A rally has been planned to protest Congressional stonewalling over CPSIA, taking place in Washington DC on April 1st. Your presence is requested. The is the brainchild of Rick Woldenberg who says:
I am pleased to announce that on April 1 there will finally be an opportunity to go to Capitol Hill to tell Congress directly about the terrible impact of the CPSIA on our lives and businesses. Having been repeatedly denied the opportunity to explore the issues created by the CPSIA in public hearings by both the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Small Business since December, we have elected to organize our own rally and open hearings for this purpose. This unprecedented event is a true demonstration of democracy at work – the People will not be denied their say in this vitally important matter. The date – April Fool’s Day – is ironic but the open hearing and rally are quite real and will be held on time with a full slate of speakers and a wide range of participants. This event will include support from numerous trade organizations and is expected to feature remarks by Members of Congress as well as scientists and representatives of various organizations affected by the legislation such as small businesses, libraries, charities and thrift stores. This event will also be open to the media.
Jennifer (Chapter One Organics) will be representing the Fashion-Incubator contingency but she’s going to need help so please contact her by email or phone at 312-860-1186 to volunteer or mention your participation. There are several ways you can signal your intent to join the event. You can leave a comment here, be sure to click “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail” under the comment box to be notified of updates. There’s the Facebook page, CPSIA-Ning and I’ve also created a thread in the forum (open to the public). A central planning site listing all activities and committees in charge of logistics (like accommodations) isn’t live yet but the URL is Amend the CPSIA (bookmark and check back later for content). However it is you sign up to come, be sure to drop Jennifer a mention so we can get a head count of F-I participants. Feel free to road trip and bring the kids to witness democracy in action. This event will be big, and include members of Congress!
Thank you Kathleen for all of your efforts.
Please anyone interested contact me if you have any questions! I hope to meet many of you in DC.
The stay on testing has been somewhat of a curse in that our efforts haven’t been as urgent. But the law is still alive and well. Because the wait-and-see approach hasn’t worked with this law so far we need to seize the moment and meet with our members of Congress face-to-face. Rick has given us an amazing opportunity to be heard. The event will be recorded for all to see – finally we get to share our stories without waiting for coverage.
Please join us and kids are welcome of course! We have been working on securing reduced hotel rates and should have that information available soon.
Jennifer
I have been asked by Steve Lamar at the AAFA to speak at the rally. I will be happy to participate. In the past, on 1-22-09 I submitted to the CPSC on behalf of the AAFA (see CPSC website), and contributed to publication interviews on this subject that include WSJ and Earnshaws. I work for a leading NY Children’s manufacturer. Thank you.
Anyone interested in attending please visit http://www.amendthecpsia.com!
Hello all. Just want to encourage you to reada blog post that really holds the CPSC’s feet to the fire when it comes to its refusal to issue exemptions to small enterprises. http://www.thepoptort.com/2009/03/true-lies-debunking-a-major-cpsia-myth.html
Snort. Pop Tort, why don’t you publish dissenting posts on YOUR blog? You call the idea that the CPSC says they cannot issue exemptions ‘abject hooey,’ but the abject hooey is your starting premise. They NEVER claimed they cannot issue ANY exemptions- their claim is that they cannot issue ALL the exemptions small businesses need- and we have seen this is the truth.
They exempted inventory, Congress had a fit, NRDC and Public Citizen sued, and they lost.
Waxman wrote them a letter peremptorily suggesting that they would NOT, OF COURSE, exempt books with metal parts (staples, ring binding), buttons, zippers, or snaps.
They cannot issue exemptions based on risk assessment- a common sense approach CONGRESS forbade in the bill. It doesn’t matter if nobody has ever been poisoned by lead ink in a book- they cannot issue exemptions by broad categories, and Congress agrees with them.
They cannot issue exemptions for mini-bikes because of lead in the tire stem valves, because of the way Congress wrote the law.
I think you know this, you just don’t care.
@Pop Tort,
It’s interesting that you would ask Kathleen for such a favor, given that a number of people have commented (correction: *attempted to comment*) on prior posts on your blog, only to have been ignored by virtue of their comments being left in the moderation queue (or deleted).
When level-headed comments are treated as such, it’s hard not to look at the blog as irrelevant and just another political blunderbuss that can be ignored.
Obviously, that goes counter to what blogs are about – discussion – and more importantly, it doesnt solve the problem we’re all trying to address: making the CPSIA scalable regardless of the size of the enterprise that it affects.
I see that you actually approved 2 comments today. Keep it up. Discussion is good when it goes both directions.
I have been to the Pop Tort site too. My comment was in the moderation queue then deleted. I think that says it all.
In the meantime, I thought of a new use for our bibs so our cotton bibs don’t have to be tested for phthalates, Baby Capes!
He has now published one of Kathleen’s comments out of context and invited a friend to comment on her comment.
The Pop Tort must be desperate for readers/traffic? I know I refuse to go back to the site – if you are going to manipulate words and/or not publish things – remove the comment section.
I wonder what other groups he is targeting. I am sure we aren’t the first.
Hello there Pop Tort! Did you get my email? I’m looking for someone to take the “pro” side of a blog debate on CPSIA, hosted at my blog. You would be able to have your views read by all of these people and more, without having to deal with the hassle of comments.
Details here: http://organicbabyfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/looking-for-debate-participants.html
Pop Tort, the problem is that testing is prohibitively expensive and some products that are perfectly safe for children will never be able to be proven “safe” according to the absurd, unworkable, and unscientific new definition.
Trust me, lawyers are combing this trying to find a way out for good businesses making safe products, but Congress didn’t leave one.
CPSIA hurts businesses, it hurts families, and–saddest of all–it hurts kids.
Pop Tort, I am puzzled by your blog entry. It sounds similar to the blog entries/articles posted by Consumers Union and US-Pirg. It’s easy to blame Nord, but it’s our representatives who deserve the blame for writing a bad law.