Add this to the list of why I hate politicians

This message was posted on my mom's group message board. I had no idea about this law being passed, so I'm helping others get informed. I can't believe how ridiculous this law is and how it couldn't come at a worse time as many of us buy used goods to save money during this economic headache. Ugh! I urge you all to write to your Congressman. The ones listed in the below message are for CO obviously. Sorry to send such bad news. Grrr!!!



I received this email today from my cousin who lives here in Denver. When I read the email I didnt believe it so I called Once Upon a Child here in Littleton and sure enough, this is true! The woman on the phone said that the government still doesnt really have a process in place on how to sell used kid stuff but it looks like they will have to send everything they receive to a facility that scans (clothes included!) for lead. If they come out clean, each peice of clothing and each toy will be labeled. I'm not sure how they are going to prevent people from selling things on Craigslist.
I dont know about you but just about everything I buy is used! I think their intentions were good but this law just doesnt seem realistic.
Here is the info:
Congress recently passed the CPSIA law, which is set to go into effect on Feb 10 of this year. This law will, in effect, shut down all second-hand sales of children's clothing, toys, or gear. This includes second hand stores (like Once Upon a Child, Childish Things, Salvation Army, etc) and sales on craigslist or ebay. This law will also prevent individuals from selling any handmade baby goods (toys, clothes, etc) without first going through lead testing, impacting many small businesses throughout the nation.
This law was passed quickly by Congress last year in response to all of the lead based, made-in-China toy recalls. Many stores/organizations are confused as to what the law actually means. The LA Times wrote a good article on this: http://www.latimes.co... Some secondhand stores are sending out information hoping that their patrons will write to their congressmen to call for the wording of the law to be changed before it goes into effect on Feb 10.
If you are concerned (as I am), and would like to contact you congressman, for convenience, I've included the text of the letter I'm sending. Copy/change at will!!
Dear
I am writing about the CPSIA Law. In theory this new law is a good idea, but it does not take into consideration the consequences it will have on all of us in these already financially trying times. I am new mom and have relied on secondhand goods from Ebay, Craigslist and local second hand stores to alleviate the financial burden of a new baby. Additionally, I was also planning to donate gently used baby goods to help other mothers in need. By restricting the sale of used baby goods, this law forces those of us who would donate to simply throw items away, an environmentally and socially unsound move. This law must be amended by NOT making the new lead requirement retroactive. I am also concerned that the new law will prevent individuals from selling handmade clothes and toys. I love shopping on sites like etsy.com, where you can find local, handmade clothing and toys for kids that are well made and unique! This law is putting these individuals at a huge disadvantage! We should have a choice in what our children wear and play with -- I do not believe that the American spirit is best achieved when all are forced to shop at large chain stores. Not to mention the impact this will have on the environment. I believe that the current CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys and other handmade items that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys, clothes, and other children's items will no longer be legal in the US. Please work to amend the CPSIA law.
Thank you,
(Your name)
Here is a list of people to contact:Member Name DC Phone DC FAX Electronic CorrespondenceSenator Ken Salazar (D- CO) 202-224-5852 202-228-5036 http://salazar.senate...Senator Mark Udall (D- CO) 202-224-5941 202-224-6471 Senator_Mark_Udall@markudall.senate.govRepresentative Diana DeGette (D - 01) 202-225-4431 202-225-5657 http://www.house.gov/...Representative Jared Polis (D - 02) 202-225-2161 202-226-7840 https://forms.house.g...Representative John Salazar (D - 03) 202-225-4761 202-226-9669 http://www.house.gov/...Representative Betsy Markey (D - 04) 202-225-4676 202-225-5870 https://forms.house.g...Representative Doug Lamborn (R - 05) 202-225-4422 202-226-2638 http://lamborn.house....Representative Mike Coffman (R - 06) 202-225-7882 202-226-4623 https://forms.house.g...Representative Ed Perlmutter (D - 07) 202-225-2645 202-225-5278 http://perlmutter.hou...

Here's some more info I found online. All I have to say is SERIOUSLY???

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in children's products, mandates third party testing and certification, and requires manufacturers of all goods for children under the age of 12, to permanently label each item with a date and batch number.All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational companies to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each item have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their systems to include batch labels. Small businesses however, will likely be driven out of business by the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of as much as $4,000 or more per item. And the few larger manufacturers 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.

Anyone who produces or sells any of the following new or used items will be required to comply with the law: toys, books, clothing, art, educational supplies, materials for the learning disabled, bicycles, and more. Any uncertified item intended for children under the age of 12 will be considered contraband after February 10, 2009. It will be illegal to sell or give these items away to charities, and the government will require their destruction or permanent disposal, resulting in millions of tons of unnecessary waste, and placing an enormous strain on our landfills.