Category Archives: Uncategorized
Toyata/NUMMI Blue Ribbon Commission White Paper
A white paper on the NUMMI plant closing was recently prepared by Professor Harley Shaiken from the University of California, Berkeley entitled “Commitment Is a Two-Way Street: Toyota, California, and NUMMI”. Read More ›
Vote Yes on Proposition 15 ‘ The California Fair Elections Act – DEFEATED by a vote of 57.5% no to 42.5% yes
The California Fair Elections Act is based on the simple notion that elected officials should be accountable to the voters, not donors and special interests. That’s why the Consumer Federation of California fought to get Proposition 15 on the ballot, and that’s why we will fight to ensure it wins approval this June. Read More ›
CFC Urges No on Proposition 16 – PG&E’s Anti-Democratic Power Grab – DEFEATED: 52.5% no to 47.5% yes!!!
Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) recently qualified ballot initiative ‘ Proposition 16 – would lock-in high electricity rates by killing competition from outside energy providers and the public itself. Read More ›
Beware of the credit card traps
by Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle
…a restraint on credit-card excesses is not only good for consumers, it is healthy for the industry as well. Last year, U.S. banks had to write off about $35 billion in credit card debt. But with the end of the era of easy indebtedness comes a need for consumers to look even closer at the detailed cost of their credit cards. Read More ›
Public power backers cry foul over utility effort
by Jason Dearen, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is funding a June ballot initiative that would amend California’s constitution to make it much harder for cities and counties to offer residents another choice for buying their power. Read More ›
Soaring cost of healthcare sets a record
by Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times
In a stark reminder of growing costs, the government has released a new estimate that healthcare spending grew to a record 17.3% of the U.S. economy last year, marking the largest one-year jump in its share of the economy since the government started keeping such records half a century ago. Read More ›
PG&E SmartMeters likely to boost shut-offs
by David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle
More Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers who fall behind on their bills will have their power shut off once the utility installs SmartMeters throughout its territory, the company predicted in a recent government filing. Read More ›