OFF THE WIRE
sent this to the guys out here just now, not sure yet who’s going or what’s gonna happen tomorrow. Got a note back from Don saying it’d be really powerful if we could get BUB to withdraw support before the hearing so if anybody knows how to do make that happen – DO IT!
Jan, I put this together in a format such that if you did manage to hook up with one of the sport bike groups through NCUBA who could attend the hearing they could read it off.
Been thinking about the best course of action all day and I think we need at least one if not more other organizations to stand up and wave a copy of the New York presentation in the air and ask the committee members if they’ve all seen it.
Go on to tell them:
New York City was on the verge of passing a law to use the EPA labeling for enforcement purposes as is being proposed here and the concerned motorcyclists who put the presentation together managed to explain to them why it couldn’t work.
Then go on record saying that:
The presentation shows clearly that many brand new stock motorcycles don’t have easily visible labels and some don’t have them at all or must be partially disassembled in order to see them. There’s no reason to believe that the 2011 models will be any different since the EPA agency that created the regulations, the Office of Noise Abatement and Control, hasn’t existed since 1981 and the EPA doesn’t take responsibility for the regulations anymore, even though they’re still on the books. That’s why the labeling is such a mess: no one’s been responsible for the regulations for 30 years and technology has changed motorcycle design significantly since then.
If this law passes you will be making roughly half the 2011 model year motorcycles sold in California subject to a fix it ticket right off the showroom floor. And how would a consumer who received one of these tickets possibly “fix-it”, and why should they even have to?
Although the language saying that even parked vehicles were covered under the proposed new vehicle code section has been removed, the fact that it’s considered an equipment violation would allow police to issue citations even to parked vehicles, same as issuing a citation to a car with no front license plate. We’d hate to think police departments across the state would put together a list of new models they know are in violation just so they could wander around at motorcycle gatherings and issue citations but stranger things have happened in the past.
I’m not sure what the protocol is to be one of the organizations allowed to speak but I’ve seen them give 3 minutes to more than one group in the past. Probably the best way to find out is to go to the the Assembly Transportation Committee Chair’s office and ask. Or call. The Chair is Bonnie Lowenthal office number (916) 319-2193. She’s also a co-sponsor of the bill.
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