Read the nastygram I got from Rep Schakowsky

[Kathleen F.]

Hey all, this is a first. A letter written to me from a congresswoman with a personal dressing down. It's from Rep Schakowsky, congresswoman from IL. I'll refrain from comment just now (I'm on pain killers and want to word it just right) but suffice to say off the top of my head, I wasn't being irreverent, I am also outraged, I do not agree Nord is to blame and moreover, CPSIA would not have prevented these deaths. The applicable regs she cites have been on the books since when, the 70's? Lastly, I've garnered plenty of criticism in my own community for insisting on increased professionalism, that everyone should be following existing laws but they are not.

Mr. Fashion-Incubator's first comment was "oh good, we can count on being audited this year". Good thing we're honest and don't cheat on our taxes!

PLEASE DO NOT PRINT OR PUBLISH this letter. I think I deserve first dibs since it was sent to me.

[Shelagh]

That letter does nothing to address the impact this is having on innocent, conscientious manufacturers.

It's neither balanced nor helpful.

[Lisa DOWNTOWN JOEY]

WOW! I guess I don't connect the image with children who have died because of poorly-manufactured toys and strangulation (since drawstrings have been on the books for quite a while). The image you posted represents the failure of small clothing manufacturers, plain and simple.

While I am not saying the death of a child is in anyway lessened...but heck, one had nothing to do with the other. We want lead-free/low lead products...it's the 3rd testing that's killing us.

Honestly, I don't know how to respond.

[senecahart]

I agree with Lisa, I am speechless.

[Sue T.]

[Vicki P]

I am floored, speechless and PO'd!!! Good grief, what a load of crap.

(I have a lot of compassion for any child who lost their life due to any of the circumstances mentioned...and I am truly sorry for their families)
But for her to point to those incidences that they somehow related to apparel is ridiculous and crazy. You obviously hit a nerve with her somehow. Her narrow & uneducated view of this law shows how the stupid thing got voted in to begin with!!

I mean, I find it crazy that more kids have died & got sick from peanut butter and yet they aren't demanding go under nearly the screening as apparel.

[Guest]

No one wants children to be harmed but she doesn't address the problems with the law - that wasn't what the picture you had on your site was about. But interesting that they are following you and obviously the rest of us and this is what she chose to address. None of this Nancy Nord's fault, I think if I were her I would have left a long time ago rather then put up with this circus. They are using her as a scapegoat for a poorly written law.

Being located in the politically degenerate state of IL it doesn't surprise me too much. My letters and calls haven't been received well. I even contacted this rep that wrote you a letter. She never responded to me. When I asked my rep's office if they thought repeatedly testing the same lots of fabric was going to keep children safe, they just told me that yes I indeed had to test my fabric. They just want us to go away and stop bothering them.

[Tristan Benz]

Interesting take Sue T. - she is one of the cosponsors of the bill http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.04040:

[Guest]

Anyone want to say hi? ....she is receiving an award in Chicago later this month....

http://www.nwe-chicago.com/awards_breakfast_2009.html

[andrea]

Hey Kathleen:

It's been a long while since I posted, but have been watching this with the utmost attention. This letter is....well, I don't have words...but none of them are nice ones.

1. I have kiddos and want them to be safe, but I am also a parent...doing parenting like things. Parents raised children safely without regulations long before there was a public outcry for them. I am not saying that these particular parents were to blame, but come on. That was a low blow.

2. Small business is the back bone of our economy. I think you were well within your rights to show extreme imagery. What about all the kids that will go hungry because their mom had to stop being in business because law makers have no &#$@ clue about the free market and how it works. What about all the production, sales, design and support staff that would be out of work? To me, this whole thing is irresponsible and what's worse is they thought that they could just implement this right under our noses without a care who would bear the brunt.

3. Keep on doing what you're doing Kathleen. You've got their attention and our support. This letter proves that they are running scared and should be. Maybe we should hire you to go and lobby these people permanently.

Thank you for all you do. With friendship and affection...Andrea Baker.

[J C Sprowls]

She obviously misses the point.

The hardest part of forming a reply is citing the passages where you, effectively, illustrate the CPSIA is not only insufficient; but, that better standards already exist.

[Valerie Burner]

Remove images of tombstones from your websites, tone down your rhetoric?

Uh, whatever happened to the First Amendment? Did the CPSC take that away too?

Or was that just a good old-fashioned Congressional scolding?

Good thing you don't cheat on your taxes!

[Guest]

this is why those who penned the "Federalist Papers" used pseudo names and those that attended the Boston tea party dressed like Indians.

also Rep, Schakowsky sounds like she is repeating those special interest groups just like a trained parrot.

i would suggest that anyone residing in her district write her a friendly letter voicing your concerns about this law.... and have some crackers handy!

[Erika Rodiguez]

I currently have three items in our garage that were recalled.
1. A portable crib
2. A rubber duck
3. An exersaucer

I keep them in the garage because I cannot sell them, I cannot donate them and I am not ready to add to our landfill. I also keep them as reminders that I trusted the companies that produced these products to make safe products. I keep them as reminders of why I call my congressman, why I email and why I answer questions about my desire to keep my children safe because I am NOT in support of CPSIA as it stands.

What the CPSIA does for me as a consumer is prevent me from purchasing safe and affordable clothes and toys for my kids from companies that cannot afford the testing. As a parent whose first child was hospitalized her first week of life, I now know that the local quilting church club can no longer create blankets for the hospital for sick babies when they finally go home. Under CPSIA, I can no longer donate baby clothes that the babies have outgrown. I now have to throw them in the trash.

And if I want to support Kathleen by listening to her rhetoric and reading her blog and posting a picture of a tombstone, I will continue to support her and the idea that this law NEEDS to be better. Not altered, not amended, better.

And as far as finding a picture of a tombstone offensive; Jan needs to visit the survivors of the families that have been a victim of suicide and murder because they lost their livelihoods in this current economic crisis. It is only going to get worse. Jan needs to visit with business owners and tell them that there plight is not important enough or as heartbreaking to them. Jan needs to look a mother in the eye and explain to her why she cannot afford shirts and pants for her children because donations are now against the law. And then Jan can explain to me why I or anyone else does not have the right to voice concerns in the United States of America.

(Please excuse my rant. I am fed up with this law being about partisanship and casting blame. )

[Guest]

Wow.

About the same time I got a letter from Waxman's office including links to all the new CPSC postings and a letter by Schakowsky (addressed dear colleagues). Did this go to everyone who wrote to Waxman or members of the committee?