WASHINGTON (AFP) — Top Democratic lawmakers demanded Tuesday the resignation of the US consumer product safety chief and unveiled plans for stiffer enforcement laws after Halloween toys became the latest tainted made-in-China goods to be recalled.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi led her colleagues from the Democratic Party in calling on Nancy Nord, the chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), to quit amid more discoveries of tainted toys.
“I call on the president of the United States to ask for the resignation,” Pelosi told a news conference at Capitol Hill with other lawmakers by her side.
To drive home her message, she displayed a collection of tainted toys and particularly waved a colorful top, whose lead content was found to be 200 times higher than permitted under law.
Also Tuesday, the CPSC came under fire in a expert report for lack of staff — it has only one full-time toy tester — and capability in examining imported items.
Nord, an appointee of President George W. Bush, has stood firm against proposed legislation seeking to increase the agency’s authority and staff, double its budget and increase the maximum penalties for safety violations.
Her stand was largely in line with the broadly deregulatory approach of the Bush administration.
Okay, kids say it with me–the head of a government agency who doesn’t want more money and more staff? 
From The New York Times:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 — Over the objections of the Bush administration, a Senate committee unanimously adopted sweeping legislation on Tuesday that would extend the authority of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and sharply increase its budget and staff.
House and Senate Democrats also called for the resignation of the acting chairwoman of the agency, Nancy A. Nord, criticizing her for raising many of the same objections to the legislation that have been made by the manufacturers the agency regulates.
The bill would increase the maximum penalties for safety violations and make it easier for the government to make public reports of faulty products, protect industry whistle-blowers and prosecute executives of companies that willfully violate safety laws. It would ban lead in toys and give state prosecutors the authority to enforce federal consumer safety rules. Ms. Nord has objected to those and other provisions in the measure.
…snip…
The measure was sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Inouye, the Democrat of Hawaii who heads the committee, and Senator Mark Pryor, the Democrat of Arkansas who heads the consumer affairs subcommittee.
…snip…
The handful of Republicans who attended the Senate committee session on the bill Tuesday afternoon sat silently as the Democrats moved to adopt the measure. A coalition of business trade groups is hoping that its allies, particularly among the Republicans, will derail the measure as it heads to the Senate floor. Lawmakers in the House said they were preparing to consider similar legislation.
But, but, but, Nancy Nord, why would you object to having more staff to check toys that are poisoning innocent children? Oh! Here’s why:
Ms. Nord, a former lawyer at Eastman Kodak and a former official at the United States Chamber of Commerce, recently sent lawmakers letters attacking the legislation as unworkable and counterproductive, mirroring concerns raised by manufacturers. Those complaints have been rebutted by the agency’s Democratic commissioner, Thomas H. Moore, who generally supports the Senate bill.
…snip…
Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for Ms. Nord, said Ms. Nord did not have plans to resign.
…snip…
Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, said the president continued to support Ms. Nord.
Hey, Nancy! Don’t worry. If you ever lose your job over at the CPSC, maybe there is some room for you over at Health and Human Services, where you can deny kids SCHIP and kill them that way!
In the meantime, Nancy, Happy Halloween! 
HYSTERICAL RAISINS 
Christmas is coming, and I have no idea how many lists of crap I’m going to have to go through to find out just what, if anything I can get my little ones. The older ones aren’t quite so bad, they don’t put alot of stuff in their mouths and their interests tend to be less poisonous. But the little ones, nothing but worry to be found there….
gotta,
it has to be frightening to be shopping for babies and kids this holiday season. here’s a starting place. there are lots of links to toys that are lead-free and safe.
http://tinyurl.com/2x5gf3
there is a special place in hell for people who protect huge corporations’ bottom line instead of the lives of little children.
Thank you so much for the link, nonnie. I really appreciate it, it will help me make good selections.
I spoke to my youngest son tonight, who was following in the car and my daughter-in-law took the babies and some of their friend’s kids trick-or-treating. The babies were little CareBears. I can’t wait to see the pics.
Kisses to you nons. Thanks again for the help.
you are very welcome. they look like they have some very cute and educational toys. i usually get something for the little girl two doors down and the twin year-old boys next door. i think i will stick with books or maybe dvd’s.
Hey, girls! I’ve missed you!
One of the Bush administration slogans should be “Korporations Before Kids!”
I’ll probably stick to what Nonnie mentioned, video games, and “software,” such as clothes, cuddly blankets and pillows, and stuffed animals. Or, maybe I’ll just give money and let their PARENTS worry about it… Ha-ha!
Nonnie, nice work. I see you haven’t lost your touch while I’ve been gone! I especially like the last paragraph, and, of course, all the “doo-BADs” on the wreath. How “festive” can you get?
I love to give educational toys and games, and every kid gets at least one book. I’m also making things, too, I’ve got some nice warm blankets and homemade fuzzy toys in the works. My kids are particularly poor this year so I’m trying to get started early and get lots of goodies put together so that there will be a nice Christmas for all of them.
One tradition we’ve kept going is Christmas pajamas. My mother used to give us new flannel nightgowns for Christmas every year, which we got to open on Christmas Eve and wear that night. My kids basically demanded that I continue the tradition, so everyone gets good jammies every year. I’m glad they’re finally done breeding now, I have to save up all year to buy all the jammies and toys now….
nightowl!!
where have you been? i have been so worried about you!! do not disappear like that again!
with the scolding out of the way……
you have to be careful with clothing and stuffed animals and linens, too. unbelievable that it has come to the point where you might be poisoning your child when giving him/her presents. like i said before, special place in hell for those people.
i love traditions. while i don’t celebrate xmas, i love gifts that are traditional. a new pair of jammies can be fun when you don’t know what kind you are getting.
here’s an idea, gotta, if the kids are really broke. give the grandkids gift certificates from the supermarket as one gift, along with instructions that they are to plan a meal for the family, and they have to make up the shopping list for the meal. that way, the kids have fun with the planning (and maybe some quality time with mom and dad), and the whole family gets food. i love when you can take something practical and make it fun and even educational. just an idea.
And a fantastic idea it is! I will work on this and think about the most practical way to work it so that it’s fun and will stretch those dollars. Last year I gave one of the girls a full little girl sized cooking set, the kind of stuff that really works. My daughter-in-law has been wanting to use it for real with the girls, so I’ll try to work that into it.
You’re just full of great ideas. Wish you were closer to take you shopping with me….
if i must say so myself (and i must), i am very good at thinking up imaginative gifts. it’s a gift! 😆
my sisters and brother can wrack their brains trying to think of things to get for my mom. she never likes them, or, if she does like them, she can’t use them. however, she loves the presents that i get her. in fact, she told me that she wants the same exact slippers i got her last year. she wore them so much that they got worn out.
My reply to my scolding: Yes, “mother.” Snark…
Cool gift ideas!
I like giving picture frames, too. I can get them at Dollar Tree and quickly embellish them to fit the person and/or a special event portrayed in the photo. I can make them grownup or kiddie-style. Of course, this is only safe for older children. Recipients seem to love and use them.
nightowl, so sorry. your comment wound up with the spam, and i just saw it now and rescued it. i have no idea why some comments wind up there. the programming is very good about finding the real spammers (you don’t even want to see some of the shit in there! turns my stomach!), but once in a while, it flags completely innocuous comments. don’t feel like you are being picked on. i have had several comments wind up there, too.
i think just about anything with a personal touch is appreciated by the recipient. when people know that you put some actual time and thought into a gift, it makes it so much more special.
Hey, that’s OK. By now, I’ve learned that you usually find the comments eventually…
i almost missed this one. let me know if you post a comment and it doesn’t appear, and i will make a point of looking for it.
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