I may have to close my business

I took this from a forum I frequent (The Babywearer) to alert everyone to some new legislation that it's in Congress that will put an end to a lot of small business owners in the baby field. If this legislation passes as is, I will have to close my business effective February 2009, as I will not be able to afford the costs the government is imposing on small business owners. Many other baby related businesses will be closing too, so this will also effect you as a consumer. You will not have the choice that you have now when looking for baby products. The products that are able to remain will cost more, as the companies will have a higher cost to produce those products. The government has made statements that acknowledge that this will be horrible for our economy, but they plan to proceed with this act anyhow. They don't care! Some are calling the day this policy goes into effect "National Bankruptcy Day." We all need to contact our representatives and express our concern. This needs to be rewritten or some exemptions need to be added in. I am totally for lead free toys and I did think that something needed to be done. I am a mother too and I don't want my teething baby sucking on contaminated toys. I just want them to do it in a way that doesn't kill businesses like mine that are not selling stuff like that (there is no lead in fabric!), even though my products are used for babies. Please get involved!




TBW Statement Opposing the Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act

There is little more important than keeping children safe. However, The Babywearer is gravely concerned about the impact of the pending Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act. We believe that if this Act is enforced, there will be serious economic consequences on the child/baby product industry, and specifically to manufacturers of babycarriers.

The Act would require ALL manfacturers - including small business owners who sew their products by hand and artisans who sell to help support their art - to submit each piece of their product for cost-prohibitive government-approved testing. Each component - buttons, threads, fabrics, padding, etc. would need to be tested. The cost and extent of this testing would be impossible for any small business to afford.

Thousands of small businesses will be forced to close. Consumers will have fewer products to choose from. In the babycarrier world, the only products that will remain will be ones those that are manufactured en masse - and are widely considered inferior to those made in smaller quantities.

The date that CPSIA is set to be enforced has already earned a nickname by many experts: "National Bankruptcy Day."

Please write to your Senators and Congressperson and express your concern about the CPSIA.

More information:
Petition- http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/economicimpactsofCPSIA/index.html

About the bill- http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/legislation.html

Read more about what's being dubbed National Bankruptcy Day here- http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/legislation.html