CPSIA Article on Forbes.com

Here's another article about the CPSIA. This one is from Forbes! Isn't that a popular fancy-schmancy business magazine?

"it passed the Senate 89 to three and the House by 424 to one, with Ron Paul the lone dissenter"
I think it's kind of funny that Ron Paul was the one dissenter when this law got approved. I know my husband liked him for a reason!

Oh, and for anyone who hasn't heard, (from the Handmade Toy Alliance)...

"'Save Small Business from the CPSIA' is now one of the top ten ideas for change in America on change.org. These ideas were presented to President-elect Obama's change.gov/transition team at a press event in Washington DC this past Friday, January 16th. With 12,280 votes from supporters, our issue is now part of a campaign to increase national awareness of the lack of provisions for small business in HR4040, the CPSIA, and bring about positive changes to the law..."

More CPSIA Stuff...and deep thoughts

Yay! One of my local news stations (channel 8) did a story tonight on the CPSIA's impact on small business handmade toymakers...http://rochesterhomepage.net/ "new law could hurt handmade toymakers".

I sent an email to channel 13 a few weeks ago, but I'm glad at least one of the local stations decided to do a story on it!

I am #934 to vote on the petition on the Change.org site. ("This idea is currently in 8th Place and is in position to be part of the final 10 ideas presented at our event in Washington, DC ") I've gone back and forth on whether to actually vote. I don't usually put very much faith in the government (I try to rather pour most, if not all of my faith into God)...but if they started this, they need to fix it. It's a cause I care about...not to mention that it directly effects me.

I suppose whatever ends up happening is what God wants to happen, and He has a reason for it that ultimately works out "for the good of those who love Him".

I don't know whether I voted or not really matters...but it made me feel better for the time being. But I want to have enough faith to believe that maybe one prayer can be stronger than a million votes...

Politics naturally wars with faith...we end up putting our hope in men when we should put it fully in God.

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act may be death of independant toymakers...

Okay...this stinks.
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/12/consumer_safety_rules_could_dr.html

"Crafters are up in arms over a seemingly disastrous unintended consequence of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which will require lab certification that lead and phthalates are not present in toys or clothes -- sounds good, but crafters warn that this means that "a toymaker... who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA." The law takes effect on February 10th and the toymakers and small clothing designers are getting very worried indeed."

"For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of up to $4,000 per toy, will likely drive them out of business. And the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007.The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US."

Not sure what this could mean for me and my fledgling business making plush toys. I hope SOMEONE realizes how much this new Act SUCKS for independant crafters and makes some sort of amendment or clause or whatever before it goes into effect.

I just joined the Handmade Toy Alliance on Facebook and signed the petition. If you care about independant crafters and toymakers (like me!) you can go sign it too! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys

Cute Story & Politics...

I hate politics and can't wait until today is over and we can all get on with our lives without campaigns and mud-slinging commercials with the end tag of "I'm Joe Shmoe and I approve this message!"...and then everyone can start complaining about a whole new president and a whole new set of government officials. But I know that, regardless of who wins, God is in control and I don't have to worry.

Anyway...speaking of the election, here's a cute story via the CrankyPants Blog.

"Henry: Guess what? We got to vote in my class today!
Me: Cool! Who won?
Henry: Barack Obama got 11 votes and John McCain only got 3.
Me: Yeah? Who did you vote for?
Henry: Well, you could check Barack Obama or John McCain, but if you wanted someone different you could check 'Other'.
Me: Really? Did anyone write names in?
Henry: Well, I wanted 'other' to win. Guess who I want to win?
Me: Who?
Henry: YOU!
Me: Wow! That would be a really hard job.
Henry: Yeah. [pause] You have to just keep shaking everyone's hand. "

(http://crankypantsknits.blogspot.com/2008/11/politics.html)

I remember way back in the day when George Bush Sr. was being elected. I remember I actually called in to Nickelodeon's "Kid's Pick the President" to vote...and I voted for Bush because I liked the way he looked better than the other guy. I just thought he looked like a nicer person. But that's how you think as a little kid...you don't care about the deep issues, you're shallow...you base your vote on "that guy looks nicer". I wonder if that's why this kid's class majority voted for Obama...because he's young and smiles a lot and is just more "attractive" than McCain. I think this year's Nickelodeon Kids Pick the President's winner was Obama too.
Oh you shallow children...