Thursday, July 2, 2009

Missouri Helmet Law: FAIL

Missouri Governor Nixon broke quite a few hearts, and perhaps a few minds, when he vetoed the helmet law repeal bill.

Of course the bill was pretty lame, keeping helmets mandatory on Interstate highways. Even worse, it would have automatically self-destructed in 5 years. But any step in the right direction is good, no matter how small.

How to Fail

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

I disagree. It's just stupid.

But most biker activists keep on following the same old game plan:
Rely on almost every tactic except campaign work, and work all year long except during the campaign season.

How could relying on the kindness of strangers ever be better than depending on your most trusted friends? Don't ask me. I don't care aout the least effective way to get results.

How to Stop Failing: Start Winning

The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. Not any more. With a biker-friendly majority, bikers have rights. Without it, they don't. So the trick is building a biker-friendly majority.

Legislators don't win office by being lucky. They get elected by leading an organization of dedicated volunteers. And when they take office, they work for the people that helped them get elected.

And everyone else? They wait in line for table scraps.

All bikers need to do is get involved as campaign volunteers. And not in just any races. Only the most important ones. Races where there's a choice between a biker-friendly candidate and an arrogant nanny-crat. And the closer the race, the more important every single volunteer becomes.

So stop begging for table scraps. Take your place at the table and eat hearty.

Already Have a Majority?

Okay, it could be claimed that Missouri bikers already had a legislative majority. But that bill was so gunked up, even the leading Missouri SMRO didn't care if it passed. A legislative majority is proof of political power. That bill might as well have been written on the white flag of surrender.

But even presuming bikers had a legitimate majority, where do state governors come from? In most cases, they are former state legislators. Same goes for most higher office, including our current president. State legislatures are the "gene pool" that produces governors.

There is also the possibility of a "super-majority." Get enough biker-friendly legislators and helmet repeal becomes "veto proof." So building a majority remains the most powerful, logical, and do-able thing bikers can do.

Begin at the Beginning

All you need to do is take that all-important first step. Click on the green "How It Works" tab to learn more. Or cut to the chase and become a campaign volunteer in races near you. Subscribe to our Legislative Alerts by clicking on the red tab.

And as always, feel free to shoot me an email at Bikers4BillSponsors@Gmail.com.

3 comments:

  1. Not sure where you get your information from, but I'm the VP of the largest Local in Freedom Of Road Riders, Missouri's "leading SRMO", and I sure as hell care. We were involved in campaigns this year, maybe not enough, but we're doing things different. The Governor gave us his word during his campaign that he would not veto the bill... guess we know his true colors now.

    Timmy

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  2. Timmy - I was going by a quote I read in the newspaper, so perhaps I spoke out of turn on who said what. I appreciate you calling attention to that fact.

    But in any case, I said at the end of the 2nd paragraph, "any step in theright direction is good, no matter how small." It's good to see the slippery slope work in our favor, rather than against us.

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  3. You're right there Sturdi. We made it further this year than we have in a very long time. The last time we made it through the House AND Senate the Gov did the same thing to us... lied and then hit the veto button.

    There's still a chance, IF we can get the votes to overide the veto. It's a LONG SHOT, but then again, we got rid of a Senator that fillibustered our bill every year, when everyone said it was impossible...

    Rest assured, we'll remember our wonderful Gov in 3 years when he's up for re-election

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