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Home » PRESS ROOM » Breaking News
Healthcare reforms don't go far enough
by David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times
September 7th, 2010
Some sort of Medicare-for-all program remains the only equitable way that every American can be provided with adequate and affordable coverage. This wouldn't be socialized medicine and it wouldn't be state-run healthcare.
Big-money lobbyists ruled at legislative session's end
by Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee
September 2nd, 2010
Senate Bill 797, a proposal to ban BPA - bisphenol A - in baby bottles and sippy cups that was supported by labor and environmental groups but opposed by the American Chemistry Council and a coalition of business groups. The bill died by two votes in the Senate.
Small-business PAC gets big-business support
by Jennifer Chaussee, Capitol Weekly
August 26th, 2010
A November ballot initiative to implement a two-thirds majority vote requirement on all new fees imposed by the state took in a big chunk of change from some not-so-small businesses - including big tobacco and alcohol interests.
Prop 26 Pits Corporate Interest "Goliaths" Against Public Interest "Davids"
by Artem Raskin, California Progress Report
August 26th, 2010
Putting a white hat on a November ballot measure funded almost exclusively by big oil, tobacco, and alcohol companies is no easy task, but the Yes on Proposition 26 campaign found a way. If approved by voters, the measure would make it much tougher for state or local government to collect industry-specific mitigation fees on business activities that cause harm to the environment or public health.
Bad eggs show need for food-safety inspections
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
August 25th, 2010
What will it take to protect the nation's food supply? Apparently the recall of a half billion eggs and 1,500-and-counting cases of salmonella. Add in the scofflaw conduct of a major egg producer and a slow moving federal bureaucracy. The sum total may finally spur action.
SJ Mercury News: Vote no on Proposition 23.
by Editorial, San Jose Mercury News
August 24th, 2010
The most important vote Californians cast in November may not be in the governor's race but on Proposition 23, the measure to suspend the state's landmark global warming law. The initiative would devastate efforts to create a vibrant clean-energy sector and have a disastrous impact on the state's economy.
Consumer financial agency must be set up to police mortgage market
by Editorial, San Jose Mercury News
August 18th, 2010
The subprime-driven foreclosure crisis has been disastrous for some minority communities, and its ripple effects have brought economic calamity to much of the country. As federal officials develop regulations to govern the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, they must invest it with the authority to prevent such abuses in the future.
California's choice: Build the future, or burn the planet
by Andrew Leonard, Salon.com
August 17th, 2010
Bankrolled by a couple of Texas oil companies that operate large refineries in California and are among the state's biggest polluters (and greenhouse gas emitters), Proposition 23 is designed to gut AB 32. If it passes, it would halt implementation of AB 32's mandate until California's unemployment rate falls below 5.5 percent.
For-profit colleges slammed by student loan repayment data
by Julia Love, Los Angeles Times
August 17th, 2010
Overall, the repayment rates at these for-profit schools was only 36% in fiscal 2009, according to an analysis of the data conducted by the Institute for College Access and Success, a student-advocacy group. By comparison, the repayment rate at private nonprofit schools was 56%, the group found. At public state colleges and universities, the rate was 54%.
Global warming measure could suspend other landmark environmental rules
by Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News
August 16th, 2010
A November ballot measure that would suspend California's landmark global-warming law could also end up rolling back some of the state's other sweeping environmental standards -- including rules that require utilities to generate a third of their electricity from renewable sources and programs requiring oil refineries to make cleaner-burning fuels.
Wells Fargo faces larger suit on overdraft fees
by Robert Selna, San Francisco Chronicle
August 12th, 2010
Wells Fargo garnered more than $1.4 billion in overdraft fees just in California from 2005 to 2007, according to court documents. Nationwide, banks and credit unions collected almost $24 billion in overdraft fees in 2008, according to the Center for Responsible Lending.
California should regulate health care premiums
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
August 11th, 2010
...Sacramento has little control over health care rates, largely because industry lobbyists have killed efforts to change a rules-free marketplace....health insurance interests have given $800,218 over the last three years to members of the state Senate, where showdown votes on insurance controls are due this month.
FCC needs to get tough on network neutrality
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
August 9th, 2010
Public interest and consumer groups didn't feel like they had much of a say in the commission's discussions, and they surely won't feel like they had much of a say in whatever proposal Google and Verizon bring to the table. This is a huge problem - the future of the Internet belongs to the public, not just a few companies.
Bill limiting debit card fees goes to Assembly
by Marisa Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle
August 5th, 2010
Oropeza wants to expand the credit card ban to include debit fees, which she contends amount to false advertising because they make the purchase price higher than the listed cost. The charges are harmful...in part because many government assistance programs - including veterans' and Social Security benefits - are often paid with debit cards.
After years of delay, Green Chemistry rules take center stage
by Malcolm Maclachlan, Capitol Weekly
August 3rd, 2010
...the Schwarzenegger administration opposed three bills that would have banned potentially-dangerous chemicals. In each case, the administration recommended that any chemical bans "be postponed until the Secretary of the Environmental Protection has developed a comprehensive set of recommendations pursuant to the Cal/EPA Green Chemistry Initiative."
Toxin BPA Found on Receipts From Safeway, Whole Foods, Walmart
by Amy Schwartz, Fast Company
July 30th, 2010
...BPA [1], a toxic chemical found in many of the products we use every day, may still be a big part of your life. That's because massive amounts of BPA are found on many store receipts. And according to a recent study [2], BPA easily makes the transfer from receipt to skin, where it penetrates at such a deep level that it can't be washed off.
Oil industry is driving force behind Proposition 23...
by Michael Hiltzik , Los Angeles Times
July 28th, 2010
The driving force behind the initiative is the oil industry, which has contributed more than $2.3 million to getting it passed. The biggest single contributor is San Antonio-based Valero Energy ($1.05 million, according to the latest state campaign disclosures), with San Antonio-based Tesoro Corp. in second place with $525,000.
Prop 25 is the 'Real Deal'
by George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
July 26th, 2010
The tart tactic is in play by business interests and conservative ideologues against Proposition 25 on the November ballot. The initiative is sponsored by public employee unions and endorsed by the League of Women Voters.
At last, oversight of fat cat lenders
by Editorial, Sacramento Bee
July 22nd, 2010
It creates a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with a director appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate and independent rule-making and enforcement authority. Inexplicably, Congress chose to put it in the Federal Reserve; a truly stand-alone agency would have been preferable, particularly in the regulation of mortgage and credit card practices.
A push to rein in lobbyist leverage
by Karen de Sá, San Jose Mercury News
July 21st, 2010
But there were immediate worries that the proposals do not go far enough to correct problems exposed this month by the newspaper probe, which documented a sharp increase in the percentage of sponsored bills, and the likelihood they will pass, since term limits took hold in the 1990s.
State needs to act to stop foreclosures
by Editorial, Sacramento Bee
In short, if servicers make errors or don't follow through on their modification programs, there's no accountability. That's why California lawmakers should pass and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should sign Senate Bill 1275.
Feinstein's call for BPA ban bill riles lobbies
by Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle
July 12th, 2010
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's insistence that a sweeping food safety bill include a ban on bisphenol A, a chemical widely used to line food cans, threatens a top White House priority. The California Democrat contends that any legislation aimed at protecting food safety should include limits on the compound, known as BPA.
Anthem tries again
by Editorial, Los Angeles Times
July 2nd, 2010
Having failed in its bid to hike premiums for individual health insurance policies up to 39%, Anthem Blue Cross announced this week a revised plan to raise them up to 20%. That's still a staggering percentage...
California Assembly passes bill banning BPA in baby bottles
by Susan Carpenter, Los Angeles Times
July 2nd, 2010
BPA has been linked with health problems such as infertility, autism, asthma, hyperactivity and breast cancer. In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reversed its long-held position that BPA posed no concern, calling for more studies of the artificial hormone that often is used in shatter-proof plastic baby bottles, sippy cups and linings of cans, including those containing baby formula.
State commission rescinds approval of plastic pipe
by John Howard, Capitol Weekly
July 1st, 2010
Builders favor the inexpensive, light-weight plastic material for its ease of installation, but foes - including construction unions and environmentalists - believe at least one version of the plastic pipe leaches chemicals and poses a health threat.
Lobbyist 'fear tactics' to fight BPA ban seem to be working
by Christina Jewett, California Watch
June 22nd, 2010
The efforts center around Senate Bill 797, a law that died in the Assembly last year but is expected to come up for a vote next week. It would ban the chemical Bisphenol A, known as "BPA," from baby bottles, sippy cups and the linings of liquid and powder baby formula containers.
Corporate welfare and California's budget deficit
by Michael Hiltzik , Los Angeles Times
The governor is asking the Legislature to take such draconian steps as eliminating CalWORKS, the state's principal family welfare program ...Meanwhile, corporate welfare programs such as tax breaks for some of our largest companies and "incentives" for our largest industries are to survive.
How safe is your cell phone?
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
June 18th, 2010
...consumers should know...that those emissions from various cell-phone models can range from 0.2 watts to the limit of 1.6 watts per kilogram. Consumers also should know that the FCC recommends that cell-phone users limit their exposure to these emissions by using hands-free devices.
Silicon Valley readies for privacy battle
by Mike Swift, San Jose Mercury News
June 15th, 2010
In the wake of a series of privacy missteps by Google, Facebook and other companies, a growing chorus on Capitol Hill is calling for major online privacy legislation and Silicon Valley companies are girding for the battle.
CFC Message to Voters on Defeat of Prop 16 and 17: You Won This!
by Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California
PG&E and Mercury Insurance were in a contest to see which would stoop the lowest to buy a law through the ballot box. Voters saw through PG&E's $46 million spending spree on Prop 16 and Mercury Insurance's $16 million contribution to Prop 17.
Lawmakers pass slate of health care reform bills
by CATHY BUSSEWITZ, Associated Press Writer, San Francisco Chronicle
June 4th, 2010
The bills approved in the Legislature this week would prohibit health insurers from denying coverage because of a preexisting condition, create an exchange through which individuals could buy health insurance, and extend maternity coverage to more women.
PG&E earns return on its investment
by Dan Morain, Sacramento Bee
June 3rd, 2010
The Antioch Chamber of Commerce? PG&E gave it $27,000 last year. It has endorsed Proposition 16. The California State Conference NAACP? Alice Huffman, head of the organization, said PG&E gave $25,000 to its conference in 2009.
A foreclosure fix
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
June 2nd, 2010
(SB 1275) would bar a lender or loan servicing company from starting a foreclosure until after a modification application is denied. It's a modest change that wouldn't require lenders to change the terms of any loan modification effort.
PG&E defends backing Proposition 16
by Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times
June 1st, 2010
A June 2008 study found that California's extensive number of small public power agencies provided cheaper electricity than the three major private utilities. Saving money is crucial to California business and residential users, who pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, opponents of Proposition 16 contend.
Prop. 15: Public finance of state elections
by John Gregory, ABC TV Channel 7
May 28th, 2010
"When politicians have to run their campaigns on money from their special-interest donors that want something in return, the public, the taxpayers pay the price," said Trent Lange, chairman of Californians for Fair Elections, the Yes On 15 Campaign.
Yes on public election financing
by Editorial, La Opinion
May 24th, 2010
The initiative is a moderate approach, establishing a time-limited, narrowly focused experiment in public financing. We believe it deserves a chance. Vote Yes on Proposition 15!
Plug the health care loophole
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
May 24th, 2010
Insurance oversight should be part of the health care picture. Putting the insurance commissioner in charge will ensure that increases are studied carefully and approved objectively, not by insurers alone.
Unfriendly Facebook
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
May 20th, 2010
It's ironic that Facebook initially branded itself as the "safe" choice for people who wanted to stay in touch...After an endless series of changes to its privacy policy very little about Facebook seems safe at all.
Fresno Bee EDITORIAL: Vote 'Yes' on Prop. 15
by Editorial, Fresno Bee
May 19th, 2010
It's not just the influence that big contributors have on public policy, it's also the impact that money has on the candidates' activities. They spend too much of their time seeking money...vote "yes" on Proposition 15.
Hospital readmissions in California costly, study finds
by Bobby Caina Calvan, Sacramento Bee
May 18th, 2010
The state researchers found that readmissions added $31 billion to the charges billed to Medicare, amounting to half of what the federal insurance program pays for all hospital admissions in California...accounting for 49 percent of Medi-Cal hospital costs, accounting for nearly $10 billion in expenditures.
Wipe the swipe fee, Sacramento
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
May 17th, 2010
A Sacramento bill, SB933 by Sen. Jenny Oropeza, a Long Beach Democrat, would bar the debit card surcharges. It's built on basic fairness: debit plastic should operate with the same rules faced by credit cards.
Prop. 15 means fair elections
by Janis R. Hirohama, League of Women Voters of California, Ventura County Star
May 1st, 2010
Proposition 15 is a big step in the right direction. It spells the beginning of the end for big money in California politics. It's time to stop the dominance of wealthy candidates and donors and ensure that elections will be won, not bought.
No on Proposition 17
by Editorial, Los Angeles Times
April 28th, 2010
...insurers will have to offset the expected revenue loss from the new discount by raising rates on the people who don't qualify for it...Proposition 17 is at least the fourth attempt by Mercury to undermine Proposition 103...and it's spending millions of dollars on the campaign...We urge a no vote...
PG&E details technical problems with SmartMeters
by Dana Hull , San Jose Mercury News
April 27th, 2010
"...PG&E's basic message has been 'We are 100 percent right, and our customers are 100 percent wrong,'" said Mark Toney...of...TURN. "Today they acknowledged some widespread technology problems, which is what they should have done in the first place."
Campaign reform: Vote yes on Prop. 15
by Editorial, Bakersfield Californian
April 24th, 2010
Proposition 15 frees up state and local governments to explore public funding of campaigns, and it authorizes a test case so we can see how it works. Big money has played an outsized role in politics (and, as a result, governance) for too long.
LA Times Editorial: PG&E's misguided proposition
by Editorial, Los Angeles Times
April 23rd, 2010
How much does it cost to buy an election in California? Northern California utility Pacific Gas & Electric aims to test that question with Proposition 16, the most odious piece of special-interest electioneering to come around in, oh, a year or so.
Bee Editorial: Don't be snookered by PG&E's Prop. 16
by Editorial, Sacramento Bee
April 20th, 2010
Proposition 16 is the worst of the worst of the measures on the June ballot. This initiative would rewrite the state constitution to restrict municipal electric utilities from expanding service unless voters approved it by a two-thirds vote.
Chronicle recommends: No on Proposition 16.
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
April 18th, 2010
The bottom line of Prop. 16 could not be more apparent. If it passes, the beneficiary would be PG&E's bottom line. The regulated utility...would effectively shield itself from competition from local governments looking to go into the energy business.
LA Daily News: "No on Prop. 17"
by Editorial, LA Daily News
April 17th, 2010
This is a special-interest initiative, pure and simple...It strains credibility to believe that a profit-making company such as Mercury...would spend $3.5 million to qualify and support an initiative simply to benefit consumers.
State needs to keep closer eye on SmartMeters
by Editorial , San Francisco Chronicle
April 14th, 2010
News last week that some of PG&E's SmartMeters do have a flaw - some of the wireless units fail to transmit use data, so the utility uses estimates to prepare the electric bill - continues to cast doubts on how PG&E is handling the rollout of the new Smart Grid technology.
Can we trust telecom firms on net neutrality?
by Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times
April 14th, 2010
Net neutrality...is the principle that any Internet service provider, such as your cable or phone company, should be largely blind to whatever data flow to your computer from the websites you access -- your service provider shouldn't interfere with your Web searches, say, by giving Google preferential routing (and thus faster speed to you) over Yahoo.
Mercury Insurance may face millions in fines
by Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle
April 13th, 2010
Mercury failed to correct information about accidents to charge consumers correctly...(and) routinely "barred from coverage people in certain occupations - bartender, liquor store owner, painter, cocktail waitress/waiter and artists who didn't meet additional underwriting standards that were not applied to people in other occupations."
Yes on Prop. 15
by Editorial, LA Daily News
April 11th, 2010
Candidates spend so much time fundraising that they don't have time to talk to voters. Politicians become so beholden to contributors that they can't - or won't - do what's right for constituents. Proposition 15 is a pilot project that attempts to remove the corrupting influence of money in one race.
Legislature pushes for foreclosure relief
by Marisa Lagos , San Francisco Chronicle
April 9th, 2010
If you're one of tens of thousands of Californians facing foreclosure or who has already lost a home, help may soon be on the way from Sacramento. Lawmakers are working on three proposals they say are aimed at about 87,000 Californians facing foreclosure and nearly 500,000 who received default notices last year.
Proposition 15: Another stab at publicly funded campaigns
by Kurtis Alexander, Santa Cruz Sentinel
April 8th, 2010
Riled by the recent Supreme Court decision that removes caps on corporate contributions and the record cash in this year's governor race, supporters of the measure want public funds to be used for political campaigns in exchange for strict limits on candidate spending and fundraising.
Editorial: Special-interest Prop. 17 won't benefit drivers
by Editorial, San Jose Mercury News
April 5th, 2010
The competition is on this year to see which company - Mercury Insurance or PG&E - is responsible for the worst abuse of California's initiative process...Mercury Insurance is doing its best...pumping $3.5 million into the campaign to convince voters that Proposition 17's change in insurance regulation is in their best interests.
End of the line for Nummi
by Editorial Board, San Francisco Chronicle
April 1st, 2010
The abandonment of the Nummi plant represents a grim departure from the spirit of "The Toyota Way" that transformed the old General Motors facility on 380 acres off Interstate 880 into a highly productive facility with a unionized workforce.
Editorial: Vote yes on Proposition 15
by Editorial Board, San Jose Mercury News
April 1st, 2010
Proposition 15 authors spent years studying how the strengths and flaws of other states' systems would relate to a big state like California. What they've proposed will make government more accountable to people, not special interests.
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