The California Public Utilities Commission adopted a Telecommunication Consumer Bill of Rights in May 2004, only to suspend the rules in January at the urging of industry leaders. Now a new bill of rights is on the table. The new rules would create a consumer education program, a Telecommunications Fraud Unit and expand the agency’s toll-free consumer complaint hotline. Read More ›

Don’t panic, but don’t let your guard down. That is the message consumer advocates have for Californians who fear they may be affected by MasterCard International’s announcement Friday of a breach in credit card data, which may have exposed more than 40 million cards to fraudulent activity. (Contra Costa Times) Read More ›

Data broker ChoicePoint Inc., the focus of a national furor over privacy, said it supported legislation that would allow people to see and correct, if necessary records the company kept on them. Read More ›

Inspired by what began as an isolated protest by California nurses, opponents of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are working in a loose but widening network to thwart his policy proposals. (LA Times) Read More ›

The recent security breaches at choice point and Bank of America are just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to the risk of identity theft now faced by all consumers. (KCBS Channel 5) Read More ›

The “Commonsense Consumption Act,” like more than a dozen laws proposed or passed in recent weeks across the country, would limit individuals’ ability to sue restaurants for health problems associated with obesity. It also would protect food manufacturers, advertisers, packers, sellers and distributors. (Contra Costa Times) Read More ›

The recent security breaches of sensitive customer information held by ChoicePoint and Bank of America have underscored how vulnerable consumers are to threats of identity theft and the need for stronger protections to reduce such fraud. Read More ›

Businesses, state and local law enforcement, and consumer groups gathered in Sacramento Tuesday to brainstorm ways to curb identity theft. (KCBS Channel 5) Read More ›

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday he was backing off a controversial proposal to abolish 88 state boards and commissions that oversee everything from licensing doctors to running recycling programs. It seemed nearly everyone in Sacramento found something to hate in the proposal. (SF Chronicle) Read More ›

Abandoning one of his most far-reaching and controversial proposals since taking office, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to withdraw his plan to eliminate 88 regulatory and policy-setting boards and commissions. (Sac Bee) Read More ›

The Little Hoover Commission is considering the governor Read More ›

On the vast majority of his campaign promises, Schwarzenegger has yet to produce specific results. Read More ›

On his second day in office, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed a whopping $15 billion bond. The estimated tax cost for our children and grandchildren: $22 billion. Stop the massive tax hike! Read More ›