Posted on 03/17/2009 5:24:19 AM PDT by cc2k
Today's Outrage of the Day to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), for his refusal to hold hearings on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), legislation adopted last year (see this blog's prior coverage here and here) that has forced charities and thrift shops to toss out large volumes of used clothing and other goods, caused used bookstores to toss out children's books published before 1985, halted sales of dirt bikes, handmade toys and other children's goods, and more.
Congress adopted this law in apparent response to widespread reports of children ingesting dirt bike parts.
No, not really. Congress adopted adopted this law in part because it has no idea what it is doing (that's what happens when lawmakers vote on bills no one has read, coming from an ideological bias that the bigger government grows, the better we'll be), but that's no excuse for not revisiting the issue now that the truth is kicking many people in the teeth.
Every day this law remains unreformed, jobs get killed and books (some of which are irreplaceable) get tossed away.
You can tell that to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), though, chairman of the House Committee with jurisdiction, and he'll tell you he'll get to it later.
As Walter Olson put it on his Overlawyered blog:
...Waxman, for his part, has announced his intent to hold no hearing on the law until the Obama Administration installs a new chair at the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That serves the multiple functions of 1) stalling (while more small enterprises are driven out of business and thus are neutralized as political threats); 2) reinforcing the impression that the ball is in someone else’s court on addressing the law’s harms; 3) assisting in orchestrating whatever hearing is eventually held, since he expects an ally of his own to be installed as CPSC chair...So now, as Overlawyered reports it, ordinary citizens are now planning their own "people's hearing" on the matter, hoping through direct action to get some relief.
It shouldn't be necessary. Congress made a huge mistake. It should admit it, and fix it.
For more on this, visit Overlawyered's CPSIA tag.
Hat tip (as if you couldn't guess): http://overlawyered.com.
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Labels: Business, Congress, Government Power, Jobs, Regulation, Regulatory Victims
Posted by Amy Ridenour at 2:12 PM
There was a previous thread about the "motorsports" aspect of this law at "Motorsports industry blasted by new fed rule Tens of thousands of jobs at stake, activists worry ." Here's some links about the "unintended consequences" of this bad law:
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I thought it deserved its own thread.
Congress critters have so much staff you would think they could get something simple like this right
You all commented on the "Motorsports industry blasted by new fed rule Tens of thousands of jobs at stake, activists worry" thread. I thought you might be interested in this one.
Also check out http://overlawyered.com/2009/03/cpsia-getting-washingtons-attention/.
Consumers would be better protected if Waxman was required by law to wear nostril-muzzles to prevent children and small animals from being sucked up into his sinus when he takes a deep breath.
An important and informative post. Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, he had an interview with the CPSC Chair, Nancy Nord. They are still working to find out the actual cost to jobs and money. Anyone who wants to listen can do so here. Move the curser around to find the interview. show 6 . Friday March 13, 2009
Nancy Nord, Scott Johnson, Jeffrey Goldberg With Hugh Hewitt
03130901 Hewitt: Hour 1 - An interview with the CPSC Chair, Nancy Nord on the UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act.
7 . Friday March 13, 2009
CPSC Chair Nancy Nord With Hugh Hewitt
Hugh interviews Ms. Nord about the devastating unintended consequences of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/TalkRadio/Show.aspx?RadioShowID=5&ContentGuid=fb5b5906-2128-498e-8001-aa9a8d89eb52
It seems he turned up his nose at the idea.
No wait. He ALWAYS looks like that.
I always thought it better if he hung himself on a hook or something...The angle of the “recepticles” looked to be perfect for that activity...
This law threatens to kill our business.
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