Tag Archives: consumer advocacy

Once Meek Agency Flexes its Muscles. . . Likely to Face Pushback Under Trump

Will we figure out how to do more than just slap the wrist of manufacturers that put consumers at risk? Including vulnerable victims of vehicle violence?

See what is happening with the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is trying to change its image, one civil penalty at a time.

For decades, the federal agency largely was seen as a doormat with few resources and a toothless enforcement record. But over the past few years, under its chairman, Elliot Kaye, the CPSC has dramatically increased the penalties imposed on wayward companies, including multi-million dollar settlements with firms accused of failing to make timely disclosures of product hazards. . .

“He [Kaye] is trying to make sure that companies which previously had been including civil penalty potential as part of the cost of doing business now are at least more discouraged from doing that,” said Commissioner Robert Adler, an ally of Kaye on the commission.

But with the November 8 election of Donald Trump, who has vowed to cut business regulations, the amped up penalties could come under tough scrutiny. Kaye declined an interview request, apparently to avoid drawing the ire of Republican congressional critics with oversight of the CPSC budget, and of the incoming Trump administration. In a written statement, Kaye said the penalty policy was “intended to deter behavior that can put the safety of consumers at risk” and praised “the outstanding legal work and integrity displayed by our Office of the General Counsel.”

 Once Meek Agency Flexes its Muscles, But Likely to Face Pushback Under TrumpFair Warning, By Brian Joseph on December 15, 2016

Life & Death