OFF THE WIRE
It's betrayal of the trust. No excuse. Not even a stupidity excuse. No lobbyist is that stupid. That's intentional. People are being played. Look for the motive. There's always motive. If motive is not revealed or is totally unreasonable/incredible in its' explanation, the only other explanation is worse: infiltration.
Motivation of the lobbyist may be different than the motivation of the ABATE BOD (if they continue to allow their lobbyists claim of neutrality to stand).
Here are a few possible motives. You might think of others.
1. Manufacturers don't want the heat of Cali passing a resolution to tell the EPA to increase regulation.
2. The SMRO sees it as an opportunity to tell people to join, while also showing legislators they are cooperative.
3. A law firm wants to get noticed as important assistance in smaller cases, so potential clients will remember them for multi-million dollar ones.
The thing is, ABATE is going to do what ABATE is going to do. If they go neutral, this is only further proof they do not deserve the trust of motorcyclists who depend on them to represent their rights. All you can do is have a position statement in opposition, and by opposition, I mean opposition to the legislation rather than your opposition to the MSO. There is time to state opposition to ABATE and condemnations of them as betraying the trust later. They are not the key to this. I see Bub as being key if you can get them to withdraw their support.
If anyone goes to Sacramento today, find out if ABATE is taking a neutral position. If so, do not stand with, and especially not behind, ABATE speakers. Position yourself apart from them. Get there early. Before the meeting starts, tell the chairperson you are from B.O.L.T. and wish to speak in opposition to the bill. If you get a chance to speak, stand up, say your name and what legislative district you are in. You might explain to the committee that you are not there looking for any special privileges or for a handout. You are there because you are not willing to accept criminal responsibility when it is the motorcycle manufacturers who fail to follow EPA regulations, and you don't want the legislators to allow law enforcement to use it as an additional reason to target motorcyclists for harassment, and if law enforcement fails to see an EPA stamp that is no reason to ticket us. Not when 0 out of 76 brand new motorcycles fail to fully comply with the EPA label regulation according to a survey of brand new motorcycles in New York City showrooms as recently as 2008.
And while we're at it, speaking of bad laws that promote harassment of motorcyclists, since the CHP has refused, for years, to follow federal court orders from Easyriders v. Commissioner Hannigan, I ask the committee to remove all sections of this entire proposal and replace it with a motion for an amendment which repeals 27802 and 27803, the helmet statute, for that very reason! You have some nerve to expect us to be responsible for a label on a pipe, when your own highway patrol refuses to obey common law. We're sick of being harassed, and will not tolerate any more injustice against us! That's all I have to say, but I'll take questions.
(Just sit down. Don't say thank you. Remember, they are there to talk about BOHICA. Some might be on your side, so be nice to those who are.)
