Nord Alert

The United Steelworkers of America are mounting an aggressive campaign to ensure product safety in our country. As part of this campaign they are providing, for the cost of shipping only, lead testing kits so people can make sure that the toys their children and grandchildren are using won't poison them. That's truly wonderful but…

Wait a minute. Isn't our government supposed to protect us from products which could kill us?

Not so says the Bush Administration!!! Nancy Nord, the acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is lobbying Congress to ask them not to expand the Commission's authority, increase its shrinking staff and enhance its budget. Worse yet, she opposes increasing the maximum penalty for safety violations. She doesn't want to make it easier for the government to make public reports of faulty products. And she doesn't want to protect industry whistle blowers or prosecute executives of companies who willfully violate the law. The Bush Administration is playing Pontius Pilate while exploding tires, lethal pet food, tainted toothpaste, and poisonous toys continue to make their way onto our store shelves and into our homes.