Consumer Law

Consumer issues are not partisan

By Sam Glover

Consumer issues should not be “red state-blue state” issues. Everyone is a consumer. Republicans, Democrats, independents, Greens, Libertarians, anarchists . . . Everyone.

Debt collectors are not out to get Democrats, and mortgage brokers are not selling subprime loans only to Republicans. Payday lenders may be targeting evangelical Christians, but they are just as happy to prey on the elderly and the poor generally.

When it comes to consumer issues, we all need to come together to establish effective regulation, not the jumble of rarely-enforced and loophole-ridden regulations we have now. And we need to empower consumers to protect themselves from fraudsters and consumer predators by establishing private remedies with real teeth and strengthening the remedies–like those in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act–that already exist.

Regardless who you support for public office, let them know how you feel about consumer issues. There are no powerful lobbyists representing consumers, so make your own voice heard!

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Full post as published by Caveat Emptor on February 27, 2008 (boomark / email).