Activism CPSIA: MEDIA

[Guest]

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

They clarify that used children's items will not have to be certified lead or Phalate free for Thrift and Resale stores. They will need to not take in and sell items that MAY have lead in or on them, or face fines. Pay close attention to the recall list they say.

This is the Breaking News off the CPSC website: http://www.cpsc.gov/

[Dianne]

Printed on the front page(!!) of the Thurs, 1/8 edition of the St. Petersburg (FL) Times:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/article962020.ece

And then this was posted in their online "Breaking News" section on Thursday afternoon (after the CPSA clarification): http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/01/consumer-produc.html

[Guest]

here is at least some coverage and indication that people don't know about it

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/232317

[Frances Liebold]

Kirsten sells under the id of gocksfrocks on both eBay and Etsy:

New Law About Lead in Kids clothing

http://www.13wham.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=203654@video.wokr13.com&navCatId=5

[Kathleen F.]

Kirsten is a new member too!

Guest, thanks for posting this:
http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/232317

We're looking at ways that CPSIA interferes with people's religions in some way. We've got [url=//fashion-incubator.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4023]cultural genocide[/url], now we need God. heh.

[Kathleen F.]

Yeah! The CPSIA issue finally made the editorial page of WSJ. Not gated, go read it.

[Guest]

Wow, excellent editorial. Just posted a comment.

[Vesta]

I'm talking to Bloomberg.com today. I'll post if/when something shows up on the site. They've only briefly touched on the subject, to date:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a0Xr2Iw1Vi_8

[Vesta]

Yipes! I kind of went on a rant for 30 minutes. That poor man. I can say, however, that I ranted articulately and on-topic. About which I was worried. I laid the responsibility primarily at the feet of the CPSC for vindictive interpretation of the law, and got a good jab in at Waxman while I was at it. I'll post the link if/when it gets published. The writer is struggling a little with the esoteric nature of the whole brouhaha. I mean, the effects will be felt by consumers, but explaining how and why is not easy.

Also, Waxman is apparently having a meeting on Friday to explain the law to other legislators (?) since they are getting inundated with calls. If history is any guide, he'll probably talk about the intention of the law, with little or nothing intelligent or helpful to say about the actual law as finally written, or its interpretation by the CPSC. With much chaos ensuing when these people disperse and start spreading more myth-information to their constituents.

[SarahM]

Happy that this is making news.

However, in regard to bikes only having lead in their tires, a friend pointed out to me that children often touch the tires and then put their hands in their mouths. (One of her children has lead poisoning.)

[Vicki P]

I found this article posted on a Baltimore TV station's website.

http://www.wbaltv.com/consumeralert/18480926/detail.html

The reporter states that 100, yes 100 field investigators will be out on Feb 10th. Anyone else hear that? If the agency doesn't even know how to figure out the law to begin with, how on earth are they training 100 investigators? Sounds like more confusion thrown into the mix.

[Meg -LittleDickensDesigns]

I didn't see this link posted, but this is an on-camera interview with Julie Vallese

http://www.wbaltv.com/video/18479590/index.html

[Kathleen F.]

[Vesta]

Meg -LittleDickensDesigns wrote:

[Meg-LittleDickensDesigns]

Kathleen, I'm going to check that out when I get back home. I have to go coach my son's Odyssey of the Mind team right now.

Yeah, I love how she's basically suggesting they play a game of Russian Roulette with their business and "looking" at items.

In rather angry about her "mommy-blogger" comment. As a mother I'm personally offended at the implication that I'm 1) over-reacting and 2) don't know enough about this issue to make an informed opinion. For many months hand-crafters and small business owners have been trying to get their questions answered by the CPSC. The CPSC has given out conflicting information to different shop owners, and Vallese herself had to retract a statement made in a paper that "misquoted" her. But it's easy to see how stories all over the map are coming out about this. Additionally, I don't recall any on-camera interviews up until this one (which I believe is from this week). And the clarification about resale only came out on January 8. That seems a very long time to wait to issue a clarification about a piece of legislation that was passed in August and is only a month away from implementation. Bottom line, the CPSC itself has not been making a clear & consistent information. They themselves are partially to blame in stories getting more head than maybe they should have.