You are here

Home >

About CALPIRG

For more than 20 years, Consumer Program Director Ed Mierzwinski has helped us stand up against big banks and credit card companies.

An Independent Voice For Consumers

CALPIRG is a consumer group that stands up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. 

For decades, we’ve stood up for consumers, countering the influence of big banks, insurers, chemical manufacturers and other powerful special interests.

Our team of researchers uncovers the facts; our staff bring our findings to the public, through the media as well as one-on-one interactions; and our advocates bring the voice of the public to the halls of power on behalf of consumers.

Our Mission
When consumers are cheated or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, CALPIRG speaks up and takes action. We uncover threats to public health and wellbeing and fight to end them, using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation. CALPIRG’s mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects consumers, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government.

Our Top Priorities
Using the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation, CALPIRG stands up to powerful interests and delivers concrete results. 


 

STANDING UP FOR THE PUBLIC ON HEALTH CARE

As our leaders put the health care reform law into practice, we’re working to promote a more competitive health insurance marketplace that lowers costs for consumers. >LEARN MORE
 

 

PUTTING PUBLIC HEALTH AHEAD OF BIG AG

One in three school-age kids are overweight or obese, yet our government is wasting $16 billion each year on subsidies for sugar-laden, high-fat foods. CALPIRG is calling for an end to subsidies for junk food. >LEARN MORE
 

 

CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOPHOLES

Corporate tax dodgers cost taxpayers $100 billion last year. That’s why CALPIRG is working to close the loopholes that allow ExxonMobil, Bank of America and others to shift profits overseas to avoid paying their taxes. >LEARN MORE
 


 

CALPIRG And The Federation Of State Public Interest Research Groups
CALPIRG is an independent, state-based, citizen-funded organization that advocates for the public interest and is a member of U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups.

 

Since 1970, state PIRGs have delivered results-oriented citizen activism, stood up to powerful special interests, and used the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation to win real results on issues that matter.

 

Across the country, state PIRGs employ close to 400 organizers, policy analysts, scientists and attorneys, and are active in 47 states, with a federal lobby office in Washington, D.C. On national issues that impact Californians, we also coordinate our efforts, pool resources, and share expertise so that we can have the biggest impact—here in California and for the country at large.

CALPIRG Staff - A Partial List
CALPIRG is an advocate for the public interest. When consumers are cheated, or the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by special interest lobbyists, CALPIRG speaks up and takes action. We uncover threats to public health and well-being and fight for the public interest.


 

EMILY RUSCH

State Director

(415) 622-0039 x307

>CONTACT
>BIO
 

 

PEDRO MORILLAS

Legislative Director

(916) 448-4516 x112

>CONTACT
>BIO
 

 

JON FOX

Consumer Advocate

(916) 448-4516 x108

>CONTACT
>BIO
 

 

MIKE RUSSO

Health Care Advocate & Staff Attorney

(213) 251-3680 x332

>CONTACT
>BIO
 


 

Funded By Our Citizen Members 

Thousands of CALPIRG members and supporters fund our staff so we can counter the influence of powerful special interests by: 

 

• conducting research; 

• educating the public; and 

• advocating in the public interest by, for example, making our case face-to-face with elected officials. 

 

Your contribution provides the resources and the clout we need to win real results. 

What's New

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

K-CBS: Group Offers Tips For Cutting Cell Phone Costs

CALPIRG releases a guide called “Making the Right Call” to help consumers get those cell phone costs in line.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Higher Ed

Testimony of Lucas Zucker on textbook affordability

Testimony of Lucas Zucker, UC Berkeley CALPIRG student at the California State Legislative Joint Committee Oversight Hearing

Affordability of College Textbooks: Factors for Rising Costs and Strategies to Control Costs for Students

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

> Keep Reading
News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

CALPIRG Releases New Shopping Guide for Cell Phones

CALPIRG Education Fund releases new cell phone shoppers’ guide offering simple tips consumers can take to save money when buying a new cell phone.

> Keep Reading
Report | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Making the Right Call

CALPIRG Education Fund releases new cell phone shoppers’ guide offering simple tips consumers can take to save money when buying a new cell phone.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Transportation

House Transportation Bill is a Step Backwards, Lacks a Serious Funding Mechanism | Emily Rusch

Statement of U.S. PIRG Tax and Budget Associate Dan Smith on the U.S. House transportation reauthorization bill.

> Keep Reading

Pages

Media Hit | Consumer Protection

K-CBS: Group Offers Tips For Cutting Cell Phone Costs

CALPIRG releases a guide called “Making the Right Call” to help consumers get those cell phone costs in line.

> Keep Reading
News Release | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

CALPIRG Releases New Shopping Guide for Cell Phones

CALPIRG Education Fund releases new cell phone shoppers’ guide offering simple tips consumers can take to save money when buying a new cell phone.

> Keep Reading
Media Hit | Transportation

The New York Times: Dollars for Roads or Dollars for Rail

Although the price tag for high-speed rail is daunting, it is important to consider the budgetary and societal costs of highway and airport expansions that California would need without it. 

> Keep Reading
News Release | CALPIRG | Democracy

Legislation to Require Disclosure of Corporate Political Donations Introduced

Sacramento, CA—Legislation introduced today will require corporations with shareholders in California, that spend money on political issues, to disclose that spending to those shareholders. SB 982, is authored by Senator Noreen Evans (Santa Rosa) and sponsored by the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG).

> Keep Reading
News Release | Safe Energy

Nuclear Power Plants Threaten Drinking Water for 2.3 Million Californians

The drinking water for 2.3 million people in California could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at a local nuclear power plant, says a new study released today by the California Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and Environment California Research and Policy Center. 

> Keep Reading

Pages

Result | Health Care

Pro-consumer Health Care Reform

CALPIRG’s advocacy helped ensure the health care law will bring down costs by setting up a competitive health insurance marketplace. In 2010, California became the first state in the country to begin setting up our state health insurance exchange.

> Keep Reading
Result | Health Care

Fighting To Make Health Care Affordable

Thanks to a new CALPIRG-backed law, insurance companies actually have to justify rate hikes to the public, bringing some much-needed accountability. Thanks in part to the new law — and public pressure, including 1,200 public comments from CALPIRG supporters — Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California both backed off of double-digit rate hikes.

> Keep Reading
Result | Budget

Keeping Public Libraries Public

To plug budget gaps, it seems that local governments will consider selling anything; some have even sold their public libraries. CALPIRG has stood up to and blocked a number of wrong-headed schemes to sell public assets to private companies — deals that all too often actually raise costs — including public libraries, state buildings and the privatization of red light camera enforcement.

> Keep Reading
Result | Consumer Protection

KIDS’ SCHOOL LUNCHES NOW SAFER

For years, America’s schoolchildren have been eating beef, chicken and other foods that would have been rejected as substandard even by fast food chains. Thanks in part to our advocacy, the U.S.D.A. has stopped buying such low-quality meat for school lunches.

> Keep Reading
Result | Democracy

Defeating Big Oil’s Ballot Proposition

CALPIRG helped run a campaign that identified 160,000 young voters who pledged to vote No on Prop. 23, the oil industry-funded attack on California’s landmark global warming law. To combat the millions of dollars Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro poured into electioneering, our organizers mobilized young voters — the segment of the electorate most likely to vote against Prop. 23, but most are in need of a reminder to get to the polls.

> Keep Reading
Report | CALPIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Making the Right Call

CALPIRG Education Fund releases new cell phone shoppers’ guide offering simple tips consumers can take to save money when buying a new cell phone.

> Keep Reading
Report | CALPIRG Education Fund | Safe Energy

Too Close to Home

In the United States, 49 million Americans, including 2.3 million Californians, receive their drinking water from surface sources located within 50 miles of an active nuclear power plant —inside the boundary the Nuclear Regulatory Commission uses to assess risk to food and water supplies.

> Keep Reading
Report | CALPIRG | Budget, Democracy, Tax

Representation Without Taxation

Marking the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case—which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections—this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and distort the tax code to avoid billions
of dollars in taxes.

> Keep Reading
Report | Consumer Protection

Trouble in Toyland

The 2011 Trouble in Toyland report is our 26th annual survey of toy safety. In this report, we provide safety guidelines for consumers when purchasing toys for young children and provide examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards.

> Keep Reading
Report | CALPIRG | Budget, Food, Tax

Toward Common Ground

Our nation faces unprecedented fiscal challenges, as the commitments we’ve made now and into the future far outpace our fiscal capacity. Congress, the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and citizens across the country must grapple with very difficult decisions about how we can put our fiscal house in order. It will be critical to reach out across party lines and across ideological persuasions to achieve common-sense reforms that can bring us closer to balance.

> Keep Reading

Pages

Blog Post | Higher Ed

Testimony of Lucas Zucker on textbook affordability

Testimony of Lucas Zucker, UC Berkeley CALPIRG student at the California State Legislative Joint Committee Oversight Hearing

Affordability of College Textbooks: Factors for Rising Costs and Strategies to Control Costs for Students

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Transportation

House Transportation Bill is a Step Backwards, Lacks a Serious Funding Mechanism | Emily Rusch

Statement of U.S. PIRG Tax and Budget Associate Dan Smith on the U.S. House transportation reauthorization bill.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Democracy

Citizens United Anniversary | Pedro Morillas

This is the statement I delivered at a Sacramento rally on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Consumer Protection, Financial Reform

CFPB Director Cordray speaks on payday loans | Jon Fox

CFPB Director Cordray speaks on payday loans during field hearing in Birmingham, AL, 20 Jan. 2012.

> Keep Reading
Blog Post | Safe Energy

Earthquake Near Virginia Nuclear Reactors Is a Reminder of the Risks in California | Emily Rusch

Today’s earthquake in Virginia, less than ten miles from two nuclear reactors, is a jolting reminder of exactly the type of unpredictable risk that threaten the safety and security of nuclear power plants here in California and across the country.

> Keep Reading

Pages

Tools & Resources

PRIORITY ACTION

Every year, our tax dollars pay for enough corn syrup and other junk food additives to buy 2.8 million Twinkies. It's time to stop subsidizing obesity.

Send an email

Consumer Alerts

Join our network and stay up to date on our campaigns, get important consumer updates and take action on critical issues.

Support Us

Your donation supports CALPIRG’s work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.

donate today