Comments on: CPSIA Rant: Blame Special Interest Groups

By: Brenda Direen from American Canvas

Brenda Direen from American Canvas — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:48:33 +0000

Kathleen,

Thank you for investing your time so endlessly to this issue. It is such a shame that such a needed protection is so wrecklessly written. I for one will be so delighted when my clients and I are able to get back to our organic responsible business as usual w/o fear of retroactive fines.

By: Heather

Heather — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:42:53 +0000

Kathleen,
Since I assume that you are over the age of 12, I would like to make you a cape. And a scepter. (you can use it to ward off trolls). I think you’ll find your crown in heaven
Let me know if you decide to just start a new country where reason applies. *sigh* Is that our only hope at this point?
Don’t let the turkeys (or trolls) get you down.

By: Nicolas Martin

Nicolas Martin — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:56:33 +0000

The only “honorable” official involved with CPSIA is Ron Paul, the only member of congress who voted against it.

By: Janet Littlecrow

Janet Littlecrow — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:27 +0000

I come from an extensive background in Information Technology and communications, and would still be out there on the bleeding edge if lifelong health problems didn’t finally force me to leave life in the fast lane. From my contact & conversations with Kathleen and others in the industry, I know her to be highly intelligent, an expert in her industry and very sharp in business. I’d put her up against anyone I’ve ever worked with in the computer industry.

Go back and read history, the Depression didn’t last a decade because of the Stock Market crash of ‘29, it was caused by layer upon layer of mistakes by the government over a period of time. Back off, she knows what she’s talking about. We’re trying to prevent a train wreck here.

By: EJong

EJong — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:10:25 +0000

Eloquent and poignent- thanks Kathleen for all the work you are doing and advocating for appropriate and reasonable measures that will truly result in safer products.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:37:36 +0000

Michael, you have no idea what I think about how to manage a business in tough economic climes from reading on the blog, nor have you read the book (why did you bother to buy it) so you have NO idea what I think about the economy and I don’t know why you continue to presume that having failed to read any of this, that you presume you do. Moreover, just how many times do I have to say I do *not* think “this economy is at a normal bump in the road”? If you don’t respect me sufficiently to read what I’ve already published, why would I clamber after your approval or demands to write it again, just for you? How do I owe you something? You know, you’re in an enviable position. You can go back and read my oldest material from ten, twelve years ago and tell me how I’m wrong in today’s economy. But guess what? You can’t because I’m not, especially in a bad economy and also, I don’t think you even have the book anymore but in any event, there is little doubt you never read it.

I told you to go start your own blog and pillory me there for my failures. For now, I will continue to focus on CPSIA as it is an affect that can still be avoided and there is little I can do about the economy overall. Those designers who have read my book and follow the advice in it, will not have the same issues that the typical designer who hasn’t read it has. Again, if you’d ever read the book, you’d know that.

By: Eric H

Eric H — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:57:27 +0000

But Michael, if we're out of business on 10 February, what the hell difference does it matter what happens in the next few months? Also, I posted these links before, but you failed to respond to them: http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CONSUMER?cid=49 http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/BUSLOANS?cid=49 http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/REALLN?cid=49 http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/TOTBKCR?cid=49 Now there are more for you not to read: http://www.marginalrevolution.com/.a/6a00d8341c66b253ef010536bc6348970b-pi http://www.marginalrevolution.com/.a/6a00d8341c66b253ef010536bc63dd970b-pi http://www.marginalrevolution.com/.a/6a00d8341c66b253ef010536d3a3f9970c-pi from http://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/studies/recession_perspective/index.cfm Could it get worse? Sure. Could the deck chairs on the Titanic have been arranged nicer? Michael, you're a one-track troll. You got banned from the forum because of your comment in which you said, "I've tried to get behind the fight here, but I can't. I don't disagree with the legislation, partly because I think the reaction here is overblown (to say the least)." You tried and tried and tried to pick a fight on the issue for no good reason. Kathleen has no obligation to spend another 4 hours a day on *your* off-topic topic after spending 16 hours a day on a real, immediate, pressing, huge, dramatic, sweeping problem that will impact manufacturers, retailers, vendors, reps, and consumers, and that we might actually be able to do something about. The forum is for people who want to make sewn products, not for people who want to conduct pedantic rants on macroeconomics about which we can do nothing. Kathleen's book is about how to make good products efficiently (i.e. low total cost), and if you had actually *read* it after you bought it, you might have been able to make a useful contribution to the discussion instead of coming up with useless and uninformed suggestions like doing without hang-tags. Go take that to one of the unmanaged, free-for-all forums that are the internet equivalent to angry letters to the editor from one-topic cranks.

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:56:42 +0000

Kathleen,

Wow, no response from you via email, but this? Ok. My point, as I said before I was banned, is CPSIA is a minimal issue (at best) compared to the problems we face economically. You all seem to think that this economy is at a normal bump in the road, its not and its getting worse.

I sent the message in hopes that you might begin to focus a little more on the economy/business side of sewn products rather than CPSIA. Without an economy or ways to survive a horrible economy, CPSIA is irrelevant. I’ve been dismissed as a hack on the forum, but that does not make me wrong. We’ll see which matters more in the coming year; CPSIA or Economy.

By: Eric H

Eric H — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:42:27 +0000

Stu, perhaps we should give special-interests a name like those they use to marginalize us, say “Big Lobbying”?

Maura, I’m glad I’m not the only one who checked their “facts” and found that inconsistency.

By: Melissa McKeagney

Melissa McKeagney — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:28:21 +0000

SFriedburg, that is absolutely true about it not being politically expedient to attack the law in this way which is why Kathleen and many others have said that that is where our focus should be, and has been all along; trying to come up with a workable framework so that everyone can stay in business.

Kudos Kathleen, as usual your letter is right on the mark.