Consumer Protection Agencies Are Failing Us
Posted by
Dan FrithJanuary 17, 2008 6:42 AMWhether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, I hope we call all agree that our federal government has the obligation to make sure our products and foods are safe. If you disagree, please stop reading right here as what I am about to write will surely make you mad!
Effective consumer protection in America has been lacking at both the federal and state levels for years. Don't believe me...read on.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission was created in the 1970s and is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products. Its staff used to be 900 but it only has about one-half of that number now. Unbelievably, the current head of the agency, Bush appointee Nancy Nord, is actually opposing Congressional effort to increase its budget to allow the agency to hire more staff to better perform its job!
The Federal Trade Commission is "the nation's consumer protection agency"...if you believe its web site. In 1979 the FTC had 1,746 full-time employees. By 2006, that number was down to 1,007 - a drop of 40%. How does this agency do a good job with fewer employees and more responsibilities such as identity theft, Internet fraud, problems which did not exist in 1979?
Finally, the Food and Drug Administration - my favorite! The FDA tells us it is "responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation." Right - then why does the FDA have 1,000 fewer food inspectors than it did 10 years ago? Especially when food products now arrive in the US on a daily, if not hourly, basis from all over the world?
Anyway you cut it...our government is not looking out for the American consumer!