Media Alert
Communities for Telecom Rights
For Immediate Release
January 20, 2006

Contacts:

Casey McFall
Campaign for Social Justice
(310) 920-0648

Elizabeth Yaeger
Central American Resource Center
(213) 385-7800 ext. 130

Peter Corpus
Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
(213) 382-1819

Juliet Stone
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
(213) 977-0291


CPUC Decision Leaves Consumers Unprotected,
Community Representatives To Protest Upcoming Vote

Press Conference and Rally – Tuesday, January 24, 2006
10:00 a.m.
Pershing Square, Downtown Los Angeles
532 S. Olive (between 5th and 6th streets)
Los Angeles, CA 90013

The California Public Utilities Commission is poised to adopt a consumer Bill of Rights
on January 26 that will significantly reduce protections for telecommunications
consumers. Particularly vulnerable are low income, immigrant communities often
targeted for fraudulent billing and sales practices by large communications
corporations.

At issue is a Bill of Rights originally drafted by consumer advocates to protect
consumers from predatory phone companies. After heavy lobbying by the companies,
The CPUC has opted to rely on consumer education instead of giving consumers basic
rights for disputing wrongful or fraudulent phone bills. The education campaign
would be funded by monies earned through recent corporate mergers of telecom
companies.

A statewide network of community based organizations has worked for nearly three
years to document and resolve issues related to predatory sales practices and
fraudulent billing issues aimed at immigrant communities. The network, working as
Communities for Telecom Rights, plans to vigorously oppose the vote taking place at
the CPUC offices inSan Francisconext Thursday. An informational Press Conference
and Rally is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24 atPershing Squarein downtownLos
Angeles. Representatives who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Farsi, and
Tagalog will be available to the press.

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[Note that this doesn't affect only immigrants with limited English proficiency. It affects everyone who uses telecom services and doesn't read all the fine print in the contract. It affects everyone who might be shunted into the "arbitration" system to fix overcharges.

Write your politician.]

San Francisco Office (Headquarters)
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 941012

phone: 415.703.2782
fax: 415.703.1758