03-03-2003

03LR03 - March 3, 2003

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)

#03LR03 - THE LEADERS' REPORT - Ride With The LeadersTM - March 3, 2003

TO: The Leaders of the American Motorcyclists' Rights Movement

FROM: Tom Wyld, VP-Government Relations, Motorcycle Riders Foundation

MICHIGAN KICKS OFF TEN-WEEK BLITZ FOR RIGHTS AND SAFETY.....A joint MRF-SMRO blitz for motorcyclists' rights and safety that will reach over 200 U.S. Congressmen and Senators in just ten weeks began in earnest when ABATE of Michigan sent freedom fighters to our nation's capitol. D.C. veterans Chuck Johnson, Jim Rhoades, Mike "Fiz" Przyblo, "Mexican Tony" Diaz and Thomas "Jinx" Rahn joined D.C. newcomer Sean Baran in visiting the entire Michigan Congressional delegation. On the agenda: rescuing health care benefits for injured motorcyclists, the joint MRF-SMRO agenda for TEA-21 reauthorization, and the need to oppose unreasonable emissions standards on street motorcycles.

The EPA fight was made stronger by providing each Member of Congress his or her own copy of the Vaughn study, an economic analysis of the flawed EPA proposed rule that was commissioned by the MRF and funded by emergency donations from SMROs, other groups and individual motorcyclists. You can download and print your own personal copy of the Vaughn study at http://www.mrf.org/pdf/epa_vaughn_study.pdf.

NORTH TO ALASKA (AVENUE).....While they played golf in Palmer, Alaska, Boyd McFail of ABATE of Alaska braved the east coast snows to lobby the Alaskan Congressional Delegation, including Don Young, Chairman of the powerful House Transportation Committee and an MRF Champion of Motorcyclists' Rights and Safety. A believer in rider training, Chairman Young's daughter is an ABATE-trained rider. The Chairman was impressed with our TEA-21 agenda, particularly the resource injection aimed at bolstering state-run rider training and motorist awareness of motorcycles.

UTAH - ONE MORE REASON TO PASS "MOTORCYCLES REV THE FUTURE".....We have seen it before, and we will see it again. This time, Utah state house and senate appropriators have been proposing stealing money paid to the state by motorcyclists for the express purpose of funding motorcycle rider training. This outrage in Utah is mirrored in states across the country. The answer is aggressive state lobbying - on the scale being mounted by ABATE of Utah today.

And the answer is also the passage of "Motorcycles Rev the Future," the joint MRF-SMRO agenda for the reauthorization of TEA-21. The jewel in this crown is a resource injection - devoted solely to rider education and motorist awareness. Our plan enables states to obtain as much as $100,000 - PROVIDED the state demonstrates its commitment by maintaining or increasing its rider ed/motorist awareness budget from one year to the next. You can view all of the MRF's TEA-21 reauthorization initiatives at http://www.mrf.org/TEA-03.php.

One last important note - Teri Stobbs, MRF Director of Communications, wants to send a special thanks to Michael at Universal Site Management for providing excellent customer service as the MRF's web host. Michael went way above and beyond the call of duty to help the MRF straighten out some recent difficulties with its e-mail distribution list service. Because of his hard work and dedication, we continue to be able to keep all of you informed (even AOL subscribers!) in a timely manner. If you are looking for a web hosting service, check out USM's website at www.usmhosting.com. Thanks, Michael!

Yours for the right to ride, and your friend,

Tom

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(c)All Information contained in this report is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists' rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional and national educational seminars for motorcyclists' rights activists, as well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.


The MRF Reports is an official publication of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. All rights reserved. The print version is published six times per year and distributed nationwide.

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