11/19/09
Florida tries to co op the motorcycle safety work of a Mother on a Mission, she say's kiss off.
Most locals have seen the purple "look twice" for motorcycle bumper stickers. We have been distributing locally for a few years now. However we would be unable to do so were it not for the efforts of One Woman Motorcycle Safety Advocate, Diane Pearson of the Gene Pearson Motorcycle Awareness Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 542 Oldsmar, FL 34677. She is the one responsible for providing us with the stickers at no cost. At her own cost and with the help of some private donations she has even been able to get them as far as Alaska.
In fact if you go to her site and check out the pictures, you will see she has accomplished a whole lot more than just putting out bumper stickers. In fact this one woman as done more for motorcycle safety than "motorcyclists" and especially the state legislature.
Recently she applied for a state grant to help with her mission. Unfortunately she did not read the fine print and didn't realize that the state would want to take credit for her work. After all, she is and has been doing the work.
Diane writes:
I just learned that their are restrictions to the grant, which if I had known, would not have applied for it. The stipulation is that the FLORIDA Department of Transportation was going to stamp their name on the front of the bumper sticker. When I declined the money and told them that I did not want this as I have worked to hard for the DOT to just take over and say and do as they please with the message I have been using in my mission. They decided to print them anyway and will give them to the DMV'sand
I have tried to work with this gal before but she wanted nothing to do with Look Twice-Save a Life, her agenda was DRESS PROUD-RIDE LOUD,using reflective colors on the rider and loud pipes on the bike, which was fine, but when I approached her and said this puts the responsibility on the bikers not the caggers, she looked at me like I had two heads. Now that her agenda has not taken off, she feels that whether I like it or not she is going to help me, by taking the message and the color and mass producing without even considering me. I know it's not about me but the message, I feel like I have been thrown under a truck all in the name of I want to help you even though I don't want the help.
So Diane writes:
Cc: Kim Jowell
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 7:48 AM
Subject: Look Twice, Save a Life Bumper Stickers
Jessica,
Our conversation yesterday should have never happened, because I had already told Kim last week that I could not have anything but the message on the front of the bumper sticker(to be placed in the DMVs), and would be happy to put it on the back. You calling me and then saying it was placed on the bumper sticker and ordered, made me realize that no matter what I wanted or said you were doing what you wanted. I was only told last week that there had to be the Florida Dept of Transportations. name on the bumper sticker because it was grant money and that's when I said I can not use them if that happens. If I would have known in February when I handed in the concept paper, I would have stopped it at that point. I did not realize that stipulations and restrictions came with it. Please do not place any orders with Brown's trophies on my behalf, as I will not be handing them out. I do not want your grant money if I am causing you a problem and wish to give back to the safety council the monies that were to go to my foundation. Sorry for the misunderstanding, and lack of communication or any inconvenience on my part, the next time I apply for something I will make sure I know all of the rules up front.
Respectfully,
Diane Pearson
First we wnat to give Kudo's to Ms. Pearson for having the gajones to, in effect, tell the state to get lost.
Now if you will remember the state of Florida hired a marketing firm for their failed "Ride Proud Dress Loud" program that places the majority of the responsibility on the motorcyclists to avoid getting run over by distracted drivers. Needless to say, the marketing firm and obviously the state continues to have no clue as this was their response:
Now if you will remember the state of Florida hired a marketing firm for their failed "Ride Proud Dress Loud" program that places the majority of the responsibility on the motorcyclists to avoid getting run over by distracted drivers. Needless to say, the marketing firm and obviously the state continues to have no clue as this was their response:
From: Jessica Grajales
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:06 PM
Subject: Look Twice, Save a Life Bumper Stickers
Hi Diane,
I wanted to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Jessica Grajales and I am currently the marketing coordinator for the Rider Conspicuity grant that Suncoast Safety Council has been awarded. Kim Jowell gave me your contact information, so that I could establish contact and determine the existing need for the Look Twice, Save a Life stickers. She explained that you provide local businesses and motorcyclists with these stickers. I would love to hear from you about your involvement in the local arena. I understand that you have even provided Suncoast Safety Council with the Look Twice stickers. I will be in touch soon, but please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any suggestions or if you could use my help in anyway. My phone number is (727)442-0233 ext.311
Best regards,
Jessica Grajales
1145 Court St.
Clearwater, Fl 33756
(727)442-0233 ext. 311
So a few decided to help Diane clarify her message to the state. Our part went as follows:
| hide details Nov 17 (2 days ago) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Jgrajales@safety.orgMs. Grajales,
I wanted to take this opportunity to take issue with the note and actions you are taking in relation to Ms. Diane Piersons "Look Twice, Save a Life" Bumper Stickers.
For over 3 years now Ms. Pierson on her own and at her own expense and with the money she was able to beg from the private sector has made remarkable progress in getting out the "Look For Motorcycles" message. Which unlike your own ill advised "Ride Proud-Dress Loud" campaign (which was provided a 17 page document at it's kick off outlining it's deficiencies which you chose to ignore) places the responsibility where it belongs. On the majority of those responsible for motorcycle crashes. In other words, she got it before you bureaucrats got it.
Now you want to add insult to injury by placing the Department of Transportation's name on work not done by the Department of Transportation tacitly taking credit where credit is not due. It is an insult to have the Departments name on anything that may be effective when they have for so long failed to advocate for what would be effective and allowed tax payer money's to be tossed in to a black hole by groups such as ABATE of Florida whose incompetence is only compounded by the lack of direction of your own Department.
In the Tallahassee area her purple Bumper Stickers have now become the defacto sticker, replacing all others. The reason, they have no propaganda on them.
Any acrimony in this letter may be attributed to the statement in your communication with Ms. Pierson, so that I could establish contact and determine the existing need for the Look Twice, Save a Life stickers.
rc
And just how might you do this Ms. Grajales. What parameters will you use by which to make your "informed" decision.
Followed by, "I would love to hear from you about your involvement in the local arena. I understand that you have even provided Suncoast Safety Council with the Look Twice stickers."
Were you the least bit aware you would know that in the motorcycling community Ms. Pierson's works are well known across the state. The fact that you are not aware of such
is an indication that you probably do not ride, have little knowledge regarding the motorcycle arena, and as such probably do not need to be working in a position where lives are at stake.
You insult Ms. Pierson and by extension insult those of us who have the utmost respect for her and the work she has done because you all can not seem to have a clue!
This post along with your letter demonstrating Departmental ignorance will be posted on the site linked below.
However it will be of no surprise to those who will read it. In the motorcycle world it is commonly accepted that the state of Florida has no intention of doing anything to save the lives of our loved ones other than offer lip service.
IF you can not provide Ms. Pierson with a grant to continue her works as SHE HAS BEEN then as usual we will attempt to find a way to do it ourselves. After all, we long ago learned
not to look to the state for anything meaningful.
Let Freedom Reign
http://bigbendbikersforfreedom.com/
The state and/or marketing clowns apparently got the message as their response was a s follows:
Subject: Diane Pearson.
The initial grant application was submitted with Ms. Pearson’s consent to have a line item in our grant that would allocate funds to help her cover costs of printing bumper stickers and limit the use of her personal funds. However after the grant was awarded we were notified of two conditions which required all products be made in the USA and any printed materials would have to state “Funded by Florida Department of Transportation.”
Knowing Diane’s concerns, we called the State and asked if the bumper stickers had to have the FDOT wording. They confirmed this was the case. After discussing with Diana and her voicing her concerns, I called the state representative with FDOT back and asked if we could remove the line item from our grant. As a result, Suncoast Safety Council will not be printing any “Look Twice Save a Life” bumper stickers.
I/Suncoast admire Diane for the many accomplishments and the true difference she has and will continue to make in our community. Unfortunately, I believe misunderstandings have led to further misunderstandings. As you said, “a misunderstanding led to an honest mistake” which was promptly addressed by Suncoast and the situation is moot.
pursuant to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2522, the contents of this e-mail and the attachments hereto (if any) are confidential, privileged, and/or otherwise exempt from disclosure and are intended only for disclosure to and use by the intended recipient of this message. Please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake, destroy all copies of the original message, and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, or contains viruses. Recipients should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Suncoast Safety Council, Inc. appreciates your cooperation.
This is almost a similiar situation as the veterans faced in the preceding post. People who have looked to the government to use our tax dollars in meaningful ways through grant monies and /or trust that they will do the right thing have decided to tell the state, we will do it without you.
Remember, grant monies going to Motorcycle Safety issues are paid for with our tax dollars. In the past grant monies gone to ABATE of Florida have gone who knows where. Well, let us not discount the eye glass fix it kits, Air fresheners, pens, little calendars and such all with ABATEs name on them.
Or maybe the radio spots played on rural am stations with listenerships consisting of the trailer park next door to the station. None worth a damn relating as to saving lives. But then, though I have never investigated it I have always wondered, "could there possibly be a kickback factor in eyeglass fix it kits?" I guess someone smarter than I can answer that question.
It may well be that actions such as the above have ruined it for those who are actually doing something meaningful. Or it may also mean that since the state has given themselves permission to rob the Motorcycle Safety trust monies that they have set it up so as to insure that we will not take the money
with strings attached that give them the credit for the work they haven't done.
Either/or Diane has it right, the the state to kiss off, give us back our money and let us do what needs to be done. We certainly can not do worse that "Ride Proud Dress Loud".
So now Diane has taken a meaningful step. Now "Bikers" need to step up to the plate and contribute to her efforts to save our asses. If we can not, then we are not deserving of an activist of her caliber. She
has a Donate button on her site. Please consider using it and drop a line saying, you go girl!
For more posts on Florida and motorcycle safeety monies see the following links:
For more on Mother on a Mission and Diane Pearson see the following links:
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