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It's never happy when one of the rare good guys is lost. Thank you for years of making my kids safer, Bob!
It's never happy when one of the rare good guys is lost. Thank you for years of making my kids safer, Bob!
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I guess he didn't want to take the blame for everything which is what government organizations like to do. They like to put the blame onto someone else, that way you overlook the real problem.
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If congress gives up this year's COLA pay raise, we could afford to make a couple of (very well paid) positions to make up for his retirement... Think of the children.
But seriously, I hope congress does something more than tell a few people to add more to their workload.
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The idea of being a toy tester sounded fun until I got to the words \"autopsy photos.\"
In all seriousness, I hope the government finds a replacement for him and soon.
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I SSSSOOOO want that job. Toy Tester. Its like working at Toys R Us, but no little kids running around. Amazing
Was the Consumer Products toy testing division fully staffed before Bush?
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I don't see how he thinks quitting will solve the problem. Now it means we have NO toy testers. Isn't that a lot worse?
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I see China taking this opportunity to pump as much lead into their products as possible.
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Losing someone like Bob SUCKS! Not being able to replace Bob sucks even more. Our priorities in this country are so ass backwards most of the time.
@mopar_man: I have seriously made all efforts possible to not buy anything made in China. My distrust and disgust for China rages on and will continue into the foreseeable future...maybe forever. I also will not support those companies that continue to do business as usual (recalled toys still being sold!?). I WILL NOT give my money to a company or country that thinks it's OK to poison my children or pets. Screw that.
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@newtonite: To answer your question...NO. CPSC has been in a \"Flat budget\" (No additional funds were appropriated, but no funds were taken away) for many years. While this may not seem bad, when you have legally mandated pay raises for all employees and no additional funds to pay for those mandated raises, you need to cut staff. Most government agencies (or private corporations) can survive for a year or two on a flat budget, but not for 10+ years with only an occasional 1-2% increase in budget. Over the last 20 years they have lost almost 50% of their staff.
To others:
If you read the article, Bob was primarily responsible for testing small parts on toys, not lead, and there are other individuals involved in testing toys at CPSC, but because of the cuts, not enough.
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I can totally see the Republican types getting all apoplectic over the thought of a conscientious civil servant, unmotivated by modest salary and ever-shrinking budgets, in the bowels of \"their\" government, saving innocent children from being maimed or killed.
I can see them in a circle, celebrating, champaign glasses in hand, toasting, \"To ruined childrens' lives,\" returned with a cheering chorus of \"Hear, hear!\" And they chuckle then return to their offices where they can charge off another half-trillion dollars on strangers' children who will be forced to pay off the debt.
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@trai_dep: I'm overall conservative, but do not claim a party due to my belief that every issue needs to be looked at and decided on by itself, not as a part of a sweeping platform (which you appear to follow, my dear sheepson). While I do believe that people who work should not have to take care of people who could work, but do not, I also support education, public libraries, and protected forests (which sometimes meaning burning part of them down, actually and ironically). You, dear sheepson, need to rethink your party's platform and realize that your shit also stinks.
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Maybe he has a lobbiest job lined up, like as a representative for the Chinese toy industry to help tell the US government why we should not test imported toys....
I feel so sorry for that man his sole must have been killed a long time ago, and for the children who risk death every thime they play with a toy.
\"I could do that without fear of getting my head chopped off.\"Because he actualy wrote the book on how to prevent accidental chainsaw decapitations.