Consumerist
Consumer Reports takes issue with some of the statements CPSC chairperson Nancy Nord said in a recent speech:
...much of Nord's speech before the National Press Club in Washington was spent discussing 2007, often dubbed "the year of the recall." Nord faulted the press for its "near-hysteria levels" of coverage. And politicians—who have been working on legislation to give the agency more funds and powers—did not escape her criticism either.Everything the mainstream media covers they cover the same way—with hysteria. Last we checked, however, our tally of lead recalls for 2007 had reached 17,181,210. All things considered, we'd rather the media pay attention to poisonous toys than than the custody battles of pop stars—a topic that they are infinitely more hysterical about.We don't agree with that characterization of hysteria or several other of Nord's statements. Here are a few of the key points she made in her speech and in the question and answer period that followed—and our concerns about them:
"The fact is, consumer products are safer today than they have ever been," Nord said in her prepared remarks. And toys, she later added "are safer than they have ever been."
More than 25 million toys were recalled in 2007 because of safety problems. Need we say more? That large number of recalls in a single year certainly suggests there are a lot of unsafe toys on the market and in our homes.
Nancy Nord, the CPSC's acting chairman, looks forward—and back [Consumer Reports]
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Comments
Ok, Nancy, What toys did YOU buy this holiday season?
I was really glad my kids were past the FisherPrice/Playskool days!
Yikes...How does she look at herself in the mirror??
She somehow seems to believe that if she makes a statement and then repeats it a couple of times it will somehow have made it true retroactively. I'd like to see the research that backs this approach...
The overall idea is true, however. In the year 2007, we panicked over lead paint on children's toys. In the year 1967, it was used regularly for children's toys and we breathed in copious amounts of lead thanks to leaded gas. 2007 was more about awareness than actual hazard.
The only guy that they have testing toys is retiring.
Therefore they will find fewer problems. Thus the toys must be safer if they find fewer problems.
It's like a complaint dept. that never answers the phone: "We haven't had anything like that problem reported.."
Sure, pally. Does she watch the news? What does she have to say about that lone toy tester retiring? Who's going to pick up the slack? The poor man obviously couldn't handle testing all the nation's toys alone and now there's no one to do that job? All governmental agencies are just going to heck in a handbasket...
Where's the "small parts guy" when you need him?
Way to go old girl, stay the course. That's the winning strategy."
There ya go, another Bush hack blatantly lying and looking the other way to help big business get over on people. This is one of the main reasons I left the republican party- they don't care about anyone opr anything except how much money they can make...
You're doin' a heckuva job, Nancy!
I always love the comments on consumerist - a nice unawareness of the facts or logic.
One wonders why a supposed Bushite (just so you know: the CPSC is an independent agency, other than the appointment of commissioners, the rest of the executive branch has little power over it) suddenly decided to actually pay attention to the lead paint standard that has been on the books for 30 years and embarrass a number of large businesses while she was at it. Wouldn't it make more sense for her, you know, as a Bushite, to quash enforcement, not ramp it up?
@burgundyyears: Enforcement? what enforcement? You mean this stuff typically being discovered by non-government groups and the toy manufacturers like Mattel being forced to scramble and do a recall because mothers will stop buying their toys? Is that the enforcement you refer to? Or is there some secret enforcement that you know about?
I wish Nancy could have come to my house the day we had to pack up all those Thomas the Tank Engine toys. Maybe she could have explained to my then 4 yr old why we were taking away his favorite things in the world. Now THAT was hysteria, pulling beloved toys away from the tight grip of a little boy.
Oh and then when the company sent us a replacement engine for our "inconvenience", it too was later recalled.
Nancy, you suck.
I'd bet almost any amount of money that when Nancy gets the boot or jumps ship like the rat she is(sometimes between now and next November), she'll go to work as a lobbyist.
Maybe for a toy manufacturer.
I wonder if Mainway Toys is hiring?
@burgundyyears: It's called damage control. It's what happens when independent third parties discover and make public the fact that you've been totally neglecting your duties for years and years. But go on, keep thinking everyone is out to get poor ole George W.
@starrion: For some reason I think you may have hit the Nord on the head (excuse my cliché and my pun).
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My god that comment was awful, how the hell did I come up with something that bad? And further more why am I going to hit the submit button?
Nancy says what the government pays her to say. How can expect anything more from this administration?
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