Recorded Telemarketing Ban Is Lifted
Telemarketers aren’t taking a holiday after all.
A federal court judge in Oregon has blocked the Federal Communications Commission from enforcing a law banning recorded sales pitches. The law was to have taken effect Dec. 20.
The National Assn. of Telecomputer Operators, a group representing 40 piano tuners, carpet cleaners, insurance agents and pest control companies, is seeking to have the law set aside. The group claims that the law is unfair to small businesses, which rely on recorded messages because they can’t afford to hire phone solicitors.
FCC attorney Jane Mago said the agency hasn’t decided whether to appeal the temporary restraining order, or to go ahead with a full trial. The matter isn’t likely to be settled soon, she said.
They did it for you: You won’t find any Mervyn’s boxes under the tree today. Breaking with tradition, the department store chain didn’t give away any gift boxes this year. Instead, it sold plain white boxes for 25 cents apiece.
A clerk told us that Mervyn’s stopped handing out boxes because of environmental concerns, explaining that the chain now sells boxes made from recycled paper. Free boxes are available only to people who pay for gift wrap, we were told.
A Mervyn’s representative told us that a concern for the environment was only one reason why the store stopped handing out free boxes. Spokeswoman Kathy Blackburn said the company had two other objectives: cost reduction and customer convenience.
Safety tips: You got your gifts home and delivered them safely. Police offer these tips to help your family continue to enjoy them.
* Don’t position gifts in front of windows where thieves might see them.
* Don’t leave boxes from televisions, camcorders or electronic equipment at the curb. The boxes let crooks know you have something worth stealing. Cut the boxes up and put them in trash bags.
* Engrave valuable gifts with your driver’s license number. If the gift is ever stolen, it is easier to trace it back to you.
Try broccoli: A children’s nutrition group has asked President-elect Bill Clinton to ease up on doughnuts, pizza and other junk food to set a better example for the nation’s youngsters.
Kids Against Junk Food suggested that Clinton order salads and juice when he visits fast-food restaurants and avoid fatty burgers and fries. Clinton often stopped by McDonald’s after morning jogs in Little Rock and is said to have a weakness for cheeseburgers.
The children’s group is a project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based nutrition advocacy organization. Center officials said they hoped that Clinton would eat better than President Bush, who munched on pork rinds and ridiculed broccoli.
