SPEAK OUT to Bush; Get the Lead Out
Alright girls, its time to cruise past Oprah and Obama and put the pedal to the metal. We're heading to the House on this one. It's about time we actually heard from the Bush Administration regarding the lead toy recall. How long has it been since the first massive recall? June 14, 2007...roughly 78 days. 'Bout time Mr. President; our children are at stake here.
Interesting though that only when presidential candidates start "jumping on the bandwagon" and campaigning for increased pressure on China to ensure that products exported to the United States are safe like Republican Rudy Giuliani (right on Rudy!) does President Bush respond by asking US to SPEAK OUT and solve his problem. I guess he is getting tired of doing his job. (hmmm...maybe that was rude. I'll say it anyway.)
According to Reuters, the Bush Administration will conduct a meeting October 1 to hear our voice on how to "stem a wave of unsafe imports from China and other countries." What the hell does that mean? I'll have to call my foreign service brother to find out the exact wordage but I think it translates to: "Fix the FREAKIN' problem!"
The panel is head by the Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and includes officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the Food and Drug Administration, the Agriculture Department, and other various agencies not listed in the article. They will present two reports on their findings this fall.
Comments that we make will be included in the second report which will "set out specific actions the government can take to safeguard against perilous products."
As individuals we have already spoken out about these "perilous products" on our own blogs, through email, and at the swimming pools and playgrounds.
Now is the time to collect those comments and speak to the masses.
The objective is to "identify and recommend actions that government, industry and consumers involved in the production, distribution, regulation and use of imported products can take to promote the safety of such products."
To SPEAK OUT:
1. For all you DC gals, you can actually attend the meeting (register by emailing Erik Mettler at [email protected] by September 17). The public meeting will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, in the Jefferson Auditorium, South Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, D.C. 20250.
2. Register your comments regarding our current policies at either http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments or http://www.regulations.gov. All comments should be identified with Docket No. 2009N-0330.
3. You can also send written comments to Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061, Rockville, MD 20852 by October 1. All comments should be identified with Docket No. 2009N-0330.
4. You can will (we're begging you) write a post about this on your blog because you want your kids to be safe. You can will link back to this so that everyone else will know that we are doing SPEAKING OUT about this. You can will talk about this at the PTO meeting, the library, and the football games because we all know the pools are closed (thank goodness).
How can the government and companies better ensure the safety of imported food and other products? Or can they do it at all?
What are your suggestions?
What are the options for the US?
How do we protect our children and ourselves? Can we?
Similar Articles:
Lead Free Toy Companies
Get the Lead out of Child Care
Digging Deeper on 'da Lead
Fisher Price Lead Scandal, Toys Recalled
Thomas the Train Recall, is Obama the Cure?
SquarePants, LeadPants, SpongeBob Recall
Lead, Magnets, Hazardous Parts, Sweatshops, Suicide...Has the Toy Industry Really Come to This?
How did Lead Paint Get there in the First Place?
Are There Lead Free Toys in the US?
He'll be the Kid With the Home-Made Gift
This was originally posted on our siter site, Chicago Mom Blog. Thank you Marcie for putting this post and list together!
