I'm Gonna Pull a Nader
I am thinking of organizing a bit of a consumer protection revolution in Michigan, having been fully steeped in the absurdity of Michigan's court decisions on the issue. The revolution is based on some premises:
1. Cars are big-ticket items; they generate a good deal of money for manufacturers, sellers and for state revenue.
2. Car dealers are notorious for deceptive trade practices.
3. Under current Michigan law, essentially all business that require a state license are exempt from Michigan's consumer protection law--the only law the effectively protects against unfair and deceptive trade practices in Michigan.
4. Those businesses include things like barbers, hearing aid dealers, home builders, car dealers, banks, finance companies--really anyone you're likely to buy anything from.
5. Michigan law was fashioned this way because the Michigan Supreme Court is full of "conservative" activists who think it is better for business and that business will be attracted to the state. The legislature has failed to correct the Supreme Court for the same reason.
6. Ohio has really good consumer protection laws and court cases interpreting them.
7. It will get the courts' and the legislature's attention if a significant number of people who live in Michigan go to Ohio to buy their cars in order to get the protection of Ohio law because of the business and revenue loss that represents.
Thus, I am thinking of organizing, with the assistance of a number of new and used car dealers in Toledo and other consumer advocates, a huge set of excursions into Ohio--I'm talking charter buses--to bring people who want to buy cars out of Michigan. Call the press. Make clear that this is happening because consumers need to be able to rely on the protection of their state's laws. Document the whole thing. Write open letters to judges and politicians and send them the video.
Fuck yeah.
1. Cars are big-ticket items; they generate a good deal of money for manufacturers, sellers and for state revenue.
2. Car dealers are notorious for deceptive trade practices.
3. Under current Michigan law, essentially all business that require a state license are exempt from Michigan's consumer protection law--the only law the effectively protects against unfair and deceptive trade practices in Michigan.
4. Those businesses include things like barbers, hearing aid dealers, home builders, car dealers, banks, finance companies--really anyone you're likely to buy anything from.
5. Michigan law was fashioned this way because the Michigan Supreme Court is full of "conservative" activists who think it is better for business and that business will be attracted to the state. The legislature has failed to correct the Supreme Court for the same reason.
6. Ohio has really good consumer protection laws and court cases interpreting them.
7. It will get the courts' and the legislature's attention if a significant number of people who live in Michigan go to Ohio to buy their cars in order to get the protection of Ohio law because of the business and revenue loss that represents.
Thus, I am thinking of organizing, with the assistance of a number of new and used car dealers in Toledo and other consumer advocates, a huge set of excursions into Ohio--I'm talking charter buses--to bring people who want to buy cars out of Michigan. Call the press. Make clear that this is happening because consumers need to be able to rely on the protection of their state's laws. Document the whole thing. Write open letters to judges and politicians and send them the video.
Fuck yeah.