Product Recalls

Mattel's announcement that it was recalling 1.5 million toys could force a reexamination of how the $22 billion toy industry is overseen by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which largely relies on companies to report problems themselves, consumer groups, analysts and lawmakers said yesterday.
Like the 1.5 million Thomas and Friends trains and accessories recalled by RC2 Corp. in June, the Chinese-manufactured toys in this recall contained too much lead, Mattel said.

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Is this the legacy of "Outsourcing", the practice of setting up or engaging manufacturers in other countries which have large labor bases, working for wages considerably lower than those paid in the United States. Some of the reasons for outsourcing are, tax incentives from the United States Government, the above mentioned lower pay, and a resulting increase in profits.
I'm not against profits, but has the pursuit of profits placed our safety and that of our families in jeopardy? The cases of lead containing paints raises the question. Lead paints have not been used in the United States for several years now, although we are cautioned to check older houses for the presence of lead in the paint. There are inexpensive testing kits that can be used by a h0meowner, or potential home buyer to check for the presence of lead.

We sometimes hear people complain that we have too much government regulation, that the governments of other countries do not have so many restrictive laws. Knowing the hazards of lead and lead poisoning, and its long term effects on humans, would you really want to take a chance? This recall by Mattel of several million lead contaminated toys has been estimated to cost them over thirty million dollars, which will mean decreased profits in the short term, and increased toy prices in the long run.
Closer monitoring of their suppliers is needed by Mattel and others, to assure that our standards for imported goods be observed. In the short term, this will mean increases in prices, but in the long term, it should give us more assurance that the products we buy are safe.