Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126849
(hal W31 already cleared by a ll agency Directorates and me Office of General Co u n sel st...ikes me as makework and ludicro u s in th e ext reme, " On j anuar y 22. 1985. 'Co m mi ssio ner Stat ler ci rc u m vented the la w with regard 10 anoth er co ns ume r product by issu in g h is o wn pe rson a l p ress re lease o n ba by-ga tes wh en a Co m m issio n- p la nned pr ess release was de layed unt il it was 6(b}(6) cleared. I believe Mr. Sta rlet's acti on s a nd p u blic co mmenu, suc h as h is ca ll for a ba n an d reca ll o f ATVs lea ve no doubt tha t h e' has p re -judged th e issue a nd co n seq ue m ly is u nable to mak e a fair decision based o n fan s p resented to the Co m m issio n . In o rde r to safeg uard a ny possib le reg ulatory actions ta ken by the CPSC in a co urt o f la w. I respectfull y request the Department of j u stice investigate Commissioner Sta ller's apparen t d isregard of Federal sta tu tes. . I a m p repa red ( 0 sha re all o f my find ings and . in for mation wit h Dep artmen t u f jU'ilin' a ttorneys, and would 1M- p leased (0 d i!'KUlOS thi s matter wit h yo u. Iloo k for war d ( 0 you r response . LA R RY E. C R AIG Ra n king Rep u blica n Mem ber Co m me rce. Co ns um er &: Mo neta ry Affairs Subcommittee Team Bridgeport Kawasaki Wins The WERA Grand National Heavyweight Superbike 6 Hour Endurance Road Race. . - Claims meeting report bias: Statler hails "Team Smitty" LONG BEACH, CA , NOV. 12 Stuart M. "Ban 'em " Staller of the U.S . Consumer Product Safety Commission complimented Jim Smith, creator of the ATV News ca rtoo n strip "Team Smitty," while co m p la in ing th at part of a report on his appearance .a t a National Mot orcycle Retailers Association co n fere nce was " woefu lly di storted." Statler's note ech oed CDmments he mad e in person when he met Smith br iefl y during a br eak in a CPSC public h earing in L DS An geles on October 17. The report, written by Cycl e News Associate Editor Paul Carruthers and appearing in ATV News and Cycle News, both published by C ycle News, In c., included a paragraph disputed by Statler; that paragraph noted that "Statler al so co m p la ined about a 'Sm itty' car too n in Cycle N ews and ATV N ews, saying that the cartoon upset hi s wife. 'M y wife asked me to express her indignation to at least one of the publications that I heard was. represented here, Cycle News. She didn 't mind any kind of misrepresentation to my position, but when I was car ica tured in the Smitty col umn wearing polka -dot shorts, she felt somewha t embarrassed. But what rea lIy got her juices roiling was when she wa s caricatured as a stick-figured hag n eedling me in the morning as to what I sho u ld be wearing." Statler, the outspoken CPSC Commissioner who frequentl y attacks ATVs as unsafe, is often criticized for prejudiced and non-objective behavior at CPSC public hearings on ATV safety, and who just as frequently is lampooned in th e cartoon strip for his bumbling tacti cs, addressed an envelope containing a handwritten n o te and a photocopy of the published paragraph to "Team Smitty," despite the fact that Smith's name appears in the cartoo n heading. The note, scrawled on beige CPSC notepad paper in green pen, was dated October 29 and rea d " Sm itty. (See p-4 attached). This is pure 'bu ll .' As I mentioned to YDU at the L.A . hearing, I think your cartoons are exceedingl y clever and witty. I enjoyed them , as did my wife. Bu t what was said at the NM RA mtg. purely by wa y of jest in my introductory comments - and tak en humorously by evervone else in the room - was WDefulIy distorted as a 'complaint' by the Cycle N ews reporter , Typical o f the publication's 'objectivi ty.' Keep me appraised of your p romising career. Best rega rds, Stuart." Statler did not cha lIen ge the accuracy Df th e quote in th e story, nor did he claim that Smith's cartoon representations of his (Sta tler's) position were inaccurate. ATV SPECTRa OILS BRIDGEFtQR]~ KAWASAKI, .two ; consistent winners, teamed...~p once again at Road Atlanta to take endurance road racing top honors. When the top teams rely on and recommend SPECTRa ~~=::::=: =:;:~;;;;~:::~::: d OILS isn't it time you improved your time an~ performance with the winning lubricants? We can't guarantee that you will win every race because you use SPECTRO LUBRICANTS, but you will never DNF from lubrication failure. SPECTRO OILS OF AMERICA Route 7: P.O. Box 208, Brookfield, CT 06804 (203) 775-1291 .. ~ ; .' " SHOEI Congratulates Team Cycle Tech riders JOEY OSOWSKI and JOHN KOCINSKI on winning the 1985 WERA National Endurance Road Race Championship . ":'. .' . ..',' SHOEI Rider WALTER Nino Wins the 1985AFM N um ber One Plate. That's Wal t's second year in a row. For Comfort and Confidence top racers rely on •• • SHOE!. The Choice of Champions , SHOEI SAFETY HELMET CORPORATION 2228 Cotner, Los Angeles , CA 90064 (213 ) 477-6051 13