Fees

Protests, rallies and scattered class cancellations roiled University of California campuses across the state Thursday, on the first day of the fall quarter for many students. But predictions by some organizers that the 10 campuses could be shut down by demonstrations against fee increases and pay cuts did not materialize. The size and intensity of the protests and related activities varied significantly across the UC system. An estimated 5,000 people demonstrated at UC Berkeley, the oldest campus; just 20 or so took part at UC Merced, the newest.

Los Angeles County and local municipalities are charging significantly higher fees and taking longer to issue solar panel permits than neighboring areas, according to a recent survey by two Southern California Sierra Club chapters. Solar panel permitting fees in L.A. County average $1,143, more than twice the average permit fee, the study found. In response to the findings and a Department of Public Works review of county inspection costs, county supervisors unanimously approved a proposal by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky on Tuesday that the county lower solar panel permitting fees to $370.

You're not the only passenger getting dinged for rebooking a flight. In the first half of this year, U.S. airlines collected more than $1 billion in fees from customers who paid to rebook or cancel reservations. Here, the top 10 collectors of such fees and what they charged in the first two quarters of the year (in millions): Source: U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics for domestic and international flights -- Airline 1st quarter 2nd quarter 1st half totals 1. American $115.

A leading cellphone company declined to charge the government the same expensive fees it charges consumers for canceling their contracts early, acknowledging that "the government will never, never accept such penalty amounts," according to corporate e-mails obtained by the Associated Press. Nextel Communications Inc. -- now part of Sprint Nextel Corp. -- debated in January 2004 whether to assess a $200 termination fee to federal government subscribers under a contract with the General Services Administration.

American Airlines became the latest carrier to raise fees and mileage requirements for upgrades and free trips. Under changes that take effect Oct. 1, an upgrade from economy coach on a domestic flight will cost AAdvantage frequent-flier members $50, plus the 15,000 miles that was already required. Miles and fees for upgrades were also raised on international flights.

Facing an ever-widening budget gap, the City Council agreed Tuesday to limit the amount of money spent to subsidize city fees for festivals, arts events and award programs such as the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards. The city spends about $5 million annually waiving fees for nonprofit groups that hold special events. Under the new policy, nonprofit organizations would pay 50% of the fees and salary costs associated with their events, saving the city $2.5 million a year -- a change that would make a small dent in the $430-million shortfall that the city is projecting for next year.

Broadcasters call the Performance Rights Act a tax. To the music industry, it's more like a royalty fee. But the legislation, which is gaining momentum in both the House and the Senate, is making radio stations nervous. For more than 80 years, commercial stations have aired songs without paying royalties to musicians.

Southwest Airlines Co., AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and 20 other U.S. carriers will see the fees they pay the government for screening passengers reduced after an appeals court ruled that a regulator overstepped its authority. The court in Washington found Tuesday that although the fees were proper, the Transportation Security Administration erred when it included the cost of screening nonpassengers in implementing the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.

Gabby Ornelas, a former teller at the giant Bank of America Corp., remembers the training sessions. And she remembers her marching orders: "Sell, sell, sell." Ornelas was instructed to use her Spanish-language skills and Latino heritage to sign up customers for as many kinds of banking services as possible, she said -- services that led to lucrative fees for the bank and financial entanglement for many customers.

It was only a matter of time before the strip clubs and cabbies went to war. Las Vegas' fortunes, which have fallen along with the nation's, can be measured in shorter lines at the airport, sparse crowds at the roulette tables and lighter traffic on Interstate 15. But the recession has also strained the "green handshake" culture, where businesses trade cash and favors for recommendations from doormen, concierges, limo drivers and cabbies.