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Aw C'mon, we don't know anyone who eats sleds, ATVs or bikes!

As if we didn't have enough to worry about with the economy still in major meltdown mode, now we need to be concerned about kids getting lead poisoning from eating their sleds, ATVs etc.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is limiting sales of all "toys" that contain lead. Nothing wrong with that, but somehow that has expanded to include kid-oriented 120cc snowmobiles because they could have small amounts of lead in them.

I could go on a rant here ... I already feel my blood pressure rising, but reader John Suter already has written a fine letter that you may want to consider forwarding on to all your elected U.S. representatives and senators.

Here's what Suter, a resident of Chugiak, Alaska, has to say addressed to his senator, Lisa Murkowski.

    "Enclosed is a news article telling of the federal government stuck on stupid again. (Story is from Feb. 16, 2009 Anchorage Daily News, outlining how dirt bikes and other small motorized vehicles are to be banned)

    The kids' mini-snowmobiles, bikes and quad 4 wheelers sold in America must comply with the Consumer Product Safety Commission's new national limit on lead in children's products. This rule is for children's toys and the commission has extended it to kids' min-snowmobiles, bikes and quad 4 wheelers. The idea of the rule is to have safe toys for children so that when try to put these toys in their mouths, they will not get lead poisoning. However, there are no examples of kids putting mini-snowmobiles, bikes or quad 4 wheelers, or their parts, into their mouths and getting lead poisoning.

    This stuck on stupid ruling made by bungling government bureaucrats needs to be reversed. It does not do any good for business that cannot sell these products, or our economy, and does not provide any useful  protection for kids in putting these products into their mouths, of which they do not do it anyway. It also serves an injustice to the American consumer who wants to purchase these types of products. This government protection of protecting us from ourselves shows that the bureaucrats have no common sense, thus they only provide disservice to our business and to the people of America.

    It is interesting to note that these government bureaucrats in the stroke of a pen, can overnight put a stop to the sale of kids' mini-snowmobiles, bikes and quad 4 wheelers, but can do very little in stopping the sale of illegal drugs to our kids.

    Sincerely,
    John Suter

Bravo John! Lets remind those in our government that they are here to serve us and while we're all for protecting kids, this is yet another giant overstepping of authority. Let them know what you think!

Mark Savage
AmSnow editor