| Comment Number: | 522418-00870 |
| Received: | 6/5/2006 4:20:08 PM |
| Organization: | Independent Shaklee Distributor |
| Commenter: | Bonnie Hach |
| State: | IA |
| Subject: | Business Opportunity Rule |
| Title: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking |
| CFR Citation: | 16 CFR Part 437 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
Re: Business Opportunity Rule, R511993 Dear Sir or Madam: Please do not implement the proposed Business Opportunity Rule R511993 or a variation that might be similarly restrictive to my Independent Shaklee Distributorship. Being the FTC I am sure you believe in America’s Private Enterprise System, don’t you? Do you know that the human body is able to “prevent” many illnesses and in fact can destroy tumors, virus, and bacteria ; mend bone and skin injuries; and create HEALTHY newborns - when supplied with adequate nutrients, rest and appropriate exercise? Those two concepts are both resident in my business as a Shaklee Independent Distributor. My education is in nutrition and I’ve chosen to have my own business and to use and to recommend the Shaklee Corporation’s products to others for the following reasons: 1. Shaklee is a QUALITY company. Since it was founded over 50 years ago it has operated according to the Golden Rule and monitors its own products and procedures without coercion by the government - even surpassing government standards. 2. The medical community does NOT do an adequate job of educating the public about the ALTERNATIVES to taking drugs - or how to counteract the side-effects of drugs with nutrients. They are not educated in nutrition. - The public has been erroneously lead to believe that it is more dangerous to “take too many vitamins” than to be “over medicated”. 3. Shaklee, and many other Network Marketing Companies . . . - have been valuable sources of information about natural / non-pharmaceutical ways of retaining and regaining wellness - have been a source of HIGH quality products not generally available in chain- stores - the products are so different in quality and usage they are better represented by a one-on-one relationship - not readily available in clinics. - offer an affordable “free enterprise” opportunity - providing the average person a way to partially or fully pay for these products. Shaklee and many Network Marketing companies offer “the ordinary person” an opportunity to develop any size business - that can become their sole source of income or at least help them pay for products that ARE NOT covered by INSURANCE or HSA/MSAs. The average person is not likely to invest in nutrition as “preventative care” if they can not have a way to pay for it. ALSO - people like the “personal relationships” that are inherent in the Network Marketing industry - no one does well financially unless they are helping others do well - the Golden Rule. Instead of trying to micro-manage such home-based businesses that have a positive influence on our society / country, perhaps you could better serve us by better management of the mega-businesses like the pharmaceutical companies and THEIR products. You have seen the lists of “potential, dangerous side effects” of the drugs they produce; their accompanying price tags do more financial damage than Network Marketing companies can think of. OR - how about also creating rules so that the food industry can’t sell totally worthless foods - like sodas, potato chips, french fries, chemical soups loosely called ice cream - things that truly promote illness and hemorrhage of money from the public’s pockets. MORE GOVERNMENT IS NOT BETTER GOVERNMENT - it becomes a burden to its people. We don’t need a “police state” if businesses with high moral standards, such as the Shaklee Corporation and their Independent Distributors, are able to continue to positively influence the lives of the many people they touch. It is my observation and opinion that the rules that you propose are disproportionate to the “danger” that the Shaklee corporation, and in-home private-enterprise business such as this, may perpetrate upon individuals and society as a whole. DO NOT implement the proposed R511993, which will inhibit in-home businesses and wholesome private enterprises. Sincerely,