Uh OH! Is the Government Going to Regulate Me Right Out of Business?

I am now more afraid than ever. First I heard of this FDA Globalization Act of 2008 and possibly implementing a large yearly registration fee and mounds of paperwork for all bath and beauty manufacturers. Now the "Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act" looks to regulate me right out of the Children's Clothing business. The following quote is take from the Handmade Toy Alliance

"For small American, Canadian, and European toy makers, however, the costs of mandatory testing will likely drive them out of business.

• A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
• A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
• A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
• And even the handful of larger toy makers 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.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust: Toys made in the US, Canada, and Europe. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US.

If this law had been applied to the food industry, every farmers market in the country would be forced to close while Kraft and Dole prospered."

Does the government really need to regulate what we are making right here in America when the problem products were mostly imports from Asia (mostly China)? Is the American government really that interested in putting me and thousands like me out of business only then have to pay welfare or some other government support program in order to supplement the income I am bringing into my household?

So what now? Medical expenses are almost 100% unreasonable, Health Insurance is almost completely unattainable, Prescription Medication is out of reach for many American's, food prices went up as a result of fuel cost increase - except fuel is now less than $1.50 a gal. here so when will they lower the food prices? NOW they are going to impose such expensive testing procedures and regulate all children's toys and clothing! How much will that increase the cost from the manufacturer (even if its not me) so that our children won't have clothes or toys?

And on that subject... are they going to send some sort of government official to confiscate all the toys and clothes that are in my child's possession? You know, the ones that were produced before this law? How will they deal with the resale shops, free-cycle, the toy swaps that so many parents are involved in, what about garage sales - lots of people sell toys, clothes and children's items right out of their own home... HOW DARE THEY BREAK THE LAW? (said with much sarcasm).

All we can do is spread the word, contact our government officials and express our outrage at this absolutely ridiculous waste of government time and money. There just HAS to be a better way to protect our children without implementing such a blanket law that makes absolutely no sense for the small businesses making Handmade, American Made products. Please, all my readers PLEASE take a few minutes and help us out!