2010

Happy New Year

Rhode Island Reds

Normally I only report on elections in states that have universal helmet laws. That's where change is needed, so that's where my attention is.

But occasionally I make an exception. This would be the case for yesterday's special election in Rhode Island. It's an excellent example of how victory can often be "hidden in plain sight."

The Rhode Island is the bluest of the blue states. Democrats hold a 33-4 majority in the State Senate, and a 69-6 majority in the House. So it comes as no surprise that a Democrat won yesterday's election, garnering 62 percent of the vote. In anybody's book, that's a decisive victory.

You'd be crazy to think Republicans had any realistic chance of winning that special election. And you'd be wrong. That's because there's more to elections than winning percentages.

The rest of the story is that there was a mere 6 percent voter turnout, which means that 94% didn't vote. And the margin of victory was only 121 votes. In other words, if the Republicans had gotten 122 more votes, they would have won this election.

Woulda, coulda, shmouda. So how do you get 122 votes? Campaign work. And that takes campaign volunteers.

My hunch is that one hour of campaign work is worth about 5 votes. It doesn't matter if it's stuffing envelopes, making phone calls, knocking on doors, putting up signs, or working the polls. It all adds up.

So doing the math, about 24 man-hours of work could have made this a very different race. That could be 12 bikers working for two hours, or just two bikers working 12 hours each. That's really not a lot of time or effort, strictly speaking.

In comparison, how many biker activist man-hours go into holding a poker run? Having a cook-out? Holding a meeting? Probably a dozen ... maybe two. How about a state rally or a lobbying event? A whole lot more, easily. Perhaps hundreds.

But getting those 24 "biker-hours" takes more than math. Yes, it's very do-able. But to get there, it takes planning, communication, and experience. And that direction is the missing ingredient in the bikers rights community. For now, anyway.

By making campaign work a priority, and then getting good at doing it, bikers will start making progress. The goal is a biker-friendly legislative majority, regardless of which side of the aisle our friends are on.

But until then, victory will stay hidden in plain sight.

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

SOS - Different Day

One day of work is all we need to get rid of the helmet law. But I'm not talking about working all day. I mean working on the right day.

For me, that day is today.

A lot of bikers work hard to get rid of the helmet law, day in and day out. Plus they work on a lot of other things affecting motorcyclists, too. After all, bikers rights is about far more than just the helmet law. So bikers work for the cause on a lot of days throughout the year.

Lobby Day

Consider Lobby Day, that special day in many states when bikers ride to the state capital to lobby their legislators. They go from staff office to staff office, fully prepared to discuss each proposed bill that could make motorcycling better ... or worse.

Much of the time our legislators aren't actually available in person. But there's almost always someone else there, like a staff member who can listen to us. And we will usually leave them with an information packet, containing important facts about each bill that legislators will vote on.

Bikers may even leave a small gift behind, the intent being for legislators to keep motorcyclists in mind during the legislative session.

Every little bit helps, and it's all in a day's work.

Lobby Day Support

It may take a few days to help prepare for Lobby Day. Perhaps even more, if there's a lot of data to gather, calls to be made, and locations to set up. Somebody's got to run the training sessions, too. And then there are all the bikers that actually attend the legislative training. That's a day each, too.

There are other types of support, too. Somebody probably took the time to write the language for each of the bills. Perhaps they occasionally met with the legislators who are sponsoring bills on our behalf.

Not just another day at the office.

While we're at it, let's throw in the communication network that gets everyone to show up at the same place at the same time. Writing, printing, and delivering flyers, posting updates to the website calendar and home page. It takes days and days.

Add It All Up

When you put all those days together, you end up with dozens if not hundreds of days. And that means thousands of man hours. A lot of people give up a lot of their precious time to fight for our rights.

But is it time well spent?

The last time a state repealed a helmet law, it was Pennsylvania, back in 2006. In the mean time, Missouri, Louisiana, and Nebraska have gotten bills as far as the governor's desk ... only to see their hopes dashed by a veto. In most helmet law states, bills only make it as far as a committee hearing, never to reach a full vote by either house.

And then there's total failure, when repeal bills are withdrawn. Then legislators don't have to go on record as supporting or opposing repeal. And bikers defeat themselves by killing their own bill.

Then it's "back to the drawing board!" It sure seems like a lot of work, year after year. And there is absolutely no assurance that it will turn out any better the next time around. Talk about having a bad day.

But what if there was an easier way? And by easier, I mean less time and effort. Let's suppose there was a way for bikers to spend only one day to get the same results. Then take it up a notch. Instead let's suppose that bikers could successfully repeal the helmet law in one single day.

Too good to be true?

Hardly. We already have a way to do just that. Just one day of work, and the helmet law is gone forever. Not only that, but every motorcycling bill that comes before the legislature would also go our way. And all for just one day of work.

There's a catch, of course.

That day has to occur well before the legislative session. Before Legislative Training Day and Lobby Day. In fact, it has to occur months earlier, even before Election Day. That's because once Election Day comes, the opportunity is gone. Game over.

We need a biker-friendly majority to pass laws that make motorcycling better. It can't happen any other way. And though Lobby Day is intended to influence our legislators, we spend that day talking to the people who already won their elections. For better or worse, we are stuck with them.

On Lobby Day we are powerless. This is because we come with nothing to offer, and our elected officials have nothing to gain. All we can do is plead our case before them. But no matter how logical, factual, or downright constitutional our arguments, we can only watch and wait for justice. After all, beggars can't be choosers.

We can't talk our rights back. But we can take them back.

Happy Days

There is one day when we can take our rights back. That's the day when we do have something to offer, and our legislators do have something to gain. But that day can only occur during the campaign season.

If bikers would simply think ahead ... and work ahead ... they wouldn't even need to have a Lobby Day. Or a Legislative Training Day for that matter. Only happy days, month after month, year after year.

We don't need an army of bikers to win, either. Just a handful will do, and a dozen would be more than enough. Three or four bikers, working in three or four races. That would do it, as long as they were very close races. And not only would we win many of these races, we would also send a clear signal to every legislator at the state capital: When it comes to winning elections, bikers matter.

Today's the Day

So guess what I'm doing today, right here and right now. I'm sitting and sipping at a coffee shop, waiting to meet the campaign manager of a biker-friendly candidate. He'll give me some campaign yard signs, and hand me a list of house addresses. Then I'll put the signs on my luggage rack, and ride around the neighborhood to deliver them.

The important thing to consider is that, by myself, I will accomplish more in one single day than dozens of bikers could during Lobby Day. And that includes all the work done by the bikers behind the scenes who make Lobby Day a reality. How can I make such a claim?

Results.

The reason is simple. With campaign work, we are convincing a candidate who's already convinced. The only difference is that we are helping him when he actually needs help. It's more than lobbying ... it's helping a friend in need. They won't need trinkets to remember us when they vote on motorcycle legislation.

So the real question is when more bikers will help biker-friendly candidates. For whatever reason, it hasn't quite sunk in yet. But new ideas take time to become accepted, and to become business-as-usual. By that time, bikers will wonder why anyone wouldn't do campaign work.

That'll be the day!

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

< VA S-37 > Fairfax County (2)

Volunteers Needed NOW

I just emailed a Legislative Alert to our subscribers about the race for State Senate District 37 in Fairfax County, VA. Click on the map to see where our nearby subscribers are.

This race is a perfect matchup, being a VERY close race between two capable candidates. And the candidates are on completely opposite sides of the helmet law issue.

Both candidates are trying to contact the party faithful by mail, phone, and in person. Volunteers will make all the difference in getting out the vote. And this weekend, the volunteer effort will begin in earnest. Our window of opportunity runs from right now until January 12.

We can win this race.

This is a great opportunity to send a biker-friendly legislator to Richmond. We're calling on all bikers in the metro DC area to help us win this senate seat. Click here to volunteer.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

Size Matters

The underlying premise of the bikers rights movement is that there is "strength in numbers." And generally speaking, this is true. Just like with a labor union, the more members you have, the more power you wield. This makes perfect sense, especially if you happen to have an endless supply of manpower, like the Chinese Army.

But just like any other battle, there's more to it than just the size of your army. Just look at the Spartans under King Leonidas, way back around 480 BC. They were a force of 300 warriors who held off a Persian army of over one million at the Battle of Thermopylae. What the Spartans lacked in numbers, they more than made up for in strategy and tactics.

Going for the maximum number of bikers is the traditional approach. That's why SMROs use a variety of methods to recruit more members. Though helmet laws are the original reason that SMROs came into being, since then they've broadened the battle front ... considerably. Now it includes anything and everything that affects bikers. The idea is to appeal to the greatest number of bikers by giving them more reasons to get involved. This collection of issues is what we now know as "bikers rights."

King Leonidas fought his battle in a narrow pass, where only a tiny fraction of the opposing force could attack his Spartans at any one time. That gave him a strategic advantage. This follows the principle called "force concentration." In other words, you focus as much of your strength as possible in one place ... ideally the place where your enemy is weakest.

We all know what happens when you fight a war on too many fronts. You get spread too thin. There's no concentration of force. Instead your strength is diluted. If you widen your battlefront far enough, your army might as well not even exist. And good luck recruiting, because you won't have much to show them. Who wants to join a losing team? That's the situation we face in the bikers rights movement.

Instead of picking our fights, they have been picking us. That puts us at a strategic disadvantage, because our opponents can now call the shots. It's far better to ignore the fights that don't move us forward, and to never start fights that we can't possibly win. Only then can we put all of our energy into the fights that DO matter ... the ones we CAN and MUST win. That's a wise strategy, taken straight from the pages of the Art of War by Sun Tzu.

And by the way, it's not like SMROs have too many members. There are a few exceptions, like ABATE of Indiana and ABATE of Pennsylvania, with several thousand members who are well-organized. That's why they don't have helmet laws in their states, and their SMROs will keep it that way.

Instead let's consider SMROs in states that still have helmet laws. Of what few members they have, most of them exist only on paper. And of those that are active members, their energy is scattered in many directions. They maintain a defensive posture, afraid of losing what little ground they have. In the worst cases, appeasement becomes second nature.

If the strategy of SMROs is "strength in numbers," most of them are actually losing ground. Everyday bikers are attracted to more focused, vibrant, and growing organizations, like Harley Owners Group (HOG) and Rolling Thunder. Their ranks are swelling, and they are doing a better job of providing social and fraternal benefits. It's their core mission, after all.

A volunteer organization relies on people to achieve its goals. They are the human resources of the organization. And like any other resource, they can be squandered. So another winning strategy is to make the best use of their time and effort. If bikers rights is the core mission of an organization, then every activity should lead toward that goal. And the more direct the path, the better.

The strategy of RIDE2REPEAL.COM is to ...

 > Fight only the decisive battle that brings total victory

 > Concentrate our energy where our opponents are weak

 > Use the most effective tactics to quickly achieve our goals

Yes, size matters. And while it will always be good to have more bikers involved on the front lines, it takes more than just numbers. Strategy and tactics make all the difference.

To learn more about our step-by-step program to restore our rights, click on the green  How It Works  tab at RIDE2REPEAL.COM.

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

Getting Benched

A lot of times biker's rights activists will run into fellow bikers that are perpetual pessimists. They are convinced that "they'll never get rid of the helmet law." I've heard that sad song a million times. You probably have too.

But that doesn't mean it's true.

There are a lot of reasons why bikers would come to such a dismal conclusion. In the river of life, we all swim against the mainstream, so we're used to being misunderstood and stereotyped. And when it comes to who makes the rules, all the power seems to be concentrated in the hands of a few.

It seems like the deck is stacked against us.

Then there's all the history and drama within the bikers rights movement. Pleading our case to deaf ears. Closed minds. Betrayals. Grudges. Burnout. Absenteeism. Infighting. Road blocks. APATHY. Even within our own movement, progress is often hampered.

But then there's the part that matters most ... the thoughts that are bouncing around inside our very own heads. A lot of the time, we tell ourselves that nothing can be done because we feel like we've tried everything already. You gotta admit, doing nothing is a whole lot easier when we have a really good excuse.

Whether we're really helpless or merely hopeless, in all of these cases we find ourselves sitting on the bench. The game of life keeps going, but we're stuck on the sidelines ... unable to do anything. Except maybe bitch about it. If you aren't in the game you can't score. And whether you're on the bench of not, if you can't score, you can't win.

But there's more to it than just hope. At RIDE2REPEAL.COM we have a good team, and a good game plan. Not the hope that the world will change, because it won't. Instead, we are taking advantage of the way the world works.

We are bikers that work as campaign volunteers, and we only work in races that matter. IF there's an election for the state legislature, and IF it's a very close race, and IF the candidates are on opposite sides of the helmet law issue, it MATTERS.

You can act right now.

To get started, click on the red  SUBSCRIBE  tab at the top of RIDE2REPEAL.COM. When there's an election near you, you'll be the first to hear about it. And do something about it.

Your anonymous subscription also allows us to put you on the map, showing where biker activists are in your state. Subscribers show up on the map as blue motorcycles, and experienced campaign volunteers are the red ones. To see how your state is doing, click on the blue  STATE MAPS  tab to see. Or click here for a more localized example.

The most important place to get info is on our  ELECTIONS  page. Scroll down to your state, and every race is listed. Click on a candidate's name to visit their website ... so you can contact them about becoming a campaign volunteer.

Why is campaign work so important? Because ELECTIONS are the key to political power. Show me a king, and I'll show you a kingmaker.

It's how the "Gray Panthers" keep Social Security benefits intact, no matter how bankrupt the system becomes. It's how the entertainment industry keeps royalties flowing from generation to generation, long after Elvis has left the building.

But bikers aren't a majority like the elderly, and we aren't flush with cash like the mega-corporations. Our strength lies in our ability to work ... as campaign volunteers.

That's something our political opponents won't do. And the only way they can beat us is if we won't, either.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

< LA S-5 > New Orleans

Louisiana State Senator Cheryl Gray Evans will resign effective February 5. A special election for Senate District 5 (New Orleans) is scheduled for February 6.

The February 6 election will coincide with the New Orleans mayoral election. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff election will take place on March 6.

House Speaker Karen Carter Peterson has already announced her candidacy for this senate seat. She is ineligble for reelection to the Louisiana House of Representatives due to term limits.

More information will be posted to the ELECTIONS page at RIDE2REPEAL.COM as updates become available.

You can act right now.

To get started, click on the red  SUBSCRIBE  tab at the top of RIDE2REPEAL.COM. When there's an election near you, you'll be the first to hear about it. And do something about it.

Your anonymous subscription also allows us to put you on the map, showing where biker activists are in your state. Subscribers show up on the map as blue motorcycles, and experienced campaign volunteers are the red ones. To see how your state is doing, click on the blue  STATE MAPS  tab to see. Or click here to see an example.

The most important place to get info is on our  ELECTIONS  page. Scroll down to your state, and every race is listed. Click on a candidate's name to visit their website ... so you can contact them about becoming a campaign volunteer.

Why is campaign work so important? Because ELECTIONS are the key to political power. Show me a king, and I'll show you a kingmaker.

It's how the "Gray Panthers" keep Social Security benefits intact, no matter how bankrupt the system becomes. It's how the entertainment industry keeps royalties flowing from generation to generation, long after Elvis has left the building.

But bikers aren't a majority like the elderly, and we aren't flush with cash like the mega-corporations. Our strength lies in our ability to work ... as campaign volunteers.

That's something our political opponents won't do. And the only way they can beat us is if we don't, either.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

Of National Interest

Sometimes people need to be skeptical about institutions. Not cynical, because there's already too much negativity in the world. But a healthy shot of skepticism now and then is a good reality check. So let's shine a light right on up into the very stratosphere of the biker's rights movement.

When it comes to advocating our rights, several national organizations serve the motorcycling community. When it comes to our rights, three that come to mind are ...

- American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)
- Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)
- National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

They all share the same basic approach to our rights, and therefore some duplication of effort exists. But there are differences.

My humble opinion about these differences is based on more than just what they say about themselves, which is a matter of record. I also go by what they don't say.

Since actions speak louder than words, I put a high value on what they do ... as well as what they don't do. And being a student of human nature, I look for the underlying motivations that drive their agenda. If you want to see where someone's going, take a look at where they're coming from.

Finally, I'm a member of all three myself. That's because I value them, believe in them, and support them. But I'm not a chump who believes I'm going to win the lottery. And I won't sit around singing Kumbaya when my ass is getting wet.

Bikers are easily offended, but that's not what this article is about. Criticism is NOT the same as condemnation. I just want to openly discuss what's right, what's wrong, and where we go from here. The goal is to improve, not damage.

READ THIS: I give great credit and thanks to everyone who keeps these organizations going and growing. I also acknowledge that there is more to what these organizations do than just rights and, even then, just helmet laws. Motorcyclists would be totally screwed if not for you folks. I am truly grateful.

American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)

The AMA probably has the most diverse membership of any national motorcyclist organization. It includes street riders and off-roadsters, adults as well as kids. Then throw in their sanctioning role in all types of motorcycle racing, their proactive role in government relations, and even their curatorship of a fantastic museum.

Their flagship magazine, The American Motorcyclist, is produced entirely in-house. Add major corporate sponsorship, and it leaves no doubt that the AMA is the elite national motorcyclist organization.

But with elitism can come despotism. Benevolent or otherwise, the AMA is the national power player in the world of motorcycling. As an example, they have taken the lead on sound regulation. Many bikers believe (as I do) that, within limits, loud pipes save lives. But not all motorcyclists share this opinion. And given the diversity of AMA membership, there is no consensus.

The AMA wants to improve the image of motorcycling and stave off draconian sound regulation from the bureaucrats in Washington. So the AMA came up with a good way to regulate motorcycle sound levels. It's a scientifically sound way to keep the politics of noise at bay. While it's controversial within the motorcycling community, the powers that be at the AMA have decided. And that's that.

This very practical decision makes perfect sense, from a business standpoint. It's founded upon the presumption that motorcyclists are going to get stuck with some kind of sound regulation, so we'd better go along with our opponents ... but in a way that's not so bad for us. After all, it could be a lot worse.

It's a wise approach as long as motorcyclists are politically weak. And for now, we are.

The RIDE2REPEAL.COM approach is to make bikers politically powerful in the first place. Then we can call the shots. But until that happy day arrives, we'll have to take what we're given ... whether it's coming from the AMA or the EPA.

One last note about the AMA and rights. Their softly spoken words favor helmet law repeal, but their corporate policies and institutional actions say otherwise.

As an example, AMA policy is to never show the image of a helmetless rider in their magazine. The only exception to this rule is where it's obvious that the motorcyclist isn't about to ride.

Riding without a helmet is forbidden. Sound familiar?

On the flip side, The AMA heavily promotes the "all the gear all the time" (ATGATT) safety philosophy. Whole articles, sidebar columns, and product reviews perfectly align with the underlying philosophy of "safety first." Which of course is the mantra of universal helmet laws. Since there's only room for one at the top, freedom comes in at second place.

It is what it is.

There's nothing wrong ... and a lot of good ... in promoting rider safety and ATGATT-itudes. But added to their silence and passivity in the helmet law fight, don't count on the AMA to help you make repeal a reality. In that fight, you're on your own.

Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)

The MRF is primarily focused on protecting rights, and it's in the old school biker tradition. Its members are mostly the black leather Harley-Davidson crowd.

Sure, they welcome everyone as a matter of policy and principle. But for whatever reason, there really isn't that much diversity in the rank-and-file. Yes, they have members who don't wear black and don't ride Harleys. But go to any MRF event, take a look around, and make up your own mind. If you look or act differently, you'll stick out.

Again, it is what it is.

This membership makeup is almost identical to what you'll find in most State Motorcyclist Rights Organizations (SMRO). And the way they operate is also pretty much the same -- old school. So too are their priorities. The basic difference between the MRF and any SMRO is that the MRF deals mostly with Federal legislators and agencies. SMROs, on the other hand, are mostly state-level.

They both keep an eye out for legislation that's harmful to motorcycling. But when the Feds come after your aftermarket engine, you can count on the MRF to be your last line of defense.

Like SMROs, the MRF gets its members involved in the legislative process. They work with biker-friendly legislators to get bills considered. Then they encourage bikers to call, fax, and visit their legislators to support or oppose bills. Like most SMROs, they watch the legislative process within the "sausage factory." But they don't hire (or fire) the folks on the assembly line.

This is a tried-and-true approach that works as well as can be expected. But the rules of engagement are based on the acceptance that bikers are politically weak. And we are. We must beseech our legislators, using morality, logic, and humility to get our point across. While there's always a hope of a mass biker uprising, for now we just do the best we can.

And how else could bikers approach sitting incumbents, who are safe and secure in their positions? We can't touch them, can we?

At any level, legislators wield such power over our lifestyle, it would be foolish to alienate, antagonize, or anger them. So we tip-toe, so as not to wake the baby.

This too is a wise approach ... so long as bikers are politically weak. And for the time being, bikers are. But getting large numbers isn't the only path to political power.

But more on that later.

National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)

This organization is a lot like the MRF in its membership makeup. Mostly leather and Harleys, it is actually a coalition of SMROs as well as other motorcycle clubs. But it has a twist. Unlike the MRF and the AMA, it gets its resources from the courts. Specifically, from damages awarded in accident and injury cases.

That means it's run by lawyers. Biker lawyers, of course.

Now there's a lot of common interest between bikers and biker lawyers. We're all on the same side, whether it's in the court, fighting the insurance industry, or looking at motorcycle legislation. And there are plenty of bikers who are damned lucky to have them in their corner.

But lawyers are good at fighting in a court of law, which affects their approach to legislation somewhat. While they will always advocate a biker's interests, it's no different than a lawyer who represents a client's interests. Same goals for sure, but perhaps different priorities.

Most of the time, there is no difference between what a biker wants and what a biker's lawyer wants. In court, anyway. And outside of court, NCOM really is in a supporting role for bikers.

NCOM hosts annual conferences at very nice hotels, and pretty much lets the bikers drive the agenda. The payback is getting more bikers to use the services of Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM). That's the legal side of the whole picture, and it's how the bills get paid.

Between the conferences and the legal aid, it's a good way for lawyers to "give back" to the motorcycling community. The system works pretty well, and there's no reason to expect otherwise.

The Missing Link

National motorcycle organizations operate very well, given the way the world works. But right now that world includes universal helmet laws and politically weak bikers.

That's got to change.

But the national organizations have no need to change, and therefore have no motivation to change. The status quo is working pretty good for them. Sure, they could use a few more members. But even that is still the status quo.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical." Bikers need to be a little rebellious, right now.

As patriotic as bikers are, and as much as we love our country, it is our duty to stir things up. But we're getting soft. We've become institutionalized ... pacified ... domesticated! But that is something we have done to ourselves -- by allowing others make decisions for us. By letting others act for us. By accepting what cards others have dealt to us.

That's a path that has led us to weakness. Stagnation. Sterility.

But the good news is that we can change that ... right now. There are no shackles binding our limbs. There are no bars keeping us caged. We ARE free. Free to stand on our own legs as well as free to collapse on the couch.

But there's a catch. Nobody -- not an individual person nor a national organization -- is going to hand you your freedom. You have to go get it yourself.

And for that, you need political power. Nothing else will do.

That's what RIDE2REPEAL.COM is here for. When we unite in our actions, and take a path that leads to change, we get where we want to be. And that place is called Freedom.

You can act right now.

To get started, click on the red  SUBSCRIBE  tab at the top of RIDE2REPEAL.COM. When there's an election near you, you'll be the first to hear about it. And do something about it.

Your anonymous subscription also allows us to put you on the map, showing where biker activists are in your state. Subscribers show up on the map as blue motorcycles, and experienced campaign volunteers are the red ones. To see how your state is doing, click on the blue  STATE MAPS  tab to see. Or click here to see an example.

The most important place to get info is on our  ELECTIONS  page. Scroll down to your state, and every race is listed. Click on a candidate's name to visit their website ... so you can contact them about becoming a campaign volunteer.

Why is campaign work so important? Because ELECTIONS are the key to political power. Show me a king, and I'll show you a kingmaker.

It's how the "Gray Panthers" keep Social Security benefits intact, no matter how bankrupt the system becomes. It's how the entertainment industry keeps royalties flowing from generation to generation, long after Elvis has left the building.

But bikers aren't a majority like the elderly, and we aren't flush with cash like the mega-corporations. Our strength lies in our ability to work ... as campaign volunteers.

That's something our political opponents won't do. And the only way they can beat us is if we don't, either.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

More Than Helmets

Bikers have more challenges than just helmet laws, and that's definitely true no matter where you go across the country. But helmet law repeal is about far more than just helmet laws.

The helmet law carries all the other motorcycling issues on its coattails. Why? Any candidate that supports us on helmet choice is also on board with 99% of everything else we want.

As they say, "snap the reins on the bridle, and the rest of the horse will soon follow." Helmet laws are like the bridle, and everything that's in the wagon -- from handlebar height restrictions to motorcycle-only "safety" checkpoints -- will definitely come along for the ride. We just need to grab those reins.

But as is often the case with repeal bills, many legislators will give us "anything but that." Their position keeps bikers pacified with whatever table scraps they throw to us. And it keeps bikers afraid of losing what little support we get from those legislators, too.

Instead, legislators should be the ones who are afraid of losing bikers' support. And that brings us back to the importance of campaign work. The more effective we are as a force of campaign volunteers, the more political clout we carry.

This important point often gets lost when we rely on protesting as our only means of initiating political change. Protests are good for motivating bikers to take action. But unless our passion gets channeled into campaign work, our energy dissipates when everyone goes back home. And that gets us nowhere.

When we do campaign work for repeal supporters, we get a lot more than just helmet choice -- we gain political power. And that's the only thing that gets results in the world of politics.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

< VA S-8 > Virginia Beach (2)

UPDATE: Looks like VA Senate District 8 will be a contest after all. A lop-sided contest, from the looks of it. But a contest is a contest, and that's better than nothing.

Here's a recent news article about the new challenger who just announced his candidacy:

Last minute Dem to file in 8th district
Washington Post (blog) - Rosalind Helderman‎
But Fleming said activists involved with the group Virginia Beach for Change, which organized to support President Obama, wanted a choice in the race....

Any candidate who is running unopposed is just like a sitting incumbent: not listening. That's why a contest in Virginia Beach is, well ... better than not having a contest.

So the next step is to approach both candidates and ask them a simple question: "What's your position on the universal helmet law?" Yes, it's that easy to find out.

The best person to ask that question is someone who lives inside VA Senate District 8, though any biker who lives in the Tidewater area is just as good. I'll ask ABATE of Virginia first, since they have two chapters in the area ... both with campaign experience.

As always, I'll keep the  ELECTIONS  page updated at RIDE2REPEAL.COM.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

Which Race Matters

RIDE2REPEAL.COM is all about elections, but not just any elections. With few exceptions, this means elections for seats in state legislatures. Compared to any race for other levels of public office, this is where bikers can get the most bang for the buck. And here's why...

Motorcycle Legislation

99% of all laws affecting motorcyclists comes from the state legislature. Helmet laws, inspection stickers, right-of-way, handlebar height, road design, auxiliary lighting, lane usage, licensing ... you name it. Yeah, there's federal stuff too. But the vast majority of laws affecting your daily putt come from the state capital.

Divide and Conquer

Legislative districts are fairly small. That allows us to concentrate a large number of biker activists in one or two races. Governor's races are also important, since governors approve (or veto) legislation. But we can't concentrate our strength all across the state like we can in selected legislative districts.

As long as there are close races in these selected districts, we have a big impact on them. And as long as the candidates are on opposite sides of the helmet law, they have a big impact on us. Put the two together, and we win the races that matter most.

That's how we build a biker-friendly majority. Are you with me so far? Good, because it gets even better...

Chicken or the Egg?

Many people ask which comes first: the chicken or the egg? I don't know the answer to that proverbial question, but I do know which elected offices come first.

Look at every higher office. The state governor. US Represenatives and Senators. Don't forget the President of the United States. About half of them started their political careers in state legislatures. And of the rest, quite a few got their start as aides to elected officials, or they were appointed by elected officials.

If you want good laws, you need good government. And the only way to get good government is to elect good people. Since just about everyone up the food chain came by way of state legislatures, that's the strategic real estate.

First Things First

We don't get involved in every possible race. And we don't want to. We only want to fight were we know it matters and we know can win.

Trying to be everywhere at once spreads us too thin, and it keeps us weak. But when we concentrate our strength in the right place at the right time, we are very powerful.

Politically powerful.

It still takes people to make it happen. People who share a common belief, and are willing to do something about it. The first step is awareness, so you know when and where to act. So get connected to our network of biker activsts. We'll keep you up to date on legislative elections where you can make a difference.

To get started, click on the red  SUBSCRIBE  tab at the top of RIDE2REPEAL.COM. When there's an election near you, you'll be the first to hear about it.

Your anonymous subscription also allows us to put you on the map, showing where biker activists are in your state. Subscribers show up on the map as blue motorcycles, and experienced campaign volunteers are the red ones. To see how your state is doing, click on the blue  STATE MAPS  tab to see.

The most important place to get info is on our  ELECTIONS  page. Scroll down to your state, and every race is listed. Click on a candidate's name to visit their website ... so you can contact them about becoming a campaign volunteer.

So right now, you are actually just one click away from getting your rights back. The catch? Nobody else can do it for you.

- RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com