Deadline to vote at change.org TODAY 5pm EST, January 15

[#1]

Hi everyone,

The issue "Save Small Business From the CPSIA" is currently at 6th place on Change.org
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia
and today is the last day to vote.

According to Change.org's website:
"On Friday we will present the top 10 ideas to the Obama administration at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. We'll then connect the winning ideas to leading nonprofits and launch a series of national advocacy campaigns to turn each idea into federal policy."

If you care about this issue, please head over to change.org and vote, and then email all your customers and friends and tell them to vote, too.

Thanks everyone!

[MooreMagnets]

finally got on and voted! still in 6th place!

[Former_Member]

I'm not sure I understand this issue. You want to manufacture hand-made stuff with lead and phthalates? Or you just want to be able to not test & label your goods? How do you do one without the other?
If your product is made from materials that are safe, isn't the product safe? I want to be sure the materials I use are safe - and not just children's products.
You do realize that if there's small-business 'loophole' every corporate attorney in the US is going to try to define their co. (or their contractors) as a small business in China. Most of our supplies & goods are coming from China & they have no regulations (on materials or child labor, etc). If I had a choice, I'd rather not buy anything made in China or from materials made in China. I have a toddler daughter & it's very scary what she (or I) could be exposed to without my knowledge.

[Former_Member]

artfulness,
You need to read all the threads explaining this issue. No one wants unsafe children's products. Perhaps you should learn more about the issue.

[Former_Member]

I didn't realize that I could vote 10 times - I got an email from them today reminding me to use all my votes. But I can't seem to get on the site. Must be very busy today. I'll try again later.

[LoblollyRidge]

i can use all my 10 votes on one issue? wow, i didn't know that either. somebody please, burst my bubble, cuz that can't be true, can it?

artfullness, we don't want to use supplies that contain phalates and lead in them, the issue is, phalates is a plastic softening agent, and not found in things that aren't plastic. lead isn't found in fabrics, wool, or wood. we already know our products are already safe, and this law would require us to spend thousands of dollars proving that.


that's what we're having issues with.

[Former_Member]

I voted! Call to all Etsians, get moving and save small businesses! It's of utmost priority that you vote! GO GO GO GO! http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

[Former_Member]

Just posted on my Facebook page.

[Art2ArtColorado]

marking...
i'm having trouble getting the page to load but i think it's my puter. will sign later for sure! thanks!

[Former_Member]

Is it just me? All I see is "click here to endorse this idea."
I don't see anywhere that says click here to vote NO!

Do you really think anyone bothers reading all the comments?
I don't. I think this will be crammed down our throats like it or not.

[samanthasartstudio]

I voted, and am currently blogging about this right now. I didn't find out about this until about a week ago, I wish I had known sooner and could have done more.

[Former_Member]

four times now I have tried to view the "ideas" page.
Keep getting errors.

So WHERE do you vote no?

[Former_Member]

artfulness
artfulness says:
I'm not sure I understand this issue. You want to manufacture hand-made stuff with lead and phthalates? Or you just want to be able to not test & label your goods? How do you do one without the other?
If your product is made from materials that are safe, isn't the product safe? I want to be sure the materials I use are safe - and not just children's products.
You do realize that if there's small-business 'loophole' every corporate attorney in the US is going to try to define their co. (or their contractors) as a small business in China. Most of our supplies & goods are coming from China & they have no regulations (on materials or child labor, etc). If I had a choice, I'd rather not buy anything made in China or from materials made in China. I have a toddler daughter & it's very scary what she (or I) could be exposed to without my knowledge.

*******************************************************
NO one is advocating for unsafe toys or trying to fly under the radar for safety. Who said we wanted to manufacture toys with lead? Did you read that somewhere? Because what I have read is that small businesses such as ours want a cost effective way to prove our products are safe, and as of right now there is not such an option.

I am talking about component testing at the manufacturer level for all supplies that go into handmade children's products.

Where is this loophole for small businesses you write about in you post? Is it on the CPSC hompage?

Please do not imply that we are against safety. This law is poorly written and will affect tens of thousands of stay-at-home moms and small businesses across the country, while the large toy manufacturers who outsourced to China (which resulted in lead based toys) will remain in business.

I too am a mother of small children and I resent the implication that I don't know the law written in it's current form or that I want free reign to make lead based toys for children.

[Former_Member]

dmollison says:
I am talking about component testing at the manufacturer level for all supplies that go into handmade children's products.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exactly what I was thinking.
1. Test, examine, what ever to ALL imports from anywhere.
2. Large companies should comply with testing, dating, coding etc etc...
3. Small businesses should be required to supply a list of suppliers for everything in the item in question. In other words, if I used brand X paint, then it's up to brand X paint company to certify their paint child safe. Not me!

Wouldn't that make sense?


I still cannot get the ideas page to load and still don't see any place to vote "reword this first."

Oh well. I have other things to do.

[judyelizabethsflock]

Vote! Vote! Vote!

[Former_Member]

it's moving so slow... i think there's a lot of voting going on all over the whole site.

last day rush... spread the word.

[Former_Member]

ArtmakersWorlds says:
dmollison says:
I am talking about component testing at the manufacturer level for all supplies that go into handmade children's products.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exactly what I was thinking.
1. Test, examine, what ever to ALL imports from anywhere.
2. Large companies should comply with testing, dating, coding etc etc...
3. Small businesses should be required to supply a list of suppliers for everything in the item in question. In other words, if I used brand X paint, then it's up to brand X paint company to certify their paint child safe. Not me!

Wouldn't that make sense?

*****************************************************

Word. :)

[Former_Member]

Trying to vote... it's currently not loading, but I'll keep trying!

[StudioYTE]

Can we vote more than once?

[judyelizabethsflock]

It states that you have 10 votes!

[Former_Member]

I think to vote on 10 different issues.... I voted!

[Former_Member]

voted again-different email addy:)
Keep it going!!!!

[Former_Member]

hopping this up....keep it moving

[Former_Member]

Please vote everyone:)

[ShiningLightJewelry]

I'm trying! I keep getting error messages on their website. They must be really busy today :) That's good!!!

[Former_Member]

trying to vote now