USA Today reports on the costs of CPSIA

Lead testing can be costly for mom and pop toy shops
USA Today's Money section profiles a family owned business that was booming with safe toys three years ago but now is struggling to keep its doors open because of CPSIA...

To the Class of 2010: Beware of the CPSIA

Successful entrepreneur Phebe Phillips was invited to speak at the Texas Women’s University Commencement in May and shared with the graduates how the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act has Forced her to close down her business...

Wally Olson at Overlawyered.com brought this story to my atention and I wanted to be sure to share it with you.

Click here to read Phebe Phillips' speech

Because Money Isn't Free...

Last week the Commission had to decide what we should do with $7.1 million of anticipated unspent funding for this year.

Every year every federal agency has money that’s been appropriated but is unable to use as budgeted for a variety of reasons: a staffer’s salary is appropriated, but that staffer hasn’t been hired yet; a project is completed early or is behind schedule; the costs of a project were lower than expected, etc. When that happens, the agency is confronted with thinking up new ways to spend the money, or it can give the funds back to the U.S. Treasury.

Here at the CPSC, we had $7.1 million allocated for purposes that no longer needed that much money. I thought this would be a good chance to do what most Americans would want every agency to do and give the unspent money back.

The federal debt is over $13 trillion and this year’s deficit will exceed $1.4 trillion. And while $7.1 million won’t make up the difference, if every agency started to do the same, we could start to restore a balanced budget.

Unfortunately, I lost the vote 4-1 and the Commission is finding other ways (of course) to spend the money. I’d be interested in your thoughts on this …

For my official statement, click here

Anyone noticing a pattern here?

I thought you may be interested in Hugh Hewitt's recent article, "Regulation costs jobs, slows growth" in the Washington Times...

Hugh Hewitt: Regulation costs jobs, slows growth

Survival of the fewest...

Why save a few and let the rest drown?

That’s what the Waxman proposal (CPSEA) would do since it only helps relieve some thrift stores and possibly ATVs and bikes from the burdensome costs of complying with the CPSIA.

It’s not that I disagree with relief for these few – but why not craft a proposal that fixes the problems with the CPSIA for everyone who makes safe products? One criteria in this proposal for granting relief is that it cause no “measureable adverse effect” on a child’s health. Well, of course. In reality, the only criteria that should ever matter when it comes to the CPSC regulating a consumer product is whether it poses a risk!

I don’t really want to beat up those getting relief, but I do want to point out the ridiculousness of letting off a few and not everyone. The fact is, if these children’s products were actually unsafe, there would be relief for no one.

Careful what you wish for!

Imagine my surprise when I logged into my personal Facebook account and the first item on my “news feed” was from my friends at the Handmade Toy Alliance encouraging people to call their Representative in support of the Waxman proposal to “fix” the CPSIA!

Even CPSC staff has expressed concern that the small batch provisions will require the Commission to approve any “alternative” test methods on a product by product, rule by rule, basis (How long will HTA members wait on the Commission for all these new regulations?)…and there’s a degree of uncertainty about what an alternative test could even mean (and will it “assure compliance”?) ...and of course, a majority of Commissioners likely will have to vote to approve each of these alternative test methods (can anyone read the tea leaves on those votes?)…

Turns out, it may not be the gift you were wishing for...

The clock is ticking....

Today the CPSC released the proposed rule for the notorious Public Database (aka the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database). I’m sorry to say that it was drafted exclusively by the Majority Party Members of the Commission with next to no input from the Minority Members. As a result, the draft rule is very one-sided in its treatment of accuracy, privacy, and usefulness concerns. Here is an unsolicited (though I believe correct) view that was published independently or you can click here to read my official statement.

The public now has 60 days to comment, so please do yourself a favor and examine this rule carefully! AND COMMENT!