[ExI] they're everywhere (thrift shops)

[hkhenson]

At 04:32 PM 1/18/2009, Kevin wrote:

snip

>There's no decision made that doesn't benefit some people while 
>detrimenting others, so it doesn't surprise me in the least that 
>another law is going to harm the interests of many people, the 
>question is what is best for the nation as a whole.

This was a poorly thought out law.  It's not a big burden when you 
test a lot from China for Walmart.  That's what they were thinking about.

One of the effects of this law is to slam poor people who tend to buy 
clothes for their kids at thrift shops--Goodwill, Salvation Army and 
the like.  There is no possible way a thrift shop can test clothing, 
the cost is hundreds of times the value of the item.

In anticipation of the law going into effect, many (most? all?) of 
those places have quit taking donations of children's clothes, toys etc.

The potential harm is hard to quantify, but it seems to me to be very 
small, particularly with clothes.  The cost to the very limited 
resources of the poor is substantial.

Keith