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Consumer product safety act hurts cottage industries

In 2007, we saw a wave of recalls based on lead levels in children's toys made in China. Like many parents, I sought out alternatives for my child.

Since then, we have given him beautiful toys and clothing made by individuals and small companies, along with toys I made myself and hoped to someday sell. Unfortunately for U.S. craftspeople, the products we create will soon become illegal.

On Feb. 10, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will go into effect. In an ill-conceived response to the recalls, it requires expensive testing of all materials found in children's products.

Those big companies that made the lead-filled toys to begin with, who had them produced overseas at cut rates and who subsequently claimed no knowledge about how their toys came to be coated in toxic chemicals? They'll be just fine.

The stay-at-home moms and retired grandparents lovingly hand-making toys and clothing out of materials that already meet U.S. safety standards? In this horrible economy, they'll have to close shop because they cannot afford the testing fees.

Please contact your representatives and ask them to amend the CPSIA to include exemptions for small U.S. businesses.

There was no mistake about sign's intent

In a Jan. 24 letter about the "mission accomplished" banner ("Bush's banner had a narrow mission"), Lewis Young says, "Bush was obviously referring to the mission of the aircraft carrier." That's funny. In a Jan. 14 article about his last press conference, Bush himself says that hanging the sign was a "mistake."

Even if the sign was referring to the aircraft carrier, its position as a backdrop for his 2003 press conference implied that the war was the "mission accomplished." A mistake indeed.

Obama's character and vision won out

According to Tom Viets' letter of Jan. 25 ("The color of his skin eclipsed his character"), many people voted for Barack Obama because of his color rather than his character. I'm sure many people did. But millions of other Americans voted for him precisely because of his character -- and his vision.

According to Viets, we were all duped by Hollywood (as if anyone really cares who actors vote for), as well as the elite media and other elite types.

In my dictionary, the first definition for "elite" is: the best or most skilled members of a social group. Another meaning, a narrow and powerful clique, is something like the last administration -- delusionally elite, even monarchical, in its use of power.

Finally, Viets wrote that Obama has "extreme leftist" notions that could "force slavery upon its citizens." Considering the type of bondage we've had the last seven years, that remark was absurd. And if Viets believes the inauguration "was one of the lowest points in history," he is truly a sad person.

But I hope he hangs in there and gives our new president a chance. We've tried the conservative, militaristic, anti-progressive way, and look where it's brought us.

Let's hope Obama learns from his mistakes

President Obama is making predictable mistakes. He insisted Tim Geithner be treasury secretary because he was best qualified to fix our economic mess, so the gutless Senate confirmed his appointment. The problem is that Geithner is an admitted tax cheater, and there are reports that he may have contributed to our financial woes as former president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Does Geithner have the character to get things back on track?

Following through on his campaign promise, Obama ordered the closing of the camp at Guantánamo, without having a plan as to how the detainees were to be relocated. Alcatraz has been suggested, but that won't be acceptable for political reasons. Asking the military to solve the relocation issue would be a misuse of the armed forces. So what happens to the inmates when the lights go out?

We were warned that Obama's lack of executive experience would limit his ability to carry out his duties. What we are seeing from the White House is not change we can believe in, but missteps and confusion. As long as there is hope, we can hope that Obama will learn from his mistakes, sooner rather than later.

The Paine of today's economic crisis

Regarding the economic crisis:

In his pamphlet, "The Crisis," Thomas Paine said "These are the times that try men's souls."

Failed GOP should keep out of the way

Remember 2001? Back then, the incoming Bush administration inherited a record budget surplus. President Bush and the Republican-led Congress quickly disposed of this inheritance by passing massive tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited big corporations and the very rich.

Now, after eight years of egregious Republican misrule, the economy is in deep crisis. President Obama has proposed a stimulus package that, while it might be too modest, does include both tax cuts and significant government spending.

While the need for expeditious action is obvious, the knee-jerk response from the GOP leadership in Congress is to delay while they push for more tax cuts. So captivated are they by their own ideology that they are oblivious to the lessons of history and recent experience.

The Republicans had their go at running the country. Their policies -- massive deregulation and tax cuts catering to the greed of Wall Street and large corporations -- have brought us to the current state of affairs. If they cannot or will not adapt to this reality, the best they can do for the country and, in the long run, for their base constituency is to sit down, shut up and stay out of the way.

Reassessments in Pulaski are unreal

I have always jokingly stated that Dublin is the fastest growing town in Virginia, because it is doubling every day. But the reality is the value of our property doubles every time Pulaski County assesses the property. The only improvement that I did was put $20 worth of grass seed on the lawn. That's what I call a return on investment.

The total value of my home and property went up 24 percent, while inflation has not increased and the value of homes across the nation has dropped 15 percent. Some homes were appraised 33 percent higher, others 19 percent.

I believe they used Google Earth to assess my property, because my home is fuzzy looking on the screen. My assessment is fuzzy looking also. It does not reflect market conditions, nearby property values or common sense. The county understands this and states to all that we can have assessments reviewed, but not enough time is allocated for each and every citizen to go before the board to have it correctly done.

Disregard the new property assessment. Watch what the markets and economy do, then make correct property assessments with reasonable figures.

A tax dodger shouldn't be head of the treasury

Re: "Tim Geithner confirmed as treasury secretary," Jan. 27 news story:

I'm wondering if the news that I've been hearing about could be correct. Timothy Geithner did not pay taxes for several years until he felt like doing so and he is to be rewarded for this behavior by running the U.S. Treasury Department. This does not add up.