Topic: Our federal law makers at work.........again

[Toymin8r]

Has anyone read any info on the new ban on selling kids motorcycles because the engine parts contain too much lead.   It took affect Feb 17th, 2009.

Here is the associated press article. 

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A new national limit on lead in children's products — which has toy makers scrambling for new testing methods and retailers for storage space for inventory they're not sure they can sell — also is forcing motorcycle dealers to pull dirt bikes off showroom floors.

It became illegal Tuesday to sell off-road machines geared for children younger than 12 because parts in them contain lead at levels greater than 600 parts per million. Most motor vehicles have such parts.

"I think they took this law a little too far," said Margie Hicklin-Krsul, the owner of Redline Sports, a sports bike dealership in Butte. "I've never had anyone come in and say, 'My child keeps putting parts of his motorcycle into his mouth.'"

About 100,000 of the bikes — popular for trails, zipping around backyards and racing on motocross tracks — sold last year for $1,500 or more, according to industry estimates. The ban, not yet permanent, is a blow to motocross racers of any age who want a small bike and now won't be able to get new equipment or repair what they have.

Dealerships — where sales already were sputtering due to the recession — received notices over the last month that they must pull the bikes off showroom floors. Industry leaders say some 13,000 dealers are now stuck with $100 million worth of inventory that may end up worthless.

Congress tightened lead limits on children's products last summer after a series of discoveries of dangerous lead levels in toys, and the rules took partial effect last week when a judge nixed a 12-month reprieve while the Consumer Products Safety Commission finalizes them.

The law won't be enforced for a year, but retailers can no longer sell products that contain materials in question. And they may find once the rules are clarified that the inventory now filling their storage rooms is worthless.

Congress is getting an earful. U.S. Rep. Danny Rehberg, R-Mont., fielding angry phone calls over the issue, blamed "government bureaucrats" for bungling implementation of the original law.

Makers of dirt bikes and motocross equipment are seeking an exemption for their products, but the federal consumer agency is still reviewing the request.

"We're hoping that they see their way to a difference between a children's necklace and a motor part that has very little chance of being ingested by a child," said Tim Patnode, spokesman for American Honda.

Dealers worry the ban will have the perverse effect of pushing kids onto larger, more powerful models if the ones running with engine displacement between 50 cubic centimeters and 100 are no longer available. They also say the ban will discourage families from introducing young riders to the sport.

"Every one of my nieces and nephews has learned to ride on 50s and then I've worked them up to the bigger bikes," said Hicklin-Krsul, the Butte dealer.

The ban applies to used and new small off-road machines — and the parts to service them. Even the agency administering the ban understands it might be counterproductive.

"It is critically important to the Consumer Product Safety Commission that youth models be available because we are the federal agency that has investigated numerous deaths involving young riders who jumped on to adult-size ATVs," said Scott Wolfson, spokesman for the commission.

But he said the agency is reviewing thousands of products to decide if they meet the new lead standards.

Renton Motorcycle Co. outside Seattle moved 169 dirt bikes and ATVs off its sales floor last Tuesday. After selling about 600 starter bikes and ATVs in 2008, the shop now may not be able to service them or accept them in trade for a bigger bike, said sales manager Mike Dunaway.

"If someone has a little 50 and their son's now grown up, how can we move them up to the next model?" Dunaway asked.

Dealers have been warned that a single violation of the law carries a fine of $1,825 and penalties could run to $1.8 million with repeated offenses.

For the time being, most manufacturers are offering to cover the cost dealers face each month for the stock they are holding in hopes the ban will be lifted.

"We're going to park them in the back room and wait for the government to decide what to do," said Wayne Gabbert, owner of Outdoor Motor Sports Inc. in Helena. "It's another one of these good-government deals where they try to save everybody."

[Wermz84]

Ya i read about this, I think it is retarded.

[BLACKDOG]

This is :bull crap: 

Its nothing more than a sideways blow to the OHV industry and other outdoor enthusiasts.  Its the same thing they're trying to do with guns and ammo, if we cant' ban the guns outright, we'll just tax the out of them, or attempt to make it to expensive for manufacturers to manufacture them.

Now, kids aren't going to be riding, and growing up riding, if this takes place.  Sure, some parents will put their kids on bigger bikes, or be creative, but the majority of people will just not buy them.     What are they going to do next, say kids can't ride in cars?  Can't be in cars when mommy and daddy are filling them up at the gas station?  That won't happen, and there's a lot worse stuff than just lead in and around both of those places. 

If you want to make something illegal, how about McDonalds?  We knowthat is leading people down a slippery slope.  I mean, what harm does lead really have?  Brainless ate paint chips as a kid, and he turned out fine...well, ok bad example.   

The point is, the government is only going after things that don't fit their agenda.  They're not aggressively attacking other proven things that are bad for our health, just the things they don't understand, and/or don't like. 

The government is just proving how screwed up they really are right now.  Here we are passing huge stimulus packages, bending over backwards to keep people in their homes, and trying to keep "businesses" from closing their doors, yet they'll pass something like this, in a time like this.  Thankfully the manufacturers of the bikes are stepping up to try and help out the dealers, but this is a huge blow, and some of those dealers won't recover. 

[Rocksurfer]

I have no words for this, none.

[abnormaltoy]

People seldom get the government they need...more often we get the government we deserve.

[46&2]

Wow..... 

[Toymin8r [OP]]

Did y'all catch the line in the article about banning the sale of both new AND USED?........AND PARTS to service them. 

[brainlessfool]

butt what if your a midget and want to fix your honda 50?

[DTB]

Right...riding dirtbikes is not dangerous at all.....


but the lead in the engines is if they eat it.....

[46&2]

Right...riding dirtbikes is not dangerous at all.....


but the lead in the engines is if they eat it.....

Are you trying to tell me you didn't eat dirt bikes as a kid??

[DTB]

Are you trying to tell me you didn't eat dirt bikes as a kid??

No just paint chips and toy soldiers 

[BLACKDOG]

Right...riding dirtbikes is not dangerous at all.....


but the lead in the engines is if they eat it.....

thats my point.  Start out with the small stuff, and 20 years from now, you've got a generation of people who've never ridden because they didn't start out when they were little. 

[DTB]

thats my point.  Start out with the small stuff, and 20 years from now, you've got a generation of people who've never ridden because they didn't start out when they were little. 

Maybe they should just outlaw all gas powered machines because they emit harmful fumes too...

[46&2]

Maybe they should just outlaw all gas powered machines because they emit harmful fumes too...

I think we should all live in giant bubbles that protect us from everything. OMG THE WORLD IS SO SCARY

[DTB]

I think we should all live in giant bubbles that protect us from everything. OMG THE WORLD IS SO SCARY

No actually the plastic in the bubble contains toxic, cancer causing chemicals ......

 

[Toymin8r [OP]]

Farting should be outlawed because of all the ozone damaging methane gas.   

[abnormaltoy]

thats my point.  Start out with the small stuff, and 20 years from now, you've got a generation of people who've never ridden because they didn't start out when they were little. 

I've got news for you honky! It started more than 20 years...ago!

Toilets that don't use as much water, and took 4 flushes to get the goods down and left racing stripes.

Cars that don't use leaded gas, and cost more and get worse mileage.

Taking control of personal property because of two little fish in your creek.



It won't stop until we make it stop.

[kneedownnate]

Toilets that don't use as much water, and took 4 flushes to get the goods down and left racing stripes.

It won't stop until we make it stop.

Low flow toilets suck anus!  King of the Hill hit the nail on the head when they had the episode where they made everybody switch to lowflows.  Peggy took a dump and flushed 6 times, her and hank had an uncomfortable moment about it when she came out, then bobby goes into the bathroom and yells  "you needed 7" 

The sad thing is, such a large percentage of our population wants everybody to protect them from everything, so stuff like this just goes over easier and easier as time goes by.  If I ever have kids, I hate to think of what kind of world this will be by the time they graduate high school 

[DTB]

Low flow toilets suck anus! 

actually.....NO...they dont...


the GOOD ones are the ones that do that..... like commercial ones they have in schools and stuff....no wiping even required...

 

[kneedownnate]

You mean like a bode?  I'm sure it's spelled different.

This all reminds me of all the crap about the ozone layer way long ago.  First they got their panties all up in a way saying we're burning a hole through it with our motorbikes, cars and trucks, then when that theory got shut down they just modified it and said "oh yea, what we meant was you're building it up, that's it!"    No matter what is actually happening, they just spin it to make the weak minded chicken littles fall for whatever they want them to.  It really is a shame how dumb and easily fooled most people are.

They can pay *independent* scientists to say whatever they want, and who are we to say otherwise?  We don't know what they're talking about.  Hell, next to meteorologists, they're a close 2nd in line for not having a clue what they're doing sometimes!  Agendas run the world, no matter who's running what where.

[germ]

just another example of big brother trying to save us from ourselves. Not to get into the whole conspiracy theory, but a majority of the people who run the government want to keep the general populace as stupid as possible so that they can get away with doing whatever they want. Ever wonder why when the government needs to cut spending one of the first things that goes is school funding? If they can keep us stupid, fat, unarmed and lazy, then we won't question when they do "shady" things to enrich themselves or make power grabs. BD hit it about the guns, and it's only going to get worse. I could go on and on about this (and I'm not a conspiracy guy).

This could also be the heavy handed enforcement of a poorly written piece of legislation. Seems things have to be spelled out in explicit detail in order not to be misinterpreted and have unanticipated consequences. It's a shame that all government wants to do is make MORE laws, and not rescind some of the antiquated, stupid legislation that is already on the books.

Erik

[unclejpl4x4]

  my buddy told me and i looked into it.  lead ban is fine  but seems like they did not think about the fall out and the hardships it wll have on bussnisses .

[Rockcrawlintoy]

if a kid is suckin on the fender or exhaust pipe of his lil 50 you have more problems to deal with than just lead

[BLACKDOG]

whatever happened to the days when a kid stuck something in his mouth, and dear old mommy or daddy would walk up and slap them in the back of the head, and say "spit that out!" 

[46&2]

I just got done reading a really good book that focuses more on Global Warming than anything but the ideas presented in the book can easily be applied to stuff like this. Its called State of Fear, by Michael Crichton and it talks about how we have been living in a perpetual state of fear for over 100 years. Eugenics, Lysenkoism, the Cold War, and now Global Warming/Global Climate change are all variations of the same thing: a perpetual state of fear used to control the population. Its actually quite unnerving to read the chilling similarities between the era of Eugenics and the current era of Global Warming. I highly recommend checking out State of Fear by Michael Crichton.


"When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power."    -   Alston Chase

[Wermz84]

whatever happened to the days when a kid stuck something in his mouth, and dear old mommy or daddy would walk up and slap them in the back of the head, and say "spit that out!" 

Unfortunately those days are gone.  Now the kid will call CPS for child beating, and then probably be able to take them to court for mental anguish.  or some other such :bull crap:

[abnormaltoy]

Unfortunately those days are gone.  Now the kid will call CPS for child beating, and then probably be able to take them to court for mental anguish.  or some other such bull .

Watch your language! I'll slap a turd out of you and wash your mouth out with soap!

[Toymin8r [OP]]

I just got done reading a really good book that focuses more on Global Warming than anything but the ideas presented in the book can easily be applied to stuff like this. Its called State of Fear, by Michael Crichton and it talks about how we have been living in a perpetual state of fear for over 100 years. Eugenics, Lysenkoism, the Cold War, and now Global Warming/Global Climate change are all variations of the same thing: a perpetual state of fear used to control the population. Its actually quite unnerving to read the chilling similarities between the era of Eugenics and the current era of Global Warming. I highly recommend checking out State of Fear by Michael Crichton.


"When the search for truth is confused with political advocacy, the pursuit of knowledge is reduced to the quest for power."    -   Alston Chase

I'm not meaning to stir up a hornets nest here but many believe that is what the purpose of God and religion was - a way of controling the population through fear of retribution in the afterlife.

[Wermz84]

Watch your language! I'll slap a turd out of you and wash your mouth out with soap!

Edit;  Bring it old man.   

[abnormaltoy]

Edit;  Bring it old man.   

You know what they say about those who engage in internet fights, don't you! 











  Consarnit! Kids today have no respect for their elders!