ABATE of OK wants state to FORCE more money from bikers.
EDITORIAL. This is the opinion of jan and is not necessarily the opinion of B.O.L.T.
I have verified with Senator Russell's office that ABATE of Oklahoma asked the senator to introduce Senate Bill 1324 which asks the state to FORCE motorcyclists to pay higher registration fees.
"A Brotherhood Aiming Toward Education" wants the state to force Oklahoma bikers to pay more money every time they register their motorcycle. What exactly do they want to do with that money?
What ever happened to the idea of asking for donations rather than using the long arm of the law to steal money from bikers?
I received this in an this email this morning. It was from the Secretary of ABATE of Tulsa, Inc.
It speaks of a bill they are calling "Gunner's Bill":
"One major issue is that this is an election years and, once again, those pesky legislators are hesitant to pass a fee bill. We have a lot of help to get Gunner's Bill passed, so we are optimistic."
SB 1324 "Gunner's Bill" This bill will add $3 to every motorcycle registration. The money collected will be placed in a "lockbox" to be used for motorcycle education and safety. A similar bill passed both houses by a huge majority last year, but did not get any further as the legislators did not want to pass any fee bills.
HB 3339 Motorcycle Advisory Committee This one is, in a way, "part 2" of Gunner's Bill and may be merged with SB 1324 in the future. This bill will change the make up of the existing advisory committee, which has only 3 riders on it and has never met. The purpose of this committee is to advise and assist the Commissioner in the development, administration and operation of the Motorcycle Safety and Education Program and the setting of goals, objectives and priorities for the Program. In other words, how to spend the money.
The new committee is to be made up of (from the bill) the Administrator, who shall serve as chair of the Committee and shall be a nonvoting member, and seven (7) voting members, six of whom shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Public Safety and one of whom shall be appointed by the Insurance Commissioner. One member shall be a certified instructor of motorcycle safety and education; three members shall be a licensed and safety course certified motorcycle owner/operators; one member shall represent private sector motorcycle rider education schools; one member shall be a representative of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office; and the member appointed by the Insurance Commissioner shall be an employee of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
For what an appointed commitee to do what?
Sounds logical but...
Where did all the money that the Feds gave the state. Acorrding to the NHTSA ( TEA-21) they are getting over $100,000 for motorcycle safety and if they really what to raise additional funds, increase registration for all vehicals by a nickle ($0.05). They can also use this additonal funds to bring more awareness aim toward the cagers to share the road with motorcycles.
What's up with all these "SAFETY" organizations?
The former rights organizations that have turned into "AIMed toward Education" safety and education organizations are less like BIKERS and more like MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING.
They're SELLING OUT. They can't make money off of rights, other than dues, but there is a lot of state and federal funding available for safety and education programs. Some, (not all), of these organizations do what is in the best fiscal interest of the organization, and to heck with rights.
Is your MRO still Nobel Freedom Fighters or has it become an MSO?
Bikers need to wake up, and keep an eye on what their MRO is doing. Stop the habit of always trusting someone else with your rights. Read the fine print of all bills they propose. Ask yourselves, will this bill force any motorcyclists to do something other motorists are not required to do? Some of these former MRO's try to get laws passed that, in effect, discriminate against motorcyclists. Even if it is just $3 for higher registration fees, that is $3 every year for the rest of your life, and it is a discrimination against motorcyclists which you should resent. Ask the MRO specific questions such as, "Do you have a published position statement on this bill?" and "where can I get copies of all legislative proposals you plan to bring to the legislators during this legislative session?" If an MRO insists you become a member before they tell you what they are up to or before they treat you with respect, insist they stop telling legislators they speak for all motorcyclists in the state. Get your friends together and let legislators know that the turncoat MRO does not speak for you.
That said, the few remaining nobel motorcyclist rights organizations that have maintained their focus on defending rights, and stubbornly oppose all legislation that discriminates against motorcyclists, need and deserve your full support, respect, involvement, and assistance. The nobel MRO's are highly principled, and with the help of independent bikers and motorcycle clubs who are also highly principled and want to defend the old school biker way of life, can challenge those MSO's just like any other safety nanny organization, or it will be a MADD world.
I'm not so sure the change in
I'm not so sure the change in what used to be MROs is about money. They could raise much more money through conventional methods. Yes, that would require a certain minimum effort on their part. But there ain't no accountin for cash raised at poker runs. They can hide all they want and spend how they want.
I think it is a few things that have changed MROs. Fighting for rights is tough. You might piss someone off. Some people think changing the motorcyclists' image is important to gaining support for things they want. I call them the New Paradigm Riders. They like to tell us Old Freedom Fighters that we don't understand the new paradigm of politics. I've studied plenty of Deming's TQM philosophy and understand changing paradigms. Former Freedom Fighters have given up and been seduced by the NPR.
It would be extremely hard for the safety folks to create a new organization dedicated to their goals. It was easy for them to take over MROs and use the membership numbers to advance their goals. In many MROs the person who volunteers for a job gets it.
What if it's an intentional effort by the government safety nazis to cripple MROs. That's how they have dealt with other groups in the past, such as environmentalists. Easier to cripple a group than to fight it directly.
For the record, I was a longtime motorcycle safety guy. I remember when motorcycle safety first became an issue in the Air Force. I jumped in and helped. By the late 1980s they were making me the Group Motorcycle Safety NCO and wanted to send me to MSF instructor school. But they said I could not wear my helmet with the "Repeal Helmet Laws. Let those who ride decide." sticker to the school. Oh well.
Nothing trumps Motorcyclists' Rights.
MY OPINION ONLY!
Again, I was speaking for myself ONLY. I oppose legislation which discriminates against motorcyclists or compromises rights. Some organizations and some leaders within those organizations would like to shut me up.
Safety Ninny's
This is what happens when the majority of the population thinks the Entire Constitution consists of the first five Bill of Rights. They only know what they are because they hear them repeated. I doubt if very many of them have ever actually read it. They want someone to Keep them Safe.
Make the bad drivers pay for motorcycle safety!
THEY hit US! THEY need training in motorcycle safety and awareness. PUT the tab on the car drivers tags, then send them to be schooled. Why would VICTIMS be required to pay for the PERPETRATORS remedial studies in driving ettiquette?
I'd be willing to pay an extra buck on a tag for motorcycle safety and awareness if ALL drivers of ALL vehicles pony up too.
And, don't I have a RIGHT to not pay for something I don't support?
What if I have little faith in the government faithfully following through with what they promise?
What if I don't want the government meddling in my business anymore than it already does?
What if I am sick to death with all the rules, regulations, fines, and means that the government has absorped in to itself to make it more powerful than I am? (We are?)
If bikers want to have a motorcycle awareness and safety program, and want to raise the funds to pay for it, so be it! I'll be the first to work at it and chip into it. But I won't make my brother pay if he does not want too.
"What we call 'normal' in psychology is really a psychopathology of the average, so undramatic and so widely spread that we don't even notice it ordinarily."
bikers against bikers
What is wrong with this picture. abate is suppost to help bikers. not tax us. in wisconsin we have partys , ask for donatoins, exc. to raise funds. people who hit bikers in our state must take a motor cycle awareness class, but they pay for it.not the bikers . we fight that kind of thing . they need to get a clue. if they need help or ideas on how to raise money . i'm sure we can help.
ed
Taxing Bikers
Ed
I am in full agreement with you. Maybe the ABATEs that weakened their name has weakened their minds. ABATE ( A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments).
I agree with you pal. We are
I agree with you pal. We are indeed ready to help at anyway we can. They just need to get a clue. I am also a biker , the only means of transportation for me is my Buell Motrocycle. As a biker i don't quite like the things going around. So we should all unite and fight with this thing.
Biker Tax
To the people that are about to be taxed! Are you outta your friggin mind? They pulled this bullcrap in Nevada to the tune of six dollars ber bike. Do the math times 68,000 bikes and the bigest thing that came out of that money is the Governors Advisory on Mortorcycle Safety who determines how to spend the loot. They want you to take their safety course to the tune of $100.00 because the DMV won't devise a decient skills test that is designed for different size bikes so we can all pass on the bikes we ride and don't need to go and borrow a 125 from your kid. If you allow this tax to go through you will soon find that no "lock box for funds" is safe when it comes to the states never ending need to spend and increase the size of the government. With the motorcycle being eco frendly those cash hungry politicians should be giving us rebates not increases. Just my opinion.
Bones