Has Anyone Mentioned

[marandydesigns]

in any of the letters that they are writing that maybe our gov't. should consider banning anything coming in from China for children under the age of 12 rather than punishing Americans for Chinese products?

[Former_Member]

A lot of things that come to this country are work that has been "farmed" out to china by american companies.
Chinese labor is much cheaper,and gives these companies a greater profit.

[Former_Member]

yeah, tough sell.

besides- american companies are failing lead tests, too. just ask smart mama:

http://www.thesmartmama.com/bg/

she's been doing lead compliance testing, and occasionally twitters out info about what passes and what fails.

one point she won't budge on: it isn't just china.

[Former_Member]

And not everything from China has lead in it. They have craftspeople and artists just like other countries do who hand make quality items.

[Former_Member]

a point well made.

[weirdbuglady]

I thought that the WHOLE POINT of this legislation was to play nicey-nice with China because they own us?

Because if they wanted to make an effective law that actually SOLVED THE PROBLEM they'd just put more intense supervision on the companies that do stuff overseas, obviously. But that would be "insulting".

[Former_Member]

ah, weirdbuglady - I was just going to say that! Well... something similar.

[bdoll]

i did say that these prohibitive costs of the tests would put most of us out of business and, ironically, the large foreign manufacturers like those in china (the reason this law was passed) will be the only ones who can afford to comply. only i said it in a less convoluted way, i swear!

[Former_Member]

We have to make nice w/China because if they call their loans, we are done! And that's for right now. Wait 'til this new trillion dollar "Bailout" goes thru. Then China owns our G'kids too.
Helene

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Right on Humbleseamstress. Where do people think that the Bailout money is coming from. Of course before too long, we will be like the people in China and willing to work for pennies, just to have some money coming in.

[Former_Member]

More than most probably the items that failed the lead testing by smartmama were items that were assembled by people that bought their supplies that were made in (probably) China that caused the items to fail.

I have learned using silver solder in my jewelry, unless it says lead-free, it will have lead in the solder.

Last summer I made and sold in town about two dozen fancy cuff earrings and I used silver solder. After I found out the problem with the lead last November, I contacted all the people who bought the cuff earring and either bought them back or traded for different style of earrings, I didn't want to take a chance with the earring having lead solder.

After all this stupid CPSC stuff, I can't help being a little Leary of China products.

I have also set aside all my older stuff that I had purchased from garage sales and thrift stores wondering if they are safe to keep making recycled stuff from.

I just can't help feeling bitter and a little betrayed by our government. There are already laws in place about dealing with lead, why don't they just enforce the laws that already exist. Instead of creating new half ass laws that end up messing with people who are trying to help themselves and their families to make a better living by crafting items to sell.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Well, they think they have to justify the big raises they voted in for themselves.