You're welcome, Ron. Ours was too and there are a few reasons...
The pull cable is very short and it turns 90 degrees. It's in an awkward place to pull, whether standing outside the bathroom, sitting on the can or wherever, you can't get a straight pull! And a gunked up waste valve blade will make it worse.
You can remove the waste valve, clean and lube the blade, lube the cable and it could help. You can't change the 90 degree cable run and the awkward location of the pull handle.
We love the new electric one! Without the cable, push the button and I can hear it open or close in just a second! Check my thread linked above if interested.