Sunday, October 4, 2009

CPSIA - Video Blog "Time is Running Out"

]Pardon the "weekend look".]

Posted by Rick Woldenberg, Chairman - Learning Resources Inc. at 8:25 PM
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8 comments:

e learning guy said...

wow... nice video... the insight that you presented is very helpful... now i have a better understanding of CPSIA

October 4, 2009 at 9:14 PM
Ben said...

One of the major problems, is that to those in charge, business is seen as the enemy to children's safety. Unwarrented as that is, until Congress get's pressure from outside the industry, I don't see them acting until many businesses are ruined. We need an effective way to bring our message to the general public.

We are also being drowned out by things like healthcare. Rockefeller can't hold a hearing if he's stuck dealing with Baucus's bill in Finance. I flipped on C-Span the other night and they were still there at 2 AM debating an amendment.

October 4, 2009 at 10:54 PM
Michael D. Shaw said...

Rick--

At some point, you are going to agree with me that massive civil disobedience needs to occur, forcing trials and then jury nullification. Either that, or finally create a large, grassroots PR buzz--and fast.

There are no other choices. Trying to figure out which products to eliminate is just slow suicide.

Your strategy of attempting to engage Congress--to the exclusion of attempting to drum up grassroots support, or engaging the "enemy" (consumer groups, PIRG, etc.)--was a loser from the get-go, and whoever proposed this to you could probably be successfully sued for malpractice.

The word in DC *always* was that Congress was never going to provide relief, notwithstanding the halfhearted efforts of your supposed friends.

For heaven's sake, this bill had over 100 co-sponsors! Did you really think that they would admit a mistake?

Your side has drastically failed in the PR battle, and given the fact that this law is so contrary to common sense, and we are at a point in our history when the approval rate for Congress is at an all-time low, this failure is inexplicable and tragic.

There are dozens upon dozens of regulations extant that are--or were--as bad as this one, but you can count on the fingers of one hand any of them that was re-tooled by Congress.

I know that many of you had faith in the system, but I hope you now realize that it was completely unwarranted.

Time to take off the gloves, folks.

October 5, 2009 at 7:39 AM
E Melander said...

I'm at a loss as to what to do. I have encouraged the ALA to do something. I've written my representatives multiple times -- meeting two in person. The only thing left is to vote the idiots out of office. I'm looking forward to 2010.

October 5, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Sebastian said...

I've written my senators and rep on this bill and pretty much gotten a form letter pat on the head in response.
I don't expect a hand written reply from by congressmen. But it would be nice if the replies addressed the topic of the original letter a little more closely.

October 5, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Anonymous said...

Ben, I don't have a business but I do have children and was able to attend the rally in DC.

I have written my "prospective interpretation" senator and got one letter but no reply to my questions about it. He had blatant lies in his letter about the CPSIA.

The local church closed the children's section of their thrift but no activism on their part.

The local toy store wouldn't talk to me when I wanted to know more about Selecta's pulling out of the market. They still say nothing about it but I wonder if they will have to start carrying Mattel toys instead of PlanToys and other niche market items.

We had big campaign to save Ohio libraries but not a peep about CPSIA. I think the SEIU librarians would be only too happy to promote only their viewpoint and let the old books go to the trash bin. Our local library hasn't had classic literature on the shelves for a couple years [talking Walter Scott and his ilk]. Have to be Progressive you know.

Rick has laid it out in his video. It's time for companies to put CPSIA on the front page of their websites and let customers know they will be forced to shutter the store after Christmas season is done.

We just had an office supply store [InkStop] announce Friday they closed all the stores and sent everyone home w/o their last paycheck. CPSIA will do the very same thing come Feb.

Businesses need to educate their customers or they will bear the brunt of the blame rather than Congress for the collapse of an industry. Newspapers aren't doing it.

It's a shame we have to live in such times. Our Republic started off so brightly and with such promise just a short 233 years ago. I am not looking forward to a Mattel Monopoly.

Barb

October 5, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Mars Feeney said...

Every parent should be up in arms about this law. This law is going to impoverish the creative and educational environments of children. The immense amount of money wasted by this law will ultimately result in less safe products rather than more safe. And the irrational fears engendered by this law are just sick. Our children are being taught to fear everything they touch, every business and every business person. This, of course, includes their parents. Nor can their parents be trusted to protect them from much of anything.

According to this law, only the government can protect them by massive certification and surveillance of business. And by frightening parents out of having garage sales.

Also, if this is what passes as critical thinking in our highest law making bodies how can we expect our children to learn good critical thinking skills. Our congress should be an example of clear thinking, common sense, and leadership. Instead they are showing themselves to be the befuddled followers of the sad and irrational fears of the consumer groups. And they don’t seem to care as long as the mass of their constituents are unaware of what’s going on. In other words they care more about votes than they do your children.

Most of us wouldn’t mind this law so much if it had a basis in reality. But it doesn’t. This law is premised on the assumption that trace amounts of lead in books pose real danger to children, that lead in the valve stems of bicycles is dangerous or that some lead in a component of a microscope for an eight year old is significantly dangerous, and on and on and on… This is patently ridiculous.

If Congress cared more about children than votes they would fix this right now. If they don’t have time to rework it they could simply admit their mistake and repeal it.

The road to hell is being paved by the pathological fears of consumer groups. And our Congress appears to be unable or unwilling to separate reality from fantasy. They need to regain the ability to evaluate evidence independently from the fear mongering of consumer groups or, FOR OUR CHILDRENS SAKE – not just our businesseses, we need to replace them.

October 5, 2009 at 11:51 AM
Anonymous said...

This is truly scary. Scary as a business and scary as a parent. These rules they are making are not protecting anyone. They are making parents scared and businesses go out of business. It's a real shame that this has to happen.

I can just see it now: This time next year we'll have underground operations of reputable crafters of childrens items selling on the black market. You know what-more power to them. CPSIA is sick!

October 5, 2009 at 2:22 PM

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