< VA > Special Elections

Here's a brand new Alert about two upcoming special elections in Virginia, just announced by Gov. McDonnell. House District 26 (Harrisonburg) and House District 27 (Richmond) are open seats, now that the incumbents have been appointed to posts by the Governor.

This is a brief AP article that just came out today: http://wjz.com/wireapnewsva/McDonnell.sets.June.2.1646495.html

Since this is my last day as a Virginia resident, I won't be physically here to help with these elections in the days ahead. But I will continue to provide on-line support, just as I do for bikers in any state who are fighting the helmet law.

So with that in mind, a couple of volunteers - one for each race - would really be appreciated with 1) finding out who the candidates are, and then 2) finding out where they stand on the helmet law. Then it's just a matter of connecting campaign volunteers to biker-friendly candidates.

I will post all updates I receive to the ELECTIONS page at RIDE2REPEAL.COM, listed under "Virginia Races."

Political power comes from the ability to win races, and we have that power in our hands -- right now. The last couple of special elections we lost by a handful of votes, for lack of volunteers. But that also means we have the ability to tip a race in our favor, if only we stand up for biker-friendly candidates -- when it counts.

I'm happy to support anyone who wants to get involved. Thanks for your time and consideration.

--
Douglas Findlay
202-250-0799
RIDE2REPEAL.COM

PS: This Alert was also being sent to WV bikers, since House District 26 is practically surrounded by West Virginia. A cross-border opportunity awaits!

Stop Motorcycle Profiling

Here is a disturbing video of a motorcyclist who's arrested for not removing his helmet. The traffic stop is the product of police profiling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yuMenTgDh4

And here is a demonstration video of a Virginia motorcyclists who is taking the most effective action to stop this kind of abuse: Campaign work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQBBEDgURk

Now you might ask yourself, what does one video have to do with the other? They're on opposite sides of the country, and worlds apart as far as what's happening on camera. What's the connection?

The answer is that there's a chain reaction taking place.

When one motorcyclist helps a biker-friendly candidate win, we are one step closer to a legislative majority. And only a legislative majority can repeal the universal helmet law.

With no helmet law, there's nothing to enforce!

That means no probable cause for pulling over, harrassing, and arresting the motorcyclist. No impounding of his bike. And no reason for him to go to court, either.

-RIDE2REPEAL.COM
PS: Thanks to Quite Mike and ABATE of Oregon for sharing the first video.

Biggest Obstacle

I was talking with my friend Robin about the political landscape in California, and how I planned to meet with an Assembly member from San Diego.

Speaking as someone who's lived there, Robin said, "You'll never be able to get rid of the helmet law in California. It's impossible!"

His rationale was that the incumbents and the dominant party were too well entrenched, and the voting public would keep supporting them. It wouldn't be worth the effort.

I countered by saying that there were always a few vulnerable seats somewhere in the state. California has hundreds of legislators, and inevitably some of them will be in tight races. And many legislative races are wide-open contests, with nobody running for reelection. There will always be opportunities.

"But the real obstacle isn't the politicians," I added. "It's the bikers."

Robin helped me volunteer for a biker-friendly candidate last fall, and we lost that race by just a few dozen votes. We were the only two bikers that worked in that campaign, even though hundreds of local bikers had been encouraged to help. But just two turned up ... me and Robin.

"Imagine how it would have turned out if we had just a half dozen bikers helping our candidate," I said. "We surely would have won that race."

So it isn't the politicians that keep us down. It's really the bikers that won't stand up when it counts - during the campaign season.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com

Oregon Races

Thanks to Heidi and BikePAC of Oregon, we are developing a list of the most important legislative races this year. Although it's a work in progress, it's certainly worth a look.

Visit RIDE2REPEAL.COM and click on the  ELECTIONS  page, and you'll see Oregon Races in the right-hand menu. This page shows the latest race information, listed in priority order.

All the candidates are color coded, based on their position on helmet laws. Biker-friendly candidates are show in green text, while repeal opponents are shown in red. And House Transportation Committee members are identified with a "©" symbol, since they are the first hurdle for any repeal bill.

The purpose of this list is to connect campaign volunteers with biker-friendly candidates. If you click on any district number, you'll get a map of that district. Enter your ZIP code in the box, and get directions to the district. Or click on a candidate's name, and you'll see their official campaign website - to volunteer, of course! And volunteering is how we make a difference.

It's where the rubber meets the road.

To date, there are almost 80 alert subscribers all across Oregon. That's an astounding number of potential activists. No other state is so lucky. Can you imagine the impact that 80 biker volunteers would have on a couple of close races? And on legislative decisions? Legislators would sit up and take notice - like never before.

All it takes is a little action, in the right place ... at the right time. The right place is a top priority district, where we can make the most impact. And the right time is during the campaign season, the only time legislators need our help - and - the only time we can help them. That's a heck of a way to lobby - with actions that speak louder than words.

Ready to get your freedom back? 2010 is here ... and it's time to turn that dream into a reality.

-RIDE2REPEAL@gmail.com