vt.Buzz ~ a political blog

Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen

11.26.2007

Not for all the toys in China

Rep. Peter Welch knows a hot issue when he sees one. It's Christmastime and just about all the toys in China are tainted.

Welch followed the suit of his congressional leaders in calling for the resignation of the head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and for better oversight of imported toys.

Indeed, for parents out there, navigating the minefield of toy recalls has got to be a full-time job. Send in your Big Birds, your Doras and Diegos, your Polly Pockets, for they filled with either lead or tiny, swallowable magnets.

Of course, it's not just toys that are the trouble. Have you taken a gander at the items recalled from China this year? Tires, toothpaste, pet food, toys, jewelry.

Are we all headed for trouble? Are you all looking more closely at labels before you buy? Any other ideas about how to stop the bleeding?

- Terri Hallenbeck

posted by vt.Buzz | 4:35 PM |

Comments:

And Nordie, you're doin' a heck of a job.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 6:21 PM, November 26, 2007

Can we recall Shumlin?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:22 PM, November 26, 2007

You can try.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 10:37 PM, November 26, 2007

He is infused with phthalates and coated with lead, is he not?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:05 PM, November 26, 2007

and polished with Teflon.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 11:28 PM, November 26, 2007

Then he really has nothing to fear from Vermont Yankee (his favorite punching bag).

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:05 AM, November 27, 2007

Shumlin and Symington have to go - Pollina for Governor!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:11 AM, November 27, 2007

Matt Dunne for Governor. He can win this one.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:12 AM, November 27, 2007

If the Product Safety person is fired, maybe Jim Douglas can be the replacement. He visited China once.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 8:19 AM, November 27, 2007

Guess people are too stupid to read labels. We need a new state agency to train Vermonters on how to find, read, and comprehend labels on store products. Sort of like teaching people that if you insulate your house you use less energy. The complete Nanny state! And I'm sure the dims/progs can find some private-enterprise-challenged slugs to head up the department, like Scudder Parker or most of the dimwits like jwpoop that obviously have WAY too much time on their hands.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:11 AM, November 27, 2007

Bubba, where on the Matel labels did it say that Barbie was made with lead?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 1:01 PM, November 27, 2007

How is it that you're always here to tell me I've got too much time on my hands, bubbles?

That's what I thought.

Dismissed.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 3:45 PM, November 27, 2007

Just reading about our governor throwing all those employees back into that building in bennington where some workers got pretty sick. Who made this bonehead call? Certainly not acting health commissioner sharon moffat, right? She's not even a doctor. Isn't the head of the health department supposed to be a doctor? Another example of douglas and his henchmen keeping people around who will say "how high" when they say "jump." It's like a mini-bush regime in Vermont. Sad.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:05 PM, November 27, 2007

Yeah, they just need to be loyal jimmies.

# Posted by:

JWCoop10 | 4:46 PM, November 27, 2007

Bubba, where on the Mattel labels did it say that there was lead in Barbie dolls??

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:11 PM, November 27, 2007

Bubba, where on the Mattel labels did it say that there was lead in Barbie dolls??

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:11 PM, November 27, 2007

"Dismissed."

Even when you may be right on a given issue, dumb-jerky comments like this at the end of your posts don't help you persuade.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 10:19 PM, November 27, 2007

It's amazing to me that Jim Douglas is willing to "bet" $9 million on rehabbing the Bennington State Office Building when he has not yet rec'd the report back from the Feds.

Sure looks like he trusts the PRIVATE Sector firm that essentially said they still don't know what caused the illnesses in state workers.

Remember, Jim Douglas' administration is the one who accepted the modular trailers even though they were wet, leaky, and full of mold.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:49 PM, November 28, 2007

Matt Dunne for Governor - he would have taken care of those sick workers.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 2:33 PM, November 28, 2007

Exactly what would Matt do?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:38 PM, November 28, 2007

Not left them in a sick building for 9 months after learning about a cluster of sarcoidosis (which normally affects only 1/10,000 people).

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:13 PM, November 28, 2007

Hey. Don't worry about those workers in Bennington. Sharon "I'm not a doctor, but I play one in Vermont" Moffat is making the call. Rest easy.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:21 PM, November 28, 2007

Well, Mike Smith is trying to reduce the size of State government. I guess killing all your workers is one way to acheive that. What a bunch of sweethearts!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:27 PM, November 28, 2007

Smith is always trying to reduce the size of something. It's his way of restoring equalibrium to his tiny person world. They say Smith went to Hollywood to watch the munchkins receive their star in front of the Chinese theater. He's a big, little fan.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:34 PM, November 28, 2007

Mike Smith is so short, he could:

-be the teller at a piggy bank

-limbo under the door

-play handball on a curb

-sit on a dime and eat off a nickel

-take a bath in a thimble

I'm here all week, folks!

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:46 PM, November 28, 2007

Bravo! Encore. Encore.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 4:47 PM, November 28, 2007

Nice. You don't like someone's policies so you make fun of his physical attributes.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 6:01 PM, November 28, 2007

"Nice. You don't like someone's policies so you make fun of his physical attributes."

That's a pretty unattractive thing to say.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:25 PM, November 28, 2007

The whole attacking someones size is pathetic (makes you wonder about their "size")

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:42 PM, November 28, 2007

Nice. You don't like someone's policies so you make fun of his physical attributes."

Agreed. Typical of the Progs and Libs.

These boards are becoming pathetic.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 3:14 AM, November 29, 2007

"These boards are becoming pathetic"

We won't miss you. Bye.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:08 AM, November 29, 2007

Most of the demeaning and name-calling comes from the Right. How about everyone quit it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:20 AM, November 29, 2007

"Most of the demeaning and name-calling comes from the Right. How about everyone quit it."

I think the name-calling on this blog is quite well balanced between the Left and the Right.

But I agree: everyone quit it.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 9:37 AM, November 29, 2007

I'm the guy who wrote the series of "Mike Smith is short" jokes and want to go on record apologizing. In truth, the jokes were copied from a "Yo Mama's so short" joke webpage and in retrospect they aren't even very funny. I disagree with virtually all of Mr. Smith's positions, but there's no need to mock his stature. Name calling lowers the level of debate on these boards - whether directed at Mike Smith or "yo mama."

Still friends, Republicans?

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 12:36 PM, November 29, 2007

Thanks. Dean was a shortie, too.

# Posted by:

Anonymous | 5:41 PM, November 29, 2007