Don't Count On Government To Protect You
They will overprotect you. For example, we've got an arm of government -- our elected idiots -- protecting people like my neighbor from earning a living (she makes kids' games out of organic cotton -- which now must undergo $16,000 in testing for lead in order for those games to do anything but take up space in her garage). And then, there are the parents she knows who make toys out of wool -- wool from the hippies' sheep, not wool from the lead mine -- who will be breaking the law unless they, too, invest $4,000 per product to test for lead.
Meanwhile...whoops, did the FDA overlook all the dirty needles? The AP says a North Carolina factory linked to hundreds of illnesses and five deaths went almost two years sans inspection -- despite complaints that their syringes were dirty or filled with colored particles:
Court documents in the North Carolina case show the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only inspected the AM2PAT Inc. plant in December 2007 after an outbreak of illness was reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Federal investigators contend that the company was so consumed with maximizing profits that it shipped syringes filled with saline and the blood-thinner heparin from a dingy facility without ensuring they were sterile. Authorities are now searching for the Chicago-based company's CEO Dushyant Patel, who was indicted last week. They believe he fled to his native India.
In 2007, before the outbreak of illness was traced back to the company's syringes, the FDA received more than a dozen reports of problems with AM2PAT's products. Some reported "orange specks" floating inside the unopened syringes, while others reported "yellow sediment" or "muddy brown" syringes filled with floating white specks.
It seems a little "buyer beware" would be in order, as well. Then again, maybe some of these syringes were used by elderly people who couldn't see well. (I just don't understand how you can look at a syringe with "orange specks" or "yellow sediment" or a "muddy brown" liquid inside and go, "Okay, time to shoot up!")
In other buyer beware news, I made my complaint to the Comptroller of the Currency on September 22, 2008, about my experience with Bank of America's "security" measures, and my investigation which seemed to show that their California consumer banking customers, and perhaps every one of their consumer banking customers in the country, is in increased danger of identity theft. It's now February 26, 2009. I made a complaint a few weeks ago to the Federal Reserve about how long the Comptroller is taking to deal with my complaint.
Think government's got your back? Think again.
"It seems a little "buyer beware" would be in order, as well. Then again, maybe some of these syringes were used by elderly people who couldn't see well." Who the hell self injects with saline other that to cure a hang over.
As far as the toy testing crap. First your buddy could to what this asshole did and just say she did the testing. There is a chance she could get audited but if every one certifies their products as lead free the feds can't audit them all, or even most of them. However if even a tiny fraction of those who lied about getting tested actually have lead in their product we are all fucked. The nervous nut parents will lobby for even harsher standards.
The problem I see is that most people will not learn to read legalieze which is bad. The laws of this country are written in this language and most people are too lazy to actually learn it. If more people either get books or take a legal jargon class this shit would happen much less. The stupid of this law could easily be ameliorated if one scientist/engineer and one lawyer got together over drinks and wrote up a logical counter argument that was both valid, understandable and well written. Unintended consequences is the reason that many laws have sub clauses, that's how the system works. The system only works if the citizens know what they are doing and how to do it. Even here. You don't like the law so do something to change it, don't wait and hope the feds or someone else will do it. This is why I hate most political think groups, they don't actually come up with solutions.
"I made a complaint a few weeks ago to the Federal Reserve about how long the Comptroller is taking to deal with my complaint. " Amy with all due respect are you kidding. The financial market has collapsed, there are crooks walking away with billions, hundreds thousands of people are losing their jobs and their money and your pissed because they won't quickly handle a BOA security screw up that in the end only cost Bank of America money, yes it cost you time and aggravation, if that got you paid all parents would be millionaires. This is the counting of coins while Rome burned scenario. Lets work on stopping us all getting fuck by financial company presidents then worry about nuisance issues. To put simply, would you rather get Bank of America a stern talking to (right now they won't do any more and you know it) or get those papers back up and running so you have money that you need to worry about where to put. Then go give some lowly bank manager a peptic ulcer.
vlad at February 26, 2009 6:48 AM
The problem isn't just the government -- it also originates from special interest groups that twist facts, logic, and assumptions into a pretzel and Gordian knots that is quickly legislated and takes years to undo.
By then the damage is done and its hard to get back.
Some examples off the top of my head:
Feel free to add to the list.
Jim P. at February 26, 2009 9:20 AM
The food pyramid (six servings of breads and cereals, ha ha ha ha ha).
Pirate Jo at February 26, 2009 2:48 PM
OT, sorry, but someone asked a while ago how Family Service cases get opened in CA. Acc. to this article, a complaint needs to be made. It appears that this may have happened in the Suleman case; or at least she is afraid it will.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090226/D96J0F0O0.html
kishke at February 26, 2009 3:01 PM
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