July 21, 2009

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By Product Safety Letter staff

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum, at a July 8 "all hands" staff meeting, signaled to CPSCers that she is not planning a confrontational relationship with regulated industry, but also that she takes their regulatory duties seriously. These indications came during a speech to assembled CPSC personnel – including Commissioners Nancy Nord and Thomas Moore – in which she stressed that she plans to focus her term on three goals: enforcement, openness, education.

On enforcement, and speaking about her early days as private-practice attorney working with clients who were dealing with new hazardous waste regulations, she explained:

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"I never found a client who came to me and said, 'How do we get around a law.' The thing they would say is, 'They’ve passed a new law. How are we going to comply with it?' That’s the number one thing industry wants. They want clear regulations, and they want to know how to comply."

On the other hand, Tenenbaum reassured staff that she supports their enforcement role, telling them:

"I believe in what you do. You need someone who will take all your hard work and will make sure that your work is enforced and that the decisions that we make collectively are enforced fairly and openly across the board."

On openness and cooperation with other stakeholders, Tenenbaum told agency staffers:

"We are always mindful that we are the executive branch and that we are here to carry out the laws that Congress passes, that Congress is our partner, and the president is our partner, and our fellow agencies are our partners, and that is why collaboration will be so important to me." …

… "If we keep working together, if we realize that all of us make up the collective strength of this commission and that all of the people who are out in the states right now or out in the field are our partners and they need clear direction as well, then we will accomplish great things in the time that I serve as chairman." …

… "I just met with [former Chairman] Hal Stratton. He was here and he shared his wisdom with me. And I’ve met with Commissioner Nord and she has done that, as well as Commissioner Moore. And you will see all of us work together in a collaborative way so that this agency does have open and transparent and collaborative operations."

As for education and advocacy, Tenenbaum told staffers:

"Last week … every time we turned around it seemed like we had a television show or a media event. That was important because when I am out there talking with the media, sharing what you have done as a staff and sharing our decisions, we can educate the public. I am amazed at how many people saw the fireworks news conference. Everywhere I went that really brought home that you have to be really careful this time of year and throughout the year with fireworks. I was on NBC News talking about the pool and spa safety act and said that we will not back down from these requirements and that we have to make sure that all public pools are complying with the law. Tomorrow [July 9] we’ll be talking about ATVs again on the media." …

… "We want to start using new media as much as possible … and even perhaps getting grants, maybe from the Gates foundation, so that we can create videos to send to schools so that they’re mindful all year long about safety."

She also addressed staff morale and cohesiveness, referring to her days as South Carolina's Superintendent of Education:

"The number one thing that I learned was one person cannot do it alone, that if all the divisions are strong and that we have good leaders that believe in the mission of this commission and who work every day to push things forward to get our work completed, then we will all be stronger for it, and that is why it is important we keep great talent here in this agency, that we’re competitive in terms of salary and stature with other federal agencies." …

… "We want to have regular meetings among the agency divisions so that we all know how we’re operating and that we share information. There are so many people here that have years of experience and we have to keep that wisdom and tap into that wisdom as we make decisions and move forward."

Near the closing of her speech to agency staffers, Tenenbaum said:

"There is a poem that I have always used when I describe why I went into public service and the reason I’ve spent my life as a child advocate …

I slept and dreamed that life was joy
I woke and found that life was duty
I acted and behold, duty was joy
[Rabindranath Tagore]

That’s what we’re here today to celebrate: the duty that we have … that is a joy in working at this commission, and, yes, I am one lucky political appointee … I’ve learned a new word since I’ve been here: Webe ‘Webe here before you came and webe here when you leave,’ and that is true. I have a four year appointment, and my only hope of all of you who’ve been here and I hope will be here when I leave is that after my four year term (and I may get reappointed, you never know what the future may bring) … you will look back and say, 'We all worked as a team. We made a difference, and we improved the quality of lives for the people of America.'"