The GUNNY'S SACK

June 2004 I've returned again from one of the most informative biker conferences, ever. These things just get better each year. This was the 19th Annual Convention of NCOM (National Coalition Of Motorcyclists) and of AIM (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists), and it was held this year in Oklahoma City.

I have to tell you brothers and sisters, helmet laws are the least of our worries. Besides, NHTSA (that's the Fed agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) will do what they want, anyway. They are still bypassing laws that prohibit them from lobbying in the states to put lids on our heads! Point is, these days there are far more serious enemies out there that many of us discount out of hand.

At this year's NCOM Convention, there was a great deal of conversation again -- and seminars, too -- about the US PATRIOT ACT. As invasive of civil rights as this Act is, some of our elected people think it isn't strong enough, so they propose to strengthen it with another act, to prosecute what they define as "street gangs." This law, as I read it, can make virtually any citizen a potential criminal. It's all in the interpretation. The Bill, S. 2358, is sponsored by Senators Durbin (the author), Leahy, Feingold, and Kennedy. Please, if you value your freedom to assemble with friends, read up on this, and get in touch with your senators and congressmen. Plead with them to vote NO on this latest attempt to destroy our way of life and our Constitution. This law, in theory, is about street gangs, but only requires that three or more people be "involved" in some prohibited activity. The powers granted go far beyond what we would normally tolerate as law, even to safeguard this nation. Motorcyclists have already been arrested under the existing anti-terror laws. Don't think this new one won't do the same. MC's in particular, could be targets. As I said, lid laws are the least of our worries.

The current "anti-terror" laws allow the police to "sneak & peek" into our homes, without your knowledge, and often without warrants. That MIGHT be okay, if it were used JUST against terrorists, but it isn't. Or maybe it IS, since the law could declare just about anybody to be a "terrorist"!

When government can literally walk into our homes without a warrant and no more than a suspicion that you might be a gang member, something is terribly wrong. This is how the anti-terror laws can work. One more example: if the gov't suspects you have associated with a group of three or more people, and ONE of them had committed a crime at some time, this can invoke provisions of the law. Sort of like the RICO laws, but even worse.

Our American Constitution is being unraveled like a roll of toilet paper. This country is being duped by unscrupulous people who are bent on demolishing the freedoms guaranteed to every soul in this country. Am I scared? You bet I am. I don't want to leave this earth knowing my offspring will live in a slave society.

To Do List: In a strategy session back in OKC, at the NCOM conference, we discussed ways of influencing our elected officials, who have been misled over the years by both the people pushing these anti-freedom laws, and by anti-biker safetycrats: We should make friends with as many lawmakers as possible, get them useful info, and never lie to them. The one thing we can't do is lose our credibility. If we don't know the answer to their question, tell the truth, and if you have to research an answer, when you have something to say, get back to them. Follow-up makes tons of points. There were at least two or three sessions at the Convention that were on legislative issues affecting bikers. There was also another "Mock Legislative Session," to help train more bikers to learn how to CHANGE LAW!

NEWS BITS 'N' PIECES:

FLORIDA: When the lid law was relaxed here, guess what? The economy jumped! In the two years following the law change there was an upswing in motorcycle sales that topped 100,000. This resulted in a BILLION DOLLARS in revenue, understanding that the estimate is based on the average value of a new bike of $10,000.00. The sales tax alone raised in excess of $60,000,000.00. Registration fees brought another $3,610,000.00 to the state treasury. Change of title costs brought another $2,975,000.00 into the coffers. Tell me bikers don't spend money.

These figures were compiled by "Doc" Reichenbach, who is both the President and Lobbyist for ABATE of Florida, Inc., and the Chairman of NCOM as well. The figures come from Florida's Licensing Bureau and the Department of Highway Safety. Ridership has increased by 50%!

I don't know about you folks, but I'm tellin' ya, we have to get after our states to do something about the revenues they have to work with. I'm thinkin' if we could raise just half that money here in Oregon and earmark a portion of those funds to our schools we would soon be back on track.

KANSAS: From the Wichita Eagle comes a story how Kansans are looking at motorcycles and buses to beat the gas crunch. We've long known that the motorcycle is the best alterative to the gas guzzling SUV's and cars in general. With gas prices soaring well over the $2.00 mark, small bikes are selling like crazy in Kansas…and probably all across the country as well.

CLEVELAND: Accidents and motorcycles are multiplying on Ohio roads, but their rider training program can't keep up with the demand. That's a problem in a lot of states, by the way, and yet NHTSA has recently claimed that rider training doesn't pay off! What can they be thinking?

Ohio had about 62,000 more bikes rolling and registered in 2003 than it did in 1999, according to Department of Public Safety figures. Ohio now has the third highest number of registered bikes in the U.S. During the same period, the number of motorcycle accidents went up, of course, but not as much as you'd think. Besides, if you get a lot of new riders in your state and you don't have enough rider ed, you're looking at more wrecks, that's just all there is to it. NHTSA doesn't have a clue, if y'ask the Gunny.

DEARBORN, MI: Triple-A is on the helmet bandwagon again. The American Automobile Association says repeal of helmet laws will cause more rider deaths and injuries. What AAA doesn't say is that these increases are proportionate to the increase in ridership, which also increases further, by the way, when there's suddenly no lid law! So who are they trying to kid? Perhaps they need to keep their meddling minds focused on four-wheelers.

Richard J. Miller is a safety manager fairly high up in AAA. He said that "it is well established that motorcycle helmets decrease the severity of injury, the likelihood of death and the overall cost of medical care."

I'll tell you where they get this stuff: It's more bad stats and disinformation from NHTSA, the people who are always marching to the same old tune: If you don't wear a helmet yur gonna die or be seriously injured and someone else is gonna hafta foot the bill. I'm gittin' real sick of hearing that hogwash.

GAOA, INDIA: Hiru Gawde, a motorcyclist from Taleigao, died, and his female passenger, Rekha Diwadkar was seriously injured when their motorcycle crashed against a temporary barrier near an ice plant on the Ribandar Patto. This country isn't the only one that has bikers injured and killed in single-vehicle accidents. Let's all be careful out there, folks.

GUNNY AGAIN: Well, I've mouthed off enough for this month. So I'll close with the reminder that the motorcycle world is served and protected by our Lawyers who Ride, from Aid to Injured Motorcyclists, or AIM, through Richard M. Lester, who in turn is the founder of NCOM. Those AIM Attorneys recycle some of those attorney fees from bike accidents and are the sole support of NCOM, to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars a year. If you should be unlucky enough to have an accident, call 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, or if you're a computeroid go to www.AIMNCOM.com, and get in touch with an AIM attorney. They will always give ya' at least a free consultation. Our Oregon AIM lawyer, Sam Hochberg, is always telling folks that if you go down, whatever you do, DON'T TALK to the other guy's insurance people. No statements, no nothing at all, no matter how much "in the right" you are, until you've had at least a consultation with a personal injury lawyer. I tell ya, if you don't listen to THAT advice, you're liable to get hit TWICE: Once in the wreck, and again by those insurance dudes. Just Say NO.