Safety recalls
I would like to thank the Chicago Tribune and staff reporter Maurice Possley for launching an investigation into the crib-related deaths of three children. A million children will now sleep safer tonight thanks to the excellent investigative reporting of the Tribune. Not only did the Tribune uncover a dangerous product, but it helped publicize the recall with a banner headline, front-page story, pictures of the defects and advice for parents. The investigation also helped expose serious flaws in our current recall system and the staggering incompetence of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
As important as publicity of the sort provided by the Tribune is, recalls could be made even more effective. Under the current system, companies are not required to include recall registration cards on durable products, except for car seats. Therefore if the media do not report a recall, parents have virtually no way of knowing that a certain product is dangerous. Even if the media report a recall, parents are dependent on tuning in to the right television or radio station at the right time to find out about the recall.
In order to fix this problem, I introduced the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, which would require that each durable infant and toddler product (i.e. highchairs, cribs, strollers) come with a postage-paid recall registration card attached to the product. It would allow the manufacturers to directly contact each parent who bought the product should any problem arise.
I am also the sponsor of the Infant and Toddler Durable Product Safety Act, which would require all infant and toddler durable products be tested and certified according to specific safety standards set by the CPSC before they can be put on the market.
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, (D-Ill.) Washington
Annoying calls
Your Sept. 27 editorial on the federal do-not-call-list is ridiculous. I’ve been on the list since its inception; it hasn’t reduced the telemarketing calls to my number one bit. The siding and carpet salesmen simply block their number before calling so you can’t report them. I get three or four calls a day. Thank God I’ve got an answering machine that automatically shunts blocked calls directly to the recording. They never leave a message. Why don’t you comment about the harassing calls by those who are “allowed” to ignore the do-not-call-list, including politicians, charities, banks, insurance and credit card companies?
Charles Wettergreenm, Geneva
