The Governor failed to mention the $2.5 billion in permanent tax cuts that he and lawmakers lavished on profitable corporations in the 2008-2009 budget deals at a time they were raising taxes on workers and consumers and slashing funding to schools, transit and health clinics. Read More ›

While lawmakers grapple with the imminent crisis, we must plan for long term solutions to the structural budget shortfall. Tax justice demands that wealthy businesses pay their fair share before we further decimate our schools and hospitals. Read More ›

The opposition to this proposition, unlike the others, however, wasn’t quite as linked to conservative anti-tax stances. The proposition also included measures limiting spending that could have affected state employee wages — which explains why AKPD client SEIU opposed it. Read More ›

Proposition 1A’s opponents include the League of Women Voters of California, Congress of California Seniors, Health Access California, California Nurses Association, California Federation Teachers, Consumer Federation of California, Older Women’s League of California, SEIU California State Council, and the California Faculty Association. Read More ›

“You’re using your car as if it’s a storage closet, and if you remove those items, you know, the less weight your engine is having to pull, the more you’re saving on gasoline,” said Richard Holober with the Consumer Federation of California.

Read More ›

“Instead of making our budget process more transparent and accountable, 1A does the opposite. Its complex formulas and fine print will invite unintended consequences and behind the scenes manipulation” according to arguments against the proposition, signed by the Congress of California Seniors, California Faculty Association and Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›

Michael Finney was recognized as the Journalist of the Year by the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›

As government regulators and private consumer attorneys seek to hold AIG and its Wall Street friends to account for misconduct that has destroyed the jobs, homes and retirement savings of millions of Americans, these onetime financial titans are scurrying to slam shut the courthouse doors on their victims. Read More ›

In 1972 he became a founding officer, and ultimately president emeritus, of the Consumer Federation of California. “Al was a great pioneer of the consumer movement in California,” said Jim Gordon, the federation’s president. “Al Gruhn always had the interests of consumers and working people in his heart. He built bridges between the consumer movement and our allies in organized labor and in the community.” Read More ›

It is unconscionable that as California is dealing with a $42 billion deficit, multi-state and multi-national corporations will receive new, permanent tax cuts that will cost the state approximately $1 billion this year and $1.5 billion in future years, according to Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›

H.R. 627 represents a long overdue effort by Congress to address what is rapidly becoming a second “subprime like meltdown” that could send our economy into an even deeper recession – if not depression. Neither Congress nor the California Legislature acted quickly or boldly enough to deal with the subprime meltdown ‘ and their failure has been catastrophic to millions of American households. Read More ›

Unlike the behind the scenes dealings by Senator Maldonado to horse trade his vote in exchange for having his “open primary” system added to the 2010 ballot, AB 583 was supported by thousands of California voters who contacted their legislators urging support for “Fair Elections”.

Read More ›

The proposed cap generally would limit state budget increases to inflation and population growth. Billions of state revenue also would be funneled into an expanded rainy-day fund that could only be tapped in tough financial times. Leaders of groups such as the Congress of California Seniors, the California Faculty Association, the Consumer Federation of California and the Union of Health Care Professionals signed ballot arguments against the cap.

Read More ›