The Role of Government in the Realms of Consumerism and Entrepreneurship: A Case for the Health, Safety, and Financial Risks and Rewards for the American Taxpayer

By Fred Bedell, EdD

I have always been interested in the role government plays in our daily lives. All too often, the government is characterized in a negative light as being too large, too intrusive in state and local activities and too regulatory in corporative initiatives.

This book attempts to dispel these negative perceptions by offering specific examples regarding the health and safety of the American people, specifically in the areas of the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

In addition, we examine a little-known fact regarding the governments (taxpayers) money in technological innovations where the private sector reaps the rewards with little financial returns for the taxpayer. That reinforces one of the themes of this bookthe private sector is dependent on the public sector. In effect, it is a history lesson that needs attention.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514493205

Fred Bedell, EdD

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, during the 1940s and ’50s, got married, and moved to upstate New York. I became a teacher and worked in the White Plains Schools public school system during the 1950s and 1960s. During this period, I was elected to the post of deputy mayor of the Village of Ossining, New York. We then moved to Albany, New York, where I served as a public official in the New York State Division for Youth and the Department of Correctional Services, only to later return to White Plains as an assistant superintendent and then retired in that position. Oddly enough, during my retirement, I took a position as the director of the National Council on Disability in Washington, DC. I earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New York University and a doctorate of education from the University of Massachusetts. I have three children and six grandchildren and live with my wife of fifty-nine years, Gail, in Arizona. For more information, visit my website at delgpublishing.com.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Fred Bedell, EdD.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016907701

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5144-9322-9

                Softcover        978-1-5144-9321-2

                eBook             978-1-5144-9320-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 05/10/2016

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CONTENTS

Preface

Part I: Consumerism

Introduction

Section I: Great Deception

Chapter 1 Consumptive Society

Chapter 2 Psychology/Public Relations

Section II: Entertainment

Chapter 3 Sports

Chapter 4 National Parks

Section III: Manufacturing

Chapter 5 The Electric Car

Chapter 6 Counterfeiting Products

Section IV: Health

Chapter 7 Food

Chapter 8 Water

Chapter 9 Tobacco

Chapter 10 Global Warming (Climate Change)

Chapter 11 The Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare)

Summary of Part I

Part II: Entrepreneurship

Section V: Innovation

Chapter 12 Origins of the Internet

Chapter 13 Companies Benefiting from Government Funding

Chapter 14 Taxpayer Risks and Rewards

Summary of Part II

Conclusion

Glossary (List of Acronyms)

References

Acknowledgments

Summary

Other Publications by the Author

Nobody Rises to Low Expectations: An Educational Modality, Transforming Lives, Xlibris, LLC, 2014

Education Is Everybody's Business: A Case for a Business Model for Public Educational Services, Del G Publishing, Arizona, 2014

Consumerism in American Society and the Role of Government, Open Access Library Journal, November 2014

History with a View of Income Inequality and its Impact on the Social Fabric of the United States, self-Publication, Del G Publishing, 2013

Consumerism in American Society and the Role of Government, self-publication, Del G Publishing, 2013

Economic Injustice as the Understanding of the Existence of Two Americas---Wealth and Poverty, Open Journal of Political Science, July 14, 2013

History with a View of Income Inequality and its Impact on the Social Fabric of the United States, self-publication, Del G Publishing, July 2013

The Aftermath of De-Institutionalization: What's Next for Pins In N.Y. State, 3th edition, Intervention Skills Forum, NY State Division for Youth, Albany, New York

The Division for Youth: An Agency in Transition, Albany, New York.

Persons in Need of Supervision: A Study of the Origins and Controversies Surrounding the Status Offender Jurisdiction in New York State, unpublished dissertation, University of Massachusetts, 1984

New York State Division for Youth: Past and Present, the Forum, NY State Federation of Chapters of the Council for Exceptional Children, vol. 8, no.1, Spring 1982

Dedicated to all the hardworking Americans who seek justice, peace, health, and prosperity.

PREFACE

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN intrigued by radio and television commercials and slogans that were aimed at consumers to sell products and services. My readings of authors such as Edward Bernays (public relations) and Vance Packard (author) provided insights into public relations and propaganda directed at consumers. Today's contemporary issues, particularly those that apply to food, air, and our water supply, are critical for survival on this pl anet.

I decided to look at two main areas of consumer public interests that raised doubts about the private manipulative practices by producers and elected politicians; in addition, business and a large part of the population consider the government too large, intrusive, and dysfunctional, and as a consequence, it is viewed negatively. To address this issue, I will define government (institutions created to serve the public), its mission, its flaws, and its benefits to the public. Very little attention is paid to the taxpayer's dollars that is spent on research and innovation that businesses have utilized for their own ends, and the value derived is not commensurate with taxpayer investment.

In reality, one must accept the fact that the private is dependent on the public, which is one of the main themes in the book.

More importantly, I will point out how businesses reap the rewards of government interventions while the taxpayer receives little payouts and, in some cases, are put in the position of bailing out financial institutions, as witnessed by the great recession of 2008.

The book will be divided into two parts. Part I, Consumerism, is organized into four sections depicted as the great deception, entertainment, manufacturing, and health, with chapters detailing the issues and concerns relevant to each section.

Part II, Entrepreneurship, is composed of one section with three chapters, which depict the government initiatives in the field of technology innovations, utilizing taxpayer's dollars, which corporations harvest for product development with little rewards for the taxpayer.

(Part I was a book written in 2013 [self-publication]. Updates were added to reflect current issues and concerns in chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and chapter 6. A new chapter was added about counterfeiting products.)

I have come to consider myself as a consumer advocate, and I hope this book starts a conversation, particularly with policy makers as to the role of government in the realms of consumerism and entrepreneurship.

As always in research and writing articles, the writer searches for facts to reaffirm his or her beliefs. We take parts of