Earlier this month the governor of New Jersey signed into law a regulation that requires all hospitals in the state to report MRSA infection rates (that’s the drug-resistant staph infection you always hear about). And last week, a sate-appointed panel in Massachusetts recommended that laws be passed requiring all hospitals to publicly report infection rates. Should the government regulate hospitals in this manner? And if your state doesn’t require it, is there any way you can find out on your own?
government
There Is No Law Or Regulation That Says Airplanes Have To Have Working Toilets
By 8.10.07
“We have no rules regarding restrooms,” U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Mosley said, suggesting that the Environmental Protection Agency be asked.
Over 300 Complaints: Maryland Public Service Commission Goes After Verizon
By 8.9.07
Verizon has violated Maryland state regulations by missing more than 20% of its scheduled appointments in 5 of the first 6 months of 2007, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Mobile Carriers Must Allow Roaming For A "Reasonable" Cost, Says FCC
By 8.8.07
The FCC announced yesterday that commercial mobile phone carriers are obligated to provide roaming connections, including mobile voice calls, text messaging, and push-to-talk services, for a “reasonable” cost. This matters most to customers of small and rural carriers, whose sometimes pay as high as $0.79 a minute to access large carriers’ networks. The political response was as expected: Democrats said the FCC should have included data transfer, and Republicans said the “light regulatory approach” was just right. Sprint said the average roaming cost per minute was four cents, and that no FCC intervention was necessary. And then Sprint ate a newborn and cackled maniacally.
Forgot To Claim The Telephone Tax Refund? File An Amended Return.
By 8.1.07
We know it’s summer and you don’t want to think about taxes, but the IRS really wants to make sure you got that telephone tax refund, so they’re asking you to file an amended return if you forgot to claim it. With the money you’ll get you can buy lots of baseball hat cup sundaes!
It Takes 192 Days to Pay for Government Spending and Regulations
By 8.1.07
Seems like a huge burden to bear, huh? But like everything else, there are two sides to the story, as CNN Money reports :
US Gov To Compile And Share Database Of Flier Personal Information
By 7.28.07
According to the Washington Post, the United States and the European Union have agreed to compile and share a database of information on consumers who travel on aircrafts between the two continents.
USDA Pays Farm Subsidies To Dead Farmers
By 7.25.07
The USDA likes to pay dead farmers to grow corn, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Some of the dead farmers received in excess of $500,000 in government subsidies. Hmm! How very mysterious!
Milk Is Too Cheap
By 7.24.07
Regulators from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources zealously enforce a 1941 law that prohibits retailers from selling milk below cost. The law was originally intended to help level the playing the field between small stores and large chains, but now serves to keep the price of milk artificially high. Just last week, state regulators asked the Market Basket supermarket chain why they were selling milk for only $2.59 per gallon. From the Boston Globe:
David McLean, operations manager for the Tewksbury-based chain, said the company would be adjusting its price upward to $2.89 a gallon and may go even higher this week when wholesale prices are scheduled to rise.
Bill To Outlaw "Fleeting" Swear Words Passes Senate Committee
By 7.21.07
Ars Technica says that a bill to give the FCC power over even”fleeting” swear words has passed a Senate committee and now moves on to the full Senate.
Illinois Charges You Twice As Much For "Online" Driving School Because Of "Scammers"
By 7.20.07
Reader Orwell writes us with a complaint about the “driving school” program. In Illinois, if you get a ticket you can choose to pay extra to attend “driving school.” This will prevent the state from ratting you out to your insurance company. A nice little racket, but not uncommon. The cute part is that in Illinois they charge an extra $25 for the online version of the course. Why? When Orwell asked, the CSR told him it was because of “Scammers.” She also told him to “Watch his mouth.”
China To US: Fix Your Own Food Supply Issues First
By 7.20.07
China says the US should fix its own food supply issues and stop picking on China. The Chinese government issued a statement saying that they are trying to fix food export issues but that the US should fix its own issues first.
House Subcommittee Taking A Look At Unfair Overdraft Fees
By 7.11.07
US PIRG blog tells us, “Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) of the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is holding a hearing today on unfair bank overdraft fees and their impact on consumers, especially in regard to debit card transactions.” Chairwoman Maloney has introduced a bill that addresses overly-punitive fees that are often assessed when a consumer buys a small amount on a debit card. As US PIRG points out, “It’s much easier to overdraw your (debit) account. A debit card gives you a latte if you have no money. A latte costs $5 but the bank gets a $30 overdraft.”
TSA Confiscates Water Bottle, Misses Bomb
By 7.10.07
Federal inspectors were able to slip a bomb past the TSA 5 out of 7 times, according to the Albany Times-Union. Here’s the best part: One fake bomb was placed in the same bag as a bottle of water. The TSA opened the bag, took the water, and let the bomb on the plane.
Should Consumers Be Notified Of Every Data Breach?
By 7.10.07
The report claims that it has “no recommendations,” but the language of the report suggests otherwise. Consumer advocates are taking issue with the GAO’s “not-a-recommendation” of a risk-assessment plan, in part because they believe that every consumer who has been the victim of a data breach should know about it, and also because the connection between data breaches and ID theft is difficult to assess, thus making it somewhat unbelievable that an accurate and useful risk-assessment program could be created.
Massachusetts Makes Health Insurance Mandatory
By 7.3.07
Massachusetts is “experimenting” with mandatory health insurance, according to the Dr. Judy Ann Bigby, the commonwealth’s secretary of Health and Human Services. Under a new law that went into effect July 1, Massachusetts citizens are required to obtain health insurance or face a penalty. NPR has an interview with Dr. Bigby where she explains the experimental nature of the project and its stated goals.
Haven't Checked Your Safe Deposit Box In 3 Years? California May Have Seized Your Stuff
By 7.2.07
Years ago, Carla Ruff stored her grandmother’s jewelry and a file of personal documents in a safe-deposit box at her bank in San Francisco’s Noe Valley, thinking they would always be there when she wanted them.
