Consumer Alert was an American
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived from ...
which advocated on business and
consumer
A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...
issues. It was primarily funded by corporations.
It was founded in 1977 by Barbara A. Keating-Edh and
John Henry Sununu, who would later go on to become
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
(1983–1989) and
White House Chief of Staff during the
George H. W. Bush administration
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
.
The philosophy of Consumer Alert advocated free-market solutions to consumer dissatisfaction and promoted the belief that markets are best regulated by informed consumers. In the organization's opinion effective consumer advocacy must steadfastly oppose any actions by government or industry that limits competition within markets.
Consumer Alert considered itself a
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
opponent to the
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
political bent of mainstream consumer advocacy. Speaking of the legislation advocated by other
consumer organization
Consumer organizations are advocacy groups that seek to protect people from corporate abuse like unsafe products, predatory lending, false advertising, astroturfing and pollution.
Consumer Organizations may operate via protests, litigation, Adver ...
s Consumer Alert President Barbara A. Keating-Edh said:
The organization sued
anti-nuclear-power activists in attempts to make protesters pay for the police presence at demonstrations.
Consumer Alert was originally based in
Darien, Connecticut
Darien ( ) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under 13 square miles, it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast. It has the youngest population of any n ...
.
During much of its existence its offices were located in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
.
The organization published a bimonthly newsletter titled ''Consumer Comments'' with . Articles from some issues are available online at
TheFreeLibrary.com
''The Free Dictionary'' is an American online dictionary and encyclopedia that aggregates information from various sources.
Content
The site cross-references the contents of ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', the ...
.
In 1989 Sununu was succeeded as Chairman by
attorney William C. MacLeod who would later become director of the
Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
As of July 2010 the web-based organization registry of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) of Washington, DC, for the registration of Consumer Alert, Inc., file number 770925, shows status "revoked". The DCRA site defines "revoked" as: "An involuntary termination of charter or authority."
Consumer Alert has partially funded the Cooler Heads Coalition's website, globalwarming.org.
Financial Information
References
External links
* (domain expired after 2006-02-17)
* Barbara Keating-Edh
''Consumer Protection Legislation vs. Liberty''November 1981
Consumer Alertat
SourceWatch
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a progressive nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. CMD publishes ExposedbyCMD.org, SourceWatch.org, and ALECexposed.org.
History
CMD was founded in 1993 by progr ...
Consumer Alertat NovelGuide.com
{{Use mdy dates, date=September 2020
Consumer rights organizations
1977 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Defunct organizations based in Washington, D.C.
Charities based in Washington, D.C.
Organizations established in 1977