For the first time ever, the Central Valley Consumer Protection Roundtable convened live in Fresno, California on October 9. Participants included teams from the Fresno Center, California Rural Legal Assistance, the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Senior Legal Services, the Better Business Bureau of the Central Valley, the Fresno County DA’s Office, the Tulare County DA’s Office, and leadership from the California Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section and the Federal Trade Commission Regional Offices of Los Angeles and San Francisco – as well as a certain Center at Berkeley Law…
The gathering served as an opportunity for direct service providers to share their insights and concerns with some of the most powerful public enforcement agencies in the state. In particular, the conversation highlighted problems with auto sales and repairs, deceptive practices in home contracting and solar installation, immigration consultant/notario fraud, romance scams affecting seniors, and mobile home parks. Local advocates expressed concern that the Central Valley was often skipped over, and deep appreciation to those who had traveled to attend the gathering.
The Central Valley Roundtable is the newest of the four regular California consumer protection gatherings, joining longstanding partnerships in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. This convening was a remarkable opportunity to discuss both the specific problems that face Central Valley consumers and the public enforcement and public policy resources available to protect all Californians.
It was a treat to be able to meet in person, and to underscore the critical importance of the Central Valley Roundtable going forward.
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