04-18-2002

02LR09 - April 16, 2002

MRF LEADERS' REPORT
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
P.O. Box 1808
Washington, DC 20013-1808
202-546-0983 (voice)
202-546-0986 (fax)
wyld@mrf.org (e-mail)
http://www.mrf.org (website)

#02-LR-09
THE LEADERS' REPORT - Ride With The LeadersTM - April 16, 2002

TO: The Leaders of the American Motorcyclists' Rights Movement
FROM: Tom Wyld, VP-Government Relations, Motorcycle Riders Foundation

NORTH CAROLINA TEST-RIDES MRF TEA-21 REAUTHORIZATION AGENDA.....Last week the North Carolina congressional delegation was the first in Congress to test-ride MRF's TEA-21 Reauthorization Agenda. Our agenda took on added thrust, because NC Congressmen and Senators heard about it directly from constituents - the Concerned Bikers Association/ABATE of North Carolina. Sherry Hand and Tom "Doc" Wasileski joined newlyweds Mike and Cindy Hodges in paying calls on the delegation. (Married just a week ago, Cindy introduced herself using her maiden name just twice to Congressional staff - or was it three times, Mike?)

NC VISIT HIGHLIGHTS.....Topping the list: a lengthy, candid and extraordinarily helpful conversation on NHTSA and other transportation issues with U.S. Rep. Richard Burr (R-NC), an MRF Champion of Motorcyclists' Rights & Safety. Another highlight: meeting with MRF Champ Howard Coble (R-NC). This week also marked the first time CBA/ABATE visited the DC office of NC Governor Mike Easley. His aide was very impressed with the jewel of the MRF TEA-21 agenda: advancement of motorcycle safety training through a federal resource injection to states that maintain or increase their rider training budget, recruit and retain more instructors and turn out more graduates.

EPA, "ROAD DOG" AND JOBS.....We keep pushing on the EPA and health care fronts. Virtually every office shared our concern over the threat posed to small business by the as-yet-unreleased EPA Proposed Rule on street motorcycle emissions. The presence on the team of "Doc" Wasileski made it personal; "Doc" works at JT's Customs of NC, birthplace of the "Road Dog" custom motorcycle. Riders nationwide owe a debt to CBA/ABATE and every SMRO that funds trips to Washington - and to the MRF Freedom Fighters who take time from work and family to lobby their Washington representatives. Many thanks to the NC team for a great week - and many happy returns to Mike and Cindy Hodges!

HELMET BLACKMAIL CHAMP RUNNING FOR CONGRESS.....We've reported repeatedly that our foes are pushing a decidedly anti-motorcyclists' rights agenda that includes the return of sanctions on states that favor adult choice over mandatory-use helmet laws. Will our foes get a champion in Congress? Ask Nashville voters. In Tennessee, U.S. Rep. Bob Clement is running for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated when U.S. Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) retires this Fall.

Former U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper has filed to run for Clement's 5th District seat centered in Nashville. Mr. Cooper led the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the legislation in 1991 that penalized states without mandatory-use helmet laws. The motorcyclists who helped Fred Thompson trounce Cooper 60 percent to 39 percent in the '94 election have two bites at the apple: the August 1 Democratic primary and the November general election. Crucial in the Democratic-leaning district is the August primary: with 14 other candidates vying for Clement's seat, VOTER TURN-OUT IS KEY!

RIDER SAFETY IN MARYLAND - A LOT LIKE YOUR STATE?.....Pappy and Curvy of ABATE of Maryland kindly invited me again this year to the annual Maryland Motorcycle Safety Conference which brings together Phil Sause (the state motorcycle safety administrator), the certified instructors and (little do many instructors know) the organization that created it all: ABATE of Maryland. Like all states, Maryland's safety team does a great job in the face of enormous odds. And, like all states, demand is high, waiting periods are too long and the program cries out for more resources to prevent accidents, thwart injuries and save lives.

Formerly, dedicated funds (motorcycle registration fees) paid for the program directly. Nowadays, those fees are dissolved in the general fund, so the program must seek an appropriation every year. The waiting period for rider training in Maryland is about a year, as in other states. A few weeks after registration opened in March, all classes through October were filled. Now for the big Catch-22: License applicants must get their bikes to a testing site, but they can't ride them there without a license.

There is some talk of using the training facilities for motorcycle testing. That's about $10,000 - money that's neither appropriated nor budgeted. (NOTE: among MRF's TEA-21 safety initiatives: grants to states for just this sort of innovation.) Maryland expects to teach 5500 this year, but Phil Sause would like to accommodate 7000. That would require MORE FUNDS - for 60 more practice bikes and more instructors than their current team of about 180-200. (Note: if our TEA-21 wish list is granted, states which maintain or increase their rider training budget qualify for a resource injection for more bikes and more instructors.) Thanks to Curvy for her notes.

Let me know what rider training's like in your state: wyld@mrf.org.

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