Saturday, January 24, 2009

Government Intervention

I can't help but notice that everytime our government gets involved, we the American public get screwed. I am thinking of all the fraud and waste that goes on with welfare. I am thinking of the fact that if you return unopened food to a store, IT MUST BE DESTROYED. I am thinking of the absolute waste of all things to do with the government. The way they have set up social security-let the young people of today pay for the old people of today and hope for the best. (I believe that may be a ponzy scheme as I understand it-pay off old investors with the money of new investors??) I don't have any faith it will still be in existence when I am old enough to receive it.

Basically, everything the government gets it sticky fingers on gets a little bit dirtier. Being a frugal person and also a person that has a bellyful of the overconsumption of Americans, I am in love with yard sales, thrift stores, consignment sales, etc. I believe the best way to reduce, reuse and recycle is to buy and sell your used or unwanted items.

But guess what? The government can't handle it. Instead of protecting us from China and their unfair, illegal lead practices, they want to cripple a whole section of American frugality. They might ultimately protect us from China but they will make sure we are very sorry it happened. This monstrosity will ultimately choke homeschoolers and I am not so sure that isn't what they are after in the first place. I shudder to think what this will do to my small town that has a thriving business of selling antiques. What will this do to them????

Read this:
"The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.
The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties. "

Is it just me or does that paragraph say two opposing things?? Can I sell it or not? Yes, I can sell it and nothing is required of me , but if I do sell something that doesn't meet the standards I will face civil and/or criminal penalties. That my friends is what you call a CATCH-22.

Please go to this blog and read the comment by Heather of beloved used books to find out what you can do.

AND...PLEASE DON'T push for government controlled health care. Can you just imagine all the hoops we would have to jump through to get anything done? How much wouldn't get done? Go ahead, ask someone who lives in Canada how they like it. Most of them cross the border.

Lawyers and politicians are trying to kill this country.

1 comment:

Jason, as himself said...

I just don't know. It's such a mess.