Mattel gets another CPSIA waiver

Via Hotair:

So let’s get this straight. Mattel buys millions of items from China that violate American product-safety laws and standards. Congress reacts by punishing the entire industry, especially those small businesses that can’t afford independent testing, especially on products that don’t really need it. Thrift stores can’t resell merchandise without testing, making their business model impossible and threatening the charities that rely on those sales. Meanwhile, the economy of scale means that this law gives Mattel a competitive advantage from their own malfeasance — and they get the waiver on independent testing?
Yesterday, we discussed crony capitalism. This is exactly what is meant. This is a perfect example of government picking winners and losers in the marketplace through legislation written to be sympathetic to big businesses, and an enforcement mechanism that favors the big players even beyond the legislation Congress passed. Mattel can push its smaller competitors out of business, or force them into buyouts, because they broke the law in the first place.

Take away points:  Increased regulation is NEVER a good thing for 'the little guy'.  It only benefits the big mega businesses and major corporations.   Democrats politicians are not your friends.  Republican politicians are not your friends.  Politicians are politicans, not friends.

Here is Rick Woldenberg's testimony, and he shares links to others as well.  Rick has been a valiant warrior on behalf of us all.  Rick is a friend, not a politician.  See also here and here for more evidence of the above points.

The CPSIA has a new definition of children's product.  You thought that was kind of obvious, didn't you?  Well, silly you.  There are colours commonly associated with childhood, and if you like them as a grown-up, too bad.  If the CPSIA deems that because of color or design a child would be likely to physically interact with a pen, that is probably a children's item.  I've yet to see a baby who does not wish to 'physically interact' with a pen (who writes this stuff?  Who thinks like this?)

In related Nanny State News- a county in CA just outlawed Happy Meals or any other toy giveaways associated with foods the county has deemed bad.  Because, you know, parents cannot make that call, the blithering idiots.  What's next?  No toys in Cracker Jacks?  No give-aways in cereal boxes?  No chocolate in Christmas stockings?

Walter Olson has an excellent summing up of the CPSIA to date, and the way that Henry Waxman has been operating as a bully and a petty demi-god.  Of all the politicians in Washington, I do think he is one of the most incompetent and irresponsible with the power he wields, and wield it he does, just because he can.  He is a horrible little man, just the sort of person about whom C.S. Lewis wrote:

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