Identity Theft Hurts Pets, Consumers and Businesses

Regarding the FTC VS. Petco case? What is the FTC Thinking? Attacking victims of crimes? Outrageous attack on American Business. If this is any fore shadowing of things we can expect from the FTC in 2005?

Public Comment: “In the Matter of Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.; File No. 032 3221�

Dear Sirs, This letter was made of my own free will and I have not been prompted by another to take the time out of my schedule to write to you today.

As a former vendor of Petco Animal Supplies, I can tell you that unlike much of Corporate America, Petco pays their bills on time. They do not string out their vendors for 90-120 like so many other companies, who so often have corporate retained earnings yet fail to pay their bills on time. We are in the truck wash business among other services and our franchisees which have had the pleasure of washing concrete out front of their stores or their trucks have been quite very satisfied with the account. I can make this statement from personal knowledge and observations. Petco also supports no kill shelters and animal adoption, what a wonderful, wonderful thing to do, they do not have to do this. Petco is a great corporate citizen, because they care. Their employees are top notched and they truly care about our nation's pets. “Bear� who happens to be half Australian Shepard and half lab (smarter than most government workers at the Federal Trade Commission in my opinion); my dog has been quite happy with the suggestions of Petco employees on toys and healthy food. I am on the ‘South Beach Low-Carb Diet' and “Bear� has a special balanced diet and he has never been happier or looked better. Together on our mutual diets we are both looking very good these days.

Their employees go out of their way to help customers, consumers and their pets. They know “Bear� by name, while at Starbucks they only know my name. Petco truly represents what is good about American Business and Corporate America. We see that the Federal Trade Commission has dragged their corporate name thru the mud. The Federal Trade Commission has done this in their attempt to promote a policy of stiff enforcement of privacy rights and to stop identity theft. Yet they are making an example of another great, no, a truly great company in the process, when this problem is running ramped throughout the free world. The Federal Trade Commission is impotent at even slowing down the problem. I guess they will attack Viagra next?

I asked “Bear� while we were out jogging the other day, yes he is quite the canine athlete with his new diet, wow! Anyway I asked him what he thought about the Federal Trade Commission and he started growling and showing teeth, but “Bear� as you might have guessed is not a violent dog at all. Then I asked him what he thought about Petco? He tilted his head and wagged his tail, I thought he was going to turn around, run back home and wait by the cab of my truck to jump in so we could go to Petco. He understands Petco, he loves Petco as you know. “Bear� is a great judge of character. I asked him what he thought about Federal Trade Commission VS Petco, he growled and then wagged his tail and looked confused. Well so am I. “Bear� is right, why are you picking on Petco. Bear is very angry about this whole matter. I better not jog by the Federal Trade Commission building anymore because he is liable to do his thing on the FTC property or mark some of those thorny bushes out front. Luckily with this new Petco diet, it shouldn't be too bad as his digestive system is also working very efficiently, but “Bear� is quite upset at this attack on his favorite store and quite frankly I do not blame him, not one bit. Dogs love Petco and so do I !

May I remind the Federal Trade Commission that if they had worked closer with Microsoft in the beginning and allowed them to develop certain protocols on their operating system, then today there would be few able to send anonymous emails in the form of SPAM. Today I get 2000 SPAMs per day, meaning I have less time to spend jogging with “Bear�. The Federal Trade Commission has only just now been able to even define what SPAM is. The Federal Trade Commission has filed 64 for cases in vain in my opinion. Since they took up the SPAM problem my SPAM has gone up 3000%, which is an invasion of my privacy. Thanks for nothing guys. We should put “Bear� in charge of the SPAM issue, I bet he could take a bite out of SPAM, bet he could do a better job than the FTC. Today we see that International Terrorists are using phishing tactics to sucker citizens and consumers out of their hard earned money. Then use that same money to attack US citizens or US interests abroad.

If the FTC cannot stop this then they are part of the problem instead of the solution. Which team is the Federal Trade Commission on? I believe it is the Federal Trade Commission's fault that grandparents are having their identity stolen and their bank accounts drained thru this phishing technique, which the FTC has been unable to get a handle on. How easy it is for this agency to drag corporate names thru the mud when the Federal Trade Commission has nothing but mud on their face. “Bear' does not understand this mud on the face thing as he likes to bury stuff in the back yard so he is not as concerned as I am about it. “Bear� knows how to fish the right way, he was taught by his father “Sam� and his mother “Socks�. He loves to jump in the river and chase fish and sometimes catches them too, he does not expect anyone to give him a fish like the Federal Trade Commission.

The Federal Trade Commission is so quick to grandstand, send out press releases on the AP and Internet wire services to over 6500 media outlets every time they file a case. Many times before the company they are attacking has even received a copy of the bogus complaints. I believe that in the Federal Trade Commission's haste to promote themselves, they have stolen real capital from Petco. Brand Names are hard to build, it takes years, yet the Federal Trade Commission can attack and drag a brand name thru the gutter with a simple filing whether it has any basis or not, while the companies cannot fight back. Comment On Brand Building:

http://worldthinktank.net/wttbbs/index.php?s=a8b4ed30e0d9aad2bcc9eb07fcbf528c&showtopic=196

It is utter and pure extortion. I have personally met Federal Trade Commission investigators and prosecutors and I can tell you from a personal character stand point they do not hold a candle to the caliber of employees at Petco and I mean from the top of the corporate food chain to the store manager, from the frontline first week on the job employee team member to the people cleaning their trucks. Petco, their team and extended family care about the consumer, their customers and our pets. I am sure Petco even cares about you ‘dogs' at the Federal Trade Commission (I apologize to “Bear� for comparing his species with the FTC, that is not fair to him). Petco loves all animals no matter how ugly and mean spirited they are. (Personal Opinion – is that too: “RUFF!?!� for a sneaky little group within the FTC calling them selves ‘gray wolves'?).

I believe Petco has fixed this problem so that no one can hack into their system any longer. Isn't that the purpose of the rules? Why aren't we attacking the hackers or criminals? Why are we fining the company who has fallen victim to a crime? The reason is clear, it is because the Federal Trade Commission could care less about what is right, their only goal is to raise fees, collect fines and promote their bureaucracy, how sick, none of this makes any sense. If some one steals your car, the police are going to sue the owner because he left the window cracked an inch or two, while he went into the store, maybe the owner has a nice companion like “Bear� and is use to leaving it down a smidge? It is obvious that such an owner of a car will never make that mistake again, if his car gets stolen, why do we need a fine here? Please enlighten us your honorable clothes-less King, oh noble FTC, please tell us how this helps the consumer? Any fines will have to be made up by the company, thus passed onto the consumer. So you steal hard earned brand name and then the consumer pays more in the future? You want to tell “Bear� why I had to choose between the yellow ball and the red squeeze toy, instead of buying both? Yah, like he is going to understand why he can't have more. He is a smart dog for sure, but I think the FTC just doesn't get it.

Since the Federal Trade Commission has hurt Petco's brand name capital to the tune of not less than 10 million US dollars and it was a first and only offense, I believe the Federal Trade Commission should immediately pay Petco the 10 million dollars and attach a personal thank you for their great service to American Pets and their owners. I also believe the check should be cut and delivered now so they can decide which year they wish to put it on their books. You see my grandmother's best friend owns stock in Petco, some shares in the company. She is a consumer and your case and the way the Federal Trade Commission has presented it in the media has adversely affected the company and her stock dipped, you are hurting her investment in a solid company for no reason. This nice old lady has three cats and she loves Petco too. She has invested in Petco, because she knows it is a great company because she patronizes the store even on her modest fixed income. How dare the FTC hurt this nice old lady's nest egg, with some frivolous, hastily filed case which is not worth the paper it is written on. Mr. FTC, you have damaged the consumer once again. So tell us, what does Federal Trade Commission stand for? Forget The Consumer? Maybe you should change your name, after all your attacks are hurting company's hard earned reputations and consumers, whom you are sworn to protect?

I believe the Federal Trade Commission knew or should have known that this attack against a perfect corporate citizen has caused harm to pets and consumers. I always suspected the Federal Trade Commission as abusive to animals after all you have a statue of a half naked man on steroids trying to do God only knows what to a horse out front? Pathetic. Petco would never display such a tasteless statue degrading animals in front of any of their locations as they love animals. No, not in the way I suspect the Federal Trade Commission does? What exactly is that man in the statue trying to do maneuvering himself to the rear of the horse like that anyway?

http://www.hildenbrand.org/Pictures/Friends/Others/FTC_statue.jpg

Please do not answer that. I have had my suspicions all along. Scary stuff, I tell you if you tried to do that with “Bear� you would be very sorry, if he didn't get you, I would. You people may as well put a statue of Michael Jackson out front, with a little boy or a small child with a disrobed Catholic Priest? Is the Federal Trade Commission in Never-Never Land, can't you see that your attacks on 272 of the fortune 500 over the last couple decades, whom I might add employ about 22% of all Americans and account for 1/2 of our economy, which is what makes America great? Can't the Federal Trade Commission understand that a company or entrepreneur has made available every single thing you see everywhere you go in our great nation? Why would any government agency want to destroy a great company, providing choice and competition to help consumers get the quality products they desire at a fair price? Without Petco; America's pets would be like those in Afghanistan, Iraq or maybe Indonesia now after all the destruction from the Tsunami and Earthquake. Our pets would not be able to have the quality of life they enjoy in such a free country if it was not for Petco. Instead our best friends would be too skinny, malnourished and forced to play with sticks and dirt clods rather than squeaky toys and chewable squishy Frisbees.

The Federal Trade Commission knew or should have known that the reason companies get hacked go way back to the Federal Trade Commission's own incompetence, under the Clinton Administration. It was the Federal Trade Commission's weakness to be swayed by AOL and other competitors lobbying them to attack Microsoft; the clear market winner through superior products, better prices, strategic rollout and consumer choice. It was therefore the Federal Trade Commission's inability to provide proper guidance to the computer industry that caused these holes in IT software from second-rate vendors and quick fix patch-ware. Why is the Federal Trade Commission attacking companies and American interests, isn't that the goal of the murderous international terrorists? Why is the FTC using extortion tactics and mass media hysteria to prove self worth for the FTC's next year's budget? Why is it that the Federal Trade Commission has failed 8 times in the last ten years to get their budget in on time and correct? Why is the FTC providing loop holes for some telemarketing companies and then publishing my phone number on their website? Why is it that the Federal Trade Commission hurts American Company's Brand Names causing the loss of millions and millions of dollars per year without retribution? Why is it that the Federal Trade Commission will not look in the mirror and see what they are really doing to America and her most faithful employers and their ability to compete in World Markets? Why is the Federal Trade Commission thru extortion proving to companies that it is safer to outsource over seas or move their company HQ to other countries to prevent being hassled and attacked?

I think America, her consumers and our wonderful pets deserve some answers. After carefully reviewing this case: A.) I propose the fine be dismissed; B.) An apology be issued to Petco for Display in their stores and website and; C.) A check for 10 million dollars be sent immediately to Petco Corporate. It's time that the Federal Trade Commission stopped screwing around, grandstanding and attacking America's best companies. It is time that the fraud at the Federal Trade Commission stop here now. It is time for the FTC to use this New Year as a fresh start to come clean and play it straight, as the hypocrisy is unworthy of an agency with a history of Truth, Justice and the American Way.

God Bless America and God Bless her pets. In closing I would like to point out that of all the Government Agencies I have studied, in my professional opinion, there is no greater waste of tax payer's money or use of government resources then that of the Divisions within The United States of America's Justice Department's Federal Trade Commission. What a total embarrassment of such a great nation, built on the sweat, blood and tears of the entrepreneurs and capitalists. It is simply pathetic, how utterly despicable and disgusting!? The Federal Trade Commission ought to be ashamed of them selves. I am ashamed for them, “Bear� on the other hand wants to have nothing whatsoever to do with them and is angry at me for comparing his species with your agency.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs