The SGIA 2011 New Orleans Expo has come to an end, but that certainly does not mean that business will slow down. Even now we are now preparing for the 2012 Expo, that is going to be held in Las Vegas, but there is still plenty to do during the mean time.

CPSIA’s stay of enforcement on third party testing will be expiring at the end of December and there are many questions on what businesses have to do in order to be in compliance.

California Green Chemistry will be releasing informal regulations within the next week and then they will be holding a Green Ribbon Science Panel discussions in mid-November to try and figure out the best method to proceed towards enforcement.

The tension on Capitol Hill is still very volatile, but regardless of the pressure the lawmakers are under the decisions that they make have real consequences on our daily lives.

New OSHA regulations are always an interest to us. We will continue to make comments and lobby on our members’ behave and inform them of any new regulations that may affect them.

Our websites will be updated and you will see a host of new Sustainability information become available.

These are just a handful of items that we will be working on over the next year. For those of you who went to the show I hope that it was a success and I hope to see you next year in Nevada.

Submitted by Brian Condon

Congress may not agree on much these days, but they did finally agree to pass the Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia. This has been five years in the making and hopefully it’s not too late to make a significant difference in the current US economic status. The European Union signed a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea several months ago and has already seen the benefits of the deal.

These agreements had strong support from both sides of the aisle but there were some who still believe that these agreements will do nothing to create jobs and promote economic growth. Historically, Free Trade Agreements have created more jobs than they have removed.

On a Side Note:

As you may have noticed that the SGIA Expo will be going on next week down in New Orleans. I hope that many of you will attend. This will be my first show and I am really looking forward to it. I will be on the show room floor a lot and I will be attending a number of educational seminars. I am always looking for suggestions about what the Printer Action Committee page should include and what you would like to see more of. Please feel free to make some suggestions. I look forward to speaking with you.

Submitted by Brian Condon, SGIA

At the Consumer Product Safety Commission roundtable meeting, one of the main topics of discussion was how to educate, communicate and broadcast information about the lifting of the stay of enforcement on Section 14, when it comes to the testing and certification requirements. At the end of the meeting the CPSC essentially came up with a five step process to provide a means of distributing information.

The first step is to come to a consensus on how best to answer what are often the most misunderstood and confusing questions that most manufacturers and suppliers have. Next is the development of a flow chart that can be accessed through the internet to take users step by step to tell them what rules and standards would apply to them. The user would also be able to ask questions. The questions gathered would be used to update and modify CPSC’s frequently asked questions section.

Third, the CPSC would gather information from industries to find out who has not yet been informed of the requirements of Section 14 and to determine what else needs to be done for effective communication. Fourth, will be the production of informative videos and distributing them on social media websites such as YouTube and other outlets. Lastly they would promote their efforts through multiple media outlets in order to reach those who do not have regular access to this valuable information. Quite often facilities do not know they are not in compliance with a rule or standard until they are tested, this is an effort by the CPSC to reduce confusion and provide relevant information as it pertains to testing and certification.

SGIA is always ready to investigate and answer its member’s questions about CPSC compliance.

Submitted by Brian Condon, SGIA

Has anybody ever heard of International Talk like a Pirate Day? Avast! a common pirate phrase which means stop and give attention. This particular day is celebrated every September 19th, and it has apparently been around for some time. I only heard of it a few days ago myself, but it got me thinking.

I do not know how it started but I cannot help but think about how the original thought of a talk like a pirate day progressed. Were some people joking around with friends while making pirate sounds or was it a serious discussion in an advertising agency?

The kind of creativity and ingenuity that makes a good idea into a great idea is difficult to accomplish in any environment, but in today’s economic struggles and all the industry regulations it is harder than ever especially when there are so many other issues that require your immediate attention. Never the less, people need to be free to express themselves, experiment, take an idea and see if they can expand on it.

Do not be so quick to dismiss an idea. The really good ones rarely come from an original thought but rather ideas that evolved off of other ideas. Take time to examine all avenues of thought. You may be surprised at where you end up. You never know what idea will take off and become the next big thing that everybody talks about. Aye Mattie!

I do not know what the original intent of Speak like a Pirate Day was, but I would be willing to bet that its creator(s) is (are) happy with the end result. Next year I will look forward to September 19, 2012, a little bit more.
What was the last good idea you had and how did you make it stand out from the crowd?

Submitted by Brian Condon, SGIA

Regulations are a necessary tool to promote health, productivity, and ethical business practice. With all the economic troubles that have been coming one after another it is difficult to try and remain calm and tell yourself that things will get better.

President Obama’s Executive Order 13,563 allowed for the review of regulations with the hope of removing any that were deemed to be unnecessary and over burdensome to business. In fact from 1978 to 2004 there have been seven distinct reviews of existing regulations. However, after some time has passed there has been an increase of regulations after these reviews. The Code of Federal Regulation now extends to approximately 26 linear feet. So when people have expressed their distrust of just how much good this executive order might do, they do have some historical president to back up their claim.

The Stock Market has without a doubt seen better days, unemployment is high, and there is still no sign that the South Korean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is any closer to being passed. The European Union signed a FTA agreement with South Korea back in July and they have seen their exports and imports form that country expand dramatically.

During these slow economic times it is important to maintain realistic goals. Slow and steady has always been more reliable than extreme risk taking. If there was an area you would be willing to take a risk in what would it be?

Submitted by Brian Condon

There are many reasons for the economic troubles that are currently facing U.S. industries. The Affordable Health Care Act is just one of the many factors that can be blamed for plaguing the economy at the moment. With all the uncertainty that is being expressed by businesses and with the seemingly never ending quest for the unemployed to find new jobs, are these two factors related?

A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey, stated that 39 percent of small business owners say the law is either their first or second-greatest complication to new hiring. “We’ve frequently heard strong comments, to the effect of, ‘My company won’t hire a single additional worker until we know what health-insurance costs are going to be.’ ” said Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

It is this lack of clarity about the cost implications that is preventing many businesses from using their disposable income to invest in new hires. Which is something of a contradiction from what former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated, prior to the passage of the health care law, “So this bill is not only about the health security of America. It’s about jobs. In its life, it will create 4 million jobs — 400,000 jobs almost immediately.” This has obviously not happened which only adds fuel to the argument that the Health Care Law is not worth the price it is afflicting on businesses.

Beginning in 2014, employers will need to provide government-approved policies or pay federal fines. Is your company close to being ready? What steps has your company taken to prepare for the health care law?

Submitted by Brian Condon

Congress is back in session and a lot of eyes will be focused on what happens over the next few weeks in Washington D.C. Jobs are, without a doubt, going to be the hot topic for what looks like the remainder of the year and possibly beyond. Bills will be written and passed based on their effect on the economy and their ability to create jobs. Many businesses state that it is due to the current and proposed federal regulations that are preventing them from hiring new employees.

The universal health care law is slowly becoming a larger factor for many people who are still unsure of how it will affect them personally as well as their business. This uncertainty is leading to cautionary actions despite the administration’s attempts to claim that mandatory health care for all is a benefit for all.

Taxes will be the unknown influence. Some want them to rise in order to pay for programs that may support job creating programs while others want to see fewer taxes so businesses can use the extra capital to hire more employees. Only time will tell which way they will go.

Nobody knows what will happen within the next year but many things will be said but it will be the actions of those in power that will make the difference. What kind of policies would need to change in order for you to hire?

Submitted by Brian Condon

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in New York City on September 5, 1882. Peter McGuire of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners is widely considered to be one of its initial promoters, but there were many others as well. In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, in part to fill the gap between the 4th of July and Thanksgiving, while the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday”. The idea spread with the progress of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in industrial centers across the country.

The first state bill to formally recognize a Labor Day holiday was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed in Oregon on February 21, 1887. By 1894, 23 other states had embraced the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28, 1894, the U.S. Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.

Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes an annual national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. On this Labor Day holiday, at your last trip to the beach or during the cookout with your neighbors, friends and family take a moment and pay acknowledgment, as Peter McGuire said, “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold”, to the American worker.

Submitted by Brian Condon, SGIA

Free Trade Agreements (FTA) have historically been beneficial to all countries involved. Currently the US has 11 FTAs in force with 17 countries, with NAFTA being the largest. FTAs lower tariffs and allow a larger number of products to be imported and exported into a country at a lower price which gives the consumer a greater value for their money. Currently there is a FTA with South Korea, which was put together years ago, has not yet been signed off on by Congress or the President.

President Obama said, “Let’s pass trade deals to level the playing field for our businesses… I want more products sold around the globe stamped with three words: Made in America.”

Earlier this year, Republicans in both the House and Senate introduced resolutions urging the FTA approval. Congressional resolutions S. Res. 20, sponsored by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), and H. Res. 86, sponsored by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) have been held up in sub committees for over six months.

“These trade agreements are one of the best ways to create jobs in America now,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. He also pointed out that in the first two weeks after the European Union (EU)-Korea FTA come into force on July 1, 2011, European exports to Korea rose 16% while U.S. market share in Korea fell. Ninety percent of Korean tariffs on European imports have already been removed.

In a letter sent to members of the Congressional Committee of Finance, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce states that, “A U.S. Chamber study has warned that the United States would lose more than 380,000 jobs and $40 billion in export sales if the pending agreements suffer further delays.”

At a time when job creation is on everyone’s mind along with the GOP presidential contenders taking every chance to criticize the current administration why do we not here more about this?

Submitted by Brian Condon, SGIA