Another Car Insurance Scam!!! Mercury Insurance: Proposition 17 (California)

 

 

Proposition 17    

This initiative was placed on the ballot by Mercury Auto Insurance, which spent $2 million to pay signature gatherers and has spent over $5 million on the campaign in support of the proposal.

Prop 17 would undermine some of the protections in the landmark Prop 103, approved by voters in 1988 to reform the auto insurance industry. Specifically, Prop 17 would allow auto insurance companies to charge people more money if they have a lapse in coverage, even if that lapse is as short as a few hours. Current state law forbids this practice.

Arguments for: Prop 17 would produce cheaper auto insurance rates for most drivers, and increase competition among insurers.

Arguments against: This is nothing more than Mercury Insurance trying to wring more money out of already squeezed consumers. Mercury has already tried to do this and was slapped down by the courts, and in states where insurers can charge more for a lapse in coverage, many drivers wind up paying significantly more money for their auto insurance. This would punish people who have legitimate reasons for a lapse in coverage, including veterans.

More information:
Yes on Prop 17 website
No on Prop 17 website

Vote NO on Prop. 16 (California)

Proposition 16: is being sponsored by PG&E. 

PG&E: these are the same people who brought you Chromium 6 in your water and refused to take responsibility or clean it up unrit Ed Masury & Erin Brockovich went after these mamzers in court and forced them to make it right.

Prop 16: PG&E 2/3rds vote - Sponsored by one of California's largest electric utilities, this would require a 2/3rds vote instead of a majority vote for local governments to create public utility districts or to pool resources to buy renewable energy.

Vote "NO": Proposition 16

This initiative was placed on the ballot by a signature-gathering effort funded by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Northern California's privately-owned electric utility. It would require a 2/3rds vote (instead of a majority, as under current law) for a local government to create a municipal utility or to create what is known as "Community Choice Aggregation" (CCA).
CCA was a reform created during the electricity crisis nearly ten years ago that enables local governments to pool resources to buy power. Many local governments, including Marin County, use CCA to encourage the use of renewable power. PG&E opposes this, and has pledged to spend up to $30 million to pass this initiative.

Arguments for: This proposal (sponsored by PG&E) will require greater public discussion of government plans to enter the electricity market, and could save the public money. It protects the "taxpayers' right to vote" by ensuring that a supermajority of voters approve public power projects like public utilities and CCA.

Arguments against: This proposition is nothing more than PG&E's effort to protect its monopoly by misleading voters about the intent of the initiative. California already suffers from the problems created by the unfair 2/3rds rule for the state budget. If voters want to create public electric utilities or encourage the use of renewable power and pay cheaper rates than PG&E, they should be able to do so by a majority vote. This initiative would merely increase electricity costs for most families.

More information:
Yes on Prop 16 website
No on Prop 16 website

Pull the Plug on Palin

Terrible TV

Nearly 180,000 Defenders supporters have sent messages to Discovery Communications urging the network to drop Sarah Palin’s misleading new show on Alaska’s outdoors.

But that’s just the beginning of our campaign. Now we’re taking our message to Discovery’s management, employees, advertisers and shareholders with a powerful new ad campaign right outside their front door.

You can help: Please donate now to help us blanket the area outside Discovery's headquarters with hard-hitting ads.

If you haven’t already, tell the president and CEO of Discovery Communications to pull the plug on Sarah Palin’s new show.

Boycott: Valero/Tessero Gasoline

Send Valero a message: Hands off California's climate change law Boycott Valero Gas Your message to Valero CEO Bill Klesse: I will be boycotting all Valero Energy owned and supplied gas stations until you drop your funding of the ballot initiative that will destroy California landmark clean energy and air pollution law, AB 32. Dear Friend, A few days ago, I sent Valero Energy CEO Bill Klesse an email asking him to stop attacking AB 32 — California's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act. I was surprised to get an actual — real-life — response from him: From: Klesse, Bill Date: Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 12:02 PM Subject: Re: Stop Attacking CA AB 32 To: Adam Quinn I assume you realize that we are discussing CO2. Many people do not realize this is a CO2 law. We are not willing to ruin our economy, our business, your life style and our country over AB-32. Sent from my iPhone Click here to send Valero CEO Bill Klesse a message that you will boycott Valero gas and maybe he'll personally respond to you, too. In 2006, California passed The Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), making our state number one in the world in legislating real reductions in the greenhouse gases — including C02 — that cause global warming. Now Valero Energy — a Texas-based oil company — has already spent half a million dollars to fund a deceptive initiative that would destroy AB 32, California's landmark clean energy and air pollution law. Valero is directing its corporate funds to a campaign seeking to take our law off the books via the California initiative process. If Valero's money can generate enough paid signatures to get this initiative on the ballot, the company may succeed in rolling back AB 32 in November's election. Click here to send Valero CEO Bill Klesse a message. Today, CREDO Action and Courage Campaign members are fighting back by launching a boycott of Valero gas stations. Send a message to Valero CEO Bill Klesse telling him you won't buy Valero gas as long as he continues to fund the attack on California's environment. Bill Klesse needs to hear from you that we are serious. We'll deliver your message immediately to Bill Klesse and then later to a Valero station near you so Valero's station managers can also send a message to their bosses — attacking California's global warming law is bad for business. Valero and another Texas-based oil company, Tesero, are going to need to spend at least a million dollars to gather signatures for a November ballot initiative that would kill AB 32 and new clean energy development. Valero and Tesero operate gas stations under the following brands. Boycott all of these locations: Valero Beacon Diamond Shamrock Shamrock Corner Store Ultramar Tesoro Mirastar USA Petroleum Pledge to boycott all of these stations and send a message to Bill Klesse and Valero Energy. Valero's CEO needs to hear the message loud and clear: Hands off California's clean air! Sign the pledge and join the California boycott of Valero. Your pressure works. Adam Quinn, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Did you know CREDO has a Facebook page? Click here to check it out! Brought to you by Working Assets Funding Service, Inc. 101 Market Street, Suite 700 San Francisco, CA 94105

Protect Our Wildlife & Oceans

Dear Wildlife Supporter,

Today, the Obama administration announced a plan that could lead to the opening of vast new areas along America’s coasts to harmful offshore oil and gas drilling…

• Endangering polar bears, walrus and bowhead whales in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska;
• Threatening highly endangered North Atlantic right whales along the eastern sea board; and
• Jeopardizing commercial fisheries and vital habitat for threatened sea turtles along North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the southeast coast.

Please call the White House right now at 202-456-1111 and deliver this important message:
 

My name is  [your first name] Friend of Defenders and I am calling from Tujunga, California. As someone who cares about wildlife and the environment, I am extremely disappointed in today’s White House announcement on offshore drilling.

It does nothing to curb our dependence on fossil fuels and threatens the health of coastal waters. Endangered North Atlantic right whales, polar bears and other precious wildlife rely on these waters for their survival.

Now, more than ever, it is urgent that the president supports comprehensive climate and energy legislation to address harmful climate change and meet America’s energy needs in a clean and sustainable manner… without sacrificing our ocean waters or furthering our dependence on dirty drilling and fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.

Please click here to let us know that you’ve called. We will be tracking opposition to the worst parts of this proposal in preparation for the long fight to protect our coasts.

The announcement isn’t all bad news: We are pleased that the Obama administration has decided to protect Alaska’s salmon-rich Bristol Bay and the California coast until 2017.

But we’re extremely concerned about the administration’s efforts to expand offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic coasts.

The administration’s desire to expand oil drilling risks the health of marine wildlife, fisheries and coastal economies. It continues to expand our dependence on fossil fuels at a time when we need to reduce our dependence in order to address the harmful impacts of global warming.

President Obama needs to hear from you today! Please call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111 and let the president know that you OPPOSE industrializing our coasts.

With Gratitude,

Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

P.S. To learn more about the potentially devastating impacts of increased drilling off our coasts, please visit our website.

Obama Risks
Ocean Wildlife

The endangered North Atlantic right whale is just one species threatened by President Obama’s call for expanded offshore drilling. New seismic testing for oil and gas deposits off our coasts could disrupt the migration and reproduction of these critically endangered whales.
Speak out for America’s marine wildlife! Call the White House now….

More Wildlife in Peril

• Expanded drilling increases the risk of catastrophic oil spills that can decimate commercial fisheries, wreck tourist economies and destroy vital habitat for shore birds and sea turtles. 

• Oil spills also kill sea birds and other marine life directly through oiling and poisoning by ingestion as animals try to clean themselves and toxins are absorbed from the fish birds eat.

A Letter From Senator Barbara Boxer (CA-D)

Dear Auntie:

Because you had written to me some time ago in support of health care reform, I wanted to follow up and share some good news with you about this important legislation.

I am very pleased that Congress has passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its accompanying Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act.  These bills were signed into law by President Obama on March 23 and March 30, 2010 respectively. 

This is a historic achievement and a victory for our seniors, our children, our small businesses and for California.

When health care reform takes full effect, up to 7 million uninsured Californians will get access to affordable health care and 400,000 small businesses in our state will get large tax credits when they provide health care to their workers.  More than 4 million California seniors will get free preventive care, and they will also see lower costs for prescription drugs.

All Californians will benefit from consumer protections that will give them the security of knowing they will never be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition or be dropped from their health plan just because they or their family members get sick. 

The reconciliation bill makes a number of improvements and corrections to the original bill, including much greater funding for California's Medicaid program and better support for the doctors and hospitals that treat these patients. 

 

Ever since Teddy Roosevelt first set the goal of affordable health care for all Americans nearly a century ago, presidents and members of Congress of both parties have tried to ensure health care security for all of our families. Finally the moment has come when we will fulfill the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people.

To find out more about what is contained in this legislation, please follow this link: http://docs.house.gov/energycommerce/SUMMARY.pdf

Again, thank you for writing to me.  Please feel free to contact me again about this or other issues of concern to you.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator