Category Archives: CFC in the News
T. Boone Pickens backs Proposition 10, from which he would profit
by Nancy Vogel, Los Angeles Times
Consumer Federation of California executive director Richard Holober said most hybrid vehicles, which run on either electricity or gasoline, would not qualify for rebates under Proposition 10 except for the Toyota Prius, which gets the unusually high 45 miles per gallon.
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2 energy propositions flawed, critics say
by David Baker, San Francisco Chronicle
“Look, we’re not against natural gas,” said Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California. “What we’re against is using billions of dollars of tax money – precious tax money – to distort the market and promote one form of energy over others that we think have a much better future.” Read More ›
Critics claim deception in Calif. energy measures
by TERENCE CHEA , Associated Press
“It’s a classic case of a wealthy special interest using the California ballot initiative system to enrich itself,” said Richard Holober, who heads the Consumer Federation of California. “California is literally going broke and cannot afford another major cost that will result in reduced public education, public health and public safety.” Read More ›
Clean port clash
“These kinds of discriminatory loans won’t just affect the thousands of California’s port drivers as individual borrowers, but entire families and their futures as well,” added Richard Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California. Read More ›
CONSUMER FEDERATION LAUNCHES ‘NO ON PROP 10’ WEBSITE
The Consumer Federation of California (CFC) launched www.noonproposition10.org – the No on Prop 10 website – dedicated to defeating an initiative that calls for $5 billion in bonds to subsidize natural gas powered vehicles along with a modest investment in renewable energy development. Read More ›
No on Proposition 10 ‘ Stop T. Boone’s Pickpocket Initiative
by Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California, The Desert Sun
Proposition 10 spends billions in tax giveaways to manipulate the marketplace to favor natural gas as a “clean” vehicle fuel to the disadvantage of cleaner alternative energy technologies. Read More ›
Port of Long Beach’s clean-trucks loan program is criticized
by Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times
A coalition of consumer, immigrant and civil rights groups warned Tuesday that a Port of Long Beach loan program to help thousands of mostly low-income truck drivers replace old, polluting rigs with newer, cleaner-burning vehicles could plunge the truckers into debt.
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Daimler/Mercedes Benz, Port of Long Beach Condemned for Teaming Up in a Predatory Lending Scheme to Target Low-Wage Truck Drivers
This predatory lending is detailed in the report authored by the Consumer Federation of California (CFC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Read More ›
Governor Schwarzenegger has Opportunity to Protect Tenants in Foreclosed Properties
by Zack Kaldveer, Consumer Federation of California, California Progress Report
The Consumer Federation of California (CFC) strongly urges Governor Schwarzenegger to sign AB 1333 (Hancock) – a bill that will protect tenants in foreclosed properties and help keep families in their homes. Read More ›
New Financial Privacy Report Card Finds Improved Consumer Control
Over one-third of the businesses surveyed in 2008 received grades in the “A” range. The CFC Education Foundation’s first Financial Privacy Report Card in 2004 found that 14.5% of financial institutions received a grade of “A”. Low or failing grades of “D” or “F” decreased from 27.2% in 2004 to 8.2% in 2008. Read More ›
Landmark Credit Card Reform Bill Moves to House Floor
by Zack Kaldveer, California Progress Report
If enacted, H.R. 5244 would help tens of millions of Americans avoid increasing and undeserved debt while beginning a long overdue effort by Congress to prevent a second “subprime like meltdown” that would send our economy into an even deeper recession. Read More ›
Over 30,000 consumers flood the Federal Reserve Board with complaints about abusive credit card practices
“The massive response in favor of these reforms shows that Americans are fed up with the many traps and tricks that card companies use to drive up the amount of debt consumers owe,” said Travis B. Plunkett, legislative director of CFA. Read More ›
Consumers tell PUC: Don’t raise my gas bill
“This is an outrageous giveaway to companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil,” said Richard Holober, Executive Director of the CFC. ‘Why shouldn’t these companies continue to pay their fair share for programs that assist low-income Californians?” Read More ›