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Thursday, February 28, 2013

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ATTENTION: If there was anything I could do to help the world, I would want everyone to have the opportunity in being able to read this. I think if people actually knew this was a option, we would have have someone we knew or loved, still alive to this very day.

PLEASE "LIKE" this & "SHARE" it if you agree with me. Never feel like your help ain't needed. I'm sure this was helpful to at least one person out there, and hopefully it's a life I saved. - Goldie DeWitt

Motorcycle Poster Giveaway for bikersofamerica.blogspot.com

Hey Christina,

I believe this is Christina's e-mail...my apologies if I have the wrong one. Just wanted to let you know that there is a week left in Jafrum's motorcycle poster-a-day giveaway. Thought your readers might want to know about it.

http://www.jafrum.com/poster-giveaway

I was really hoping you could help me out by getting the word out by just giving it a quick mention on your site. It would really be greatly appreciated and your readers would be grateful. Thanks for your time and hope you have a great day!


Sincerely,

Mike

Record Level of Californians Support Regulating Marijuana



OFF THE WIRE
by Erik Altieri, 
NORML Communications Director  
February 28, 2013
According to survey data released this week by The Field Poll, a record number of Californians now support legalizing and regulating marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.
The poll, conducted February 5-17 among 834 registered California voters, found that 54% support making the use of marijuana legal, with age and other controls like those that apply to alcohol, only 43% were opposed. This is the highest level of support for legalization since The Field Poll began asking the question. In their 2010 poll, only 50% of California voters supported legalization and 46% were opposed.
This survey also found that an overwhelming 72% of Californians support the state’s medical marijuana program and 52% favor allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to open in their town.
California narrowly rejected Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana in 2010, but clearly public opinion has continued to move in our favor since then. It is reasonable to expect that by 2016, when many believe there will be another voter initiative to legalize marijuana, support will have reached the critical mass required to approve of such a measure.
You can view the full poll results here.

Virginia - Poker run to benefit local veteran

OFF THE WIRE
Organizers of the Spring Rally, a new poker run and concert event in Rustburg, aim to raise $10,000 for local veterans.

The Spring Rally, hosted by the POW/MIA Riders War Veterans Motorcycle Club is set May 11 and will travel through Rustburg and Bedford.

All proceeds generated by Spring Rally Poker Run go to the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program. The program helps veterans and their families obtain access to healthcare, benefits, housing, support groups, transportation, employment assistance and more. VWWP, which is supporting the event, said all money raised will be dispatched to veterans in this region, which includes Nelson, Amherst, Bedford, Campbell and Appomattox counties and Lynchburg.

“At the end of the night we would like to hand them a check for $10,000,” said Tom Bushley, one of the event’s organizers. A portion of Southbound Jamboree’s proceeds from the Spring Rally concert will be donated to the VWWP. Donors, vendors and sponsors are invited to join the event to help raise funds for local veterans.

The POW-MIA Riders WVMC, Rolling Thunder Chapter 4 of Lynchburg, Lynchburg Chapter of Pagan’s Motorcycle Club, Stonecutters Chapter of Widows Sons International and Iron Horse Cavalry/ABATE of Virginia and the Central Virginia Community College Student Veterans Organization are involved in the event. Car drivers and motorcycle riders are invited to participate in the Poker Run, which costs $15 to $20, depending on your ride.

“I’m hoping for at least 2,000 people,” said Henry Crank, one of the event organizers. Crank and fellow organizers said they intend to establish a family-friendly event that draws riders back to the Lynchburg area year after year. Hopefully it will become like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, said Crank. That motorcycle rally, now in its 73rd year, draws more than 400,000 visitors to South Dakota.
Registration for the Poker Run begins at 8:30 a.m. May 11 at Southbound Jamboree on Wards Road in Rustburg about a mile past Calohan Road. Southbound Jamboree is a concert venue at the Turpin Fuel Company. The site hosted a series of summer concerts last year.

Bikes depart at 10:30 a.m. The run will be uncontrolled in an effort to keep traffic flowing and make the ride welcoming to beginners, who may be less comfortable riding in large groups. Organizers plan to have digital signage along the route to alert drivers of the event. Prizes for the best and worst poker hands will be awarded at the end of the run.

The Harley-Davidson on Timberlake hosts the second stop at about 11 a.m. The D-Day Memorial in Bedford will offer riders a guided-tour on the third stop at about 12:30 p.m. RTs Custom Cycles Parts and Services on U.S. 460 in Bedford hosts the fourth stop. The Poker Run concludes at Southbound Jamboree.

“We just want to ride with people and support the causes we believe in,” Bushley said.

Southbound Jamboree will host Comedian Jeremy Meador and live music from Blackout, Green Grass Rollers and Pete Turpin & Friends. The concert, $7 per person, will feature food, beverages and vendors. Gates open at 3 p.m. Music begins at 4 p.m.

For more information, to become a vendor, sponsor or to register, call Tom Bushley at (434) 429-1632. All donations are tax deductible.

POW/MIA Riders War Veterans Motorcycle Club Spring Rally Poker Run:

May 11

8:30 a.m. registration begins

$15 per bike/$20 per couple/$20 per car/$5 extra hand

Southbound Jamboree, 10472 Wards Rd. Rustburg VA

Harley-Davidson of Lynchburg, 20452 Timberlake Rd., Lynchburg, VA

National D-Day Memorial, 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford, VA

RTs Custom Cycles Parts and Services, 1032 Triggs Rd. Bedford, VA.

Southbound Jamboree, 10472 Wards Rd. Rustburg VA

Spring Rally Concert

Gates open at 3 p.m., music at 4 p.m.

May 11

Southbound Jamboree, 10472 Wards Rd. Rustburg VA

$7 per ticket


http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_19680462-7b0e-11e2-a049-001a4bcf6878.html

FINLAND - Bikers deny the threat of gang war

OFF THE WIRE
Members of the Bandidos and Canonball motorcycle clubs say that claims of disagreements between the two groups are "police propaganda" aimed at securing more funding for law enforcement.

According to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) there are 61 clubs in the country that wear club colours. The most recent newcomers that have come to the attention of the NBI are the motorcycle clubs Mongols MC and Outlaws MC, both of which have an international reach. Older, more established groups, says the NBI, have extended their activities into ever smaller communities.

A former high-ranking member of the Bandidos says that this is a normal trend.

"In the year 2000, there were 120,000 motorcycles, now there 250,000. Developments are keeping pace," Tapio Haapanen explained to Yle.

Janne Tranberg, a Cannonball MC member for more than a decade, also sees expanded club membership as a natural development.

"The clubs are already in the bigger cities, so they spread to the smaller ones."
According to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) there are 61 clubs in the country that wear club colours. The most recent newcomers that have come to the attention of the NBI are the motorcycle clubs Mongols MC and Outlaws MC, both of which have an international reach. Older, more established groups, says the NBI, have extended their activities into ever smaller communities.

A former high-ranking member of the Bandidos says that this is a normal trend.

"In the year 2000, there were 120,000 motorcycles, now there 250,000. Developments are keeping pace," Tapio Haapanen explained to Yle.

Janne Tranberg, a Cannonball MC member for more than a decade, also sees expanded club membership as a natural development.

"The clubs are already in the bigger cities, so they spread to the smaller ones."

http://yle.fi/uutiset/bikers_deny_the_threat_of_gang_war/6508376

Officer Claims Cops Sell LAPD Guns to Civilians and Dealers

OFF THE WIRE
By ELIZABETH WARMERDAM
LOS ANGELES (CN) - Los Angeles police officers bought and sold guns from the police armory for profit, and told the lieutenant in charge of the armory to "watch his back" after he reported it, the 25-year LAPD veteran claims in court.
     Armando Perez sued the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department in Superior Court.
     Perez, who joined the LAPD in 1987, claims he was retaliated against, suspended and threatened after he discovered, through his job as "Officer in Charge of the Armory," that officers in the Metropolitan Division were buying and reselling guns to other officers, civilians and gun dealers.
     "In or around May 2010, plaintiff initiated a detailed audit of Metro's inventory of firearms," the complaint states. "While performing the weapons audit, plaintiff learned that both officers within the unit and civilians were purchasing special LAPD SWAT-stamped Kimber firearms intended for official use. Plaintiff also discovered that the officers within the unit were possibly reselling these Kimber firearms for large profits to people outside of Metro SWAT - to LAPD officers of various ranks, including captains, plaintiff's own commanding officer, Captain John Incontro (hereinafter, 'Incontro'), and to non-LAPD civilian personnel. Plaintiff also discovered that the officers, unbeknownst to Kimber (the manufacturer), were allowing Cinema Weaponry to purchase these pistols at discounted price, and were allowing Lucas Ranch Gun Sales to facilitate the transfer of the pistols from Kimber to the officers. Plaintiff also discovered records indicating that Officer James Quinlan (hereinafter 'Quinlan') and other officers were facilitating the sales of the Kimber firearms to these other non-Metro LAPD officers, non-LAPD civilians, and gun dealers."
     None of the officers are named as defendants. The only defendants are the city, the LAPD, and "Does 1 through 100."
     Kimber Manufacturing, a New York company that originated over 30 years ago in Oregon, makes highly regarded pistols.
     Perez claims he reported the illegal sale of firearms, illegal kickbacks and fraudulent accounting to Incontro.
     "Incontro asked plaintiff to look into the matter further to see how they could 'fix it in-house.' Incontro also asked plaintiff to take his name off the list of buyers, in light of plaintiff's discoveries," the complaint states.
     Perez claims he also reported a possible inappropriate relationship between Officer Quinlan and a civilian commanding officer.
     "Once Commander Kroeber suspected that plaintiff was looking into a possible inappropriate relationship between a subordinate and a commanding officer, Kroeber ordered the entire investigation, including the weapons sales, to be turned over to the Internal Affairs Group (hereinafter, 'IAG')," the complaint states. "Plaintiff was not informed of whether IAG performed an investigation into misconduct surrounding the weapons sales."
     Perez claims that the IAG's "mere" 39-page long investigation "determined" that no misconduct had occurred. But he says the IAG did not interview him, Quinlan, or other key witnesses.
     Then the retaliation began, Perez says: "On or about July 14, 2010, Quinlan made a retaliatory complaint against Perez. During his initial interview with IAG investigator Sergeant Melody Hainline (hereinafter, 'Hainline'), plaintiff reported the retaliatory acts and hostile work environment he was experiencing. The LAPD took no action in response to Perez's reports of retaliation. In stark contrast to IAG's investigation into the weapons sales, the investigation of Perez resulted in a two hundred fifty-seven (257) page report, which led to one allegation being sustained against him. On or about July 6, 2011, plaintiff was issued a retaliatory five-day suspension.
     "On or about August 23, 2012, the Office of the Inspector General issued the OIG's Review of the Department's Quarterly Discipline Report for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, criticizing the LAPD's initial investigation into the sales of the SWAT Kimbers as deficient. The next day, the Los Angeles Times ran a story on the SWAT weapons sales and reported the potential violation of federal firearms laws and city ethics regulations. Following the LA Times story, the retaliation against plaintiff intensified. Plaintiff was ostracized, his reputation damaged, and [was] told to 'watch his back,' among other retaliatory acts."
     Since reporting the illegal gun deals, Perez says, he has endured veiled threats, ostracism and his job responsibilities have been systematically removed in an attempt to force him to leave Metro.
     Perez claims the LAPD and its chain of command know about this but "failed to take steps to prevent or undo the retaliation."
     He seeks damages, physical and emotional injuries, lost wages, medical expenses and court costs.
     He is represented by Matthew McNicholas with McNicholas & McNichola

N.C. motorcyclists strongly endorse helmet use requirement

OFF THE WIRE

http://greensboro.legalexaminer.com/motorcycle-accidents/nc-motorcyclists-strongly-endorse-helmet-use-requirement.aspx?googleid=307274 N.C. motorcyclists strongly endorse helmet use requirement

Almost four out of five bikers agree:
Wear a helmet.

That’s according to a survey of North Carolina residents, funded by the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP).
Well, it seems that would be common sense, but it’s also been the law in this state since 1968. And guess what? That common-sense law has paid off.
North Carolina ranks No. 1 in the United States for lives saved because of the use of motorcycle helmets.
Not only that, but the Tar Heel State also ranks No. 1 in the nation is economic costs saved by the use of motorcycle helmets.
Well, after all, we Tar Heels are pretty used to a No. 1 ranking.
Those statistics come from a recent report by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And according the GHSP survey, along with the 78 percent of North Carolina riders who favor wearing helmets, 93 percent of people who don’t ride say motorcyclists should wear helmets. Which raises an interesting point.
Maybe those people driving cars and trucks are thinking about something that 15 percent of motorcycle riders are not: Their limitations.
Motorcyclists take special courses to obtain a license to drive their bikes. They are trained in strategies to avoid accidents, whether caused by bad weather, poor road conditions, or drivers of other vehicles.
But there’s the rub: Those other vehicles. Even people who try to be careful, conscientious drivers make mistakes. In the case of encountering a motorcycle on the road, the chances for mistakes increase.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers a list of 10 tips for car and truck drivers to avoid crashes with bikes. These are three of the best:
Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc.). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime." When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative. Some states have weakened or repealed helmet requirements in recent years. After Florida eliminated its helmet law, rider deaths increased 55 percent. Costs of treating head injuries more than doubled.
A couple of things smart bikers definitely know: 1. Other vehicles on the road are a potential danger. 2. Riding a motorcycle requires protective gear.
Thank goodness, wearing a helmet is the law. But I cringe when I see riders in shorts, or wearing flip-flops. As a personal injury attorney, I represent people hurt in bike accidents. I definitely advise wearing boots and leather along with the mandatory helmet.
And, a biker can benefit from extra training. GHSP currently supports a number of efforts to improve motorcycle safety. One example is BikeSafe, a training program conducted by law enforcement officers that helps motorcyclists improve their riding skills in a non-threatening, non-enforcement environment.
Motorcycle riding is fun and a great way to enjoy North Carolina’s gorgeous scenery – from the Atlantic beaches to the Appalachian mountains. So if you ride, protect yourself and make sure your trip has a happy ending.

CALIFORNIA - New motorcycle officers hit the streets of Visalia

OFF THE WIRE

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20130221/NEWS01/302210022?nclick_check=1
New motorcycle officers hit the streets of Visalia

Feb 25, 2013

Visalia police motorcycle officer Todd Johns writes a ticket for a man who had headphones on while driving his car Wednesday on Mooney Boulevard.
Visalia police motorcycle officers Bill Hansen, left, and Todd Johns, ride down Mooney Boulevard Wednesday. / Eric Woomer Zoom Visalia police motorcycle officer Bill Hansen writes a ticket for two young children who were not properly restrained in a truck on Mooney Boulevard Wednesday.

The last thing speeders, red-light runners and distracted drivers want to see in their rear-view mirror is an officer on a motorcycle, mainly because it’s likely to result in a hefty fine.
Motorists in Visalia now have two more reasons to obey the law: Bill Hansen and Todd Johns. They’re Visalia’s newest motorcycle officers. Tasked with patrolling the streets of Visalia and cracking down on traffic violators, the newest members of the department’s eight-officer motorcycle team say it’s one of the most sought after units in law enforcement. “It’s a great specialty unit, there’s no doubt about it,” said Johns, who came from the department’s DUI enforcement team. “It’s a unit with one of the biggest effects on a problem. Our main goal is to address the issues on the streets.” Motorcycle police officers start their morning patrolling areas around Visalia schools. Keeping children safe while walking to and from school is a top priority, Johns said. After that, officers, in two-person teams, spread out across the city. Motorists can find them in the most problematic areas of town, usually where there is the most traffic. They write the majority of the department’s tickets, said Sgt. Chris McLain, who oversees the unit. Motorcycle officers are also typically the first on scene at major traffic crashes and collisions. They’re trained to investigate crashes and undergo 80 hours of training before hopping on a bike. They can be called out at all hours of the night for major crashes and fatalities. “They have to love what they do. Whether it’s 110 or 25 degrees outside, they’re out there,” McClain said. “They are as well-trained as can be. They are certified in radar and often have backgrounds in recognizing DUI and drug users.” Hansen said when he began in patrol, he didn’t like traffic accident calls for service. After handling dozens of crashes month, he honed his skills and found his niche. Johns and Hansen have a combined 45 years of experience on motorcycles and both ride when off duty. They were immediately attracted to the motorcycle unit because of the opportunity it will give them to broaden their resume. It’s an opportunity, though, that most likely wouldn’t have been available had the department not instituted a mandatory rotation shift. While some officers think that the rotation takes knowledgeable officers off specialty beats, Sgt. Amy Watkins says it creates a more well-rounded police officer. The four-year rotation, with a maximum one-year extension, means more officers are in and out of units such as motorcycles, SWAT, bomb squad, property crimes, gang suppression unit, auto theft and narcotics. Each officer in one of these units is given a $1,000-a-year bonus. The extra money isn’t the driving force, Watkins said. “These specialty units sharpen skills. We now have two motorcycle officers off the unit and in patrol with a greater experience on how to investigate a crash or DUI,” she said of the officers that were replaced by Johns and Hansen. “You’re going to be a better police officer with each new assignment.”

LESSON IN IRONY......

OFF THE WIRE
A Lesson in Irony.

               The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of free Meals and Food Stamps ever, to 46 million people.
 
                Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." Their stated reason for the policy is because "The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves."

               Thus ends today's lesson in irony.

Florida - Purchase a motorcycle get a gun for free!!

OFF THE WIRE

Another reason I'm contemplating moving to Florida!! :*) Gotta love it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/21318095/purchase-a-motorcycle-get-a-gun-for-free
Purchase a motorcycle, get a gun for free
Feb 24, 2013 5:38 AM EST
The owner of a Florida motorcycle shop is running a special for the bike and gun lover. (Source: Bay News 9/CNN) PINELLAS PARK, FL (BAY NEWS 9/CNN) - Fans of the open road and ammunition are in favor of a two-for-one deal.
Ron Pownall of a Pinellas Powersports in Florida is running a special at his store - buy a bike, get a handgun for free. Pownall got the idea from the number one trending topic on the internet - guns.
The free gun comes from a gift card to local retailers after a bike purchase.
The store has received calls for and against the special and for the terms and conditions. Pownall said the timing of the special is good for business.
"We think the timing is awesome," said Pownell. "We like to have the conversation about this because we feel like we're losing our rights, and we want to stick up for that."
Pownell just wants his customers to be able to enjoy their right to ride and carry.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn - Changes in Motorcycle Helmet Law?

OFF THE WIRE
Reporter: Whitney Kent
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT)-- The current law states that you must wear a helmet at all times while on a motorcycle; however, the "Motorcyclist Liberty Restoration Act" could change things.
The bill goes before the House and Senate committees starting Tuesday. According to the bill; motorcyclist 21 and older would be allowed to ride without a helmet.
Helmet laws vary by state and Tennessee is one of 19 states that require a helmet for all motorcyclist. Iowa, Illinois and New Hampshire are the only states without helmet laws while the 28 remaining states have helmet laws for only younger riders.
The House Transportation Committee will hear testimony on the bill Tuesday while the House Transportation subcommittee will take on the issue Wednesday.
The primary House sponsor is Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown and Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville backs the Senate version.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Columbia, South Carolina - Joe The Liar

OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com

 Joe The Liar
It is common to scorn defense attorneys in biker RICO cases. The opposite should be true in the drama now unfolding in the federal courtroom of Judge Cameron McGowan Currie in Columbia, South Carolina. It might not be obvious to Noelle Phillips of the State, the only newspaper that has bothered to cover this trial, but the defense is winning,
The defense is winning because the defenders, especially Joshua Kendrick who represents defendant Bruce James Long and John Delgado who is speaking up on behalf of Mark William Baker, are more interested in justice than in their own precious careers. As someone very close to the case said last week, “Delgado will probably never get another federal appointment because of how hard he has defended this case.”
“These guys need some love,” another informed observer said Tuesday morning.

The Fringes Of The Case
The prosecution has more leaks than the Titanic. Not only is former defendant Lisa Bifield unlikely to testify in this trial but she is likely to withdraw her guilty plea. Her husband, Daniel “Diamond Dan” Bifield, was tricked into pleading guilty at the end of December and submitted a handwritten motion a month later to withdraw his plea. There will be a hearing on Dan Bifield’s motion on April 11. Whether Judge Currie grants his request or not is likely to hinge on the fate of the five defendants now on trial. If a jury finds the current defendants not guilty the prosecution should probably just cut its losses and move on.
The prosecutors are two young men named James Hunter May and Julius N. “Jay” Richardson and they are both in over their heads. Throughout the course of the prosecution they have demonstrated the ethics of a couple of twenty dollar lot lizards. Both of them have lied, cheated, dramatized, concealed and shown a general inability to even spell justice. Richardson has a particularly swell resume. He graduated from Chicago Law and clerked for Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist. May is kind of the Yin to Richardson’s Yang. May seems to be actually stupid.
For example, May put a former Hells Angel named Fred Jimmy Condrey, Jr. on the stand yesterday in a lame attempt to discredit the defendants because of the patch they all earned. Condrey made the mistake of pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana and for saving the court a trial he was rewarded with a 240 month sentence. His appeal was dismissed in November 2011 so presumably the only way he could get some of his life back was by agreeing to testify.
Judge Currie refused to allow more than half the questions May tried to ask Condrey. May is so incompetent that at one point Judge Currie waved May into silence and took over questioning the witness for him. Condrey, clearly still cares about his old club and what lingered of his testimony was his assertion that police don’t harass Hells Angels because they are criminals but “because they are Hells Angels.”

Midas Joe The Mafioso
The star witness in this prosecution is a con man named Joseph Dillulio (photo above). Dullulio styles himself as a former Mafia guy. Apparently he is the only wise guy in America who never heard Tony Soprano’s famous dictum, “There is no Mafia!” Also, Dillulio is from New York. And, this trial is being held in mostly rural South Carolina where many residents routinely talk of carpetbaggers and scalawags as if Scarlett O’Hara was a dear family friend. The results of the confluence of all this prosecutorial ineptitude, especially Dillulio’s cross examination by the ferocious Delgado, have been much funnier than Seth MacFarlane hosting the Oscars – literally.
“The FBI does not lie,” Midas (the FBI code name for Dillulio) told Delgado self-righteously and two jurors had to cover their faces to stifle their laughs.
Dillulio may have as many as three unresolved federal charges riding on his testimony in this case. He was convicted of bank fraud and he still owes at least $316,000 in court ordered restitution. Delgado revealed that Dillulio was given $50,000 for moving expenses by the FBI and that Midas used the money to buy a beach house. Delgado asked him about it. “I’m not the one on trial about debt,” the star witness replied.
“Mr. Midas, if a lawyer in this courtroom described you as a man with a checkered past, would you agree with that,” Delgado wanted to know.
“You can call me my proper name or I’m not going to answer your questions,” the con man replied. He spent most of the day talking down to Delgado. It was a strange way to buttress his credibility.
Midas Joe might not be any smarter than May. Out of one side of his mouth the witness claimed the FBI doesn’t lie. Out of the other side of his mouth he agreed that FBI Case Agent Devon P. Mahoney told him what to say and do. And, the prosecution has already played the tape recordings that prove that practically every word that passes over Dillulio’s forked tongue is untrue.
Kendrick supplied the coup de grace. As Dillulio finished his testimony the defense attorney played a tape recording of the New York con man and the unprincipled FBI agent laughing about Bruce James Long’s dead mother. “If Bruce’s Mama wasn’t already dead we could charge her, too,” the con man laughed. As Kendrick let the recording play the dead woman’s sister, there to support her nephew, quickly rose and left the courtroom in tears.
The jury saw that, too. And, that time none of them laughed.

Recognize this guy?

OFF THE WIRE
This says it all about, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN! 
 ATT00002.jpeg


Do you know who this is
It is Little Trayvon Martin...!  At 17 yrs of age.


 
Don't know how much coverage this story has had in your area, but, if it has, here's a new look at it!
 For those of us who thought we were well informed and weren't.....quite the realty check.
That old adage applies here: "there are two sides to every story."  We don't always get the truth from the media.  One of my favorite rants - the liberal controlled media, television news, newspapers, magazines, radio; all continue to show 12 year old Trayvon; NOT 17 year old Trayvon.
 They continue to show the 5 year old picture BECAUSE it helps to cement in your mind the cute, little, hoodie-wearing youngster who was stalked by this monster
.
In reality "little Trayvon" at the time of his death stood almost 6'2" tall and weighed 175 muscular pounds.  He had numerous run ins with authorities (both at school and local police), had been stopped and almost arrested two days before his death for smacking a bus driver in the face, because the driver refused to let him ride for free.  He was released because the driver was told not to press charges by the bus company and to continue on his route.

 When "little Trayvon" was suspended at school it was not only because he tried to bring a little marijuana in with him, he was in possession of wedding rings and other jewelry, watches, etc. that he said he "found" along with a large screwdriver while on the way to school that day.  The jewelry was turned over to the Police by the school.

I am not trying to say this was a good shooting.

I am not trying to say this kid deserved to die.  I am saying the media in the USA is controlled by liberals who twist and distort what you see and hear in order for you to see things their way.

>Not a single paper has printed RECENT photos of this kid, because it would not keep your interest in this case.

Not a single paper will admit that this kid was a marijuana dealer.
>His friends on Facebook all say he had the "best plants".  Not a single paper will show you any of his recent photos where he shows off a mouthful of gold teeth and all of his tattoos.

Not a single newspaper will tell the news like it really is...and NOT how they want you to think it is...

President Obama looked at the FIVE year old photo the media chose to show the Nation and said, "If I had a son...he would look like Trayvon.."  So from that comment should I assume you did not bother to look for the facts in this shooting..or should I assume you want a son who is a 17 year old drug dealing, gold teethed, tattooed thugwhose name on one of his facebook profiles was "Wild Nigga" who 'finds" jewelry and burglary tools on the way to school?

A fair and impartial news media in the USA ?  One that does not follow the preconceived liberal agenda?  One that is NOT looking to further divide this already fractured Nation?

I didn't compose this.  I'm only passing it on.

 Never trust the news media for WHOLE TRUTH and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.


Trayvon at 12 yrs of age..

 


The Rock Hell Preventative Prosecution

OFF THE WIRE
agingrebel.com
The old America punished crimes. The new and improved America prevents crimes. And that is where the prosecution of the Rock Hell Nomads charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club came from.
This paradigm shift in the fundamental relationship between citizen and cop is very recent. Days after Arab religious fanatics hijacked four American jet liners and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center in Manhattan, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller wrote a memorandum that called for “forward leaning – preventative prosecutions.” At the time, America was crazy with infuriation and grief. Many of those who were to blame for the national tragedy brainstormed desperately bad ideas in public – and to oppose the worst of those ideas was to risk being called unpatriotic.
But Mueller’s idea was probably the craziest. It was crazy in the way that destroying Vietnam in order to save it was crazy. Among all the Princeton graduates in America, only Robert Mueller seemed not to know Philip K. Dick’s prescient, 1956 short story “The Minority Report.” Dick’s tale is about a numbers guy named John Anderton who invents the concept of Precrime. “Precrime has cut down felonies by ninety-nine and decimal point eight percent,” Anderton brags. Dick’s point was that there are worse things than a felony. For example, a police state. If Mueller did know Dick’s story he seems never to have actually gotten the point.

War On Terror
It took forty-five years for the transformation of Precrime from an obvious jest into official U.S. policy to occur. Thanks to Mueller, Precrime prosecutions became a pillar of The Global War on Terror – a war that is prosecuted mostly by militarized police bureaucracies on American citizens. The domestic effort to keep America safe is focused around 103 Joint Terrorism Task Forces.
The FBI describes these task forces as “our nation’s front line on terrorism: Small cells of highly trained, locally based, passionately committed investigators, analysts, linguists, SWAT experts, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies. When it comes to investigating terrorism, they do it all: chase down leads, gather evidence, make arrests, provide security for special events, conduct training, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents at a moment’s notice.” What the FBI is reluctant to say is that these task forces mostly “combat transnational/national criminal organizations and enterprises…from mob families to street gangs to drug trafficking outfits (that) sow violence and crime in our communities and create underground economies that undercut free enterprise.” What that last sentence refers to are motorcycle clubs like the Hells Angels and other social, religious and political non-conformists.
The logic of the war on motorcycle clubs is absurdly circular. Since 1980, the FBI has routinely assumed and argued that the Hells Angels Motorcycle club is a mafia on wheels. No one has ever proven that but the accusation provides an excuse to start an investigation. Last week Devon P. Mahoney, the FBI Agent who supervised the Rock Hell entrapment, argued offhandedly that the Hells Angels is a criminal enterprise. Much of the coming week in the Columbia trial will be devoted to demonizing the Hells Angels. Two of the leading government authorities on motorcycle clubs, ATF agent John Ciccone and Jorge Gil-Blanco – an employee of a domestic intelligence network called the Western States Information Network who mostly, according to his own resume, “provides expert testimony for the prosecution of Hells Angels” – will testify for the government.
It is convenient for the war on terror bureaucracy to have a ready made supply of enemies that can be used to justify the bureaucracy’s continued existence. The Hells Angels are a nice fit there. Virtually everyone in the Department of Justice simply assumes that Hells Angels are criminals. The same airheads assume the Angels must be very accomplished criminals because it is so difficult to actually catch them committing crimes.

Entrapment
Fortunately for the prosecutors in South Carolina, the useful and now well-established concept of Precrime has allowed them to lock up a score of defendants mostly on the basis of what a jury can be convinced those defendants intended to do. The FBI believes freedom is doomed unless we embrace this tyranny.
As David J. Gottfried, an instructor at the FBI Academy, put it in an FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin in January 2012, “In the aftermath of 9/11, it no longer proves sufficient to solve crimes after people have committed them…. law enforcement must, in a controlled manner, divert someone determined to harm the United States and its people into a plot bound to fail from the outset, instead of one that might succeed…. This approach of proactively identifying criminal activity in its infancy raises unique concerns…. Where is the line between an individual’s thoughts and desires and criminal activity?”
Gottfried’s article goes on to discuss “the importance of structuring an investigation in anticipation of an entrapment defense…. To successfully assert an entrapment defense in federal and most state courts,” Gottfried explains, “defendants must show by a preponderance of the evidence (hence the characterization of entrapment as an “affirmative” defense) that officers induced them to commit the crime. Assuming defendants make their showing of inducement, the burden of proof moves to the prosecution, which must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was predisposed to commit the crime. Thus law enforcement officers play a critical role in preventing a successful entrapment defense. Recognizing that this role starts at the inception of the operation, not in the courtroom, is essential…. As part of the operation, the officers may develop a plan, perhaps, created in consultation with prosecutors. This plan could identify both the inducements to be used, as well as how to demonstrate predisposition. In addition, law enforcement officers and attorneys working together could identify specific places during the operation where predisposition may be documented and used in court later. To help ensure a successful prosecution, law enforcement officers need to recognize the risks associated with proactive investigations and anticipate affirmative defenses, such as entrapment, as they initiate undercover operations.”
The facts of the Hells Angels case in South Carolina suggest that Agent Mahoney got Gottfried’s memo. Perhaps fortunately for the defendants, Mahoney and the chief agent provocateur in the case, a man named Joe Dilulio, are bumblers. Last week jurors heard Mahoney prevaricate on the stand, day after day. In one unguarded but tape recorded moment that prosecutors tried to keep the jury from hearing, Mahoney asked Dilulio, “So how do we get these guys, Joe? RICO?”
The defendants in South Carolina, men named Mark William Baker, David Channing Oiler, Bruce James Long, Donald Boersma and Thomas McManus Plyler, will go free or go to prison depending on whether a jury believes they were entrapped.
The prosecution saw this coming. On January 11 Assistant United States Attorney Julius N. “Jay” Richardson filed a motion with the court “to prevent (the defendant) from using the entrapment defense.” Richardson’s argument was all legal mumbo jumbo and insisted that, in effect, that the defendant Hells Angels were guilty until proven innocent because Hells Angels must be guilty and so on. “Evidence that the government solicited, provided the opportunity, or initiated the crime cannot establish inducement, for a defendant ‘cannot by a showing of solicitation alone succeed in shifting the burden’ to the government to show predisposition.
“Moreover, to meet the burden of showing inducement, the defendant must show that the Government – and not a third party (like government freelancer Joe Dilulio) – performed the improper inducement. A person led into criminal conduct by a private actor rather than by a government agent may not claim entrapment, or for that matter argue that his conduct is ‘less criminal’ because it was induced by another.”
Richardson withdrew the motion two weeks later but he showed his hand.

The Issue In Columbia
The primary issue in the Columbia trial is entrapment and a secondary issue, as with virtually every biker case, is government corruption.
Mahoney was on the stand for most of the first week. His testimony was so contrived and rehearsed and he is such a poor actor that throughout his direct examination by Richardson the jury yawned and dozed. Even Judge Cameron Currie yawned and at one point the jury slipped her a note asking if Richardson could speed it up. The jury revived during Mahoney’s cross examination.
Much of that cross examination was intended to help jurors understand how an FBI entrapment works. Now only do government employees attempt to induce their targets to acquiesce – not agree but acquiesce – to some technical participation in an illegal scheme. But, the inducement must be carefully contrived beforehand to prevent an entrapment defense.
One defense goal last week was to trick Mahoney into saying the word “entrapment.” The defense barely succeeded. It happened like this.
Richardson questioned Mahoney about “proactive investigations.” Mahoney talked about a Las Vegas sting that tried to entrap potential child molesters. NBC television broadcast a reality series called To Catch A Predator about similar stings. The idea was probably to equate Hells Angels with child predators.
When one of the defenders got his turn, he asked Mahoney about the training and instructions given to the actors who participated in the Vegas sting. Mahoney was questioned at a little length about why the actors were told “to never initiate sexual conversation and never initiate any conversation about meeting in person. Is it because for the government to initiate any criminal activity would be entrapment.”
Mahoney replied that “entrapment is a legal term and I can’t comment.”
So the case inched onward like a very slow chess game. There will probably be at least four more weeks of this.

NEBRASKA - Bill Would Allow Motorcycles to Go Through Red Lights, On Condition

OFF THE WIRE
http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Bill-Would-Allow-Motorcycles-to-Go-Through-Red-Lights-On-Condition-190966221.html
Bill Would Allow Motorcycles to Go Through Red Lights, On Condition
Nebraska lawmakers are considering a bill that would let motorcyclists and bikers run red lights if no other vehicles are around and the stoplight doesn't turn green after two minutes.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
■Bill would let motorcyclists and bikers run red lights if no other vehicles are around
■Would require that motorcyclists wait two minutes before continuing through an intersection
■Reasoning behind the bill is that vehicles weighing less than 1,000 lbs. don't trigger traffic sensors
■ Columbus Sen. Paul Schumacher told the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Tuesday that the bill is needed because traffic sensors don't always pick up motorcyclists, leaving them waiting at the stop light for too long.
The Nebraska Sheriffs' Association and the city of Lincoln oppose the bill. The Nebraska Sheriffs' Association says the bill would be difficult to enforce.
Lincoln assistant city engineer Randy Hoskins says allowing cyclists to enter the intersection when the traffic light is red is a safety risk. He says he would prefer city workers fix problematic sensors.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

AUSTRALIA - Bikies can be lawful citizens too

OFF THE WIRE
Last Saturday's targeting of the Vikings Motorcycle Club's charity ride (The Courier, Monday, February 18) as part of the Baillieu government's crackdown on "outlaw motorcycle club" raises some concerns.

How and when did the Vikings Motorcycle Club become outlawed? As far as I am aware, the Vikings are a properly constituted club whose members hold down jobs and pay taxes.

If any motorcycle club, or any organisation for that matter, is engaged in criminal activities then the police should charge and prosecute them.

Being a member of a group engaged in a common interest in motorcycles and wearing club colours is not, of itself, cause for extraordinary police interest.

Many people find bikies (particularly en masse) intimidating but, if they are conforming with the laws of the state, they have as much right to use the roads as any group or individual.

Kicking the law and order can is a popular tactic used by governments to divert attention from their failings.

Branding some groups as outlaws is a highly emotive and devisive strategy by a government willing to use fear to bolster its political fortunes.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1324159/bikies-can-be-lawful-citizens-too/?cs=64

NEW MEXICO - Santa Fe police officer under investigation for possible gang ties

OFF THE WIRE
A Santa Fe police officer is being investigated for possible connections to an outlaw motorcycle club.

Chief Ray Rael confirmed this week that the department is conducting an internal investigation into Officer Ben Chavarria and his possible affiliation with the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. Chavarria, assigned to the department’s community relations department, was investigated once before on similar allegations.

Rael said the current investigation began in November 2012, when an obituary for Stevan Roybal, who died Nov. 19, 2012, appeared in The New Mexican listing Roybal as “a PROUD member of the Bandidos MC” and Chavarria as an honorary pallbearer.

KRQE-TV reported that Chavarria then posted on Facebook about Roybal, saying Roybal was his “best friend,” and “I spent many a night riding Harleys with him. He made me the biker I am.”

Chavarria wouldn’t comment on the allegations under advice from his attorney. Chavarria has remained in his role as a community relations officer since the investigation began.

“Once the investigation is completed, we will decide what appropriate action, if any, will be taken,” Rael said. “Current policy prohibits officers from affiliating with known criminal organizations.”

In 2009, Chavarria was suspended for 40 hours for violating department policy on the same allegations, Rael said.

Linda Flatt, founder of the Las Acequias Neighborhood Watch program, says she has known Chavarria for almost a decade. She said Chavarria explained to her that Roybal was a close friend to him growing up, but the two took different paths in their lives when Roybal openly joined the Bandidos.

Flatt said Chavarria told her he attended Rivera’s funeral, despite knowing that it was organized by the Bandidos, simply to pay respects to Rivera’s family, whom he had known most of his life.

Flatt said the recent allegations are “outlandish.”

Chavarria helped begin Santa Fe police’s Shop with a Cop program, which helps families in need during the holiday season, and has served on the regional board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico. Chavarria also recently completed his second term as president of the Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Flatt said Chavarria puts in hours of volunteer time helping Neighborhood Watch communities around the city.

“He really cares about the people and the community,” Flatt said. “He’s an outstanding officer.”

The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is considered by federal authorities to be a worldwide criminal organization. Designated as one of the “Big Four” outlaw motorcycle club in the United States, according to the FBI, the Bandidos are listed along with Hell’s Angels, the Pagans and the Outlaws.

The Bandidos describe themselves as a motorcycle club, but they are not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association.

“It’s my professional understanding that they are an organized criminal organization that’s been involved in everything from narcotics trafficking to drug and gun trafficking,” Rael said Friday.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/022313BandidoCop#.USy_QTekKSo

NJ demands Pagans' records in suit against state police

OFF THE WIRE
In 2010, two members of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club filed suit against the New Jersey State Police over a 2009 traffic stop in Southampton they say was illegal, humiliating and discriminatory.

In federal court in Camden on Thursday, the state responded by demanding the biker club’s membership list, financial ledgers, bylaws and other paperwork as legal discovery in order for the suit to go forward.

Judge Magistrate Ann Marie Donio ordered some of the documents that pertain specifically to the case to be handed over, but reserved judgment on the membership list and bylaws.

The attorney representing the two Pagans says the move to obtain the paperwork is nothing short of intimidation.

“It’s a private club and they have no right to that information,” said Boyd Spencer. “The state is trying to make a criminal investigation out of a civil matter. It’s an attempt to intimidate plaintiffs from any social organization for ever bringing a civil rights suit to court.”


Attorneys for the New Jersey Office of the District Attorney, which is representing the state police, argued in court that the information is needed for the state to prove that the length of the stop is justified for officer safety.

Historically, the Pagans have been labeled as an “outlaw motorcycle club” by the FBI and many in law enforcement allege it is a sophisticated crime syndicate dealing in everything from drug and weapons trafficking to violence and extortion.

But simply being a member of the group or displaying its symbols is not a crime because of a constitutional right to freedom of association, Spencer argues, saying that is at the crux of the case.

The lawsuit also alleges the group was not only humiliated when told to remove their jackets, with so-called club colors, but that the trooper violated their First Amendment right to free expression.

The bikers were degraded further, according to the suit, when they were all cited for wearing improper helmets on motorized bicycles, not the high-powered motorcycles they were riding.

In the state’s drafted response, it argued that the trooper simply conflated the similar violation numbers for the citations, and that First Amendment rights were never violated because the bikers never actually removed their apparel and were never restricted from freely associating with one another.

The traffic stop occurred around dusk on July, 30, 2009, on Route 70 in Southampton near the Red Lion Circle.

The bikers claim they were on their way to a charity fundraiser in the township when a state trooper pulled over all six, two of which were members of the Pagans, three members a different group called the Tribe, and one of their wives.

Three of the bikers — Joseph Ballinger of Mantua, James Coles of Gloucester City and Louis C. DeGauiller of Haddonfield — were moved to sue months later over the 1 hour and 14 minute stop.

Coles and DeGauiller are Pagans, while Ballinger is a member of The Tribe, according to the suit.

The lawsuit claims that one trooper told them “Blue and gold are the only colors allowed on this road,” referring to the state police uniform, and used the threat of towing one of the motorcycles as leverage to get the bikers to remove their jackets.

One of the bikers allegedly had a suspended license over an insurance surcharge nonpayment, which turned out to be a computer error that was later straightened out, their attorney said.

“It doesn’t matter what you think of the Pagans or what they are, they have a right to wear whatever jackets they want,” Spencer said. “Even the Ku Klux Klan has a right to wear their silly little patches on their silly little hoods.”

The state argued that the officer had plenty of reasonable suspicion, the requirement necessary for a traffic stop, to pull over the bikers since one of them was seen not wearing a helmet.

Several later pleaded guilty to helmet violations in municipal court, according to the state.

Spencer said that the violations for the three plaintiffs named in the suit were dismissed. Precise records from Southampton municipal court were not immediately available Friday.

The state also argued that the 1 hour, 14 minute stop was reasonable given that authorities radioed driver information to a dispatcher for all six people to see if they had up to date licenses or any outstanding warrants.

Authorities also had to write eight separate citations, according to the state.

The bikers’ attorney rejects the state’s argument and wrote in the suit that the stop was “selective and malicious prosecution…on sham charges.”

“They’re profiling certain people,” Spencer said. “To have reasonable suspicion to pull them over because they’re Pagans, you have to say that every member of the organization is a criminal. That means you can pull over every Italian for being a member of the mafia.”

Spencer says his clients are seeking $3 million in damages.

The judge’s decision on the records is expected within the next few weeks.

Matt Chiappardi: 609-871-8054; email mchiappardi©phillyBurbs.com; Twitter @mattchiappardi. To subscribe, go to phillyBurbs.com/orderBCT

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/nj-demands-pagans-records-in-suit-against-state-police/article_0d023964-9ede-5096-bfdc-f539a8cd1a22.html

Former mobster testifies in Rock Hill Hells Angels trial

OFF THE WIRE
COLUMBIA — The former mobster and the Hells Angel club president discussed a gun deal on the phone.

Joseph Dillulio, the former mobster who ran a Rock Hill jewelry store, talked about buying a gun from a Hells Angel nicknamed Yard Owl.

“I did a little thing with Yard Owl, and I wanted to make sure he took care of you, number one,” Dillulio said in a recorded phone conversation played Monday in U.S. District Court.

Mark Baker, the president of the Hells Angels Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter, replied, “Yeah, he did.”

Baker is one of five Hells Angels on trial for federal drug, gun, money laundering and racketeering charges. The recording of the discussion about kickbacks was part of the case to prove the racketeering charges.

Testimony began with high security at Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse as a former member of the Hells Angels Charleston chapter testified, breaking one of the most important Hells Angels rules – no snitching.

Fred Jimmy Condrey, who is in federal prison for dealing methamphetamine, explained the Hells Angels organizational structure and the rules of membership. He also described the Hells Angels relationship to other motorcycle club and how the Hells Angels control the methamphetamine trade in South Carolina.

Dillulio, 54, worked as a paid confidential informant under the code name Midas, and his Rock Hill jewelry store served as a front for the FBI to monitor transactions with the Hells Angels.

Dillulio explained how he bought guns, methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription pills from the Hells Angels, and he described the shady dealings that happen between criminals.

In cross examination, defense attorneys attacked Dillulio’s credibility, and their questioning got under Dillulio’s skin.

“Mr. Midas, if a lawyer in this courtroom described you as a man with a checkered past, would you agree with that?” asked John Delgado, Baker’s attorney.

Dillulio replied, “You can call me my proper name or I’m not going to answer your questions.”

http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/02/25/4646458/former-mobster-testifies-in-hells.html#storylink=cpy

Its Now LEGAL to SHOOT POLICE in Indiana if you believe The Cop Is Unlawfully Entering Your Home!

Hold onto your holsters, folks: shooting a cop dead is now legal in the state of Indiana.

Governor Mitch Daniels, a Republican, has authorized changes to a 2006 legislation that legalizes the use of deadly force on a public servant — including an officer of the law — in cases of "unlawful intrusion." Proponents of both the Second and Fourth Amendments — those that allow for the ownership of firearms and the security against unlawful searches, respectively — are celebrating the update by saying it ensures that residents are protected from authorities that abuse the powers of the badge.

Others, however, fear that the alleged threat of a police state emergence will be replaced by an all-out warzone in Indiana.

Under the latest changes of the so-called Castle Doctrine, state lawmakers agree "people have a right to defend themselves and third parties from physical harm and crime." Rather than excluding officers of the law, however, any public servant is now subject to be met with deadly force if they unlawfully enter private property without clear justification.

"In enacting this section, the general assembly finds and declares that it is the policy of this state to recognize the unique character of a citizen's home and to ensure that a citizen feels secure in his or her own home against unlawful intrusion by another individual or a public servant," reads the legislation.

Although critics have been quick to condemn the law for opening the door for assaults on police officers, supporters say that it is necessary to implement the ideals brought by America's forefathers. Especially, argue some, since the Indiana Supreme Court almost eliminated the Fourth Amendment entirely last year. During the 2011 case of Barnes v. State of Indiana, the court ruled that a man who assaulted an officer dispatched to his house had broken the law before there was "no right to reasonably resist unlawful entry by police officers." In turn, the National Rifle Association lobbied for an amendment to the Castle Doctrine to ensure that residents were protected from officers that abuse the law to grant themselves entry into private space.

"There are bad legislators," the law's author, State Senator R. Michael Young (R) tells Bloomberg News. "There are bad clergy, bad doctors, bad teachers, and it's these officers that we're concerned about that when they act outside their scope and duty that the individual ought to have a right to protect themselves."

Governor Daniels agrees with the senator in a statement offered through his office, and notes that the law is only being established to cover rare incidents of police abuse that can escape the system without reprimand for officers or other persons that break the law to gain entry.

"In the real world, there will almost never be a situation in which these extremely narrow conditions are met," Daniels says. "This law is not an invitation to use violence or force against law enforcement officers."

Officers in Indiana aren't necessarily on the same page, though. "If I pull over a car and I walk up to it and the guy shoots me, he's going to say, 'Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,'" Sergeant Joseph Hubbard tells Bloomberg. "Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law."

"It's just a recipe for disaster," Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police President Tim Downs adds. "It just puts a bounty on our heads."

CA - California lawmaker withdraws bill that would have restricted lane-splitting by motorcyclists

Feb. 26, 2013    
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail:
jholter@ama-cycle.org
California lawmaker withdraws bill that would have restricted lane-splitting by motorcyclists
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The sponsor of a California Senate bill that would have restricted the current practice of lane-splitting by motorcyclists will withdraw the bill from consideration, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

Lane-splitting by motorcyclists in California is recognized by the California Highway Patrol and helps ease traffic flow.

An aide to state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA Tuesday afternoon that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year. The bill, introduced Feb. 20, would have allowed lane-splitting only in certain instances: on divided highways with three or more lanes of travel in the same direction, only when traffic is congested and only at "a safe" speed.

Nick Haris, AMA western states representative, noted that lane-splitting has been an accepted custom and necessary strategy to ease traffic congestion in California for years. He noted that Beall's bill proposed a sudden and significant shift in traffic management strategies in the state with respect to motorcycles, which could have had a serious impact on traffic flow.

"We are pleased that Sen. Beall's office is withdrawing the bill, but we remain watchful of any legislative action on lane-splitting that could penalize motorcyclists," Haris said. "Lane-splitting has been done safely in California for decades, so there is really no need to impose new restrictions, especially given the guidelines just released by the California Highway Patrol that make no mention of a three-lane minimum."

According to the California Highway Patrol, lane-splitting occurs when a motorcyclist rides between lanes of stopped or slower-moving traffic or moves between lanes to the front of stopped traffic. The convention is recognized as a benefit to urban traffic flow because it allows motorcycles to make maximum use of roadways when traffic is stopped or significantly slowed. The controlled flow of motorcyclists through stopped traffic also permits more space for other road users.

"Lane-splitting by motorcyclists, when done correctly, helps improve traffic flow for everyone on the road," Haris said. "That helps everybody save time, gas and hassles, and promotes safer roads by mitigating traffic backups. It's important that we work to preserve lane-splitting for the benefit of everyone on the road."

Great Quote

OFF THE WIRE
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances
which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then —
are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised,
often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking
people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as
sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip
back into abject poverty.

This is known as “bad luck.”

~ Robert Heinlein

Motorcycle Poster Giveaway for bikersofamerica.blogspot.com

OFF THE WIRE
Hey there,

We thought you might want to know, and share with your viewers, that motorcycle gear provider Jafrum is currently running a 1 a day motorcycle poster giveaway. Go ahead and enter and link to this from your site so your readers can also. Check out the motorcycle quotes poster giveaway here.

http://www.jafrum.com/poster-giveaway

Thanks for checking it out and letting your readers know about it!


Sincerely,

Mike Joba

CASH THE CHECK


President Obama walks into the Bank of America to cash a check.

As he approaches the cashier he says, "Good morning Ma'am,               could you please cash this check for me?"Cashier:

"It would be my pleasure sir. Could you please show me your ID?"

Obama:"Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. I am President Barack Obama, the President of the United States of AMERICA !!!!"

Cashier:"Yes sir, I know who you are, but with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of impostors and forgers and requirements of the Dodd/Frank legislation, etc., I must insist on seeing ID."

Obama: Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am."

Cashier:"I am sorry Mr. President but these are the bank rules and I must follow them."

Obama:"I am urging you, please, cash this check."

Cashier:"Look Mr. President, here is an example of what we can do. One day, Tiger Woods came into the bank without ID.

To prove he was Tiger Woods he pulled out his putter and made a beautiful shot across the bank into a cup.

With that shot we knew him to be Tiger Woods and cashed his check. 

Another time, Andre Agassi came in without ID. He pulled out his tennis racquet and made a Fabulous shot as the tennis ball landed in my cup. With that shot we cashed his check. 

So, Mr. President, what can you do to prove that it is you, and only you, as the President of the United States?"

Obama: Obama stands there thinking, and thinking, and finally says, "Honestly, my mind is a total blank...there is nothing that comes to my mind.

I can't think of a single thing. I have absolutely no idea what to do and I don't have a clue.

Cashier:"Will that be large or small bills, Mr. President?"

Guns don't keep us safe...

Inline                                                           image 1

PIC OF THE DAY

Photo: Rate this booty 1-10

This Just In from the AMA:

OFF THE WIRE
This Just In from the AMA:

California lawmaker withdraws bill that would have restricted lane-splitting by motorcyclists

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The sponsor of a California Senate bill that would have restricted the current practice of lane-splitting by motorcyclists will withdraw the bill from consideration, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

Lane-splitting by motorcyclists in California is recognized by the California Highway Patrol and helps ease traffic flow.

An aide to state Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), who sponsored S.B. 350, confirmed in an email to the AMA Tuesday afternoon that the bill would be withdrawn, pending the results of a University of California-Berkeley safety study expected later this year. The bill, introduced Feb. 20, would have allowed lane-splitting only in certain instances: on divided highways with three or more lanes of travel in the same direction, only when traffic is congested and only at "a safe" speed.

Nick Haris, AMA western states representative, noted that lane-splitting has been an accepted custom and necessary strategy to ease traffic congestion in California for years. He noted that Beall's bill proposed a sudden and significant shift in traffic management strategies in the state with respect to motorcycles, which could have had a serious impact on traffic flow.

"We are pleased that Sen. Beall's office is withdrawing the bill, but we remain watchful of any legislative action on lane-splitting that could penalize motorcyclists," Haris said. "Lane-splitting has been done safely in California for decades, so there is really no need to impose new restrictions, especially given the guidelines just released by the California Highway Patrol that make no mention of a three-lane minimum."

According to the California Highway Patrol, lane-splitting occurs when a motorcyclist rides between lanes of stopped or slower-moving traffic or moves between lanes to the front of stopped traffic. The convention is recognized as a benefit to urban traffic flow because it allows motorcycles to make maximum use of roadways when traffic is stopped or significantly slowed. The controlled flow of motorcyclists through stopped traffic also permits more space for other road users.

"Lane-splitting by motorcyclists, when done correctly, helps improve traffic flow for everyone on the road," Haris said. "That helps everybody save time, gas and hassles, and promotes safer roads by mitigating traffic backups. It's important that we work to preserve lane-splitting for the benefit of everyone on the road."

EUROPE - Region on alert for biker club growth

OFF THE WIRE
After an announcement from Europol that membership in both the Hells Angels and Bandidos clubs has almost doubled in the last six or so years, regional governments are keeping an eye on local motorcycle club chapters.

The number of Hells Angels club chapters around the world grew from 120 in 2005 to 229 in 2012, and the Bandidos reaching 137 chapters in 2012, up from 72 in 2006, according to Soren Pedersen, Europol's media chief.

The average club chapter consists of around 14 members, Europol said.

"What we fear in the Balkans is that, even though they are staying under the radar now, they will as we've seen time after time eventually involve themselves in arms and, of course, drugs," Pederson said.

This isn't the first time the region has confronted the specter of a biker boom. In 2010, Europol released a similar warning, noting the need for international police co-operation to address the issue.

Later that year, the European Commission sponsored a multi-country workshop on outlaw motorcycle club for South-Eastern European law enforcement officers.

In Zagreb last month, police carried out a raid on a motorcycle club where around 60 visitors from all over Eastern Europe gathered for an annual party.

"During conduction of the raid, police officers used means of coercing over four people and a couple of persons were brought to an interview under caution, after which they were released," a spokesperson for the Zagreb police told SETimes.

Turkey and Albania, where Europol said the influx is particularly strong, are strategic points of distribution for the "Balkan Route," through which much of Western Europe receives most of its drugs.

Europol claims the major influx hails from Australia, where biker club are very active.

There, the groups "feature prominently in most aspects of serious and organised crime, and have a robust ability to expand into illicit drugs, firearms, blackmail, extortion and fraud," the Australian Crime Commission said recently.

Australia's government has made policing of biker club a major priority. Several states have tried to ban the groups entirely, through laws that prohibit the display of club colors and membership tattoos. club members, however, have successfully challenged those laws as unconstitutional.

The government's recent crackdown on "bikies" may be what's causing some members to migrate west, but Europe also offers business advantages.

Despite Europol's recent warning, some experts were skeptical that such a major relocation would prove worth the trouble for Australia-based bikers.
The groups often exist as legitimate hobbyist communities, Duncan McNab, a former policeman and private investigator in Australia, said, but, he added, "you'd need to be blind not to know what the clubs are primarily doing."

Many Australian bikers have a built-in connection to Southeastern Europe due to their Balkan origins. Many immigrants who fled the region as Yugoslavia splintered during the 1990s -- or during the long economic slump that followed -- landed in Australia.

A high proportion of those have been recruited to their adopted homeland's "bikie" club, which now include the aptly named "Balkan Bandidos."

When two Australian "Bandidos" from the Balkans were recently tried, and later convicted, in a Gold Coast club rape, their lawyers cited the trauma they experienced growing up during the wars in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo as a context for their behaviour.

With the various clubs increasing in size, they could outgrow their own trade territories and infringe on others', Europol fears. Turf wars are certainly not unprecedented in biker communities; historically, these club have become most violent when dealing with inter-club issues of defection and rivalry.

"If you go back in history you can see: when they get too crowded, there is a risk they will clash," Pedersen said.

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