State Sen. Fran Pavley In Competitive Run for Last Term
by Annemarie Donkin, Topanga Messenger
The Consumer Federation of California named Senator Pavley as its “Senator of the Year” for her tireless work to ban toxins such as lead, cadmium and BPA from children’s products; passing legislation to protect consumers from mortgage fraud; and efforts to crack down on elder abuse. Read More ›
Billionaire Insurance Baron Tries to Buy Off California Republican Party
Mercury Insurance Chairman George Joseph has given more than $8 million to fund his 2012 ballot initiative attack on long-standing consumer protections. The insurance executive and “Forbes 400” billionaire also made the largest single contribution to the California Republican Party in 2011… Read More ›
PUC, PG&E revive $3 million records settlement
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
State regulators and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have revived a $3 million settlement over the utility’s failure to produce gas-pipeline safety records after the San Bruno disaster – a fine that critics of the company denounced as too lenient. Read More ›
Google Secretly Bypassing Safari Privacy Settings
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Privacy Revolt
The need for such consumer friendly and empowering solutions to this exploding data mining industry and tracking capabilities is clear because we KNOW marketers will stop at NOTHING to ensure they can monitor online behavior…so we can be better profiled by the government and marketed to by advertisers. Read More ›
Hertz agrees to government oversight of recalled cars
by Gary Stoller, USA Today
Rosemary Shahan, president of the consumer group, says, “It’s unprecedented for a major rental car company to actively support a new federal law that would require the industry to ground unsafe, recalled cars until they’re fixed.”
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Google’s tracking sets off another privacy debate
by James Temple, San Francisco Chronicle
Google and several other advertising companies are bypassing the privacy settings in Apple’s Safari browser, according to a report from a Stanford University researcher that set off a heated debate on Friday. Read More ›
Calif. weak on oversight of for-profit colleges, advocacy groups say
by Erica Perez, California Watch
…for-profit colleges have the highest share of students who default on their student loans. The sector enrolls 1 in 10 college students in California, but receives more Cal Grant dollars from the state than all the community colleges combined. Read More ›
Consumer Groups Denounce Attack on Consumer Watchdog
Consumer Watchdog is a courageous and remarkably successful advocate for consumer rights. An attack dog website was launched today that serves as a preview of the campaign against Consumer Watchdog we anticipate from George Joseph, the billionaire chairman of Mercury Insurance. Read More ›
Foreclosure mediation could save billions
by Kendall Taggart, California Watch
Thousands of Californians have lost their homes during the housing crisis, wreaking havoc on families, as well as state and local government property tax revenue. But there is an inexpensive solution, according to a report released last week by the National Consumer Law Center. Read More ›
SF Audit Finds Irregularities in 99 Percent of Foreclosures
by Ryan Jacobs, The Bay Citizen
An audit of hundreds of foreclosures in San Francisco uncovered “one or more irregularities” in 99 percent of the loans, according to a study released Wednesday by the city’s assessor-recorder, Phil Ting.
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Making a difference in the lives of immigrants and others who send money abroad
by Richard Cordray, Director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Better Disclosures: With this rule, remittance transfer providers must generally disclose the exchange rate, any fees related to the remittance, the amount of money that will be delivered abroad, and the date the money will be available. Read More ›
Domestic Spy Drones Approved by Congress
by Zack Kaldveer, CFC Communications Director, Privacy Revolt
In the final analysis, if we include in our definition of “safe” the concept of “safe” from government intrusiveness and corporate profiteering off fear peddling, I would argue these machines make us less secure, not more. Read More ›
For California, Attorney General Insisted on Better Terms in Foreclosure Deal
by SHAILA DEWAN, New York Times
Kamala D. Harris, the attorney general of California, could have derailed a nationwide settlement with big banks over home foreclosure abuses when she walked out of talks last September. Read More ›