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”.

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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.

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Hancock ceded her right to three groups, the Congress of California Seniors, the California Faculty Association and the Consumer Federation of California. Their argument, backed by Hancock, emphasizes that the bill was “hastily drafted behind closed doors” and that a spending limit would hurt state services, but it does not mention any of the tax extensions.

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The budget fiasco has provoked a healthy discussion of the need for governance reform. The starting point for reform should be asserting the democratic principle of majority rule. California must eliminate super-majority requirements that facilitate budget tyranny by a small cabal of extremist lawmakers.

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Perhaps the worst part about this new contract is the fact that it was proposed under the radar, without the public being made aware of it, so citizens don’t even have the chance to ask all of the questions they want regarding their privacy and security. Read More ›

The ACLU is fighting the proposal with a handful of other groups, including…the Consumer Federation of California, which says the plan poses “massive threats” to personal privacy. “We see this as sort of creeping Big Brother government, an invasion of people’s privacy,” said Richard Holober, executive director of the…Consumer Federation of California.
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The problem is that the DMV’s plan has not been vetted by anyone and no analysis has been made of the potential security and privacy implications, said Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›

…the DMV contract proposal would give government snoops new weapons to identify and record your presence at a protest rally or picket line. California lawmakers should stand up against the further expansion of government data collection technology that can be used to invade our privacy without first setting ironclad rules that limit its use to essential and lawful purposes.
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Calls for tighter controls and more information about how the federal bailout passed last year is being spent. And during his travels About the Bay, KCBS reporter Mike Sugerman started thinking about just who is getting that money. Listen to the CFC’s Zack Kaldveer comment on the bill. Read More ›

Every year the Consumer Federation of California monitors, supports, and opposes dozens of bills related to consumer rights. Every year many of these bills are “killed” in the legislature while many others reach the Governor’s desk to either be signed into law or vetoed.

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“Retailers either have to remove the product from their shelves or post a notice that its recalled and program their computers, their cash registers, not to allow someone to purchase that product,” said Richard Holober from the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›

North Coast State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) earned a perfect 100-percent on the Consumer Federation of California’s recently-released scorecard for state lawmakers. She was one of only four Senators to vote correctly on all of the federation’s targeted legislation in 2008.
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