Consumers lose out when agencies lack funding

The past week has seen a busy sledgehammer series of bad news for consumer protection agencies at the federal and state levels.

There have been many more lead-laden toys from China, and at midweek there was the disgrace involving the popular toy Aqua Dots, which has been recalled because of a chemical added to the product that, when ingested, has the effect of a very strong date-rape drug. Children in Australia and the United States have been hospitalized with life-threatening conditions. Where are these Aqua Dot toys manufactured? China, of course. As a matter of fact, 61 of the 63 toy product recalls this year originate with Chinese manufacturers.

Adding to the consumer protection agency misery, earlier in the week present and former leaders of the Consumer Product Safety Commission were accused of taking a variety of expensive trips to Hong Kong and elsewhere paid for by the very manufacturers the commission is supposed to be overseeing. What in the world is going on here?

The sad truth is that the agencies charged with protecting us Americans have been underfunded and understaffed for decades. In the 1970s the CPSC was staffed by 900 workers. Today that number is just 400.

Efforts to boost staffing have been rebuffed by its own director. Rumor has it that there is currently only one staffer to inspect the avalanche of toys on the market in the country. He or she must feel like the child trying to drink water out of the proverbial fire hose. The regulators are in bed with the manufacturers and it is the consumer who takes it on the chin.

These sad stories would be almost humorous if they were not so shocking and so damaging to the lives and health of our children.

The oldest federal consumer protection agency, the Federal Trade Commission, had 1,747 employees in 1979 but only 1,007 today. Yes, taxpayers would like to see reduced spending at both the federal and state levels, but when it results in more ticking time bomb goods being sold across the country, is it really a savings?

State agencies are also limited in the protection they can offer. They also have suffered from a lack of support. Federal rules and regulations have superseded state regulations, often making them null and void. Manufacturing lobbyists want to keep all the regulatory efforts in Washington, as it is easier to monitor and control Capitol Hill than chase after the consumer protection initiatives of 50 separate states. This thinking is bad for the country and very bad for the consumer.

When federal and state agencies fail, more work falls on the shoulders of little agencies like Northeast CONTACT. Case demands go up. Times from complaint to resolution of cases increase. During the 35-year existence of the agency, federal and state grants and support have been nonexistent. We fight on thanks to our members, both businesses and individuals, and the generosity of small municipalities across Maine in response to our annual appeal to the towns. We have consistently found that the smaller the community, the more generous it has been in supporting our mission. We would be a small footnote in history without their ongoing support.

Consumers must demand more from their elected officials at the federal and state levels. It will take a new governmental resolve that focuses on the consumer and not on the manufacturer. It also will take years and years to repair the damage already done.

Yet in the final analysis, isn’t the safety and protection of our citizens, especially our children, worth the effort?

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual and business memberships are available at modest rates. Interested and motivated prospective volunteers are always needed and welcome to apply to help with our mission. For assistance with consumer-related issues, including consumer fraud and identity theft, or for more information, write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.