Please note that this law was signed BEFORE Obama takes office. On Jan 9, 8:20 am, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Travis > Subject: Is Feb. 10 financial doomsday for thousands? > Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, > > http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85542 > > *YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK > *Is Feb. 10 financial doomsday for thousands? > New law could force companies into ruin > ------------------------------ > Posted: January 08, 2009 > 12:13 am Eastern > > By Chelsea Schilling > (c) 2009 WorldNetDaily > > Jacobsen Books in Clinton, Wis. A new government regulation scheduled to > take effect next month has thousands of retailers, thrift stores and small > businesses<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85542#>worried > they will be forced to permanently close their doors – and destroy > their merchandise. > The law is expected to have such a devastating impact that Feb. 10 is now > unofficially known as "National Bankruptcy > Day<http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/>." > > Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of > 2008<http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf>, > or HR 4040, a retroactive rule mandating that all items sold for use by > children under 12 must be tested by an independent party for lead and > phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. > All untested items, regardless of lead content, are to be declared "banned > hazardous products.'' The CPSC has already determined the law applies to > every children's item on shelves, not just to items made beginning Feb. 10. > The regulations could force thousands of businesses – especially smaller > ones that cannot afford the cost of lead testing – to throw away truckloads > of children's clothing, books, toys, furniture and other children's items > and even force them to close their doors. > *Will Obama bring the end of prosperity? Get the book that shows how higher > taxes will doom the economy – if we let it > happen.*<http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=2511> > *Children's books* > Valerie Jacobsen and her husband, Paul, support their family of 13 by > selling literature at Jacobsen Books in Clinton, Wis. Her family has > contracts with local libraries to buy and sell overstocked books – an > arrangement that draws income for both parties. > However, Jacobsen told WND that lead testing is estimated to cost $100 to > $400 for each of her used children's books because she does not buy in bulk, > and each batch of merchandise is required to be tested. > "There's a big difference between me and Wal-Mart or Toys 'R' Us," she said. > "They'll have a batch of 50,000. Everything I have is a batch of one because > I don't know its history. I'm looking at a testing cost of about $1.2 > million. I would normally sell my full inventory of all children's products > for probably $15,000. So, it's effectively a ban." > > Valerie Jacobsen > The Consumer Product Safety Commission states that lead testing requirements > apply to children's books, cassettes and CDs, printed game boards, posters > and other printed goods used for children's education. While it does claim > some printing inks will be exempt, paper, cardboard, bindings, glues, > laminates and other inks are still subject to regulation and require > testing. > Jacobsen said that unless the new law is repealed or substantially modified, > it could devastate her family business. > "I don't want to stop selling children's books on Feb. 9," she said. "I need > that income. We provide a lot of reading for a lot of little kids. I went > into this business because I thought that books were good for children's > mental development. That opinion hasn't changed. And the government's ruling > is essentially saying they're hazardous for children's mental development > because they might contain lead. We just have no evidence that they do." > *Children's second-hand clothing* > Jacobsen said she often shops at second-hand stores for her 11 children > because she can buy quality clothing at low prices. > "Over the years I have always tried to make the most of our money, so we'll > go to Goodwill," she said. "To be honest, I'd rather go to Goodwill and get > a brand-name item that's hardly been worn and pay $3.99 for it than to go to > Wal-Mart and pay $13.99 for something that in six weeks from now is not > going to worth anything." > But now some thrift and consignment stores are in a panic over the new > regulation because it extends to children's clothing, shoes and other items > as well. > Cindy Retmier owns a consignment store called Jordan's Closet in El Dorado > Hills, Calif. She told KXTV News 10 that the law could close her business. > "[W]e've been passing kids clothing down for centuries," she said. "Now all > of sudden you can't do it because there might be too much lead in one item > out of a thousand? I mean it's ridiculous they've taken it to the extent > they've taken it right now." > > Goodwill > She estimates testing for each of her clothing articles to run between $300 > and $1,500. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it may consider > exempting clothing and toys made from natural materials such as wool or > wood, but paint and dyes on the products are still required to be tested. > "We only sell stuff for an average of $10 so, of course that doesn't make > sense," Ritmier said. > Even Goodwill Industries told the station it may be forced to stop selling > clothing and other children's items if testing is too expensive. The move > could affect consumers who donate items for tax write-offs if the stores are > not able to sell them. > "A huge hit for us and a huge hit for consumers that are trying to save a > dollar in this economy," Goodwill's Mark Klingler told KXTV. "We'll have to > analyze it. It may involve not selling if we can't realistically test > everything." > Likewise, Shauna Sloan, founder of the Salt Lake City-based Kid to Kid > Franchise, which sells used children's clothing in 75 stores across the > country, told the Los Angeles Times his business could end. > "We will have to lock our doors and file for bankruptcy," he said. > *Small toy businesses* > All children's toys and furniture also fall under strict requirements for > independent lead and phthalate testing. Some small toy businesses say lead > testing alone costs more than $4,000 per item – a price some say only large > companies like Mattel and Fisher Price can afford to pay. > "The only people who can do that now are the ones who actually put this > scare into effect and actually caused the problem," Amy Evan's, owner of > Baby's Boutique in Chico, Calif., told CBS' KHSL. > *Home-based and small businesses* > Shelsie Hall told KXTV she makes > hair<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85542#>bows > and jewelry for children and sells them online to support her family. > Now her small > business<http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85542#>is > threatened by the measure because those products must be tested. > "[M]y items sell for $4 to $10 and I make a lot of different things. So I > couldn't just test one; I would have to test every item," she said. > One blogger who identifies herself as "Tina" has a home-based business > making and selling cloth diapers online. She said a U.S. lab quoted a price > of $75 to test each component of her diapers. > "I have at least two different fabrics, thread, snaps and elastic in a > diaper," she wrote. "$375 to test each different combination of > fabrics/snaps/thread/size combinations? That is insane." > She continued, "I am but one of many micro-manufacturers who will be forced > to give up the American dream of owning my own business because of this > legislation." > Tina said retailers purchase inventory with loans secured by the value of > that inventory. > "What happens to these lenders and retailers when the value of that > inventory goes to zero?" she asked. "It is conceivable, at least to me, that > retailers will be the next group in front of Congress asking for a bailout." > > The act's broad wording could extend to children's items sold on eBay, > Craig's List, Amazon. Critics also say landfills will be hit hard if stores, > distributors and families simply throw their untested items away rather than > face prosecution. And new clothing, toys, furniture and books at large > retailers could become more expensive to cover third-party testing costs. > *Tentative exemptions* > While the Consumer Product Safety Commission administers the law, it may > only be changed by Congress. Some exemptions approved Tuesday by the > commission's two members, but not formally adopted, include the following: > > - Items with lead parts that a child cannot access; > - Clothing, toys and other goods made of natural materials such as cotton > and wood; and > - Electronics that are impossible to make without lead. > > But the tentative exemptions do little to reassure most businesses and > families who will be affected by the law. Final rules are not scheduled for > approval until after Feb. 10, when the rules take effect. > *Taking action* > Rep. Bobby Rush <http://www.house.gov/rush/zipauth.shtml>, D-Il., sponsored > the measure along with 106 co-sponsors. In the House of Representatives, 424 > members voted for the act, nine voted "present" and a single member voted > against it <http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/bills/h_r_4040/>– > Rep. > Ron Paul <http://www.house.gov/paul/contact.shtml>, R-Texas. > In the Senate, the totals were 89 for, eight "present" and three > against<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/2/votes/193/>– > Sens. Tom > Coburn<http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCo...>, > R-Okla., Jim > DeMint<http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home>, > R-S.C., and Jon Kyl <http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm>, R-Ariz. > President George Bush signed it into law on Aug. 14, 2008. > The measure raises the CPSC budget each year until 2015, at which time the > agency's budget would be $156 million. It also allows state attorneys > general to take civil action against those who violate the strict > regulations. > While some may continue to sell their children's products and disobey the > law, Jacobsen told WND she's not taking any chances at her bookstore. > "Would I ever get caught? Probably not," she said. "But they are talking > about $100,000 fines and jail terms of up to five years. I'm not comfortable > operating with that law on the books." > Instead, she said she will fight the measure and raise public awareness. > "I'm planning to put a chain across our children's department and put up a > sign that says, "Banned hazardous material,'" she said. "I'll ask my > customers as they come in to please write their > congressmen<https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml>, > call > senators<http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>and > get the word out there. I will tell them, 'I can let you in now,' but > four weeks from now, I won't be able to do that." > Jacobsen's plans don't stop there. > "I am going to go to my legislator's office, and I'm going to take my > children's books there," she said. "I'm going to ask him, 'Do you want me to > put these in the landfill? Do you want me to burn these?' What am I going to > do with them? I can't just warehouse them until they come to their senses." > > U.S. Capitol > She suggested the public begin writing and calling lawmakers and demanding > exemptions to the law. > "I think the whole thing should be trashed, personally," she said. "It was > so short-sighted. People who were doing the importing of lead are going to > be rewarded when little companies like mine go under. When you take > everything on a retailer's shelf and tell them they cannot sell it, that's > bankruptcy." > *Concerned individuals may contact > senators<http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>and > representatives <https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml> > and the Consumer > Product Safety Commission <http://www.cpsc.gov/about/contact.html>.* > > -- > *~@):~{> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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