6/17/2007 6:00:00 AM
Over 1.5 million of "Thomas & Friends" train toys are recalled in the US
due to toxic levels of lead they contain which may result in poisoning
if digested. The toys were manufactured in China and sold in US shops
from 2005 till June 2007. If you remember pet food produced in China
already poisoned many American pets. Now it's the toxic toys for our
children.

found this link at:
www.freakingnews.com

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Oak Brook, Ill. -- The U.S. distributor of "Thomas & Friends" wooden toy
trains is recalling 1.5 million toys with lead-based paint, which is
toxic if ingested.

The trains, manufactured in China, were sold at U.S. toy stores and
other retailers from January 2005 through June 2007 for between $10 and
$70, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a news release.

No injuries have been reported, but RC2 Corp. of Oak Brook, Ill., and
the CPSC undertook the voluntary recall.

The toys included in the recall include wooden vehicles, buildings and
other train set components. The front of the package has the "Thomas &
Friends Wooden Railway" logo in the upper left corner. A manufacturing
code may be located on the bottom of the product or inside the battery
cover.

Toys marked "WJ" or "AZ" in the codes are not part of the recall, CPSC
said.

Consumers should take the recalled toys from young children immediately
and contact RC2 Corp. for a replacement.

The above article can be found at:
http://www.themoneytimes.com/news/20070616/toy_trains_recalled_for_lead_based_paint-id-104858.html

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Verb

...roughly 80% of the toys sold here are made in China.Plus, what killed
our pets comes to us via feed for chickens and other edibles. But, the
government says there's no cause to worry since we are injesting it in
such small quantities....???????????????

Unfortunately the US has outlawed lead paint but the majority of
countries still use it. This will come down to what paint specs were
ordered and if lead free paint was specified, as it should have been,
then why wals leaded paint used? This is only the beginning . We want
cheap goods but either assume the exporting country abides by the same
guidelines as us or the guidelines are overlooked when looking at the
big shiny profit margin.

funny how that workz

the govt is so concerned about creating international
free trade that not only do they not care about yankee
career risks now they don't care about the yankee health risks

when will the people of the united states wise up
and get new people into the govt elected positions

it seeemz the elected officials no longer work for the people
they get to much from the lobbyist and do not want to risk
losing this free (maybe illegal perks) to care about the people

but hey what do i know

What do yoy know? Obviously not enough for commenting on this issue adj.
Would you view the topic of cheap toilet paper to be a segue to Bush did
it? Is Washington to blame for everything? You are trying to link
quality assurance to Bush? The responibility here lies with the American
company that placed the order. Quality control is their responsibility
and they will suffer the repercussions as a result of their failure.
This all boils down to business. Common sense, pure and simple.

zap

show me where i said anything at all about bush specifically

i am speaking of the free trade policy and the build up of
foreign economies over the (at least 20 years)

maybe yer so concerned that every negative comment is addressed at bush
and his people that in reality you yourself believe they are to blame
but refuse to realize that this is how you feel

but hey what do you know

ooopppppppppssssssss did i say that wrong hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm

the govt is so concerned about creating international
free trade that not only do they not care about yankee
career risks now they don't care about the yankee health risks

when will the people of the united states wise up
and get new people into the govt elected positions

it seeemz the elected officials no longer work for the people
they get to much from the lobbyist and do not want to risk
losing this free (maybe illegal perks) to care about the people

I did leave out the following sentences that did not apply:
1. funny how that workz
2. but hey what do i know

The current administration is the Bush administration last time I
checked.
I'm not concerned about your lack of knowlege on the subject if that's
what you mean. What I am getting from your diatribe is that we need
bigger government controlling business right down to quality control of
each and every pallet. There are regulatory bodies in place
that govern these issues. Is micromanagement what we want out of a
government that already spends money like a drunken sailor?

adj, I'm not coming down on you if that is what you are thinking so
don't immediately go on the defensive. I am merely trying to express my
view as you are yours.

well let me know how often lobbyist get to talk to the president

and i do think i also said in your first reply that i was talking
about things going on over the past 20 years or so

i am not so nieve as to think the president can pass a law
that is the legislatures job (reguardless of what some presidents have
thought)

you are missing the spirit of the post

which is who cares about the people

a congressman and senator that gets elected over and over and over
again

and think that they are the people so they do everything they can to
line their pockets

did i say pass new laws -----no

did i say create a new bureaucratic arm of the govt. ----no

as with gun control (of which there are many laws on the books)
letz use the lawz and bureaucratic agencies already in force

of which their are many

if a country wants to import commerce to this country they should have
to abide by the same rules that the companies here have to abide by

what do you think would happen to a company here that used lead base
products in child toys here

they would be out of business because of the lawsuits and all the govt
inspections that would follow

but the federal gov owes so much money to china (wonder how many perks
legislative officials received from chinese based
companies or companies in the states manufacturing in china
or other countries)

no zap i doubt i know as much as i should about the import business but
i am sure neither of us know anywhere near as much as we should about
the illegal actions used to get things passed for the commercial
interest owned by the super rich

after all what happened to those that keep stealing retirement and
investment funds from the average citizen of this country

but hey maybe you know

I simply said there are ..... aw hell, you are all over the board and
are having difficulty keeping on topic. Yeah. Whatever you said, you are
right. Makes perfect sense to me. Good show. I shot from the hip with
you but forgot to load the magazine. Yup, youbetcha. Should have paid
attention being in business for so many years and learned something
before taking you on in a discussion. You kicked my ass. Rock on. You da
man. By your leave. May I be excused sir?

BTW the lobbyists lobby congress, not the President. But which lobbyists
are you referring to? The I want lead in paint to poison our children
lobbyists?

well zap

congress is in charge of legislature

and are the one of whom i was speaking

and ya know what

congress is all over the board they have to be

so to explain it i had to go all over the board

you have no reason to ask to be excused you stated
your opinion

------------------------------------------------

what lobbyist

hmmmmmmmmmmm

maybe the ones that want speedy import rights

or the ones from those that have manufacturing in other
countries that want lax inspection on the products that are being
imported

but hey

i think you are smart enough to know

that things can be lobbied for that
cause another set of things to happen

I am not saying you are naieve adj. You are just not staying on topic
and it is hard to hold up my end as a result. The post is about the
current issue of lead in the paint of imported goods and I stated that
the importing company should (and will) be held liable for quality
control, not the government. The laws are in place. The argument is
moot.

i am saying that the company that made the item should be held
accountable and lose their importing privaleges as well

but congress is not going to let that happen because that would create a
riff in china and united states relations

and the states are in bed with china

and congress let this happen

and who cares the effect that their letting this happen has on the
yankee people

I agree with your disdain for the lobbyists and I am sure there are
those that lobby for your stated causes but it is up to the legislators
and their conscience to change current laws governing import /export
issues. As far as companies wanting lax inspections? Come on..... Every
company wants to flirt with multimillion dollar lawsuits don't they?
Sheesh

like i said

who cares what effect it has on the yankee people

maybe those multi million suits should change to multiBILLION suits

if they makee 5 billion $$ dioing an illegal or liable act

and have to pay 5 million $$ in fine and damages

i don't think that is much of an incentive to stop the practice

I hate to tell you adj, but the world is in bed with China. As long as
there is a market for goods and services, there will be a supplier.
China manufactures goods at a cost that we can't touch. How do you spell
unions? And I am not anti union so before you go there,
smoochie, smoochie, lovee dovee I
will say that unions have a purpose but in many instances they have
hanged themselves. Do you realize that roughly $1,500 of the price you
pay for a new car goes to pay insurance premiums for retired auto
workers? That explanation will be lengthy so to avoid boring anyone, I
will give the floor back to you, sir.

i agree with you there zap

but the reason for the cheap manufacturing rate

is

slave labor

child labor

convict labor

all which are illegal in most of the free world

why does not the united states and others refuse to
do business with the countries that use practises against
the law in their own country

like i said in the past in other threads

by the corporation for the corporation

when did the people get replaced ????????????????????

I think we should light our torches, chase them down like the dogs that
they are and jab them in the ass with pitchforks. Agreed, they
should and will have to deal with this but one bad M&M out of a
warehouse full might not melt in your mouth but do we wake up the firing
squad? Of the billions of tons of cargo that come through our ports I
would say we have a pretty damned good record of quality control. Code
it out to someone was out for a donut when that container was piggy
backed. With those staggering numbers, oops is inevitable. All the food
poisoning issues as of late? Local, not imports. Grab your pitchfork!
We's gonna have sum fun!

it is not the rare thing (these labor practices)

it is the norm

but hey

i think in principal we think along the same lines

but principals are hard to enforce when the superintendents
are on the take

be well zap