California Progress Report Receives Consumer Journalism Award

I have authored many of these articles and have had an avid interest in consumer rights since I wrote legislation as a young lawyer working in the state Capitol for an Assemblymember in the 1970’s to legalize price advertising of eyeglasses and provide consumer information.

But the California Progress Report has depended on others with expertise in areas such as Rosemary Shahan, President Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Zak Kaldveer who writes on privacy legislation and issues for the CFC, Executive Director of the CFC Richard Holober, who is prolific in his writings and presentations to the legislature in this area, the California Disability Community Action Network, Consumer Watchdog, Consumers Union, and dozens if not hundreds of others. It takes a community to try to cover issues of importance to consumers in California and I feel we are only scratching the surface of what needs to be brought to life. So, I want to thank others for making this possible—this is a joint project—and there are many of you in my heart and mind when I think about this award—including all of those honored in CFC’s annual legislative reception. Keep those articles and ideas coming.

Others honored included:

Assemblymember Dave Jones – 2008 Consumer Champion Award. Jones is Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee and authored important privacy legislation designed to protect Californians from identity theft signed into law by the Governor last year. These included AB 1168, requiring the Franchise Tax Board, the Secretary of State, and all 58 county recorders to truncate SSNs in records they hold so that no more than the last 4 digits are displayed to the public. Jones also wrote AB 1298, signed into law requiring notification when one’s helath information falls prey to a data breach.

Assemblymember Mark Leno – 2008 Consumer Leadership Award. Leno most recently authored the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights which was passed by the California State Assembly earlier this month and will protect passengers from lengthy delays on the runways without basic necessities such as clean water, food, access to clean bathrooms, lights and fresh air.

Senator Darrell Steinberg – 2008 Consumer Leadership Award. Steinberg is, among other things, the author of SB 1629, the Early Learning Quality Improvement Act, which would establish a Commission to create a state Early Learning Quality Improvement System. This includes a quality rating scale to help parents make informed decisions about programs for their children, and a graduated funding model to help existing and future preschool programs reach and maintain higher levels of quality. He has championed many consumer causes as an Assemblymember and State Senator—too many to list-- including those in mental health and SB1522 which would set standards for coverage, weed out "junk" insurance. SB 1522 passed its policy committee earlier this month and is pending before the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Senator Alan Lowenthal – 2008 Consumer Champion Award. Lowenthal has a background as a civil rights attorney and as a law professor. He has fought for legislation making it easier for cell-phone owners to do such things as terminate their contracts, transfer their phones to different carriers and dispute billing discrepancies and on unsolicited “instant loan” checks sent to consumers. He authored SB 525, signed into law by the Governor last year, allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to order restitution to consumers when it is suspending or revoking the license of a motor vehicle dealer.

Hannah-Beth Jackson of Speak out California – 2008 Consumer Voter Education Award. “The award is recognition for your leadership in raising public awareness about consumer rights,” said Richard Holober, President of the Federation, in informing Jackson about the award. As a member of the Assembly, Hannah-Beth Jackson authored the toughest financial privacy legislation in the nation as well as bills that increased protections against identity theft, including the Consumer’s Financial Privacy Act (AB 203), the Financial Privacy Act of 2002 (SB 773), Identity Theft (SB 168) and Drivers’ License: Identity Theft (AB 1474). She is also the author of the Car Buyer’s Legal Equality Act (AB 2656), which protects auto buyers from unknowing waiving consumer rights to a dealer. She writes frequently about consumer issues on her website.

Last, but not least, the Consumer Federation of California awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award to Albin Gruhn. Gruhn, 94 years of age, founded the CFC in 1960 and who was the head of the California Labor Federation back in the 60’s. Gruhn, introduced by CFC President Jim Gordon who was an officer of the Communications Workers of America union, held forth without notes for what seemed like half an hour with a history of how labor started the Consumer Federation.

There is a proud and long history here. CFC not only campaigns for state and federal laws and appears before the California State Legislature regularly, it also supports regulations that are consumer focused. Recent CFC legislative issues include protecting consumer financial privacy; reforming accounting industry practices; enabling patients to sue HMOs for denial of care; holding homebuilders accountable for construction defects; prohibiting manufacturers from keeping secret vital safety information about defective products; enacting cell phone users' rights, and strengthening food safety laws. The CFC is currently led by Executive Director Richard Holober, who is running for the State Assembly in the June primary. Good luck, Richard!