The American Consumer Institute’s Surveys Consumers on Unpaid Leave   The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides workers with unpaid leave in cases of major family emergency.  While the Act is crucial in helping workers deal with unpredictable family hardships, reports of chronic abuse of FMLA rules put workers with a legitimate need for emergency [...]

American Consumer Institute Finds Rising Prices for Energy, Transportation, Housing, Medical Care and Cable TV   Summary With Labor Day fast approaching, we analyze the effects of inflation on consumers and find that, since the time when the economic recovery began in November 2001, the average household has lost (cumulatively) $10,500 of their hard-earned money [...]

Where to Start When you Don’t Know How to Start   In an earlier ConsumerGram, we examined the high and rising costs of funeral expenses and how consumers could be taken advantage of during a time of urgency and grief.  This ConsumerGram provides a four-step process for funeral planning as recommended by the Funeral Consumers [...]

Professor Joseph P. Fuhr Jr.*   American consumers spend billions of dollars annually on bottled water with little knowledge about the quality and cost of such water.  Many consumers are under the misconception that all bottled water is the same and comes from springs or pristine sources.  However, a large percentage of bottled water actually [...]

Energy Crisis Needs to be Addressed on Many Fronts; the Hydrogen Car Can be Part of the Answer Stephen Pociask* How would you describe the current state of U.S. energy policy — record high gas prices, refinery shortages, Middle East supply disruptions, increasing energy demand and 7 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions?  This ConsumerGram [...]

By Bruce N. Hahn President, American Homeowners Foundation   Gasoline isn’t the only cost that has skyrocketed recently. The U.S. Department of Energy predicted that home heating bills increased dramatically in the 2005-06 winter heating season. Natural gas costs rose an estimated 48%, heating oil 32%, propane 30%, and electricity 5%.   Since last winter [...]

The American Consumer Institute Sponsored Study Assesses Mechanisms Designed to Reduce Carbon Emissions   A new research study, authored by national economist and former Undersecretary of Commerce Dr. Robert Shapiro and sponsored by the American Consumer Institute, finds that carbon taxes may be a better alternative to emissions caps and tradable permits (commonly referred to [...]

Regressive Tax Harms Telecommunications Consumers   Summary Today, the IRS released guidance providing details on refunds owed to consumers who overpaid on telecommunications Federal Excise Taxes (FET).  However, while taxes on most services will no longer be collected, consumers who buy lifeline and standalone local telephone services will continue to pay FET.  As this ConsumerGram [...]

Senate Proposal for Internet Regulations Would Reduce Economic Welfare   Coming on the heels of a productive “first 100 hours” in Congress that promises to help consumers and working Americans, a newly introduced Senate bill threatens to regulate the Internet, hurt consumers and benefit some corporate interests.  Congress should resist the hyperbole that comes from [...]

Proposals to Regulate the Internet Threaten Lower Cable Prices   Summary Legislation is before Congress that would speed cable competition and lower consumer prices.  That’s a good thing.  However, this legislation is hung up in the Senate because of an amendment dubbed net neutrality, which would regulate the Internet and Internet pricing practices.  This ConsumerGram [...]