MESSAGE FROM A.B.A.T.E. OF MONTANA
From: Linda Baldwin [mailto:libaldwin@midrivers.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 9:27 PM
To: Bruce Arnold [Bruce@LdrLongDistanceRider.com]
Importance: High
Fellow Freedom Fighters Across America:
The great state of
MONTANA has long been a FREE state, and with your
assistance, ABATE OF
MONTANA
intends to KEEP IT THAT WAY!
Montana State Representative Betsy Hands ...
Betsy Hands (D)
Montana House of Representatives
P. O. Box 200400
Helena, MT
59620-0400
406-721-3881 (home tel)
406-444-4800 (message phone in Helena)
BETSYHANDS@GMAIL.COM
(email)
... is sponsoring legislation to introduce a MANDATORY HELMET LAW IN
MONTANA...
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/lchtml/LC1683.htm
... that would eliminate FREEDOM OF CHOICE when you ride through our
state.
We ask that you contact her NOW, and let her know that LIMITING YOUR
RIGHTS
RIDING *THROUGH*
MONTANA
... LESSENS THE LIKELIHOOD YOU WILL RIDE *TO*
MONTANA.
(Please....be respectful in your correspondence)
And don't just tell her... Please copy (cc:) your email protests to
the
leaders of the 2007-2008
Montana
Legislature, who truly appreciate the
importance of not only freedom for ALL Americans, but also free
enterprise
for our state's tourism:
COONEYEMAIL@AOL.COM
DANWHARRINGTON@IN-TCH.COM
CWILLIAMS@MONTANADSL.NET
LLSD22@YAHOO.COM
LYNDAMOSS@IMT.NET
COREYSTAPLETON@BRESNAN.NET
GBARKUS@DADCO.COM
SCOTTSALESHD68@EARTHLINK.NET
grt3177@smtel.com
MLANGE6@HOTMAIL.COM
tmcgillvray@bresnan.net
GARYMACLAREN@YAHOO.COM
PARKMONT@HOTMAIL.COM
BERGREN@BOBBERGREN.COM
MCAMPBELLHD31@YAHOO.COM
MCDAVE94@HOTMAIL.COM
DANVILLAFORMONTANA@HOTMAIL.COM
Source:
http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/60th/leaders.asp
AND IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY ... HERE IS A LETTER FROM AMA
CHAIRMAN,
DAL SMILIE, TO GIVE YOU INSPIRATION:
***
Representative Betsy Hands
Montana
House of Representatives
P. O. Box 200400
Helena, MT
59620-0400
Re: LC 1683
Honorable Representative Hands:
I see that you have requested that a mandatory motorcycle helmet law be
drafted. I'd sure hope that you not introduce or support such a bill.
I am the national Chairman of the American Motorcyclist Association and
Chairman of the
Montana
Motorcycle Safety Advisory Committee. Both
entities
support the voluntary use of motorcycle helmets by adults. Neither is
for
mandatory equipment or lifestyle related restrictive law.
Montana
has 40,000 or more motorcyclists counting both on and off-road
riders. Family members, occasional riders and ATV riders may make that
a
larger number. Many of those riders wear helmets but most are very
opposed
to mandatory restrictions on lifestyle choices for adults.
Many of us believe that safety training for auto drivers and motorcycle
riders is much better than making restrictive legislation.
Montana
has
a
fine program run by MSUN, the
Montana
Motorcycle Rider Safety Program.
It
has now trained a number of riders equal to about one-third or more of
the
riders in the state.
That program is eligible to receive federal highway safety money from
the
Office of Highway Safety at MDOT. Motorcycle safety is one of the top
five
priorities set by the federal government. MDOT refuses to grant any of
those
dollars to the
Montana
Motorcycle Safety Program even though
non-priority
programs are funded.
A very positive, pro motorcycle rider, legislative effort would be to
require that MDOT utilize federal 402 A funds to assist the
Montana
Motorcycle Rider Safety Program unless that program affirms that it
does not
have an unmet need. Such legislation was proposed some years ago but
the,
then, director of MDOT promised to make these funds available (he did
not
keep that promise).
Motorcyclists really do not want restrictive lifestyle legislation.
Many are
Democrats and it would be a shame if one of the things that Democrats
accomplished with the new majority is to limit the personal freedom of
Montana
motorcyclists. Motorcyclists have been legislatively very
active in
the past when faced with restrictive legislation and I know they are
becoming concerned about this bill as they learn about it.
It is my belief that adults should be able to make their own choices.
If
others don't approve of those choices for safety or other reasons it
ought
to be up to the adult to choose how they want to live. Some
motorcyclists
don't want to wear helmets just as some horsemen don't want to wear
helmets,
it ought to be their choice. The choice to not wear a helmet does not
cause
injury to any other person.
The failure to wear a helmet does not cause an accident. Activities
like
cell phone use by auto drivers actually causes accidents, often it
causes
injury to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists. Added attention to
limiting those sorts of activity could save the most lives.
Auto driver's inattentiveness causes most motorcycle accidents. Often
drivers causing these accidents receive very little penalty. Many
states are
enacting legislation creating greater penalties for these right-of-way
infractions. That type of legislation would gain the support of
Montana's
motorcyclists and would likely save more lives.
In closing, please do not introduce a bill that limits Montanan's
liberty.
Such a bill will cause so much dissention and bad will. We would love
to
work with you on positive bills that can really help Montana's
motorcycle
riders and gain our support.
Sincerely,
Dal Smilie, Chairman
American Motorcyclist Association
410 Hayes Ave Helena, MT 59601
***
PLEASE RESPOND! AND PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL MOTORCYCLISTS YOU
KNOW
WHO WILL RESPOND!
Linda Baldwin
Secretary
ABATE OF
MONTANA
libaldwin@midrivers.com