Members Of Congress Implore Mattel To "Do The Right Thing," Recall Lead-Tainted Toy Blood-Pressure Cuff
56 Members of Congress want to know why Mattel CEO Robert Eckert refuses to issue a nationwide recall for a toy blood-pressure cuff that is contaminated with lead. The affected blood-pressure cuff, sold as part of the Fisher-Price Medical Kit, was recalled exclusively in Illinois after Mattel received a complaint from State Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Legislators want Eckert to stand by a pledge made to reassure a jittery public before the holiday buying season that Mattel would 'earn back our trust with deeds, not just with words.'
We encourage you to review your pledge and act accordingly by recalling the red blood pressure cuff. Furthermore, we challenge you to live up to your words and set a standard for the entire industry by completely eliminating the use of lead in all of the children's products manufactured by Mattel. When parents purchase a product from your company, they are not just purchasing a toy--they are putting their trust in an established brand that has historically been believed to provide merchandise that is safe for their children. We urge you to live up to this reputation.The CPSC is "investigating the product," but has yet to issue a nationwide recall.
Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, wrote Mr. Eckert in December asking it to stop using lead in its products. He said that Mattel's reply, which arrived last week, and its action on the toy were inadequate and that the company should issue a nationwide recall.We're with Eckert. Let's move past trite words and focus on actions. Mattel could rustle up some needed sympathy with a new toy: My 'Lil CEO. He could wear a power suit and come with an accessory set: an executive desk on which to churn out meaningless promises, a companion PR professional to help think up slick-sounding lies that deceive Congress and parents, and maybe a token sick child (complete with hospital gown!) to cry over. The whole set could be made in China and would come covered with tasty small magnets. Ages 5 and under!Mr. Cummings said in an interview that if Mr. Eckert "knew his child had one of these toys with this kind of lead in it, I know he would not allow his child to be having such a toy."
Lawmakers Say Mattel Broke Word on Lead [NYT]
Cummings, DeLauro to Mattel: 'Stop Selling Toxic Toys' [Congressman Elijah Cummings]
PREVIOUSLY: Consumer Reports Finds "Troubling" Levels Of Lead In Unrecalled Fisher-Price Toy
Fisher-Price Pulls Lead Tainted Toy In Illinois Only
Fisher-Price Pulls Another Lead-Tainted Product In Illinois Only
(Photo: Getty Images)
This is a test using rich text formatting and html links. It's the generic "company" ad that should appear on all posts with the Company category if they don't have an ad attached to a specific company.
Post a comment
Comments:
@WhaDa: I'm pretty sure their charters CAN be revoked. I'd like to see that done to companies like this that obviously don't want to spend the money to recall and safely and properly dispose of and recycle the dangerous goods.
Mattel doesn't voluntarily recall across the board, because that would imply that Mattel has done something wrong, and in the modern corporate/legal/political world, admitting that you are wrong is much much worse than actually being wrong.
Congress is a bunch of toothless, spineless fucktards. What does one expect from a group that's blatantly and gleefully trying to bribe their way to reelection?
This can all be blamed on the monster that NAFTA created. NAFTA is responsible for most of our employment and trade woes at the expense of the regular Joe. Since NAFTA, most big US corporations went to other countries taking our jobs with them. They make the same product for far cheaper as they can skirt US trade laws, labor laws and use inferior product materials, thus your tainted toys. The products are made for pennies on the dollar and they do not pass the savings onto us at all. They dont care about us, they only want that bottom line no matter if the toy was made of uranium. Thank you Bill Clinton for your fucking NAFTA nightmare!!!









There should be a federal law, that could be used to fine corporations, outlawing dumb @$$ery. Imagine the tax revenue we could generate! Maybe we'd be able to put a drop in the bucket that is the federal deficit.