Visitors to the consumer fair could learn how to buy a used car, how to select health and life insurance policies and how to save on prescription medicines. They could also learn how to prevent identity theft, how to understand their telephone bill, and even how to choose between competing cable television systems.

Some Americans want their government to provide a lot of consumer protection information. And some expect their government to be strong in protecting people from dishonest business practices and tricky con-artists. They want information they can trust, and many believe that information provided by governments is unbiased and trustworthy.

State and national officials spoke at the consumer fair. Douglas Gansler is the top government lawyer in Maryland. He says consumers need the government’s protection from dishonest businesses.

DOUGLAS GANSLER: “By the very nature of capitalism, it’s free-flowing and unregulated. The problem is of course when you have a capitalist society you’re going to have people that take advantage of it, and take advantage of people. And there are some insidious people out there that will do these types of things and you have to capture them.”

John McCarthy is the elected State’s Attorney for Montgomery County. His job is fighting crime. He believes consumer fairs help people protect themselves.

JOHN MCCARTHY: “Public education is our greatest tool - arming people with knowledge about the ways in which common criminal enterprises have tried to take advantage of them.”