Brady Oppenheim

Article authored by Matt Woodcheke, Consumer Connection staff Question: My car needs expensive repairs to pass Smog Check and I don’t know if I should put money into it or cut my losses. What do you recommend? Answer: The Bureau of Automotive Repair’s (BAR) Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) offers a…

Oversight and safety for popular sports From ancient Egypt to today, boxing and other combat sports have proven popular throughout the ages. In California, that popularity continues under the oversight of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). AN ANCIENT SPORT According to the International Olympic Committee, boxing as a formal…

Article authored by Matt Woodcheke, Consumer Connection staff Question: I’m having my kitchen redone at home, but I’m not sure what kind of contractor I should hire. Answer: If your job is valued at $500 or more in both materials and labor, you’ll want to make sure the person you hire…

Taking health care back to nature Naturopathic medicine has existed in various cultures for centuries, but the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Naturopathic Medicine Committee helps ensure today’s practitioners provide safe, professional services to all Californians in their care. A HISTORY OF HEALING While forms and elements of modern naturopathy—manual therapy,…

Get to know this longtime licensed profession Among the friendly faces at your local dental office, dental hygienists are there to provide you with direct preventative dental care, assistance, and education. And with more than 30,000 licensed dental hygienists in California, they’re all ready to help keep you smiling. AN…

DCA’s spring 2020 issue of the Consumer Connection magazine is here! Hot off the press, this issue is filled with consumer news, ideas, and information, including: Answers to common consumer-protection questions. Ways to improve your home, heart health, and physical well-being. How to get ready for warm weather with pool-safety…

Regulation and oversight help keep consumers—and their cars—safe Having car trouble is trouble enough; getting it fixed shouldn’t be. That’s because, decades ago, California enacted robust car-repair legislation to protect you and your vehicle—protection that continues strong today. FIXING PAST PRACTICES In the early and mid-20th century, if you had…

Financial disaster spurs professional regulation It was the go-go 1980s and the economy was as high as the moussed hair, the mall parking garages, and the Hugo Boss shoulder pads. Americans were feeling confident—in a spending mood—and businesses across the board were doing all they could to encourage it. Those…

Get to know this real-life licensed California profession When you hear “private investigator,” what images come to your mind? What about intriguing TV depictions like “Monk,” “Veronica Mars,” and “Magnum, P.I.”? How about memorable movie investigators, including “Chinatown’s” Jake Gittes, “The Maltese Falcon’s” Sam Spade, and John Shaft of the…

Tragedy turns into safety for Californians’ commonly used household items You may have heard of the Great San Francisco Earthquake of April 18, 1906, which ranks as one of the most devastating earthquakes of all time. But the massive fires that followed in its wake are what truly laid waste…