Category Archives: Uncategorized
For-profit colleges must meet standards
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
Only about 12 percent of secondary students attend a private, for-profit school, but they represent nearly half of all student loan defaults. When they default on their federal student loan payments, taxpayers get stuck with the bill. Read More ›
Blue Shield plan to close policies to new customers is denied
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says the health insurer’s proposal violated state rules designed to protect consumers from large rate increases. Read More ›
AB 439 would weaken medical privacy law
by Richard Holober, California Progress Report
AB 439 gives health care businesses a signal that negligence in protecting medical records is cheaper than the cost of developing strong security protocols. The health care industry’s record of privacy failure does not warrant this sweeping grant of immunity from deterrent penalties. Read More ›
PG&E identifies 239 pipelines at risk of failure
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
Nearly two years after the pipeline explosion that killed eight people and devastated a neighborhood in San Bruno, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. considers 239 of its natural-gas transmission lines to be at risk of a similar failure, according to a company assessment obtained by The Chronicle. Read More ›
Financial loss from identity theft increasing, report says
by Anika Anand, California Watch
Fewer people were victims of identity theft last year than in 2010, but each person lost substantially more money, according to a new report by the California Public Interest Research Group. Read More ›
Agency questions culinary school’s job placement rates
by Erica Perez, California Watch
One of the agencies that accredits San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy is questioning the veracity of the college’s reported job placement rates – ordering the school’s parent company to provide audited placement data by September in order to maintain its accreditation status. Read More ›
Californians should be doing a slow burn on toxic flame retardants
by Editorial, San Jose Mercury News
Smoke should be pouring out of Californians’ ears since the recent, damning revelations about flame retardants that the chemical industry uses in sofas and easy chairs. Reputable scientists say the concoctions are highly toxic and dangerous to people, especially children.
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SB 1538 Improves Breast Cancer Detection Information Following Mammograms
SB 1538 (Simitian) provides a simple notification requirement that ensures that a woman is aware of her breast density so she can make informed decisions about her healthcare. Read More ›
AB 2006 Authorizes State Credit Unions to Provide Services to the Unbanked
AB 2006 (Perez) authorizes state-chartered credit unions to provide vital financial services to Californians who do not have bank accounts. Read More ›
Gov. Brown takes needed action on toxic flame retardants
by Editorial, Sacramento Bee
For years, the chemical industry has fought to stop statewide bans on certain toxic chemicals, arguing that such decisions are best left to federal authorities, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read More ›
SB 956, AB 1447, AB 1534 – Preventing Potential Loan Abuses by Buy Here Pay Here Dealerships
The Buy Here Pay Here industry consists of used car dealers that lend to people with bad credit. Their business practices are characterized by inflated interest rates and frequent repossessions from their cash-strapped customers. Read More ›
Blue Shield sued over insurance policy shifts
by Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle
When Blue Shield of California raised the rates for Robert Jeffrey Martin’s family insurance policy by 23 percent, the health insurer offered him two options: Stay in his expensive old plan or switch to a policy that offered his family skimpier benefits with a higher deductible. Read More ›
Prepaid utility programs put consumers at risk, report finds
by Kendall Taggart, California Watch
Prepayment programs allow companies to sidestep critical consumer protections that have evolved over decades, according to the report by the National Consumer Law Center. Read More ›