This was sent in by a member of Biker or Not .com. as being posted by the ABATE of Florida legislative representative Jeb Baxla. I have long ago given up trying to track whats happening on the gazillion social network sites out there. I just ain't that social I reckon. I believe signed up for Biker or not but can't remember my damn pass word or sign in. Hell it's all I can to do to remember to check my “My Space mail.”
I do trust the source but I can't personally guarantee who posted it. Whoever, however, it does look like a typical ABATE of Florida posting and as such has enough fact to be mistaken as an accurate depiction of events that misses a couple of key points that need to be addressed.
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HB137 passes through committee
3/14/2008 10:17:36 AM
Update on HB137 - Some good news and bad news.
Bad news first.
HB137 passed through committee a bill sponsored by someone who was initially and intentionally misleading people with official correspondence, saying ABATE supported his legislation. Would have been nice to stuff it right back where it came from, but all but one member voted to pass this bill out of committee.
BUT
There remains the satisfaction of him asking the vote be temporarily postponed during the committee meeting back in January because he knew he did not have the votes and we would have killed it right there.
(I am going to assume that when the word “WE” is used they are including others, not all ABATE of Florida members, that weighed in and participated in getting the bill tp'd) Good news.
The sponsor changed the bill. Your lobbyist reported there was an amendment floating around several days ago but it was only being circulated to committee members via email. As of this hour, the amended version still has not been posted online so I am much appreciative Doc scanned and emailed a copy tonight. So I could see it with my own eyes.
(I didn't know “biker or Not.com” has a lobbyist, I don't have a lobbyist, do you have a lobbyist? If I can remember correctly, I do find it interesting that a certain lobbyist made statements along the lines at the last hearing of not having had time to read every thing associated with the “fixed” bill as did, apparently, no one else) The sponsor began his committee testimony today by noting that he had listening to all of the ABATE input and had made all requested changes. Changes included:
-changing exceeding the speed limit to 50mph
(um did ABATE of Florida make this suggestion and if they did, did that mean there might have been a tentative agreement somewhere to support this bill)-noting that a wheel losing contact with ground briefly due to road surface did not apply
(Yes Doc did testify that somebody on a Harley could hit a pot hole or go over a railroad causing the front of their biker to bounce of the ground).-confiscation provision of bill changed to a tier system and not applicable until a 3rd offense, the first two offenses resulting in progressive fines
(Was this an ABATE requested change? Again, would that lend some credence to Lopez-Cantera's original assertion that Doc was assisting him in the wording of this bill?)-violation of 316.1926 was changed to apply to all violators, not just people on motorcycles
(Thats not good news, thats horrible news. Constitutional infringements on rights have no been expanded even more if this bill passes)More good news: Representative Greg Evers is a man of his word.
Despite the politics of his bills being held up because of opposition to this bill and that he ended up being the only person who voted against HB137 today, Representative Greg Evers stood by his conviction that a skunk is a skunk and voted against the bill. For people who do not understand how others hold someone’s legislation hostage in other committees when you do not do what they want, understand that this legislative process does not always encourage you to stick to your guns. A big HATS OFF to Rep Evers for standing up for what he believes in. For people in his District, I am sure it is no surprise he is a man of his word. For the rest of us, it is a refreshing sight. I am hopeful the Gulf Coast Chapter will actively help keep this man in office for as long as he desires to be in one. We need more real people like him and less politicians in our legislature.
(And we must also remember that ABATE of Florida has agreed to support a little piece of legislation Rep. Evers has pending)You are encouraged to not become one of the pigs described in the pig hunting story shared not long ago. True be it that all stupid enough to get caught going 50mph over the speed limit three times deserve whatever they get.
(Um excuse me, would that include “Water-boarding”. I believe that we have courts set up to make decisions regarding the constitution of the United States because of just such attitudes. Confiscation of personal property is serious stuff and currently the Florida Supreme Court has serious concerns re Florida's application of property seizure laws. I'm just kind of wondering why the lobbyist did not mention that) The bill changes mean it does not immediately offend sensibilities by only targeting motorcyclists. All that said, there remains basis and considerations the bill still reeks of a skunk. Burning up our tax dollars creating a duplicative and unnecessary law still should not elevate the sponsor to hero status. We already paid the salaries of these people to listen several times about a bill that should have never been heard. Taxpayers had already paid the committee staff to do a very thorough analysis that clearly demonstrated every infraction addressed in HB137 was already adequately addressed in Florida statute. It seems like willful and wanton waste of our tax dollars that this bill was even allowed to be heard when the committee staff report provided the facts up front. Such a clear waste of time and effort boils down to poor stewardship of our tax dollars. It is a shame the vote was not called for back at their January meeting. Everyone who voted for the bill has now rewarded the sponsor for bad behavior as well.
While it is good that we were able to make an impact and remove onerous provisions discriminating against motorcycles, please make no mistake this bill still reeks. Worse yet, now we get to waste more tax dollars on this bill in another committee.
I saw the Caloosahatchee and White Sands notifications to their members being lit immediately this round and saw lots of great letters and notes that had been written. Thanks for sharing them and please thank all members who made the time and effort to write the sponsor previously and contact the committee members today, as well as for the January hearing and prior. Your impact made a true difference. When he was called to speak on his bill today, the first thing out of the sponsor’s mouth was that he listened to all of the ABATE people who had contacted and he had made all the changes we had asked for.
(whoops does this mean that ABATE of Florida was actively engaged in the wording of this bill? Hello, I am so confused)I could not help but laugh to see the part he put in about excluding the wheel coming off the ground for road surfaces. He was obviously breaking his neck to keep Doc from speaking against the bill, but that did not work either. Doc reported it obvious by other committee members comments the bill would pass, but he also used the opportunity to speak against the bill to put some plugs in for stiffer penalties for people killing motorcyclists. He was there to speak against it in all forms and that is what he did.
(Um, Jeb remember the little trade off at the last state meeting whereby ABATE of Florida voted to speak for stiffer penalties at “every” opportunity as Doc manipulated the organization into voting to support a cell phone ban with a hands free amendment)If we have to have any more bad days in this legislative session, let’s hope this one is our worst. We certainly will not have much to complain about.
(I'm sorry but anytime even a piece of a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT is lost I'm gonna complain big time. Because thats how they get you. First they take a little piece. Like initially this was about motorcycles. Then they take a bigger piece. Now it includes all vehicles which of course is nothing more than smoke and mirrors as I'm not aware of many SUV's gonna be doing wheelies. But again thats how they get you piece by piece till you wake up one morning and find the whole enchilada is gone.) Ride safe out there. None of us are bulletproof and we have to stay on the alert to make sure we do not become the next statistic. We do not have 2007 numbers yet, but in 2006, 1.4 fellow riders were slaughtered on the road every day. Help keep each other aware and alive.
JEB
Now there are an awful lot of words in this little missive singing the praises of the valiant efforts of the ABATE and it's lobbyist. But I'm kinda wondering out of the approx. 100+/- ABATE chapter members in the Tallahassee area, how come none of them were there to support their “leader”? As was posted here:
We alerted people to this bill on 9-27-08
On 10-9-07 we posted the following:
Hello-- A number of e-mails have been circulating discussing a proposal to confiscate bikes from those convicted of speeding or reckless driving, and requesting readers to contact the sponsoring Legislator. ABATE of Florida was never consulted before these mailings hit the Internet, and never sent out any appeals or Calls to Action. The following communication comes from "Doc" Reichenbach, President of ABATE of Florida and Chairman, NCOM Board of Directors: As usual people are sticking their nose in our business. I have already talked to the legislator in question and this bill is dead he will try and do something else but this bill is dead. Please post this wherever you got it from and tell them to let Abate of Florida do their job and quit interfering with our work. If they would join Abate of Florida they would know what is happening in this state. We have not asked anyone to call their legislator. Doc To support accuracy in what folks are reading, I'm sending this information out from Doc to anyone who might have been following this issue. If anyone has questions, please contact ABATE of Florida directly. In Freedom, Tiger Mike ABATE of Oklahoma NCOM Board of DirectorsOn 10-12-07 we reported how ABATE of Florida had sent out a memo to cease contacting your legislators HB 137 is dead. Here we posted the actual note and an e-mail exchange with Jeb Baxla the ABATE of Florida legislative representative http://www.bigbendbikersforfreedom.com/2007/10/continuing-questions-reabate-of.html
11-05-07 We post:
One letter from a politician (Cantera) One from lobbyist (Reichenbach)?? X-Files???
Letter from Lopez-Cantera stating President of ABATE of Florida has been working with him on HB137. Letter From ABATE of Florida President to Cantera stating he does not support HB137 and more..................Now discounting my personal feeling that the evidence would indicate that just a little bit of political chicanery is going on here. Either that or the President/lobbyist of ABATE of Florida is totally lost when it comes to constitutional issues and/or Safety issues (by virtue of the organizations support of a hands free exemption to a cell phone bill). My major concern is our individual rights. Not just “Bikers”, but all of us. ABATE of Florida on this important issue has to date shown itself wrong and ineffective. But that is not the problem. The problem is all of us who rely on others to protect our rights while we watch football, drink beer and munch down on cheeto's or suit up to ride-in our pretty little vests that state “THESE COLORS DON'T RUN” WELL OF COURSE THEY DON'T RUN, HELL, THEY DON'T EVEN SHOW UP!!!!Add to Technorati Favorites
