Top 10 Requests from Consumers Union/Consumer Reports

by Craig Newmark - 01/07/09 12:09 PM ET

The Consumers Union (CU) protects consumers’ interests effectively and with exceptional integrity, not just with Consumer Reports, but also as advocates.

Jim Guest, who heads CU, presents his Top 10 wish list regarding consumer matters. Good, affordable healthcare is one we all share. Here are two that are less obvious:

Fund the Consumer Product Safety Commission so that it can enforce the new product-safety act, which essentially bans lead in toys and enables the CPSC to penalize safety violators.

Choose active federal regulators who protect the consumer interest. Restore the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, which was shut down in 1997. The head of that office once had regular access to the president. The office gave a voice to consumers and counterbalanced the well-funded business lobby.

The last is a big deal, since there are some Bush guys in there who are doing “a heckuva job.”

Disclosure: I’m on the board of CU.

Tags Consumer organizations Consumer protection Consumer Reports Consumers Union Disaster Person Career U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission