Ag Commissioner Says Consumers Being "Screwed"
Texas consumers are “getting screwed” by unscrupulous businesses — everything from gas stations to pawn shops — because the cash-strapped Department of Agriculture has not been able to perform many of its basic regulatory functions, according to new Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
The department is supposed to check gas pumps for accuracy, verify that grocery store scanners work properly, attest that precious metal scales are producing accurate measures and even inspect taxicab meters to verify that people aren’t being overcharged.
But after the department saw its budget cut by about one-third in 2011, Miller said, it has struggled to keep up with its duties. He noted that the department will collect an estimated $7.8 million less in fees and income from self-supporting programs than hoped in the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years, and faces a huge backlog of work left over from his predecessor.
For example, there are nearly 2,000 cases involving suspected violations that haven’t been reviewed going back two years, according to department figures. Some $1.5 million in penalties that have been assessed has gone uncollected. And the agency has never once in its history inspected a taxicab meter, Miller said.
Read more: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/02/27/consumers-getting-screwed-says-new-ag-commissioner/
= new reply since forum marked as read
