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1/14/76 - White House Consumer Conference, Kansas City
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1133446
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1/14/76 - White House Consumer Conference, Kansas City
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This file contains material relating to Consumer Representataion Plan.
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Carla A. Hills Speeches
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Consumption (Economics)
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1976-01-14
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1976
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "1/14/76 - White House Consumer
Conference, Kansas City" of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 1 of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
WHITE HOUSE CONSUMER CONFERENCE
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
JANUARY 14, 1976
GOOD MORNING!
AND, IF YOU'LL JUST MULTIPLY THAT GREETING BY THE NUMBER
OF INVITATIONS YOU RECEIVED -- YOU'LL KNOW HOW PLEASED WE ARE
TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY,
IF THE MAYOR OF OMAHA GOT 19 INVITATIONS -- AS I HAVE
BEEN TOLD -- IT JUST PROVES THAT AT LEAST NINETEEN FEDERAL
ENTITIES IN WASHINGTON HAVE A HEALTHY REGARD FOR OUR CITY
FATHERS.
So, I TRUST YOU'LL FORGIVE THEIR BURST OF EXCESSIVE
FEDERALISM.
THE AGENDA FOR OUR CONFERENCE TODAY -- PARTICULARLY IN
THE PRESENTATION OF OUR VARIOUS FEDERAL AGENCY CONSUMER PLANS
-- PRESENTS YOU WITH TWO REALISTIC POINTS OF REFERENCE:
GERALD LIBRARY D FORD
-2-
ONE: THE THRUST OF GOVERNMENTAL REGULATORY PROGRAMS
AS THEY RELATE TO CONSUMER NEEDS; AND
Two: THE NEED TO SPUR CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT IN THE
REGULATORY DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVES.
AND, THESE TWO POINTS GET US DOWN TO THE CRUX OF THE
CONSUMER PERPLEX -- AND, THAT IS --
How MUCH GOVERNMENT DOES THE CONSUMER NEED?
How MUCH GOVERNMENT DOES THE CONSUMER REALLY WANT?
AND, INDEED, HOW MUCH GOVERNMENT CAN THE CONSUMER STAND?
FOR THOSE OF US CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FINDING
A WORKABLE BALANCE IN ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS -- WHETHER IN
THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR PUBLIC OFFICE -- THERE ARE NO SIMPLE
SHORT CUTS,
FORD
GERALD
-3-
WE WANT, ON THE ONE HAND, TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO THE
CONSUMER WHILE KNOWING FULL WELL THAT WHEN THE GOVERNMENT GETS
INTO THE ACT THE CONSUMER PAYS A PRICE -- AND THAT ONCE THE
GOVERNMENT GETS IN, IT HARDLY EVER GETS OUT, so THE CONSUMER
KEEPS ON PAYING.
ONE OF THE GREAT BOONS TO THE CONSUMER IN RECENT YEARS
HAS BEEN THE EMERGENCE OF "TRUTH" IN MERCHANDISING -- IN
ADVERTISING CLAIMS, ON CIGARETTE PACKAGES, ON FOOD CONTAINERS,
ON LOAN CONTRACTS AND NEW CAR WINDSHIELDS,
IN FAIRNESS, WE SHOULD WELCOME SIMILAR DISCLOSURES OF THE
HIDDEN COST OF GOVERNMENT IN EVERYTHING THE CUSTOMER BUYS,
IN HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE, WE KNOW THAT OVER THE PAST DECADE
THE PRICE OF THE AVERAGE HOME HAS GONE UP A FULL 14 PERCENT
HIGHER THAN THE "COST OF LIVING" AS MEASURED BY THE CONSUMER
PRICE INDEX. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT INCREASINGLY COMPLEX
FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL REGULATIONS, ORDINANCES, CODES, AND
RESTRICTIONS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY ADDED TO THE BUILDERS' COST OF
DOING BUSINESS,
-4-
I AM NOT HERE TO ARGUE THE NEED FOR SUCH REQUIREMENTS AS
BUILDING CODES, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS, NO-GROWTH
POLICIES, SEWER MORATORIA, OR RESTRICTIVE ZONING -- FAR FROM IT.
ALL OF US HAVE VIEWED WITH SOME HORROR EXAMPLES OF SHODDY
HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS -- TURNED SLUMS; AND, OF LAND USE ABUSE
THAT BORDERS ON THE CRIMINAL.
WE DO KNOW THAT SOME RESTRICTIVES IN THESE MATTERS ARE
NECESSARY -- BUT, WE ALSO KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS A COST INVOLVED,
ULTIMATELY FOR THE CONSUMER,
A BALANCE MUST BE STRUCK, I DO QUESTION THE LOGIC OF THOSE
RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE OF NO PROVEN BENEFIT -- EITHER TO THE
INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER OR THE COMMUNITY -- BUT ONLY SERVE TO THROW
MORE RED TAPE IN THE PATH OF THIS NATION'S SORELY NEEDED HOUSING
RECOVERY.
FOR, HOUSING RECOVERY -- ITSELF -- IS ONE OF OUR NATION'S
GREATEST CONSUMER NEEDS RIGHT NOW, AND IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY
AHEAD.
-5-
THUS, MY POINT TODAY IS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE
TIGHT-ROPE WE MUST WALK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONSUMER IS BEING
PROTECTED FROM THE ABUSES OF THE MARKET PLACE WITHOUT FALLING
PREY TO THE EXCESSES OF THE GREAT PROTECTOR.
AND, IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT I PERCEIVE HUD's ROLE IN
CONSUMER AFFAIRS -- AN AREA WHICH I IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF MY
HIGHEST PERSONAL PRIORITIES LAST YEAR IN MY FIRST PUBLIC ADDRESS
AS SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
FOR INDEED THE CONSUMERS OF HOUSING ARE HUD's PRIME
CONSTITUENCY AND WE HAVE A CLEAR MANDATE TO SEE THAT THEIR
LEGITIMATE EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT BILKED -- BY DESIGN, DECEIT,
NEGLIGENCE OR IGNORANCE. AND, WHERE THE HOUSING THEY BUY OR
RENT IS INSURED OR ASSISTED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS, WE HAVE AN
ADDITIONAL MANDATE TO MAKE CERTAIN THE TAXPAYERS' INVESTMENT
IS ZEALOUSLY GUARDED.
HUD's CONSUMER REPRESENTATION PLAN, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED
HERE THIS MORNING, IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER THROUGH
TOUGH REGULATORY PROGRAMS WHICH COME DOWN TO A PLAIN AND SIMPLE
CONTROL FORMULA -- AND THAT IS -- IF THE BUILDER OR SELLER
DOESN'T COMPLY WITH HUD REQUIREMENTS, HE DOESN'T PARTICIPATE IN
HUD PROGRAMS, PERIOD.
-6-
BUT, IT IS ALSO DESIGNED TO FORESTALL CONSUMER ABUSES
BEFORE THEY HAPPEN,
GOVERNMENT CAN ESTABLISH SOME MINIMUM LEVELS OF QUALITY
AS IN HUD's MINIMUM PROPERTY STANDARDS, IT CAN PROVIDE REMEDIES
FOR THE MOST COMMON ABUSES AS IN INTERSTATE LAND SALES,
BUT OFTEN, THE MOST EFFECTIVE FEDERAL ROLE IS AS AN
"ENABLING AGENT" -- WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT; WITH CONSUMERS AND THE MAKERS OF CONSUMER
PRODUCTS -- PROVIDING EXPERTISE AND, WHERE NEEDED, SEED
MONEY, TO ACHIEVE OUR COMMON CONSUMER GOALS,
THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR DESIGNS FOR CONSUMER
PROTECTION ARE FEASIBLE, REASONABLE, PRACTICAL AND ENFORCEABLE
--- IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE WANT TO DO FOR THE CONSUMER IS
WHAT CONSUMERS SAY THE CONSUMER WANTS AND NEEDS,
IT IS THE JOB OF GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND THE PEOPLE --
TOGETHER -- TO MAKE SURE THE AMERICAN CONSUMER HAS ALL THE
INFORMATION NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS; AND IS GIVEN THE
PLATFORM NEEDED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS KNOWN.
-7-
THAT IS THE SPIRIT IN WHICH PRESIDENT FORD ESTABLISHED
TODAY'S WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS.
IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT, WE WELCOME AND ANTICIPATE YOUR
LIVELY PARTICIPATION.
I, FOR ONE, AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE IN KANSAS CITY --
IN THE CONSUMER-ORIENTED "SHOW ME" STATE,