[Mrfnews] 08LR02 - MRF Leaders Report- February 2008

Wed Mar 5 23:36:12 EST 2008

on a related note here Secretary Peters has been cautioned on her recent and 
multiple attempts to skirt the intent of Congress, on continuing pilot 
studies she has been advised to discontinue, moving money around to fund pet 
projects (helmets were not specifically mentioned but certainly fall under 
these last two categories), she was also cautioned more than once not to 
listen to her band of attorneys and staffers but to the Congress instead and 
in fact was rebuked in Senate hearings last week shown on CNN live by 
Senators Rockefeller, Lautenburg, and Dorgan

I am fairly confident they have her number and are addressing her pursuing 
her own agenda, additionally while we didn't put out a national call for 
action many of the SMRO delegations that came to Washington in the past 
three weeks did address this in person as did the MRF during our many trips 
to the Hill and we have heard that this will not move and it has gone 
nowhere since her letters to Pelosi and Cheney went out, of course we 
continue to watch it closely and remain active on the Hill when it comes to 
the FedDOT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <maddog at marshallnet.com>
To: <mccubbin at wctatel.net>; <mrfnews at mrf.org>; <jeff at mrf.org>; 
<hardtail at wctc.net>; <mjkerr2 at comcast.net>
Cc: <svnokskiwnch at hotmail.com>; <abateia at netins.net>; <willies at mchsi.com>; 
<d10events at hotmail.com>; <sreglstn at netins.net>; <maddog at marshallnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 1:12 PM
Subject: RE: Re: [Mrfnews] 08LR02 - MRF Leaders Report- February 2008


> Lee,
> Once again, ABATE of Iowa did send people to DC and we were told by a 
> Senior Senators and several Congressman that it wouldn't happen. You are
> absolutely correct that it is much easier to stop legislation or rule 
> changes from happening before the are implemented. We need to continue to
> be leaders in the motorcycle rights movement. We are not alone in our 
> thinking.
>
>
>
> ------- Original Message -------
>>From    : Lee & Jefff McCubbin[mailto:mccubbin at wctatel.net]
> Sent    : 3/5/2008 12:54:36 PM
> To      : mrfnews at mrf.org; jeff at mrf.org; hardtail at wctc.net; 
> mjkerr2 at comcast.net
> Cc      : svnokskiwnch at hotmail.com; abateia at netins.net; willies at mchsi.com; 
> d10events at hotmail.com; sreglstn at netins.net; maddog at marshallnet.com
> Subject : RE: Re: [Mrfnews] 08LR02 - MRF Leaders Report- February 2008
>
> Question here...............Why on earth would we wait until legislation 
> has
> been written, support located for introduction and possible passage and 
> all
> their ground work to be completed BEFORE we do anything on this issue? 
> You
> have this all backwards here..............we have a chance to stop it from
> ever becoming an issue by speaking with our Congressmen and Senators now
> about this ridiculous proposal to reallocate funds that they voted for in
> the first place.  We worked too long and hard to have NHTSA waste those
> funds befroe they ever get to the states.  Some of the states are wating
> them badly enough.
>
> Bullshit on the waiting............We need to stop this thing BEFORE it
> happens in Congress - not once it gets started there.  Haven't we learned
> anything over the years about how much easier it is to prevent something
> then it is to stop it or change it?  Let's get to the 
> preventing........Not
> waiting around to do the reacting............
>
> Later.......................Lee
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>
>
>
> MRF E-MAIL NEWS Motorcycle Riders Foundation
> 236 Massachusetts Ave. NE
> Suite 510
> Washington, DC 20002-4980
> 202-546-0983 (voice)
> 202-546-0986 (fax)
> http://www.mrf.org  (website)
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> Contact: Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice-President of Government Relations
> jeff at mrf.org (e-mail)
>
> 16 February 2008
>
>
> MRF Strongly Opposes US DOT Attack on Training Funds
>
> The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has learned that United States
> Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters sent letters to Capitol Hill with
> draft legislation outlining her intention to raid the 2010 motorcycle
> training and awareness funds set aside by Congress in the last Highway
> Bill (PL 109-59).  Peters announced on Thursday, February 14 that she
> would like to see the earmarked training and awareness funds made
> available to promote the use of helmets in individual states.
>
> "The MRF is extremely disappointed that Mrs. Peters would choose this
> small, yet critical, grant program to raid.  We understand her desire to
> encourage helmet use, but couldn't the Secretary of Transportation find a
> more suitable program to fund her personal helmet hunt?" said Jeff Hennie,
> Vice President of Government Relations for the MRF.
>
> The 2010 funds were a direct result of years of intense lobbying by state
> motorcyclists' rights organizations (SMROs) and individual motorcyclists
> from across this country, and were intended for two very specific aspects
> of motorcycle safety - motorcycle rider education and motorist awareness
> of motorcycles. These two aspects of motorcycle safety have been grossly
> under-funded at the state level for years, often solely at the direct
> expense of motorcyclists themselves through licensing and registration
> fees.
>
> The 2010 funding program, in its second year, is a way for the
> motorcyclists of this country to get a little help from the feds to save
> lives. The fact is that helmet use has always been a major plank in the
> platform at the US Department of Transportation (DOT).  So why now take
> away funds desperately needed for other areas of motorcycle safety?  The
> training and awareness programs in statewide operation now are in jeopardy
> of reduced or zero funding every year. This federal program was designed
> to allow a trickle of cash to the states to at least keep current programs
> running.  Should Peters get her way, that trickle becomes nothing but a
> drip.  In addition, the current 2010 grant program is not funding failing
> programs. In order to qualify for the grant, each state has to demonstrate
> success in its programs by reducing fatalities.
>
> Secretary Peters narrowly skates around an existing law that bans the
> federal government from lobbying states to enact statewide legislation.
> She does this by not asking that the money be used for helmet LAW
> advocacy, but by asking the money be used for helmet USE advocacy.
>
> What's actually happened and how concerned do we need to be?  You may be
> asking yourself that very question about now.  Here is the real world
> scenario: Mary Peters has sent two letters to Congress - one to Speaker
> Pelosi and the other to Senate President Cheney. The letters include draft
> legislation that would amend section 2010 to allow funds to be used for
> the promotion of helmet use. At this point there is no actual legislation
> - just an idea.  If and when legislation results, the MRF will be issuing
> a call to action strongly opposing Peters' proposal, and will work
> tirelessly to convince every Senator and Member of Congress not to support
> this raid on the 2010 funds.  At this point, however, the funds
> appropriated for your state are safe.
>
>
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