Democracy At Work

Wednesday, April 1, there will be a Rally inside the U.S. Capitol building on the issue of the CPSIA (Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act). Currently scheduled to testify are an assortment of Congresspeople, Senators, former Governors, business leaders and concerned citizenry. They will be testifying on the many ways that the CPSIA itself needs improvement and amendment.

This Rally is the culmination of an extraordinary grass-roots effort against the powers-that-be (i.e. Representatives Waxman and Pelosi, the Environmental Lobby and "Big I" Inertia) to change this flawed law. Utilizing tactics similar to those President Obama employed to win election, the small businesspeople behind the Rally have actually gotten through to many of our elected officials on the need to change the law. There are now 60 different legislators who have sponsored more than 11 pieces of legislation to amend the CPSIA. This is extraordinary, considering only 4 Members of Congress voted against it in the first place.

It has been an uphill battle, for sure. My brother, Rick Woldenberg, has led the charge nationally on this issue (and organizing the April 1 meeting). Rick has rallied small business leaders (and large business leaders) to the cause. Rick was early to recognize the dangers of the law and he spoke out publicly when others were too afraid to do so, at a CPSC hearing in November. Others have come to learn that Rick was right about the wide-ranging reach of this law and have also now spoken out.

The correct outcome has yet to occur (that is, amendment, or repeal, of the CPSIA), but it looks increasingly likely. Whenever that time comes and the law gets corrected, this will have been a great example of the power of our Democracy. Where citizens can come together and raise their voices up to affect change in Washington.

I leave on Tuesday afternoon for Washington, the Rally is Wednesday morning. After the Rally, we will visit our Senators and Representatives' offices to voice our concerns about the law. Then, we will take our positions back in the trenches and keep up the fight until the objective is reached.

I will keep you posted.