Update to my customers on my quest to ammend HR4040
Principessa Children's Boutique
CPSC Update #2
Dear Friends!
I really feel truly that I can call you "friends" after this week. When I first sat down to write my store email list last Sunday night, I was writing from my heart regarding the fate of my store. By Monday afternoon when most of you had started reading my email, the outpouring of support for Principessa became truly something of beauty.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you. Whether you emailed me, called me, called Washington, emailed Washington, or shopped this week, you all made an impact. And the best part was you helped make a change with our government.
To update you on what went on this week:
Monday morning I called Mark Kirk's office in Washington D.C. I spoke to his Legislative Aid Rich Goldberg for over 20 minutes. He could not have been any nicer. He listened and talked with me and allowed me to explain our plight.
Monday afternoon both Dick Durbin's office and Mark Kirk's office were now getting phone calls and emails from you. All over the country other stores like myself rallied their customers to call and do the same thing. On Monday I started emailing media outlets and my other groups of friends outside of the store which included my eBay community.
Tuesday went to work and fielded phone calls all day and had lengthy discussion s with customers who were concerned for us. Was interviewed by Chicago Parent as I was apparently the first of other stores to make them known about the new lead law.
Wednesday morning.. I realized that I had not finished emailing all the media outlets so before Chloe was done with breakfast I quickly emailed Fox News and WGN. At 8:20 just 10 minutes later Fox called me and said they wanted to send a reporter to the store at 11AM. Nancy Pender --a mom would be there.
At 11-- Nancy and her Cameraman arrived and stayed 2 hours. She even did a quick bit of shopping before she left. She's a doll we are so lucky to have her.
If you missed our little bit of fame here is the link:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=8211690&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1
Thursday- CPSC is set to release news on changes to help quiet the anxieties of the resale industry. At 2:45 Mark Kirk's office sent me the Press release. Click on the link to read the wording and see what they say.
http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html
At first glance it appears that we are safe; However after sitting down and reading it a few more times I quickly realized that all is not golden.The release is not a legislative change! As the CPSC does not enforce the law, the interpretation of the release is still up to the State Attorney Generals in each state. I've emailed my concerns back to Mark Kirk's office. They need to understand they still must make changes and HR4040 has to reflect what it says in the release. This press release merely leaves conscientious shopkeepers in limbo.
The National Association of Resale Thrift stores released this rebuttal on Monday January 12th.
http://www.narts.org/press/releases.htm
My hopeful intentions going forward are to stay open! I am going to do my absolute due diligence to not sell any item of consignment that may be possibly dangerous. As of today I don't know of anything I currently have that isn't safe. I've spoken to almost all my vendors and sales reps this week and hope to have in writing before 2/10 that my items are safe. As of right now they are. My new spring clothing is starting to arrive and I'm actually excited again!
What can you continue to do?
Call your Congressmen again this week. Tell them again that you know the CPSC has made an announcement in favor of resale kids clothing but you want the law changed. HR4040 MUST be c hanged to be legal.
A new website was created for you to keep up-to-date. It also gives you wonderful links to petitions and letters to file. Today alone 40,000 people have clicked on this website and answered the petition for change. My friend Cynthia helped to create and write this entire website just last weekend. Its amazing what a group of really creative and pissed off women can do when they put their minds too it!
Click here for Save Kids Resale.com
http://savekidsresale.squarespace.com
Have a wonderful weekend. I know I am going to try to sleep a little bitter. Just know that when we use our voices as a group we have power. And Power is knowledge these days. Here is another chance for you to MAKE change.
Call or email me any time. I appreciate every one of the thoughts you've sent me. Whether through Facebook or email. Love them all.
And of course.. don't forget we have a BIG BIG 50% off SALE going on. (Gotta get a plug in there somewhere). Come on in!
Aimee
CPSC Update #2
Dear Friends!
I really feel truly that I can call you "friends" after this week. When I first sat down to write my store email list last Sunday night, I was writing from my heart regarding the fate of my store. By Monday afternoon when most of you had started reading my email, the outpouring of support for Principessa became truly something of beauty.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you. Whether you emailed me, called me, called Washington, emailed Washington, or shopped this week, you all made an impact. And the best part was you helped make a change with our government.
To update you on what went on this week:
Monday morning I called Mark Kirk's office in Washington D.C. I spoke to his Legislative Aid Rich Goldberg for over 20 minutes. He could not have been any nicer. He listened and talked with me and allowed me to explain our plight.
Monday afternoon both Dick Durbin's office and Mark Kirk's office were now getting phone calls and emails from you. All over the country other stores like myself rallied their customers to call and do the same thing. On Monday I started emailing media outlets and my other groups of friends outside of the store which included my eBay community.
Tuesday went to work and fielded phone calls all day and had lengthy discussion s with customers who were concerned for us. Was interviewed by Chicago Parent as I was apparently the first of other stores to make them known about the new lead law.
Wednesday morning.. I realized that I had not finished emailing all the media outlets so before Chloe was done with breakfast I quickly emailed Fox News and WGN. At 8:20 just 10 minutes later Fox called me and said they wanted to send a reporter to the store at 11AM. Nancy Pender --a mom would be there.
At 11-- Nancy and her Cameraman arrived and stayed 2 hours. She even did a quick bit of shopping before she left. She's a doll we are so lucky to have her.
If you missed our little bit of fame here is the link:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=8211690&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1
Thursday- CPSC is set to release news on changes to help quiet the anxieties of the resale industry. At 2:45 Mark Kirk's office sent me the Press release. Click on the link to read the wording and see what they say.
http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html
At first glance it appears that we are safe; However after sitting down and reading it a few more times I quickly realized that all is not golden.The release is not a legislative change! As the CPSC does not enforce the law, the interpretation of the release is still up to the State Attorney Generals in each state. I've emailed my concerns back to Mark Kirk's office. They need to understand they still must make changes and HR4040 has to reflect what it says in the release. This press release merely leaves conscientious shopkeepers in limbo.
The National Association of Resale Thrift stores released this rebuttal on Monday January 12th.
http://www.narts.org/press/releases.htm
My hopeful intentions going forward are to stay open! I am going to do my absolute due diligence to not sell any item of consignment that may be possibly dangerous. As of today I don't know of anything I currently have that isn't safe. I've spoken to almost all my vendors and sales reps this week and hope to have in writing before 2/10 that my items are safe. As of right now they are. My new spring clothing is starting to arrive and I'm actually excited again!
What can you continue to do?
Call your Congressmen again this week. Tell them again that you know the CPSC has made an announcement in favor of resale kids clothing but you want the law changed. HR4040 MUST be c hanged to be legal.
A new website was created for you to keep up-to-date. It also gives you wonderful links to petitions and letters to file. Today alone 40,000 people have clicked on this website and answered the petition for change. My friend Cynthia helped to create and write this entire website just last weekend. Its amazing what a group of really creative and pissed off women can do when they put their minds too it!
Click here for Save Kids Resale.com
http://savekidsresale.squarespace.com
Have a wonderful weekend. I know I am going to try to sleep a little bitter. Just know that when we use our voices as a group we have power. And Power is knowledge these days. Here is another chance for you to MAKE change.
Call or email me any time. I appreciate every one of the thoughts you've sent me. Whether through Facebook or email. Love them all.
And of course.. don't forget we have a BIG BIG 50% off SALE going on. (Gotta get a plug in there somewhere). Come on in!
Aimee
posted by Aimee @ 5:06 PM
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