Big Government

I consider myself to be in the loop for many things. I read a lot and try to stay informed on some of the more major issues that are going on in Washington. I did, however, miss this one until now:

A new government regulation scheduled to take effect next month has thousands of retailers, thrift stores and small businesses worried they will be forced to permanently close their doors – and destroy their merchandise.

The law is expected to have such a devastating impact that Feb. 10 is now unofficially known as "National Bankruptcy Day."

Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, or HR 4040, a retroactive rule mandating that all items sold for use by children under 12 must be tested by an independent party for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.

All untested items, regardless of lead content, are to be declared "banned hazardous products.'' The CPSC has already determined the law applies to every children's item on shelves, not just to items made beginning Feb. 10.

The regulations could force thousands of businesses – especially smaller ones that cannot afford the cost of lead testing – to throw away truckloads of children's clothing, books, toys, furniture and other children's items and even force them to close their doors.

What this means is that business like Goodwill, Children's Consignment Shops, SAHM who make children's products, and many other good business will all go out of business. Why? Because they cannot afford to have their items tested for lead. Why are we punishing Americans when we should be regulating what we get from China instead? I'm also sure that we can expect prices to go up, especially for the smaller businesses like Usborne Books and many of the homeschool resources that many of us use.

Read the whole article here