Sierra Club
Redwood Chapter Newsletter
|
Big Business Prop 64 Lets Polluters Make More | |
|
Public interest groups warned voters that Proposition 64, the big business-backed initiative to limit the Unfair Business Competition law, would devastate consumers, civil rights, environmental protection and the public health and safety. The measure is opposed by California's leading public interest groups, including: AARP, California League of Conservation Voters, California Nurses Association, Consumers Union and Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF). Read a list of initiative opponents, and learn about the dangers of the initiative, at ElectionWatchdog.org. "Old meat passed off as fresh, asthma-causing air pollution and consumer cell phone hell have all been attacked by the public with the Unfair Business Competition Law. If Prop 64 passes, Californians will lose the right to enforce consumer, environmental and public health and safety protections," said Carmen Balber of Election Watchdog. "The state's biggest businesses support Prop 64 because it would eliminate the ability of public interest groups to hold them accountable when they pollute, commit fraud or blatantly break the law. Prop 64 lets polluters make more." Consumer groups are currently using California's Unfair Business Competition Law, targeted for destruction by Prop 64, to fight back against unfair practices by cellular phone companies - such as charging customers for itemized bills and locking cell phones so they can be used only with a single service carrier. The law is also allowing victims of the San Diego firestorms to challenge the insurance company practice of charging customers full premiums on homes that were destroyed in the fires. |
The law also has been used by environmental groups to force British Petroleum and other oil companies to clean cancer-causing MTBE out of the drinking water. The Unfair Business Competition law has compelled State Farm and other insurers to pay fairer reimbursement for homeowners' losses after the Northridge earthquake. It has ended health and safety threats like Safeway Food Stores' practice of changing the date on old meat and putting it back on the shelf. And the Unfair Business Competition law has stopped auto dealers from overcharging minority consumers for car loans. The state's biggest corporations and auto dealers are funding the initiative, and have given $7.25 million, including: British Petroleum, Safeway, State Farm, Blue Cross, Bank of America, Microsoft, Nike, Kaiser, General Motors, 21st Century, Mercury Insurance, Wells Fargo and Pfizer. Many of the initiative donors have been successfully sued under the Unfair Business Competition Law. Environmental groups issued a statement joining the battle against the initiative, which can be read at ecovote.org/news/release050504.html 60 public interest groups also sent a letter calling on initiative donors to withdraw their support. Read the letter at electionwatchdog.org/letter.pdf. |