Please read Part 1 and Part 2 of this article before reading this post.
Regulations as huge as this new CPSIA will also, of course have great ramifications on our economy in the broader sense, beyond just our own personal purchases, what is available and what kind of prices we have to pay. It will greatly increase our taxes.
Not only will all our own home ed supplies have to have certification, but so will those in the public schools, and we all pay for those. We all pay for those textbooks, and manipulatives, and games, and other supplies used by children at the public schools – and our public libraries. Now we also will be paying to have each of those tested. Will library sales be allowed to continue? Can they take that risk? But the question has been asked, will they be able to continue to lend untested books and children’s products? Are they “at risk” in doing so?
We also will all be paying for the increased staff at the CPSC, going up from 367 to 500 employees. We will also pay for the investigation and prosecution of any that don’t comply.
The measure raises the CPSC budget each year until 2015, at which time the agency’s budget would be $156 million. [The budget was $62/63 million last year.]
I’ve only noted a few of the implications of this really bad legislation. This will affect our lives far more than the general “economic slump” we’re in.
It will not directly affect our family ministry/ business personally. Our business has gone to all e-resources (download it, print it yourself products,) over the last few years. But it will greatly affect us as a family (and every family and person in America, whether they have children or not.) We buy a lot of used children’s products yearly – books, clothing, etc. And even more so, we buy many resources from small publishers/ producers. Those that the testing costs will be prohibitive to.
To the big companies that produce thousands, 10’s and 100’s of thousands of products at a time, having every “batch” tested may not be a big deal. What’s a few hundred or thousand dollars? (Although of course it will be passed on in the final cost of those items. And of course the cost will be passed on from those productions that didn’t pass the test, and had to be destroyed.)
To those who produce in small quantities the cost will be prohibitive. The testing would cost far more than the item, even a whole batch run, itself. Many of these small businesses are truly shoestring businesses. They don’t have huge stockpiles of inventory. The produce 20, 50, or 100 items at a time. Some 1 item at a time.
We will not only be unable to buy all the used things we are used to buying, but will pay higher prices for new items, to cover the testing costs (and “at risk” or “failed” inventory that can’t be sold.) We will not be able to recoup some of our investment of this year’s books, clothes, toys, etc. by selling them used to help pay for next year’s, unless we are willing to take the risk. As mentioned in Part 1, landfills will undoubtedly be hit extremely hard, as things are thrown away instead of taking the risk to “pass them on.” Or at least I keep hearing “landfills”, but really if these are “hazardous products” will we (individuals, businesses, schools, libraries, etc.) really be able to throw them away, or will they need to be disposed of by the “hazardous waste” businesses? Can you imagine the cost of that?!
Check back tomorrow for what you can do. For today, as always, continue to pray!
Go to Part 4.
For Me and My House ~ At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @ Me and My House ~ Discipleship for Life!
1 Thessalonians 5:23
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