CPSIA - A Well Intentioned Law gone Awry OR Cloth DIapers and Slings to be deemed "Hazardous Waste"

Not many people are aware of this law, but it's going into effect on Feb. 10th. Congresses pushed this law through without any to do, they kept it "hush hush." The average American citizen has NO idea about what is happening. I've been spending months working tirelessly (okay, I wish...I'm VERY tired...staying up until 2am surfing the web informing people of this crap law, while tending to an infant, a toddler, and a preschooler who has to be at preschool at 8am has me VERY tired LOL) to get the word out that Congress, in an attempt to protect our children (because we as parents aren't capable of doing this ourselves, right???) ended up passing a law that is going to have DEVESTATING effects on our country. THOUSANDS of small businesses will be forced under due to crippling costs...and moms could end up in jail for making DIAPERS and SLINGS and DOLL CLOTHES if they don't comply or close up shop. So much for being able to buy your daughter a hand made doll outfit made in the USA by another mom...you're stuck buying what ever the big box companies decide is right for your little girl (like those Barbie clothes are SOOOO etifying, right?). Dress up clothes? Nope...can't get well-constructed dresses from a work from home mom, you're stuck with the cheap products that Matel et al, decide your daughter should wear for dress up...using inferior cheap fabrics. Want your son to have a toy car? Great! Just go down to wal-mart and buy the "Made In China" metal version...because you won't be able to find the hand crafted, lovingly sanded and painted by a grandfather supplementing his social security on etsy any more.

This bull crap law has my blood boiling so much I've been loosing sleep. I was planning on re-opening my cloth-diaper making business, but now that'll never happen. Anyway, here's some info on it. I'll add to the list of links as I find more. Here is how it's explained (it's impacts on Americans) on the handmadetoyalliance.org web site:

" * A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $300 - $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 cloth diapers to sell online 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."

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/legislation.html
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/cpsia-rant-blame-special-interest-groups/
"...I must admit there have been unsupported claims coming from “our” camp; specifically the repeated assertion that CPSIA will “decimate” the children’s products industry. The definition of decimate is to kill one in ten and CPSIA is a far more effective killer than that. You couldn’t even describe CPSIA as “deadly as plague” since that only killed 30%-50% of infected persons. Based on the results of the Economic Impact Survey I’ve conducted, over 70% of businesses say CPSIA represents the last nail in their coffin."
http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

There's a lot more out there, just search CPSIA and WAHM. People don't realize the implications this is going to have on every aspect of this economy. Honestly, it makes me sick to my stomach. How DARE the government dictate what I can and can not buy? How DARE the government tell me that I am too stupid to make a decision regarding what is and is not safe for my child? Despite everything else that has ever happened politically this is the first time I am truly wanting to move out of the US...b/c it's the first time that MY freedoms have been impacted so blatantly. I used to sew and sell cloth diapers. I was hoping to get back into it this year since I'm not in school anymore...you know, to pay off my student loans, etc. NOPE! THAT'S not going to happen. The government is telling me that not only am I not able to do that but I can't even sew slings or diapers as GIFTS!! This is the first time that my hands have been tied behind my back. I feel as though I'm tied to a chair and having the government slap me repeatedly. THIS is why I am a conservative...because I am SOOOOOOOO against big government. A big government has WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much power. Our government does plenty of things right...regardless of party (and I'll be the first to vote a liberal candidate if I felt that he'd help this country and reduce the size and power of this government...I just haven't found such a candidate yet...b/c that's the kind of change that "I" want!!!) but this is something that they are doing WAY wrong.

Okay, rante/tyrade over. You, as parents and Americans, need to be aware of this insane law and how it is going to effect you. You won't be able to re-sell your baby clothes/toys. The CPSC released a press release on Jan 8th stating that it'd be okay to, but they haven't changed the wording so until they do, selling baby clothes to a consignment shop, on ebay, or even in a yard sale is ILLEGAL! The costs of products is going to go up...in THIS economy. Yea..that's all we need...most Americans are barely getting by financially and they want to pass a law that INCREASES the products that most American buy.