Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sum Numbers
Here's what we've sewn since January 2009: January 380, February 621, March 576 for a total so far this year of 1,577 pieces donated to Greater Harrisburg Area Charities. We continue to be astounded with these numbers -- none of us know how we are doing it! And all of it with free fabric and notions. Please pray that the free fabric and notions keep coming in, that's what keeps us sewing! Thanks.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Meeting With Congressman Holden - More Details
Update on Lead Law: On March 23, 2009 the core group of Sewin' Sisters Sowing and the Founder of Sew For Peace met with Congressman Tim Holden and his District Director, Tim Smith. We found Congressman Holden to be unpretentious, easy to talk to, and very receptive to our concerns about the Lead Law. We proposed that the law be amended to include a "Good Samaritan" exemption so we'd be held "harmless" for giving clothes to poor children, and/or to purchase the lead testing "gun" for every county in PA so that the clothes can be tested for lead prior to being given away.
Congressman Holden has been working on making changes to this law, along with Congressmen Charles Dent, Jim Gerlach, Todd Russell Platts, Christopher Carney, and Joe Pitts. In January they sent a letter to the Lead Law Committee and Ranking Members, Henry Waxman, Joe Barton, Bobby Rush, and Ed Whitfield, stating their concerns about the financial impact of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act on Pennsylvanians. Their letter states, "In the throes of an increasingly painful economic recession, it is imperative that Congress works to help businesses operating in good faith comply with these new regulations -- a daunting process many family-owned and operated businesses have found difficult and expensive. These businesses want nothing more than to maintain production in compliance with these new regulations. However, particularly smaller operations are fearful the cost associated with achieving compliance may be too high to remain solvent. In light of this, we believe the Committee on Energy and Commerce should consider hosting a hearing on this matter as soon as possible to analyze the economic impact of the bill's implementation, and determine proper action for Congress to take to ensure the viability of local businesses and address the plight of the workers they employ." Congressman Holden also gave us a copy of a press release from the CPSC that says, "The scope of products covered by the new regulation and the amount of the inventory implicated went well beyond what many may have contemplated." "The agency placed the cost of lost business at well over $1 billion and said millions of products were likely sitting in warehouses to be destroyed. The agency is asking congress to allow risk-based assessments to prioritize the testing requirements in the law. Lead in a bicycle might be less dangerous than lead in children's jewelry that could be easily handled and ingested by a toddler, the agency points out."
What was especially interesting to us was that the impact this law has on charities had not been brought up to the Congressman before our visit. Congressman Holden said that if charities have to stop giving clothing, etc. to poor children because of this law, it makes it even more important that it be changed. We took props to the meeting to demonstrate how this law has prevented us from being able to legally sew pants for children since the law eliminates every possible way of holding the pants onto the childrens' bums. He took the baby pants and props with him, and said he would give them to Bobby Rush that very evening. I offered to testify to Congress on behalf of the charity sewers in our region. Our concerns were validated by the Congressman, who said though it's unlikely we would get prosecuted for giving poor children clothing that didn't strictly comply with the law, it is the law. We all felt like it was a productive meeting. I'll keep you posted . .
Congressman Holden has been working on making changes to this law, along with Congressmen Charles Dent, Jim Gerlach, Todd Russell Platts, Christopher Carney, and Joe Pitts. In January they sent a letter to the Lead Law Committee and Ranking Members, Henry Waxman, Joe Barton, Bobby Rush, and Ed Whitfield, stating their concerns about the financial impact of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act on Pennsylvanians. Their letter states, "In the throes of an increasingly painful economic recession, it is imperative that Congress works to help businesses operating in good faith comply with these new regulations -- a daunting process many family-owned and operated businesses have found difficult and expensive. These businesses want nothing more than to maintain production in compliance with these new regulations. However, particularly smaller operations are fearful the cost associated with achieving compliance may be too high to remain solvent. In light of this, we believe the Committee on Energy and Commerce should consider hosting a hearing on this matter as soon as possible to analyze the economic impact of the bill's implementation, and determine proper action for Congress to take to ensure the viability of local businesses and address the plight of the workers they employ." Congressman Holden also gave us a copy of a press release from the CPSC that says, "The scope of products covered by the new regulation and the amount of the inventory implicated went well beyond what many may have contemplated." "The agency placed the cost of lost business at well over $1 billion and said millions of products were likely sitting in warehouses to be destroyed. The agency is asking congress to allow risk-based assessments to prioritize the testing requirements in the law. Lead in a bicycle might be less dangerous than lead in children's jewelry that could be easily handled and ingested by a toddler, the agency points out."
What was especially interesting to us was that the impact this law has on charities had not been brought up to the Congressman before our visit. Congressman Holden said that if charities have to stop giving clothing, etc. to poor children because of this law, it makes it even more important that it be changed. We took props to the meeting to demonstrate how this law has prevented us from being able to legally sew pants for children since the law eliminates every possible way of holding the pants onto the childrens' bums. He took the baby pants and props with him, and said he would give them to Bobby Rush that very evening. I offered to testify to Congress on behalf of the charity sewers in our region. Our concerns were validated by the Congressman, who said though it's unlikely we would get prosecuted for giving poor children clothing that didn't strictly comply with the law, it is the law. We all felt like it was a productive meeting. I'll keep you posted . .
Friday, March 27, 2009
A Visit to Congressman Holden's Office
On Monday March 23 we were granted an audience with Congressman Holden! Hurray!
He granted us nearly thirty minutes to discuss with him the repercussions of HR 4040, or CPSIA (the lead law). It became clear that legislators had no idea what they were voting into law when they signed this. They thought, most likely, that they were putting an end to all of the toys which came to us from China with high lead levels. In reality, they just about wiped out an entire industry. He assured us that they are now aware of the problem and will be taking a look at how they can deal with this somehow. But in the meantime, it's business as usual.
He granted us nearly thirty minutes to discuss with him the repercussions of HR 4040, or CPSIA (the lead law). It became clear that legislators had no idea what they were voting into law when they signed this. They thought, most likely, that they were putting an end to all of the toys which came to us from China with high lead levels. In reality, they just about wiped out an entire industry. He assured us that they are now aware of the problem and will be taking a look at how they can deal with this somehow. But in the meantime, it's business as usual.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
My Letter to Congressman Holden
March 5, 2009
Congressman Tim Holden
SRBC Office Building
1721 North Front Street
Suite 106
Harrisburg, PA 17102
Dear Congressman Holden:
I received the package from you today. That was fast! Thank you.
I have read the “NEWS from CPSC.” On page 1 it says that CPSC will “not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing, or selling” and the 1st bullet says, “a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as wood, cotton, wool, etc.” Sir, there is no way we can determine that fabric does or does not contain synthetic fibers such as polyester or lycra, unless it is labeled as such on the fabric itself. Even fabrics that say on the bolt that they are 100% cotton, sometimes are NOT 100% cotton. Also, it is common practice in fabric stores to put fabric on bolts other than the original bolt the fabric came on. Again, this makes it impossible to determine the true fabric content. The only "natural" material we could sew with to adhere to this law is 100% cotton (forget wool – no child wants to wear wool) and there is no way for charity sewers to be certain that any fabric is 100% cotton.
Additionally, most charity sewers use fabric that has been donated to them. There is no practical way for us to test the fabrics for either lead or synthetic fibers. We could rent the “gun” to check for lead if we had $400.00 a day to pay for it. We do not.
Further, we cannot use elastic because it is not 100% cotton and contains materials that are not “natural.” There is no elastic on the market that is 100% cotton. Therefore, we cannot make children’s pants since there is no way to hold them up without using elastic or other fasteners. We cannot use Velcro to hold children’s pants up because it is a synthetic, not 100% cotton. There is no 100% cotton Velcro on the market. Drawstrings can be considered a choking hazard, so we can’t use them, either.
“The Commission generally will not prosecute someone for making, selling, or distributing items in these categories even if it turns out that such an item actually contains more than 600 ppm lead.” That word “generally” is too ambiguous for me to take a risk that could cost me a $100,000 fine and jail time, from both the state and the federal government. I am not alone in feeling the risk is too great. Other charity sewing groups have stopped sewing for children because of that word, “generally.” And what will happen when the stay is over one year from now?
The “Statement of Commission Enforcement Policy on Section 101 Lead Limits” says, “dyed or undyed textiles (not including leather, vinyl or PVC) and non-metallic thread and trim used in children’s apparel and other children’s fabric products such as baby blankets. The class does not include such products if: (1) they have undergone further treatment that may impart lead (2) they are ornamented with metal, rhinestones or other objects; or (3) they have plastic or metal fasteners with possible lead content (such as snaps, grommets, zippers, or buttons).” Again, this law makes it impossible for us to make pants for children. If we can’t use elastic, then we must be able to use either snaps, zippers, or buttons to hold the pants up. However, point (3) clearly states that we cannot use metal fasteners unless we can test them for lead. We cannot afford to do that since we are not retailers; we give everything we make away for free.
If we cannot use the fabric and materials that have been donated to us because we cannot afford to test it all for lead, then we cannot sew for the poor children because we cannot possibly afford to pay for the fabric and materials necessary to construct the garments, and have no way to prove the materials are lead free, in any case.
It is also important to remember that the Commission issued a stay. The stay is not an amendment or change in the lead law. It is only a recommendation and the lead law is officially still enforceable in it’s original form. Only congress can actually change this law. As our Congressman, we ask that you do your very best to change this law to protect the poor children in our country by making it possible for charity needle arts groups to provide clothing for them without fear of prosecution.
Is the potential of a tiny bit of lead in a child’s clothes more dangerous than the potential that a child who has no proper winter clothing may get sick with pneumonia or exposure? If we can no longer sew for the poor children in the United States of America due to being “generally” safe from prosecution, and being unable to construct clothing without using either elastic or Velcro, or any metal fasteners, who will provide clothing to these children for free?
Our recommendation:
Congressman Holden, we believe this law needs to be amended to put all charity needle arts groups under a “Good Samaritan” law and exempt them from ALL prosecution pertaining to lead or any other chemical since we give everything we sew for poor children away for free. We never, ever sell anything we make for charity. America’s poor children need what we sew!
Additionally, all notions and fabric should be clearly labeled if it has been tested for lead or other chemicals. There is simply no other way to purchase materials to construct a garment that will be lead free.
We do sincerely hope that you, or your representative will be able to attend our annual event called Sew Much for Charity on Saturday, March 21st from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Rutherford House, 3300 Parkview Lane, Harrisburg, PA 17111 (with opening ceremonies at 10:30 am) to address our concerns regarding this lead law. We expect between 70 and 100 people to attend. I will need to know what time you or your representative will arrive so I can mail an announcement no later than Tuesday, March 10th to alert the 200+ people on my mailing list that you or your representative will be there.
Thank you for your time and your concern. We in the charity needle arts community hope you will be able to make the necessary changes in the lead law to allow us to continue providing clothing to the poor children in the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Marcellene Currens
Founder of Sewin’ Sisters Sowing, and Sew Much for Charity
cc: Tim Smith, District Director
Congressman Tim Holden
SRBC Office Building
1721 North Front Street
Suite 106
Harrisburg, PA 17102
Dear Congressman Holden:
I received the package from you today. That was fast! Thank you.
I have read the “NEWS from CPSC.” On page 1 it says that CPSC will “not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing, or selling” and the 1st bullet says, “a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as wood, cotton, wool, etc.” Sir, there is no way we can determine that fabric does or does not contain synthetic fibers such as polyester or lycra, unless it is labeled as such on the fabric itself. Even fabrics that say on the bolt that they are 100% cotton, sometimes are NOT 100% cotton. Also, it is common practice in fabric stores to put fabric on bolts other than the original bolt the fabric came on. Again, this makes it impossible to determine the true fabric content. The only "natural" material we could sew with to adhere to this law is 100% cotton (forget wool – no child wants to wear wool) and there is no way for charity sewers to be certain that any fabric is 100% cotton.
Additionally, most charity sewers use fabric that has been donated to them. There is no practical way for us to test the fabrics for either lead or synthetic fibers. We could rent the “gun” to check for lead if we had $400.00 a day to pay for it. We do not.
Further, we cannot use elastic because it is not 100% cotton and contains materials that are not “natural.” There is no elastic on the market that is 100% cotton. Therefore, we cannot make children’s pants since there is no way to hold them up without using elastic or other fasteners. We cannot use Velcro to hold children’s pants up because it is a synthetic, not 100% cotton. There is no 100% cotton Velcro on the market. Drawstrings can be considered a choking hazard, so we can’t use them, either.
“The Commission generally will not prosecute someone for making, selling, or distributing items in these categories even if it turns out that such an item actually contains more than 600 ppm lead.” That word “generally” is too ambiguous for me to take a risk that could cost me a $100,000 fine and jail time, from both the state and the federal government. I am not alone in feeling the risk is too great. Other charity sewing groups have stopped sewing for children because of that word, “generally.” And what will happen when the stay is over one year from now?
The “Statement of Commission Enforcement Policy on Section 101 Lead Limits” says, “dyed or undyed textiles (not including leather, vinyl or PVC) and non-metallic thread and trim used in children’s apparel and other children’s fabric products such as baby blankets. The class does not include such products if: (1) they have undergone further treatment that may impart lead (2) they are ornamented with metal, rhinestones or other objects; or (3) they have plastic or metal fasteners with possible lead content (such as snaps, grommets, zippers, or buttons).” Again, this law makes it impossible for us to make pants for children. If we can’t use elastic, then we must be able to use either snaps, zippers, or buttons to hold the pants up. However, point (3) clearly states that we cannot use metal fasteners unless we can test them for lead. We cannot afford to do that since we are not retailers; we give everything we make away for free.
If we cannot use the fabric and materials that have been donated to us because we cannot afford to test it all for lead, then we cannot sew for the poor children because we cannot possibly afford to pay for the fabric and materials necessary to construct the garments, and have no way to prove the materials are lead free, in any case.
It is also important to remember that the Commission issued a stay. The stay is not an amendment or change in the lead law. It is only a recommendation and the lead law is officially still enforceable in it’s original form. Only congress can actually change this law. As our Congressman, we ask that you do your very best to change this law to protect the poor children in our country by making it possible for charity needle arts groups to provide clothing for them without fear of prosecution.
Is the potential of a tiny bit of lead in a child’s clothes more dangerous than the potential that a child who has no proper winter clothing may get sick with pneumonia or exposure? If we can no longer sew for the poor children in the United States of America due to being “generally” safe from prosecution, and being unable to construct clothing without using either elastic or Velcro, or any metal fasteners, who will provide clothing to these children for free?
Our recommendation:
Congressman Holden, we believe this law needs to be amended to put all charity needle arts groups under a “Good Samaritan” law and exempt them from ALL prosecution pertaining to lead or any other chemical since we give everything we sew for poor children away for free. We never, ever sell anything we make for charity. America’s poor children need what we sew!
Additionally, all notions and fabric should be clearly labeled if it has been tested for lead or other chemicals. There is simply no other way to purchase materials to construct a garment that will be lead free.
We do sincerely hope that you, or your representative will be able to attend our annual event called Sew Much for Charity on Saturday, March 21st from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Rutherford House, 3300 Parkview Lane, Harrisburg, PA 17111 (with opening ceremonies at 10:30 am) to address our concerns regarding this lead law. We expect between 70 and 100 people to attend. I will need to know what time you or your representative will arrive so I can mail an announcement no later than Tuesday, March 10th to alert the 200+ people on my mailing list that you or your representative will be there.
Thank you for your time and your concern. We in the charity needle arts community hope you will be able to make the necessary changes in the lead law to allow us to continue providing clothing to the poor children in the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Marcellene Currens
Founder of Sewin’ Sisters Sowing, and Sew Much for Charity
cc: Tim Smith, District Director
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