About MASSPIRG
Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group
(MASSPIRG) is an advocate for the public interest. MASSPIRG's mission
is to deliver persistent, result-oriented activism that encourages a
fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic
government.
Reducing Auto Insurance Premiums and Ensuring Fairness
Automobile insurance is a significant, legally mandated household
expense, without which consumers place their financial security and
livelihood at risk. Further, Massachusetts drivers have the highest
accident rate in the nation, resulting in high premiums. By pursuing a
comprehensive cost-containment effort to improve our accident rate and
by attacking fraud, we could cut insurance premiums by as much as 30%
-- an average $300 per car per year. MASSPIRG:
– Supports An Act Reducing Automobile Insurance Costs and Premiums in the Commonwealth (Sen. Tucker) that would reduce premiums by establishing a special commission to review specific ways to reduce accidents such as improving our most dangerous intersections, reviewing speed limits, traffic signs and law enforcement, and improving driver training programs.
– Supports legislation which would bar insurers from using discriminatory, non driving related factors in auto insurance underwriting (Sen. Barrios, Rep. Moran). This measure would prohibit insurers from using factors like credit scores, income, education and profession in issuing auto insurance.
Preventing Identity Theft
Identity theft is America's fastest growing crime, costing consumers
and businesses $52 billion a year according to the Federal Trade
Commission. Identity thieves too easily take advantage of loose
protections of our personal information by businesses that collect it,
and steel our data to rack up debt in our name. MASSPIRG:
– Supports Identity Theft Prevention (Rep. Strauss, Rep. Costello, Sen.
Barrios) to decrease easy access to personal information, to allow
consumers to freeze their credit reports to prevent thieves from
opening credit in their names, and to hold businesses accountable,
requiring them to notify the public when there has been a security
breach. Identity theft prevention bills have already passed in over 30
states.
Establishing a Car Buyers' Bill of Rights
In a hidden practice known as the "dealer markup," car buyers who
arrange financing through dealerships may be getting percentage points
tacked on to their loan that can cost thousands of dollars above the
ordinary financed price of their car. A January 2004 report by Consumer
Federation of America estimated the markup impacts as many as 1 in 4
car buyers for whom dealers arrange financing and that these
overcharges cost all consumers at least $1 billion annually. MASSPIRG:
– Supports legislation (Rep. Fallon) to protect car buyers by improving consumer disclosures of financing information, capping interest rate markups, setting a minimum standard for the term "certified used car," and establishes a 3-day "cooling off" period for buyers of used cars.
Improving MBTA Finances to Improve Service
The MBTA is in serious financial crisis, which has forced the T to
dramatically raise fares three times since 2000 without any critical
service improvements for riders. At the heart of the T's financial
problem is their staggering debt, which they devote over a quarter of
their annual budget to paying off. Much of this debt was incurred as a
result of the Big Dig. MASSPIRG:
– Supports legislation (Rep. Sciortino, Rep. Wolf, Sen. Barrios) to have the Commonwealth take back part of the T's debt, enabling the authority to the backlog of maintenance needs, improve service, increase ridership, and minimize future fare increases.
Protecting Against Unfair Debt Collection
Exposed by the Boston Globe Spotlight team, debt collectors use
unscrupulous practices to harass and threaten consumers (many of who do
not actually owe debt because of mistaken identity), into paying
exorbitant fees to pay down debt that collection agencies have
purchased from creditors. Debt collectors are able to seize cars,
harass consumers, and abuse the small claim courts. MASSPIRG:
– Supports The Family and Elders Protection Act of 2007 (Sen. Jehlen) to reform debt collection practices and increase the amount of property consumers can exempt from collection.
Reducing the Cost of Higher Education
College textbooks are a major cost of higher education, costing on
average $900 a year. Unfortunately, textbook publishers inflate prices
by bundling workbooks and CD-ROMs as a package that can increase the
price by 40%. MASSPIRG research has found that many college faculty
rarely use these additional materials and would prefer the ability to
order just the textbook. MASSPIRG:
– Supports Reducing the Cost of College Textbooks (Rep. S. Walsh) to require college textbook publishers to disclose the ala-carte cost of the textbook and allow faculty to purchase textbooks without the additional materials.
Protecting Public Health: Bio Lab Safety Standards
As the biological research field continues to grow throughout
Massachusetts, it will become even more important that the state
develop a set of standards for enforcement by local public health
agencies. We need to put in place best practices and safety policies in
laboratories that study infectious and very dangerous pathogens, many
without a known cure. MASSPIRG:
– Supports An Act to Protect the Public Health and Safety at Biological Laboratories in Massachusetts (Rep. Fox) to better protect the public from dangerous biological agents and toxins.
Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs
US consumers pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world.
Skyrocketing prescription drug prices have helped make health insurance
premiums increasingly expensive. For the over almost 1 million
Massachusetts residents with little to no prescription drug insurance
the cost is unaffordable. MASSPIRG:
– Supports the implementation of a RX drug purchasing pool to give
consumers and the state greater power to negotiate lower drug prices,
resulting in significant savings for consumers and the state's
taxpayers.
– Supports The Prescription Drug Affordability Act (Sen. Barrios & Rep. L'Italien) to make it easier for Massachusetts consumers to purchase lower cost prescription drugs from Canada.
Establishing Consumer Protections for Cell Phone Customers
Complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about the
wireless industry have increased 92 percent between 2002 and 2004,
significantly outpacing the 29 percent growth in subscribership during
that time period. Unlike traditional phone service, wireless service is
largely unregulated. The FCC has failed to enact even the most basic
consumer protections. MASSPIRG:
– Supports An Act to Establish a Cell Phone Users' Bill of Rights (Sen. Spilka & Rep. Walsh). The legislation would improve disclosure regarding contract terms and coverage, establish consumer recourse for resolving billing errors, provide a risk-free trial period to test a phone, limit contracts to no longer than one year, and require consumer permission to make cell phone numbers public.
Budget and Tax Reform
Massachusetts residents depend on state government to provide important
public priorities like education, environmental protection, public
safety, health services and infrastructure. When some corporations fail
to pay their share of taxes, other taxpayers must pick up the tab or
suffer from cuts in public services. Research shows that many
corporations avoid paying their fair share in taxes by under-reporting
their income to public authorities at the same time that they report
inflated profits to their shareholders. The result is lost revenue for
state programs, a higher tax burden on ordinary residents, and
inaccurate information for corporate investors. MASSPIRG:
– Supports The Honest Corporate Tax Reporting and Investor Protection Act (Rep. Festa) which would require corporations to disclose and explain when they report different profits to their shareholders than they do to tax authorities. It would accomplish this by requiring large corporations to disclose information to Massachusetts tax authorities that they already give to the IRS and other states.