Richard Holober is the Executive Director of the non-profit Consumer Federation of California, a leading consumer advocacy organization.

Prop 33: Mercury Insurance’s Lemon is a Tough Sell

by Richard Holober
in the auto insurance industry. And its billionaire chairman, George Joseph, is spending a fortune on Proposition 33 to make it easier to manipulate the marketplace and cherry pick the customers it wants, while raising rates for millions of Californians, including motorists with perfect driving records.

This isn't the company's first attempt to rig the insurance market in its favor. In 2010, Mercury spent $16 million on Proposition 17, but voters said no. Prop 33 on the November ballot is a re-run of Prop 17, with a modest facelift.