasted from New Angle;
Patient advocates call funding hand-out to firms at expense of poor PBS-TV: NOW Program - May 5, 2006 Payment Due -- Healthcare Headaches in America;
Transcript of Show on Junk Health Insurance Plans Bill (S. 1955 - Enzi-R-WY) The Hill - May 3, 2006 Trade associations see potential boon from AHP legislation Trade associations will find a way to benefit from the plans financially, insists Carmen Balber of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "There's nothing in the bill that prevents associations from making money off these plans," she said. What constitutes "reasonable expenses" is not clearly defined, she said....read more Chicago Tribune - May 3, 2006 Author throws punch at Allstate: Tough tactics alleged if payouts resisted Doug Heller, executive director of the watchdog group Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, agrees with Berardinelli, saying that it is counterintuitive for an insurance company to treat its claims division as a profit center. "Insurance companies are supposed to make money by building a customer base, investing the premiums safely and doing a good job of underwriting so they have enough money to pay claims and maintain profits," Heller said....read more The San Francisco Examiner - May 2, 2006 Stem cell institute gearing up to distribute research funds John Simpson, stem cell project director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said he approves of the way the institute is formulating its spending plan. "It is tremendously encouraging to see that it was done in public," he said....read more San Diego Business Journal - May 1, 2006 Insurance Bill Would Affect State's Small Firms "California has a lot of strong patient protections -- more than a lot of other states," said Carmen Balber; of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group based in Santa Monica. Balber said the bill would allow insurance companies to widely vary individuals' rates. She said under SB 1955, trade group plans could deviate from a formula by as much as 25 percent, whereas currently, health plans that operate here can only go about 10 percent beyond the standard for premiums....read more The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California) - April 30, 2006 Auto insurance rate hikes on your horizon? Maybe not; "This issue has been studied to death," said Doug Heller, a lobbyist for The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, an independent advocacy group. "The purpose of this bill is to throw up another wall (to implementing Prop. 103)."...read more Associated Press - April 29, 2006 Oil industry unapologetic as profits soar;
Motorists fume, Congress squirms The San Diego Union-Tribune - April 29, 2006 Amid profits outcry, a price lull;
Modest increases, and some declines, reported at pumps The Los Angeles Times - April 29, 2006 Chevron Posts 49% Increase in Profit;
A consumer group accuses the company of profiteering after it reports earnings of $4 billion, boosted by oil extraction and refining. Sacramento Bee (California) - April 28, 2006 Huge Exxon profits spark anger;
Even with calls for probes and legislation, analysts see supply, demand issue. The Houston Chronicle - April 28, 2006
Exxon Mobil makes case for big profits Agence France Presse - April 28, 2006 Chevron profit up 49 percent as oil industry draws more ire The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocacy group, said Chevron's report showed a 260 percent increase in its US refining and sales profits, "further proof that retail gasoline prices are rising far faster than the cost of production, despite oil company excuses about the price of crude oil."...read more City News Service - April 28, 2006 Insurance Companies Sued by Dropped Policyholders Patients then get dumped for inconsistencies -- not fraud, as is required by the law, according to The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer watchdog group that is supporting the litigation....read more The Los Angeles Times - April 28, 2006 Canceled Policies Prompt Lawsuits;
Customers of Blue Cross and Blue Shield say they were dumped after incurring medical costs. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas) - April 27, 2006 Exxon Mobil: How much is too much profit? "The extreme run-up in pump prices since the beginning of April isn't even reflected here," said Judy Dugan of the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "It will almost certainly push profits for Exxon and other refiners to yet another record. The companies need to be held responsible for their excessive refinery profits and their tight control over refinery output, which allows them to get away with this pricing."...read more Agence France Presse - April 27, 2006 ExxonMobil draws more fire with 8.4 billion dollar profit "ExxonMobil's report of a record 8.4 billion dollars in first-quarter profits demonstrates that skyrocketing gasoline prices are due to oil company profiteering, rather than the price of crude oil," according to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer advocacy group....read more NBC-TV4 Los Angeles - April 27, 2006 Lawsuits Claim Health Insurance Companies Illegally Canceled Policies "This is a national problem," said FTCR's Jerry Flanagan. "Insurance companies sell you a policy and then they break their promises and they cherry-pick and only insure those that are healthy. Dare you get sick, your coverage is revoked. This makes a mockery of health insurance."...read more CBS-TV Evening News - April 27, 2006 Claims WellPoint subsidiary Blue Cross of California canceling health insurance illegally Mr. JERRY FLANAGAN (Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights): The law is very clear. The only way an insurance company can revoke coverage after the fact is if the individual on purpose hid a past medical condition....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - April 26, 2006 Big Oil donates big bucks to Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign The oil companies aren't the only ones benefiting from the price spike, says Doug Heller of the Arnold watchdog group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. The state has reaped a $100 million-plus sales tax windfall since the start of the year, he said....read more Associated Press - April 26, 2006 Assembly panel approves bill for universal health care coverage "Requiring something people cannot afford is not a solution to solving the health care crisis," said Jerry Flanagan, health care advocate at The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - April 25, 2006 "Of the 60-cent increase in gasoline prices this year, 42 cents is entirely attributable to refiner profits," said Doug Heller of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights. "That's not a supply issue or a crude issue. It's a gouging issue." The foundation is calling for a windfall profits tax on the industry, among other measures....read more Agence France Presse - April 25, 2006 U.S. oil companies under fire as gasoline prices soar The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in a recent report on California prices -- among the country's highest -- said the link between crude prices and the price of gasoline at the pump was questionable....read more Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) - April 24, 2006 States may lose health mandates;
Congress looks to make health insurance more affordable, but some fear legislation might cost consumer protections. Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - April 23, 2006 Exxon Mobil Corp. invested only $10 million last year on direct research on alternative energy while reaping a record $36 billion in profits. Meanwhile, it handed its retiring chief executive officer a nearly half-billion-dollar parachute, according to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more Santa Barbara News-Press (California) - April 22, 2006 One statewide group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, on Friday called for the governor and Legislature to consider public regulation of refineries and to return "windfall profits" to consumers via a rebate....read more CNN-TV SATURDAY NIGHT (10 PM EST) - April 22, 2006 JAMIE COURT, CONSUMER RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Every time you see the price of gasoline go up at the pump, you can hear ka-ching, ka-ching in the bank accounts of the oil companies....read more The Los Angeles Times - April 22, 2006 Judge Upholds Stem Cell Initiative;
Religious and taxpayer groups that sued vow to appeal, but institute's plans may proceed. Contra Costa Times (California) - April 22, 2006
Scientists celebrate as agency is ruled constitutional, but opposition groups promise to appeal decision The Kansas City Star - April 21, 2006 Blowing the top off gas prices
'This is all about the refineries
making a killing' Marin Independent Journal (California) - April 21, 2006 Soaring gas prices force some changes in Marin The main cause of the price spike is increased profits for oil companies, said petroleum industry consultant Tim Hamilton, in a study commissioned by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights of Santa Monica....read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - April 21, 2006 Liquid gold: Gallon of gas now $3.07;
County's price surge outpaces rest of U.S. The Los Angeles Times - April 21, 2006 Gas Prices in Region Hit New Highs;
The average cost for self-serve regular in Los Angeles tops $3. More pump pain is expected. CBS TV-5 (Hayward, CA) - April 21, 2006 UPDATE: STEM CELL ADVOCATES DELIGHTED WITH RULING John Simpson, the director of the stem cell project for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the oversight committee headed by Klein "must use the time during inevitable appeals to implement rules governing ownership of research discoveries that ensure the full public benefit promises of Proposition 71 are met."...read more Sacramento Bee - April 19, 2006 Gas prices soar - again; You may be paying $3.25 a gallon by Memorial Day
Oil: U.S. has crude - but too few refineries The Los Angeles Times - April 19, 2006 Mergers of Medical Insurers Faulted In the last five years, health insurance premiums in the state have gone up more than 70%, the Kaiser Family Foundation said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a handful of insurance companies with a stranglehold on the market can raise rates," said Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - April 18, 2006 Insurers' mergers limiting options;
Health care choices are narrowing, says study by AMA
Associated Press - April 18, 2006 Several states criticize Enzi health insurance bill In a letter to Enzi last month, California Attorney General Bill Lockyear: "As you are aware, there is a proliferation of health plans that do not cover maternity, basic and preventative services such as annual physicals, mammograms, colonoscopies, diabetic care service and supplies and other documented positive therapies," adding that the California Legislature has decided that any health plan offered in the state must offer such coverage....read more MarketWatch/Dow Jones - April 17, 2006 Health-insurer mergers' murky effects;
Insurers' consolidation not clearly linked to cost woes The Daily News of Los Angeles - April 16, 2006
BOND PROJECTS RAISE PROPERTY TAXES 10 PERCENT SINCE 1989 Sacramento Bee (California) - April 16, 2006 What is wrong with this picture? Plenty, if you think that public stewards of taxpayer money should keep at arm's length from those seeking that money. By agreeing to participate in the fundraiser, Hall, Klein and Penhoet have flunked this test. "It smacks of selling access and influence to well-heeled donors," said John Simpson of the watchdog group, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more Los Angeles Times - April 15, 2006 Refiners Enjoying Bigger Profits;
Estimates show earnings at the state's gasoline producers have doubled since January while average pump prices creep toward $3 a gallon. Contra Costa Times (California) - April 15, 2006 Canciamilla takes insurance money & co-sponsors insurance company bill Meanwhile, Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-Pittsburg, ran afoul of a watchdog group when he co-sponsored a bill to delay auto insurance rate reforms. The watchdog group noted Canciamilla has accepted $95,000 in contributions from insurance firms during his political career....read more Pacific Daily News (Hagatna, Guam) - April 15, 2006 Forget liability caps, focus on accreditation Insurance companies set premium rates based on the stock market, not caps. When the market is bad and investment returns are low, insurance companies cover their losses by increasing premiums, but rarely reduce them when the market improves. A report published by the Foundation for Taxpayers and Consumer Rights evaluated how the caps system worked in California. It stated that despite introducing a caps system called MICRA (Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act) in 1975, premium rates showed a 450-percent increase in the 13 years following its enactment....read more San Gabriel Valley Tribune (California) - April 13, 2006 County health budget in crisis "The pressure to squeeze out $300 million in savings could pinch patients unless the county proceeds with extreme caution," said Jerry Flanagan, health-care policy director at The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights in Santa Monica....read more The Daily News of Los Angeles - April 13, 2006
Focus of L.A. County proposal on standardizing care The Philadelphia Inquirer - April 13, 2006
A law signed yesterday calls for the 515,000 uninsured residents to have insurance by 2010. The Los Angeles Times - April 12, 2006
Two patents that cover key research areas are setting back science. The Los Angeles Times - April 11, 2006 Stem Cell Institute Awards 1st Grants;
Roughly $12.1 million from private sources will jump-start research as the organization's ability to issue bonds is determined in court. The San Jose Mercury News - April 11, 2006 Stem-cell institute issues first grants;
FUNDING HAS BEEN HELD UP BY LAWSUITS Modern Healthcare - April 10, 2006
Mass. hospitals welcome bill to cover nearly all The San Jose Mercury News - April 10, 2006 Stem-cell grants ought to hinge on public benefits Companies like Genentech act like committed socialists when it comes to taxpayers and the government bearing the risk of drug development. But they are greedy capitalists when it's time to parcel out the profits....read more The Los Angeles Times - April 8, 2006 'Hummer in every pot' healthcare If California wants genuine universal health insurance, it is going to have to do the hard work of restraining the healthcare system's waste, inefficiency and profiteering. But that would entail angering interest groups that finance politicians' elections. The uninsured and underinsured don't attend fundraisers or make political contributions. And, of course, politicians' own health coverage is paid by taxpayers. No wonder they don't understand the problem in making a working family choose between rent and insurance. ...read more Appeal-Democrat (California) - April 7, 2006 Insurance counter-bill hits traffic "Over the last two decades, the insurance industry has used every type of scare tactic to stall insurance reform. Now, insurers have put $300,000 into the pockets of these five politicians who have introduced the latest scheme to block and maintain high rates for good drivers," FTCR Executive Director Douglas Heller said in a statement....read more UPI - United Press International - April 7, 2006 Analysis: Mass. adopts pay for performance Pay-for-performance systems can play a needed watchdog role, but also must be carefully crafted to avoid giving healthcare providers the wrong incentives, Jerry Flanagan with FTCR said. "When the government provides a stream of money, you should also have a checking system to ensure that it's used efficiently and in the patients' best interest."...read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - April 7, 2006 Stem cell institute maps out strategy;
Plan will determine how $3 billion spent Associated Press - April 6, 2006 Insurers well-braced for next California quake Today, 86 percent of the state's homeowners have no earthquake insurance. CEA officials are hoping this month's 100th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco, along with the lessons of Hurricane Katrina, will prompt more to sign up. "The story of earthquake insurance in California is one of cut and run," said Doug Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights, a frequent industry critic....read more CBS TV National Evening News - April 5, 2006 Despite year of catastrophic losses from hurricanes, insurance companies still made record profits Mr. HARVEY ROSENFIELD (Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights): They've used a national disasters like 9/11, natural disasters like Katrina and phony excuses like "too many lawsuits", to jack up people's premiums....read more Los Angeles Times - April 5, 2006 Insurers Saw Record Gains in Year of Catastrophic Loss;
They say the profits are a fluke, but the industry has worked to shift risk to clients and the public. The San Diego Union-Tribune - April 5, 2006 Charities to fund stem cell research;
2 groups in S.D. among 6 buying bond notes Associated Press - April 5, 2006 Philanthropic groups to loan Calif. stem cell agency $14 million John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said that even though it appears that "there are safeguards in place to ensure that purchasers of the notes don't hold undue sway over the stem cell institute," he criticized the agency for the "secretive" way it went about the process. "A completely open, transparent process would better serve everyone," Simpson said. "I truly wish they'd see that."...read more Monterey County Herald (California) - April 4, 2006 GEICO settles suit, must pay refunds The lawsuits against GEICO and the other insurers contend their discount policies favoring California drivers with proof of prior insurance violated Proposition 103, an insurance regulation initiative adopted by voters in 1988....read more The Bradenton Herald (Florida) - April 4, 2006 Corporate crime merits ethics lessons The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights estimates the cost of corporate crime at $1.5 trillion annually. It seems every day there's another Enron scandal in the making -- a corporate collapse estimated to have cost the public billions of dollars....read more Wisconsin Technology Newtork - April 3, 2006 WARF says it's ready for a legal challenge on stem cells In a March 22 letter to WARF, John Simpson, the stem cell project director for the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, noted that WARF has not demanded license fees from non-profit institutions, and discoveries resulting from taxpayer-funded research should not be considered a commercial activity....read more Arizona Daily Star - April 3, 2006 Small-business insurance groups likely;
After seven flops, Senate on verge of acceptance The San Diego Union-Tribune - April 2, 2006
Commissioner John Garamendi wants to pin poor drivers; companies defend ZIP code method Long Island Business News - March 31, 2006 Committee ends stalemate on health plan bill The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based consumer advocacy group, believes health-care costs would increase under the plan because patients would be forced to pay out of pocket for medically necessary treatment that insurers would no longer need to cover....read more Associated Press - March 31, 2006 Stem cell institute may sell naming rights to wealthy donors Whatever the analogy, there's little precedent for a California agency raising money in this way, and the plan has raised concern among the stem cell agency's critics. "If they aren't careful, they are going to be seen as selling out to biotech," said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - March 30, 2006 Insurance firms contribute big to Bustamante;
$120,000 given to candidate who would regulate the industry Los Angeles Times - March 30, 2006 Garamendi to Probe Blue Cross' Practices The spate of accusations should persuade regulators to impose a simple, clear and uniform medical history questionnaire on all health insurers, said Jamie Court of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. He also said that if Blue Cross was shown to have a department devoted to denying claims and canceling coverage, regulators should disband it....read more Los Angeles Times - March 30, 2006 Out-of-State Facility Demands Part of Stem Cell Research Royalties;
Move by University of Wisconsin could stifle research here. Profits from studies were supposed to be funneled into California's coffers. Grand Rapids Business Journal - March 27, 2006 Small Business Health Plans Move Forward "The effect of this legislation will be to deregulate the entire health insurance market," wrote consumer advocates from the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. The watchdog group pleaded with Enzi to change provisions in his bill allowing for what the group calls "junk health care."...read more Scripps Howard News Service - March 22, 2006 A renewed move to boost small businesses' health coverage Even so, critics count on the power of patients'-rights advocates like Dana Christensen to make their case. The Playa del Rey, Calif., widow told senators how her husband, Doug, begged on his deathbed for a divorce because their Association Health Plan, including its chemotherapy rider, amounted to "junk" insurance that covered only18 percent of his treatment for bone cancer and saddled her with more than $450,000 of his medical bills....read more The Los Angeles Times - March 20, 2006 Tonight, Arnold Schwarzenegger is to return to the Beverly Hilton for the first time since his contrite apology to voters after the defeat of every single one of his ballot measures in last year's special election. The governor will probably be anything but contrite as he panders to donors who will pony up as much as $100,000 each to fund his reelection campaign....read more City News Service - March 20, 2006 Big-Bucks Fund-Raiser Draws Governor's Backers to Beverly Hills "When he ran for office, he said that he was going to make fundamental changes to the system and yet he is perpetuating the system in an even more exacerbated manner by the amount of fund raising he is doing," Jill Furillo, the Southern California director of the California Nurses Association, told KCAL9....read more Insurance Journal - March 16, 2006 U.S. Senate Breathes New Life into Small Group Health Option "People will think they have coverage, but when you need health care, when you need treatment, your insurance company will say, 'no, look at the fine print,''' said Jerry Flanagan, spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Los Angeles-based advocacy group....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California) - March 16, 2006 Angelides' past tactic to tap corporate funds now under scrutiny;
Governor's race puts new spotlight on 1989 donations CFO.com - March 16, 2006 Another Step for Small-biz Health Bill "When 45 million Americans cannot afford health care at same time health insurance profits triple, we clearly need more regulation to bring prices down, not less," said Jerry Flanagan of the foundation, in a statement. "Under the guise of making health care affordable, S.1955 encourages HMOs and insurers to sell coverage that provides no benefit guarantees. This bill does nothing to address out-of-control health care costs -- like health insurance overhead and profits -- which are now the fastest-growing component of health care spending."...read more Inc. Com - March 15, 2006 Health-Care Bill Passes Senate Committee "This bill has been sold as a way for small-business owners to lower health-care costs," said Jerry Flanagan, health-care policy director for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based consumer-rights group. "But this is all about giving more power to HMOs and insurance companies. It will give insurers more power to raise rates."...read more Sacramento Bee - March 15, 2006 Editorial: Auto insurance overhaul;
Premiums will depend more on driving record ABC TV-7 KGO (San Francisco) - March 14, 2006 Commission Sides With Telecom Industry;
Accusations Of Conflict Of Interest in CPUC Associated Press - March 14, 2006 Senate looking at new insurance options for small businesses Critics say that letting insurers bypass state protections gives consumers a false sense of security. "People will think they have coverage, but when you need health care, when you need treatment, your insurance company will say, 'no, look at the fine print,'" said Jerry Flanagan, spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a Los Angeles-based advocacy group....read more The Wall Street Journal - March 14, 2006 Health-insurance bill gains traction The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a consumer group in Santa Monica, Calif., complained that the legislation could mean the loss of state protections such as California's requirement that women have a right to visit a gynecologist. "A panoply of patient services could... be eviscerated," including the right to a second opinion from a doctor, the group said. ...read more Marketplace Radio Program (NPR) - March 13, 2006 Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation stopping states from having food-warning labels that are tougher than federal standards. This Wednesday, a Senate committee will vote on a bill that allows health insurers to ignore state benefit requirements. Commentator and consumer advocate Jamie Court says more at stake here than states' rights. ...read more The Daily News of Los Angeles - March 12, 2006
BUT SAVINGS PROGRAM COULD BACKFIRE, EXPERTS SAY
Associated Press - March 10, 2006 Beatty warns Democrats it's Schwarzenegger they want to beat "I want us to win," Beatty said at a fundraiser for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, an advocacy group. Echoing a line made famous by President Reagan, he said the party should follow the GOP's lead and embrace the idea that "thou shalt not speak ill of another Democrat."...read more Sacramento Bee - March 9, 2006 Business boosts infrastructure;
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has entered the fray on the proposal to rebuild the
state's roads, levees and schools, paying for a TV ad praising Gov.
Schwarzenegger's economic record. Associated Press - March 7, 2006 Ways and Means chairman announces he will not seek reelection FTCR's president, Jamie Court, welcomed Thomas' retirement, calling him the "poster child for everything that has gone wrong with the Republican revolution. He has literally been the ideological godfather of the privatization of health care and fiscal irresponsibility with regards to the budget deficit," Court said. "Bill Thomas to me as a Republican is an embarrassment."...read more North County Times (San Diego, CA) - March 4, 2006 Broken contract talks not new for Blue Cross Jerry Flanagan, health care policy director with the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, blamed "greedy" Blue Cross, saying the company has a history of hiding rapidly increasing profits as unneeded reserves and spending a smaller percentage of the health insurance premiums it collects on treating patients and health care than other insurers....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - March 3, 2006 Governor's ties to fitness lobbying group weigh heavy;
Conflict-of-interest issue hangs over Ohio muscle show The Los Angeles Times - March 2, 2006 Initiative Targets Punitive Awards;
A proposed measure would bar assessment of such damages in many product liability suits. Los Angeles Times - March 1, 2006 High Court Rules for Oil Firms Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, said the court's ruling was tantamount to giving oil companies free rein. "This is the ultimate example of, 'Unless you catch the oil executives actually smoking cigars and carving up a market, there cannot be an antitrust prosecution,' " he said....read more Los Angeles Times - February 28, 2006 County Weighs Limits on Lobbying;
The proposed rules come too late, however, to have barred work by Supervisor Knabe's son. Monterey County Herald (California) - February 27, 2006 Fate of stem cell agency falls to court;
Litigation has scared off investors San Jose Mercury News (California) - February 23, 2006 State-run auto plan expands in area;
LOW-COST POLICIES FOR SOME DRIVERS Marketplace Morning Report (NPR Radio) - February 21, 2006 The truth is, unless you're driving a higher performance car, or an old muscle car of the past, gas is gas. Oil companies' marketing claims over the need for higher octane fuel used to be ever bigger hooey. The Federal trade Commission stepped in the 1990s to force fairer representations. With oil companies now recording record profits, they have even more money to make bigger marketing boasts. But the truth is no different: Buy the cheapest gasoline you can find unless your automaker tells you otherwise. ...read more Los Angeles Business Journal - February 20, 2006 HSA's: Panacea or Bad Medicine?
Consumer-Driven Health Savings Accounts Prompt Divergent Opinions The Los Angeles Times - February 20, 2006 It has taken more pressure from public interest groups than it should have to set the institute on the right path. That's probably because the governing board has no members from such groups, something the Legislature should correct once the three-year moratorium on amending Proposition 71 is over. Still, the board showed that it has learned how to listen and respond, one of its most promising steps so far....read more NPR Marketplace Radio Program - February 16, 2006 Genentech's drug Avastin is a highly effective treatment for colon, breast, and lung cancer. It's also incredibly expensive. Genentech says society has to be willing to pay more for the benefits of life-sustaining drugs, but Commentator Jamie Court says drug companies have a moral obligation not to price them out of reach....read more Monterey County Herald (California) - February 14, 2006
Monterey County: Farm Bureau Opposes insurance changes Los Angeles Times - February 14, 2006 Pact Profits Family of Supervisor;
Knabe's son lobbied for firm that won a county contract. His wife was then paid to throw bash. The Indianapolis Star (Indiana) - February 13, 2006 Mrs. Bayh's directorship raises issue for some "Given that she has a high-profile role with the company and that this is a company that could benefit from the legislative actions of her husband, there is definitely a potential for a conflict of interest," said Alex Knott, political editor for the Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan group in Washington. Watchdog organizations Public Citizen and the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights echoed those concerns....read more BusinessWeek Online - February 13, 2006
E-Loan co-founder Chris Larsen's online marketplace matches lenders and borrowers. Banks and "payday" outfits alike will be watching closely Agence France Presse - February 13, 2006 Suit demands Apple replace scratched iPod nanos for free Selling 'cool' stuff isn't 'cool' if the stuff doesn't work as advertised and Apple fails to comply with its obligations under its warranty and California laws," said Harvey Rosenfield, a lawyer for the Foundation of Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which is involved in the suit....read more Sacramento Bee - February 12, 2006 Suddenly, infrastructure is hot;
Governor's overhaul plan is getting good poll numbers as rivals offer their own versions. Associated Press - February 11, 2006 Apple sued over $25 replacement fee for allegedly defective iPods The lawsuit by the Los Angeles-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights claims the pencil-thin nano introduced last fall cannot endure normal use without getting scratched to the point where it becomes unusable. The suit contends the Cupertino-based iPod maker should warn users accordingly....read more The San Diego Union Tribune - February 11, 2006 State's stem cell institute adopts 2 ethics policies "The devil is in the details; that's why people's eyes glaze over when they hear the term intellectual property," said John Simpson, a spokesman for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "This is really about who has access to cures. Ultimately, these rules could determine whether a person can afford cures or not."...read more Sacramento Bee - February 11, 2006 Split panel says state to get same discount as federal Medicaid The Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights had also suggested the lower federal price as a condition of licensing state research....read more The San Jose Mercury News - February 10, 2006 State may get stem-cell return
INSTITUTE'S BOARD TO CONSIDER SHARING 25% OF PROCEEDS FROM RESEARCH Sacramento Bee - February 10, 2006 Stem cell therapy: How to set its cost?
A panel votes today on what the lowest price really means. The Fresno Bee (California) - February 9, 2006
Farm bureau says state proposal would cost drivers in rural areas more; consumer group backs plan The Baltimore Sun - February 9, 2006 EDITORIAL: Return oil profits to American people Some experts believe the gigantic profits result not from chance but from limited refining capacity -- possibly deliberate -- reducing supply and boosting prices. Although demand has grown dramatically in recent decades, Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, observes: "We haven't had a refinery built since 1976."...read more Pasadena Weekly - February 9, 2006
Good Government Task Force boosts controversial campaign finance law, gets mayor's support Pasadena Star-News - February 7, 2006 Pasadena: Poster child for good government?
Task force hashes out anti-corruption plan The San Francisco Chronicle - February 5, 2006 Governor's new chief of staff piles it on;
Susan Kennedy now also is head campaigner The Los Angeles Times - February 3, 2006 Gov.'s Gift to PUC Official Questioned
Schwarzenegger gave Susan Kennedy $25,000 after he received that amount from AT&T. Days later, she voted to OK its merger with SBC. UPI - United Press International - January 31, 2006 Public campaign funds on California agenda Backers include the California Clean Money Campaign, the California Nurses Association, the League of Women Voters, the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the Sierra Club....read more The Houston Chronicle - January 31, 2006 Exxon profit hits record $36 billion;
The amount is the largest by any U.S. company ever, analysts believe Los Angeles Times - January 31, 2006 Exxon Profit Sets Record, Stirs Anger;
Its annual and quarterly profit are the highest for any public corporation, but consumers see red. Los Angeles Times - January 28, 2006 Ballot Fight Over Auto Insurance Is Averted "I think they realized that nobody's interests would be served," said Rosenfield, who wrote Proposition 103 and leads the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "We took their four initiatives very seriously, and I think they took ours very seriously."...read more Associated Press - January 28, 2006 Chevron 4th Qtr. Profit Up 20 Percent to $4.14 Billion Consumer activists, though, insist a government crackdown is long overdue. "These aren't just windfall profits; they are hurricane-force profits," said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, a watchdog group that has railed against the oil industry for years....read more The New York Times - January 27, 2006 Cries of "socialized medicine" didn't, in the end, succeed in blocking the creation of Medicare. And farsighted thinkers are already suggesting that the Veterans Health Administration, not President Bush's unrealistic vision of a system in which people go "comparative shopping" for medical care the way they do when buying tile, represents the true future of American health care. ...read more Sacramento Bee (California) - January 27, 2006
ChoicePoint must pay $15 million in wake of ID thefts. The New York Times - January 26, 2006 Prognosis Is Mixed for Health Savings;
Though Enrollment Grows, Many Don't Bother to Save UPI - United Press International - January 26, 2006 'Pirates' spread healthcare message "Our goal is to focus on young people who don't necessarily think about healthcare but are paying into the system nonetheless," Jerry Flanagan of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights told UPI....read more THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - January 26, 2006
Largest health insurer benefits from 2004 merger THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - January 24, 2006 Millions to settle loan abuse;
Ameriquest Mortgage settles predatory lending allegations in 49 states The Los Angeles Times - January 24, 2006
The union, a foe of the governor, wants to ban corporate donations for candidates and ballot measures and create a public-financing system. The Los Angeles Times - January 24, 2006 Sacramento's scandal-in-waiting The Abramoff scandal has proved nothing if not that the line between public and private service needs to be clear and bright. And it reminds us that the nexus of politics and money in the state capital is cancerous to the body politic and to the creation of good public policy....read more Sacramento Bee - January 24, 2006
Low-cost drugs for poor, some proceeds to state are proposed The San Diego Union-Tribune - January 24, 2006 Outline for stem cell funding has provisions for uninsured;
State's task force preparing guidelines CONTRA COSTA TIMES - January 24, 2006 Panel endorses giving public some stem cell profits "There's a need to remember that this is public money funding this research," said John Simpson of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "I had a sense that there was recognition of that today and there was progress in a number of areas that I thought was outstanding."...read more The San Diego Union-Tribune - January 23, 2006 Discoveries should benefit taxpayers, foundation says John Simpson, author of FTCR's new report, said federal policy would charge taxpayers twice for therapies: once when their money is used for grants that fund research and again when they pay for high-priced drugs based on the research....read more The Los Angeles Times - January 21, 2006 Measure Seeks Curbs on Insurers;
A leading consumer advocate presses an initiative that could compete with a ballot proposal offered by an industry executive. Reuters - January 19, 2006 UnitedHealth misses some expectations The watchdog group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said UnitedHealth's double-digit profit growth translates to a bad deal for patients. "Every dollar spent on overhead and handed out in profit means patients and employers pay more for less health care," the group's health policy director, Jerry Flanagan, said....read more Sacramento Bee - January 19, 2006
Nonprofit claims 'pattern of leadership failures' by stem cell agency chief. The San Francisco Chronicle - January 19, 2006 Call for head of stem cell institute to resign;
Biotech watchdog says Prop. 71 agency needs a fresh start The Daily Press - Victorville (California) - January 18, 2006 Residents feel pinch of rising bills;
Southwest Gas, California Edison offering discounts based on inability to pay The Daily News of Los Angeles - January 18, 2006 City officials decry insurance initiative "It would undo all that has been done under Proposition 103, taking California from one of the highest cost states to get insurance to one of the lowest," CA Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi said. "This is just an attempt by one company to benefit itself at the expense of California motorists."...read more Los Angeles Times - January 16, 2006 Insurers' System for Rates Varies;
A driver's address or gender can be more important in the state than experience. But a Prop 103 compliance push may change that. The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York) - January 9, 2006 Study: Malpractice insurers inflated losses to raise rates Medical malpractice insurance companies consistently inflated the amount they estimated they would pay out in claims between 1986 and 1994, then used the inflated figures to justify enormous increases in doctors' premiums, according to a study by the nonprofit Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights....read more The Los Angeles Times - January 9, 2006 It's safe to say that the industry is not much better loved today than it was in 1988. Other large insurers have not yet stated whether they will join Joseph and Mercury's attempt to roll back Proposition 103. They should remember once and think twice. ...read more San Jose Mercury News (California) - January 7, 2006 Insurer: ZIP codes vital to fair rates;
INITIATIVE AIMS TO UNDO ORDER TO HALT THE PRACTICE The San Diego Union-Tribune (California) - January 7, 2006 Gas prices leap into the new year Jamie Court of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica said the petroleum industry eased up on pricing in the wake of the devastating hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, fearing a consumer backlash. But now he said the industry is tightening supplies. "We need better eyes and ears on this industry," Court said....read more Sacramento Bee (California) - January 5, 2006 Group: Disclose jet deal details;
Controller and taxpayers foundation urge governor to release records. Los Angeles Times - January 5, 2006 Prop. 103 Changes May Join Ballot;
Mercury Insurance's chief is pushing a measure to rewrite the 1988 initiative that governs auto insurance premiums in the state. CNNMoney.com - January 5, 2006 Rebates: Get what's coming to you According to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, some rebate companies will reject the rebate if the form is torn, dirty or otherwise "mutilated." Use a street address instead of a post office box. Rebate companies will not send rebates there. And often original receipts are required, not copies....read more Associated Press - January 5, 2006 Insurer proposes measure to alter California insurance reforms "California motorists, homeowners and businesses can expect to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars more every year for insurance if the insurance industry is able to trick the voters into passing their initiatives," Harvey Rosenfield, author of Proposition 103 and head of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumers Rights, said in a statement....read more Los Angeles Times - January 3, 2006
L.A.'s supplier of tap water accounts for more than a third of the city money spent on the bottled variety. Belleville News-Democrat (Illinois) - January 1, 2006 Doctor insurer's rates and perks up;
Big bonuses alleged for top executives
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