The Sierra club publishes ratings on legislatures. So why doesn't the NMA or WOHVA (or BRC) publish a voting rating for WA legislatures?

chuck4788 said:

One problem is that NMA, WOHVA, and BRC membership is less than the Sierra Club. For whatever reason, the SC is more effective in gaining general membership that may not ever venture onto public lands .

tod701 said:

Will WOHVA have a flier out soon? I'd love to see this thing grow to huge proportions:thumbsup:

chuck4788 said:

Because I am too lazy and nobody has done it for me
I can do about 25 percent off the top of my head, but the rest take a little thinkin'

SJMC_DON said:

I haven't seen it yet, but will try to find out today.

Our old buddy Senator Adam Kline has signed on as a co-sponsor to both SB5128 and SB5129.




And the prime sponsor Senator Ken Jacobsen

tod701 said:

GEE! What a shocking surprise! Freaking arrogant morons.

When you send the Senators your comments, here are some thoughts to consider:


If someone is actually damaging private or public property with an offroad vehicle, that is already illegal and should be punished using existing laws.


If it is appropriate to send someone to jail for damaging a vegetable with an offroad vehicle, why wouldn’t doing the same harm with an automobile, horse hoof or shoe be just as heinous a crime and be punished equally severely?


Sending someone to jail for merely damaging any vegetation while otherwise legally operating an offroad vehicle is more than a bit disproportional in a state where the Court Rules list the maximum penalty for something as serious as driving the wrong way on the freeway as $182.


Taking funds from the Non-highway and Offroad Vehicle Activities account to pay for damage done by offroad vehicles at place where offroad vehicles are not allowed is like taxing sober drivers to pay restitution to the victims of drunken drivers.

Excellent points Tod
Thanks

Well one of my reps has seen fit to return my email.  Rep Mike Hope has said he will not support this bill.  Haven't heard from Rep Hans Dunshee or Sen Steve Hobbs.

Jason

Bump!

A big part of the problem is we are not a bunch of ******** like the greens.  We are not mean spirited enough to introduce a bunch of legislation to make their lives miserable and make them use their resources to fight.

We always play defense.  If you only defend your loss is inevitable.

The older I get, the more Hiatt I get.

ETA: The word filtered above rhymes with bass poles.  Since we have a nanny filter at TT now, I think these people are a bunch of **** ******s too.  Adam Kline would probably take that as a compliment.  Well Adam, you are a **** ****** but you are not very good at it.  How's THAT?

This is unbelieveable-I will be e-mailing those folks later today but wanted to post some thoughts first.

-It is unbelievable that in these tough economic times (with huge local budget shortfalls, police agencies losing positions, schools closing, and a 6 billion dollar budget shortfall) an elected official believes that the biggest priority should be banning orv use on public land. Even if I was against orv's, I would think that this is a totally screwed up set of priorities.

-An anti-obesity measure? Noticed a pretty good double-chin there-have you looked in the mirror you fat piece of ^$^%$???

-I am a law enforcement officer. I do not need the state telling me that my time should be spent arresting law-abiding good citizens and seizing their property when I have meth labs/users, car thefts, robberis, burglaries, and other real crime to deal with. Nor would I consider any arrest in good faith.

-I dont get to seize a person's car for driving drunk and endagering countless lives-why should I have the authority to seize an ORV for just riding on a piece of land?

-It never ceases to amaze me at the lack of education that these individuals have on ORV use before making a lifetime long judgement against it. They have no idea of the healthy lifestyle and family atmosphere that ORV use is for most people. They see one 'tard on a bike or quad with flip-flops and a baseball cap and assume that we are all like that-worse yet, no amount of evidence will sway that.

-Finally, to any MX-only riders (such as myself) reading this thread. You may think that this only affects trails-don't be this short-sided. If measures like this pass, it will be a springboard for other bills. Please join in the fight to save ANY legal riding area, whether you use it or not. I can't emphasize this enough.

omalley1537 said:

Got that right....if they get an inch they'll eventually take a mile.

superfsh said:

To make sure that EVERY single once legal mile now becomes illegal.

shrubitup said:

And the crime rate goes up   Can't stop me!

omalley1537 said:

That's because the legislature reps. don't want their cars impounded while heading home after a long day of spending your tax dollars.

I took the liberity of looking up the names and email addresses of the Natural Resources Senate Committe members for those wanting to communicate your feelings to them.  These are their direct email address, so you can bypass the "fill out this form" BS on the Leg's web site  

Karen Fraser:              fraser_ka@leg.wa.gov
James (Jim) Hargrove:  hargrove_ji@leg.wa.gov
Brian Hatfield:             hatfield.brian@leg.wa.gov
Ken Jacobsen:            Jacobsen_Ke@leg.wa.gov
Bob Morton:               Morton_Bo@leg.wa.gov
Kevin Ranker:             ranker.kevin@leg.wa.gov
Val Stevens:              stevens_va@leg.wa.gov
Dan Swecker:             swecker_da@leg.wa.gov

These people need to know that ORV's are a source of tax revenue to their Comittee.  ORV's pay an $18 fee per year, plus sales tax on new bikes and parts, along with gas taxes.  A decline in available ORV land use is a decline in their tax revenue streams. With a $5+ Billion dollar shortfall in tax revenue, I would hope they will want to perserve every dollar.  SB5128 directly impacts their revenue stream...   As for SB5129:  If the size of the decal is changed, there will also be a cost. They will loose the money (already) spent on the current supply of decals, and a direct cost to produce the new form factor decal.  Once again, this is money they won't be able to direct to the funds collected for Natural Resource.  The change in the decal does nothing to help Natural Resources nor law enforcement for that matter.  It is purely an expenditure with no return on the investment.

Let's try to get these (2) bills killed before they make it to committe...  
Good Hunting!

andy t.

Just got this back from Rep Hope:

Mr. Nordwall---

Here is a link to track the bill. http://apps.leg.wa.g...=5128&year=2009

It doesn’t have many sponsors, so we'll hope it dies in (Senate) committee and leave it at that.

Thanks again for contacting our office.

Sincerely,



Blair Anderson
Legislative Asst. to Rep. Mike Hope
360-786-7892

jason_n said:

It's good to hear that some of our legislators are against these bills. But don't think we have it made just yet. Karen Fraser is also on that committee and she carries a big stick. If I'm not mistaken she is still the chair of the budget committee.

Here is another bill Adam Kline is behind that will cost all of us.


Subject: Washington State Vehicle License Fee Bill SB6900      Not a Joke




It is for real.  You will hear more about it in the media the closer we get to it's February hearing date.


By Senators Tom, Kohl-Welles, Pridemore, Keiser, and Kline


    Vehicle License Fee Bill SB6900


    There is a bill that the Washington State Legislature is trying to pass
    in Olympia that, if successful, will directly add huge costs to our
    vehicle license fees. Everyone needs to know about this situation so
    that you can contact your representatives and voice your objection.

    The bill is SB 6900 and it adds an "engine displacement and CO2 emissions" fee to the
    vehicle license tabs upon renewal.

    The fee has a varied amount depending on the size of the vehicle's engine:

    Engine Size (liters) Rate Schedule


    Up to 1.9   $0
    2.0 - 2.9    $70
    3.0 - 3.9    $225
    4.0 - 4.9    $275
    5.0 - 5.9    $325
    6.0 - 7.9    $400
    8.0 or over  $600

    For each car & truck that you own, calculate the rate by matching the
    engine size in liters to the dollar amount.  Add the amounts for each
    vehicle and you'll see that the average two car family will be paying
    $500+ every year in "displacement fees" on top of the normal license
    fees.  If you have three vehicles, you'll be paying even more.

    The average family is already struggling with the high cost of  gasoline,
    electricity, food and everything else, and our lawmakers want us to pay
    more, thinking we have unlimited deep pockets. This will do great damage
    to the budgets of retirees on fixed incomes as well.

    Now is the time to be very vocal against this bill.

    I have contacted all of our representatives, and I would encourage
    everyone reading this to do the same.

    Here's the web page for the bill where you can read the text:

    http://apps.leg.wa.g...=6900&year=2007

    Here's the link for contacting your representatives:

    http://apps.leg.wa.g...er/Default.aspx

    If we don't threaten mass rebellion over this, they'll pass this bill
    and we'll be paying huge fees every year on top of their increase in
    the gas tax.  They have to know that we won't stand for any more taxes or
    increase in licensing fees.

    I've told my representatives that I will actively work to see that any
    lawmaker that supports this bill is replaced at election time.

    Please contact your legislators, then copy the text of this email, and
    forward it to as many people as possible that you know in Washington
    State, and encourage them to contact their representatives and strongly
    voice their objection to this bill.