OFF THE WIRE
How Does Biker Safety Group Spend Taxpayer Money?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A biker group that claims to promote motorcycle safety also rode to the state Capitol building to lobby lawmakers in an effort to overturn the Florida's helmet law.
A study by the Center for Urban Transportation Research shows that Repealing the state's helmet law led to a 33 percent jump in emergency room costs for each motorcycle crash. The state also said 49 percent of crash victims do not have insurance.
The motorcycle group, ABATE, has received nearly $750,000 of public money since 2007 to promote motorcycle safety awareness. The group already received $250,000 this year and it's in line to get another $250,000 next year.
State records show ABATE has turned over receipts for silicone bracelets, calendars, gel pens, eyeglass repair kits, key chains and yard signs, but some bikers think that the taxpayer dollars given to ABATE are simply used to boost fee-based membership.
"The only thing the stickers do is advertise ABATE," a motorcyclist, and voter, by the name of Banshee said. "I feel ripped off."
The state has the authority to audit ABATE, but never has. Present and former members of the group said taxpayers deserve to know more.
"If it's all about taxpayer money, even if you don't ride a motorcycle, this is your money. You should be watching every dime," biker John Herlihy said.
ABATE's president and lobbyist, James Reichanbach, disputed the notion that the group received public money.
"It comes out of our motorcycle money that the motorcyclists pay into," Reichanbach said.
The money does come from motorcycle fees, but the state said that money can be spent on transportation to benefit everyone.
ABATE's tax returns show that under the Governing Documents Disclosure, it lists "No documents available to the public." That bothered Republican Rep. Bryan Nelson, of Apopka, who said he does not want public money spent promoting groups with political agendas.
"It's fine, as long as it's not taxpayer funded," Nelson said.
ABATE does raise safety awareness with videos shown on its website and in high schools that teach young drivers to avoid bikers. It has also sponsored billboards on highways and has run some of the state's biggest toy drives.
"The state organization is doing a great job for the state of Florida," Mike Pope, the president of ABATE's Brevard County chapter, said.
This summer, ABATE will be required to submit its first audit of how the public money is being spent.
Read more: http://www.wesh.com/news/27784832/detail.html#ixzz1LfxjEk77
A study by the Center for Urban Transportation Research shows that Repealing the state's helmet law led to a 33 percent jump in emergency room costs for each motorcycle crash. The state also said 49 percent of crash victims do not have insurance.
The motorcycle group, ABATE, has received nearly $750,000 of public money since 2007 to promote motorcycle safety awareness. The group already received $250,000 this year and it's in line to get another $250,000 next year.
State records show ABATE has turned over receipts for silicone bracelets, calendars, gel pens, eyeglass repair kits, key chains and yard signs, but some bikers think that the taxpayer dollars given to ABATE are simply used to boost fee-based membership.
"The only thing the stickers do is advertise ABATE," a motorcyclist, and voter, by the name of Banshee said. "I feel ripped off."
The state has the authority to audit ABATE, but never has. Present and former members of the group said taxpayers deserve to know more.
"If it's all about taxpayer money, even if you don't ride a motorcycle, this is your money. You should be watching every dime," biker John Herlihy said.
ABATE's president and lobbyist, James Reichanbach, disputed the notion that the group received public money.
"It comes out of our motorcycle money that the motorcyclists pay into," Reichanbach said.
The money does come from motorcycle fees, but the state said that money can be spent on transportation to benefit everyone.
ABATE's tax returns show that under the Governing Documents Disclosure, it lists "No documents available to the public." That bothered Republican Rep. Bryan Nelson, of Apopka, who said he does not want public money spent promoting groups with political agendas.
"It's fine, as long as it's not taxpayer funded," Nelson said.
ABATE does raise safety awareness with videos shown on its website and in high schools that teach young drivers to avoid bikers. It has also sponsored billboards on highways and has run some of the state's biggest toy drives.
"The state organization is doing a great job for the state of Florida," Mike Pope, the president of ABATE's Brevard County chapter, said.
This summer, ABATE will be required to submit its first audit of how the public money is being spent.
Read more: http://www.wesh.com/news/27784832/detail.html#ixzz1LfxjEk77
TV show about ABATE of Florida Were's the money Doc, WESH, ORlando ABATE of FLorida the video is up
WESH TV - http://www.wesh.com/news/27784832/detail.html
