Georgia Watch welcomes Clare McGuire as senior counsel and director of the Consumer Energy Program bringing with her years of experience as a staff attorney for the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs.

As the Director of the Consumer Energy Program (CEP), McGuire will intervene on behalf of consumers in rate cases and cases involving the state’s energy portfolio heard before the Public Service Commission. Georgia Watch’s presence at these hearings will allow for more transparency at the commission, a panel of five statewide elected officials that decides billion dollar rate cases. more

By Beth Malone

We’re in a housing crisis - one that hasn’t even hit its peek. The middle class is starting to feel the direct effects of foreclosure as the balloon that is their adjustable rate loan, bursts. That means more foreclosures to come in 2010. more

By Angela Speir Phelps

Most Georgians realize the impact energy bills have on their family’s budget, especially at this time of year when our natural gas bills rise. But what many may not realize is that last year, the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs completely defunded the Consumer’s Utility Counsel (CUC), a branch of the executive office that spoke up for average Georgians during the billion dollar utility cases being decided by the Public Service Commission (PSC). more

By Jeannine Malone

One in eight home loans is past due and on the verge of foreclosure in Georgia. Empty houses are falling into disrepair, homeowners are facing lower property values and families are turning up homeless, scrambling for shelter. more

By Matt Bouillon and Danny Orrock

Georgia Watch is keeping a keen eye on Atlanta Oculoplastic Surgery, P.C. v. Betty & Bruce Nestlehutt at the State Supreme Court that is challenging the cap on non-economic damages in the 2005 tort reform law. Non-economic damages are appropriate in cases where the jury wishes to compensate the injured party for harm that goes beyond lost wages or work opportunities. Pain and suffering, loss of normal marital relations (consortium), and physical injury or disfigurement are all non-monetary losses that fit in this category. Not surprisingly, amounts of non-economic damages can vary widely among cases and jurisdictions. more

By Beth Malone and Danny Orrock

The flooded streets and damaged homes resulting from the storms that pummeled the state in September should serve as a wake-up call to us all. Some of you may be asking: Why didn’t I know my property was vulnerable to flooding? Why had I never thought to purchase flood insurance? Many of us now know whether or not to purchase flood insurance, however countless more remain in the dark. more

Atlanta Business Chronicle, December 4, 2009
By Dave Williams

At first blush, it might seem that Angela Speir Phelps made a radical career change this year when she moved from utility regulator to consumer advocate. Full article.

Georgia currently ranks 7th in the nation for foreclosures. The following is a list of a few other startling facts that have resulted from the housing crisis. more

1. Number of loans already lost to foreclosure: 1.5 million

2. Projected foreclosures on all types of loans during the next 5 years: 13 million
more

General intent:

SB 57 addresses financial incentives that brokers and others use to guide borrowers into unsuitable loans. The bill helps prevent factors that contributed to meltdown in the subprime market. more