The Consumer Federation of California (CFC) was founded in 1960 as a non-profit consumer advocacy organization. CFC campaigns for state and federal laws and appears at the California State Legislature in support of consumer focused regulations. Recent CFC legislative issues include protecting consumer financial privacy; reforming accounting industry practices; enabling patients to sue HMO's 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.

CFC serves the public in several ways:

• Advocating for laws that ensure consumer protection
• Advising elected officials on laws concerning consumers
• Directing consumer complaints to the appropriate government agency or non-profit

History

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Laws that CFC has supported include:

• SB 1162, which aims to raise California minimum wage to $7.25.
• SB 1354, which requires corporations to keep detailed records.
• AB 1010, which requires cell phone companies give a 30 day grace period on all contracts.

The CFC publishes educational materials for the public on consumer issues and sponsors the CFC Education Foundation, a 501(C)(3) non-profit that works to serve the public interest.

Criticism

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Because of its hard line consumer advocacy stance, CFC has been criticized as being anti-business and as having a liberal bias. By contrast, CFC and its supporters see the group as seeking to balance consumer rights and the economy in a way that is mutually beneficial to the public and private sector.

Press

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San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/03/23/MNGSDHSPK91.DTL

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/09/26/MNGGP8VC851.DTL

Wired:
http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,58064,00.html

Berkeley Daily Planet:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=07-23-01&storyID=6002

Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/2004/08/11/cz_ae_0811beltway.html

Grade the News:
http://www.gradethenews.org/pages2/lazarus.htm

California Progress Report:
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2006/07/the_new_consume.html

External links

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http://www.consumercal.org