Transparency is the absolute heart and the strongest guardian of consumer protection -- the ability of a shopper to know the truth about what the seller is offering is critical to a just marketplace.

That's why I, an Oregon attorney, am writing about a California ballot measure, and urging you to support California's Proposition 37.  Prop. 37 is a simple change to require a trivially easy modification to food labels that won't cost a cent:  it simply requires that foods that have had their genetic codes re-engineered in laboratories disclose that right on the label, so that real people can make the choice about whether to support those technologies or to pass on them.  So whether you have concerns about these technologies or whether you are totally comfortable with them and happy to have them, you should support Prop. 37, because all it does it require transparency.

What's astonishing and depressing is how many big companies with organic products are pouring money into the anti-labeling campaign in California (see poster above).  Those companies, shown on the left in red in the poster, are actively spending and working to keep consumers in the dark, and prevent transparency.  That's appalling.

As Oregonians, we know that California is a huge market, and that what happens there often spreads.  Well, when it's a good idea like making food labels honest and transparent, the sooner it spreads to Oregon the better.  And you can download a copy of the poster (below) to take it with you to the store, so you can be sure to support the companies on the right (in green), the ones who want you to be able to know when you're being sold genetically engineered food.

  Support Prop. 37!  

A good essay about the biggest risk in nonprofit leadership (pdf):

            Seeing but not really observing what's going on in the organization.

Nearly all of Behn's public management essays are good -- although supposedly aimed at the government sector, I can't think of a single non-governmental nonprofit that would not benefit greatly by having all its board and senior staff read and discuss one of his essays every month.  Or share them all and do a retreat where different board members summarize the ideas and discuss how they could be applied within their own organization.

New Long-Term Care Insurance Claims Protections
By:  Oregon Insurance Division July 10, 2012 --

Oregonians who have long-term care insurance now have the right to have their claims paid promptly and to appeal an insurance company decision to deny benefits.

The changes are due to a 2011 law that became effective for people who buy new policies starting July 1, 2012. For those with existing policies, the law is effective when their policy renews, meaning it will be phased in over a year’s period.

“Consumers with long-term care insurance policies have not had the same protections as consumers with other health insurance claims, yet they are some of the most vulnerable Oregonians,” Oregon Insurance Commissioner Lou Savage said.

“Now, people with long-term care insurance or their representatives can more easily challenge claim denials or delays, which are the most typical complaints we receive,” Savage added.

Long-term care insurance covers people who are chronically ill in a variety of settings – at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home, for example. Typically, people become eligible for benefits if they can no longer perform certain daily activities such as eating, dressing, or bathing or if they have a mental impairment such as dementia.

Highlights of the law

• Insurers must pay claims that are submitted with all the required information within 30 days of receiving the claim. If they fail to pay on time, they must pay the claim plus interest.
  
  

• Consumers may appeal insurers’ decisions that they are ineligible for benefits. If an internal review by the company upholds the denial, consumers may request an external review. In this case, an independent review organization determines if the insurer made the correct decision. The insurer pays the costs of the independent review.
  
  

• Insurers who deny a claim for benefits must notify consumers of their appeal rights and the deadlines.
  
  

Consumers with questions about long-term care insurance or their appeal rights may contact an insurance consumer advocate at 888-877-4894. Additionally, the Insurance Division of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services has general information about long-term care insurance and rates on its website at http://insurance.oregon.gov/consumer/long-term-care/long-term-care-info.html.

Rules establishing long-term care insurance appeals procedures and the requirement that insurers pay claims promptly can be found here: http://insurance.oregon.gov/rules/attachments/recently%20proposed/id03-2012_rule.pdf.

The Washington Supreme Court today announced an important decision, finding --- as the Oregon Court of Appeals just did recently in the Niday case --- that the phony-baloney attempt to dodge recording fees known as MERS can't have it both ways and claim to be just an administrative convenience AND force people out of their homes.  Another blow for justice in the Northwest.