Why Consumer Protection Should Not Be The Government's Exclusive Domain

Although there has been much written and reported about defective and hazardous drywall material made in China, a report that came out earlier today on this subject is downright frightening. According to Florida-based News-Press.com, it appears that officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, among other governmental entities (including the Florida Department of Health), waited at least 2 months from the time that they knew of the potential health or toxic hazard that these materials caused until notifying the public because they wanted to coordinate their efforts with a prominent builder that had used much of these materials, and to avoid any hysteric reaction caused by "sweeps week" on televsion.

To put this in context, following is a partial list of the complaints received regarding the Chinese-manufactured drywall:

the faulty drywall gives off a rotten-egg smell, and also gives off chemicals that rust air conditioning coils and either tarnishes or ruins other metals inside the home, including jewelry, electrical wiring, and plumbing. Those living in homes with the defective product have complained of experiencing respiratory difficulties, nausea and skin-related problems that tend to lessen when leaving the home, and are aggravated while at home. These are hardly "minor" discomforts.

At the very least, this story should help inform the tort reform debate, in order to assure that people with legitimate claims are not left subject to the whim (and perhaps, irresponsibility) of governmental officials whose agenda does not have the public's safety as their foremost concern.