Fisher Price Toy Recall - lead paint

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[LyricFox]

Fisher-Price recalling almost a million toys
Chinese vendor used paint with lead on items meant for preschoolers

WASHINGTON - Toy-maker Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079082/

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

GODS that's horrifying.  Thanks for posting the link.

Thank gods I haven't bought swuggy any of those toys.

[LyricFox]

GODS that's horrifying.  Thanks for posting the link.

Thank gods I haven't bought swuggy any of those toys.

**nods** I figured considering who the company was and what they made this one really needed to go in its own thread.

[loneash]

Fisher-Price recalling almost a million toys
Chinese vendor used paint with lead on items meant for preschoolers

WASHINGTON - Toy-maker Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079082/

If U.S. companies are going to have their products manufactured overseas, which seem to be the vast majority of US co. products, then they should be responcible for overseeing their producdion, not just checking sometime later, if at all.

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

If U.S. companies are going to have their products manufactured overseas, which seem to be the vast majority of US co. products, then they should be responcible for overseeing their producdion, not just checking sometime later, if at all.

I'm just grateful they DID check!  Imagine if they hadn't.

*shudder*

[Purplewitch]

Fisher-Price recalling almost a million toys
Chinese vendor used paint with lead on items meant for preschoolers

WASHINGTON - Toy-maker Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079082/

Well I for one am grateful to you for putting this up Lyric, even if Mattel's list wasn't accessible until today. At least it is now.

[Journey]

Fisher-Price recalling almost a million toys
Chinese vendor used paint with lead on items meant for preschoolers

WASHINGTON - Toy-maker Fisher-Price is recalling 83 types of toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079082/

Just makes me wonder how much toxic junk comes in that isn't caught - imported from companies that aren't as diligent as Mattel?    Reminds me of the lead in lunchboxes a couple of years ago.

On the up-side, this is finally shinning a spotlight on the true cost of outsourced manufacturing. Companies go overseas not just for cheap labor but because the other countries lack labor, safety, environmental, and hazardous substance laws. The few that do exist are eaisly circumvented.

About time America woke up. I guess even if you don't hear that tree falling in the forest, you do realize it fell when it hits you on the head.

[Guenthecat]

If U.S. companies are going to have their products manufactured overseas, which seem to be the vast majority of US co. products, then they should be responcible for overseeing their producdion, not just checking sometime later, if at all.

Yeah, I think that American companies would be a little stupid to continue being lax on their overseeing production in low cost countries.  They're beginning to not only be threatened by the small buying power of those of us who care, but now they're being threatened by health issues and money loss due to recalls.  And at this point, our own government should also be held a smidge responsible as well for not protecting us from here on out.  And it looks like Congress is at least making some sort of effort to Look like their thinking of doing something.  Lets just hope they follow through.

[Melamphoros]

And at this point, our own government should also be held a smidge responsible as well for not protecting us from here on out.  And it looks like Congress is at least making some sort of effort to Look like their thinking of doing something.  Lets just hope they follow through.

Yeah, but even if congress passes a bill, you know Bush would veto it.  He doesn't want to lose the support of all of the big businesses because those are pretty much the only ones who still like him.

[nigel]

Yeah, but even if congress passes a bill, you know Bush would veto it.  He doesn't want to lose the support of all of the big businesses because those are pretty much the only ones who still like him.

Yeah, but congress can override the veto. So if enough people came out in support of this and FORCE congress to deal with. Unfortunately a lot of people are not gonna come out and speak up about this and the government will continue to screw us over.

[Pyperlie]

Yeah, I think that American companies would be a little stupid to continue being lax on their overseeing production in low cost countries.  They're beginning to not only be threatened by the small buying power of those of us who care, but now they're being threatened by health issues and money loss due to recalls.  And at this point, our own government should also be held a smidge responsible as well for not protecting us from here on out.  And it looks like Congress is at least making some sort of effort to Look like their thinking of doing something.  Lets just hope they follow through.

I really don't think it'll matter, in the long run.  They'll make some token gesture or other to look like they give a damn, and keep on importing from China.  And people in this country will keep buying imports from China, because so much is made there it's almost impossible not to.  And if, by some miracle, people start showing some sense and trying to boycott Chinese-made products, and China loses profit over it, they can always either fake the labeling to pretend stuff was made in some other country (it's not like there's much risk of getting caught by imports inspectors  ), or dump a buncha treasury bonds to simultaneoulsy punish us and extort us into buying their crap again.  It wouldn't really look good to the world at large, but they have us over a barrel and we know it, and they know we (well, our gov't, anyway) know it.

IMO, the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, besides being one of my all-time favorite sci-fi series, is very instructive w/r/t metanational corporations and, by extension, our current macroeconomic crises and abusive relationship w/China.  When they beat us, we shouldn't be going back for more.   

[Guenthecat]

I really don't think it'll matter, in the long run.  They'll make some token gesture or other to look like they give a damn, and keep on importing from China.  And people in this country will keep buying imports from China, because so much is made there it's almost impossible not to.  And if, by some miracle, people start showing some sense and trying to boycott Chinese-made products, and China loses profit over it, they can always either fake the labeling to pretend stuff was made in some other country (it's not like there's much risk of getting caught by imports inspectors  ), or dump a buncha treasury bonds to simultaneoulsy punish us and extort us into buying their crap again.  It wouldn't really look good to the world at large, but they have us over a barrel and we know it, and they know we (well, our gov't, anyway) know it.

IMO, the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, besides being one of my all-time favorite sci-fi series, is very instructive w/r/t metanational corporations and, by extension, our current macroeconomic crises and abusive relationship w/China.  When they beat us, we shouldn't be going back for more.   

Today on Good Morning America, there was a pice about the toys and they talked about how our government wasn't allowed to test products until they were on the shelf.  I think this is Recidulous and should be changed.  Maybe now it will.  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/Story?id=3450852&page=2
This whole debacle has reportedly cost Mattell around $30 million.  I can't imagine that they are going to sweep the cause of that large amount of loss under the carpet.  Maybe I naieve, though.  However, what's not in that GMA article and video is something that the reporter said at the end.  The US may not be able to test these products due to time and money issues, but GMA IS going to test them.  So it'll be interesting to see what the test for and how the results come out.

[Celtee]

GODS that's horrifying.  Thanks for posting the link.

Thank gods I haven't bought swuggy any of those toys.

Makes me glad my kidlet is too old for those toys now.  Thank the Gods and Goddesses for that!

[Pyperlie]

This whole debacle has reportedly cost Mattell around $30 million.  I can't imagine that they are going to sweep the cause of that large amount of loss under the carpet.

$30 million is probably a drop in the bucket for a company as big as Mattel.  After all, they're the makers of Barbie and Hotwheels, and seem to have a merchandising contract w/Disney for all the toys to go w/Disney catoons and movies.  (Apparently, they also made Popples!)

They'll probably be P.O.'d on principle (dammit, that was money!), but it's not likely to hurt them much.

However, what's not in that GMA article and video is something that the reporter said at the end.  The US may not be able to test these products due to time and money issues, but GMA IS going to test them.  So it'll be interesting to see what the test for and how the results come out.

It will; however, when some kid cries for this toy or that in the store, the parents (in most cases) aren't likely to stop and see what country it comes from; they'll just buy the damn thing to shut the kid up.  Which, IMO, is the root cause of what's wrong w/kids today  , but I digress.

What's really messed up, and shows you either the stupidity or the willful ignorance of the average American, is how my coworkers reacted.  A lot of them have young children, and I thought it would be best to make sure they all knew about it.  And every last one of them told me that "we're poor, my kids don't get Fisher-Price."     I mean, I'd told them to begin w/it was lead paint from a Chinese toy factory.  The salient point to the whole damn story wasn't the fact that it was a Fisher-Price recall, it was the fact that toys that were made in China had lead paint.  If one is poor, and one's kids' toys are cheapo, then the odds are that much higher that they were made in China w/toxic products!

[Journey]

What's really messed up, and shows you either the stupidity or the willful ignorance of the average American, is how my coworkers reacted.  A lot of them have young children, and I thought it would be best to make sure they all knew about it.  And every last one of them told me that "we're poor, my kids don't get Fisher-Price."     I mean, I'd told them to begin w/it was lead paint from a Chinese toy factory.  The salient point to the whole damn story wasn't the fact that it was a Fisher-Price recall, it was the fact that toys that were made in China had lead paint.  If one is poor, and one's kids' toys are cheapo, then the odds are that much higher that they were made in China w/toxic products!

You are so right!

And it is not just the toys.

All the "cheap products" are way less likely to be tested. Toxins are everywhere and no one cares until Marie Antoinette (the Mattel consumer) finds a toxin in her cake!

The pet food recall was mainly off-brands, Wal-Mart brand acetaminophen was recalled, Dollar Store toothpaste was recalled - and these are just the ones that were caught!

The cheaper products use the cheapest ingredients, labor, paint, etc., possible.

The U.S. Gov. does NOT TEST imported products!  It is up to the manufacturers to do the testing. (The idea behind this is that no company would want to soil its reputation with tainted products)

But what about the direct imports?  Dollar Stores and the like are filled with junk (especially toys) direct from China (and other countries)  - these are NOT TESTED by anyone.

Wake up America! The poor are once again getting the short end of the stick.

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