Insuring the Tallahassee Veterans day debacle does not happen again

IF you have read the following posts (links):
Leon County veterans voice there concerns to Commisioners over cancelled paradeCitizens of Tallahassee-Stand up Tuesday night
Capital of Florida continues recent history of shaming veterans

Then you are familiar with how the parade was canceled as a result of the "possibility" of rain and the veterans concerns over how their parade is dissed!

Well the Veterans are taking the parade out of local governments hands and are looking for help. The upside to this call to help is that you do not have to be a veteran to participate.  Tallahassee, those who have served you are asking for your help. How will you respond?

As received:

Veterans Day Parade
If you are interested in helping to plan, organize
or execute a Veterans Day Parade here in
Tallahassee we want to meet you.
There will be 3 opportunities to sign up with the
Big Bend Vets Parade Inc at the Hootch located at
241 Lake Ella Dr ( next to the helicopter)
On Sunday December 6th, 13th & 20th
between 5 & 7 PM
Stop by on any one of these dtaes and introduce
yourself, we will be getting contact info and setting
up the first official meeting in January to elect
officers and establish by-laws.
This is open to anyone who cares to volunteer
their time for this very worthy causeAdd to Technorati Favorites

Australian nanny state policies towards bikers and why we should be worried

Thirsty bikers: Police defend forced pub closures

Posted Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:37am AEDT
Updated Fri Nov 27, 2009 1:19pm AEDT
Hotels forced to shut while motorcyclists stage protest ride - file photo

Hotels forced to shut while motorcyclists stage protest ride

A publican is upset that South Australian police will force him to shut his doors for several hours this weekend because of a motorcyclists' protest ride.

The SA Police Commissioner applied to the liquor licensing authority for changes affecting several hotels on Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of riders had planned to visit several pubs as they went through Macclesfield, Meadows and McLaren Vale on their ride to protest against the SA Government's anti-association laws.

The director of the Three Brothers Arms Hotel at Macclesfield, Shane Ortis, says he remains keen to stay open.

"We're pretty disappointed just for the revenue that we're going to lose but, you know, I can't do anything about it," he said.

"We have lost revenue for the day, we have had to shut our restaurant, our front bar, our whole hotel, the licence has been revoked from 1:00pm until 5:00pm."

Tom Mackie from the United Motorcyclists Council says the riders would have given a financial boost to the towns.

"In a similar fashion that the Tour Down Under and Bay to Birdwood and the Classic Adelaide car rally does - engage the local communities, get the scout groups and the football and the cricket clubs and the Rotary people out with their barbecues and set them up in the stops along the way," he said.

The owner of the Macclesfield Hotel, Michael McMahon, says the town will find a way to welcome the bike riders.

"They're still going to have sausage sizzle here, so they're not going to stop it," he said.

Safety concern

Police say the decision affecting three hotels is aimed at ensuring public safety.

Chief Inspector Joanne Shanahan says hundreds of motorcyclists are expected to ride and hotel managers might not be able to control the crowd.

"In these circumstances it may be difficult for licensed premises to effectively manage such a large group of people, particularly in relation to parking, security and the responsible serving of alcohol," she said.

Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has backed the police decision.

He says it is for the publican's [Mr Ortis'] own good.

"He may not have a problem but the police have a duty to protect him and if things got out of hand as they well might, he would be among the first complaining if his staff were bashed up and he were robbed," Mr Atkinson said.

Mr Atkinson says police are enforcing laws passed in 2008.

He says, had the police not taken the decision to force closures, publicans would be upset about not being protected.

"We had publicans telling the government of South Australia 'What are you going to do to keep these people out of our hotels?' and that's when we passed the new barring laws which put the onus on police rather than the publicans," he said.

"We gave the Hotels Association exactly what they asked for and now the police are exercising that authority."

Deputy Opposition leader Vickie Chapman says she supports an increased police presence but closing down pubs is ridiculous.

"Small businesses, in this case pubs, should be able to open if they like, that is a choice for them," she said.

"The other ridiculous thing about this, frankly, is that tomorrow they could just decide to take a different route and go to different pubs - it is just a nonsense."

And why should we be worried? Because a blow to the freedom of anybody anywhere is a threat to  our own!Add to Technorati Favorites

from the American Motorcycle Association-Your Action is Needed to Fight the CPSIA

Your Action is Needed to Fight the CPSIA
Support Congressional Action to Adopt Language to Prohibit Use of Funds to Implement or Enforce the CPSIA

Take Action!
Contact your Senators and Representative Today!

On July 7, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) attached an amendment to the House fiscal year 2010 Financial Services Appropriations bill which prohibits the use of funds by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for the implementation and/or enforcement of section 101(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) as it relates to youth-model off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). To see Rehberg's press release on his amendment, please click here.

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) applauds the Rehberg amendment, and submitted a letter of support that was placed in the Committee Report on June 23. To see the AMA's letter of support, please click here.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the fiscal year 2010 Financial Services Appropriations bill - with the Rehberg amendment - on July 16 with a vote of 219 to 208.

However, the U.S. Senate's fiscal year 2010 Financial Services Appropriations bill does not include the Rehberg language, and it has not been considered on the Senate floor. The Senate may not consider the Financial Services Appropriations bill individually, but may soon instead consider a larger all-encompassing bill called an Omnibus Appropriations bill.

Therefore, the AMA needs your help to let your lawmakers know how you feel about the lead-content ban and it's impact on the sale of youth-model off-highway vehicles. Riders should contact their Senators and Representatives and let them know how the CPSIA has created a severe and unwarranted disruption to families who recreate together responsibly, and a deleterious effect on youth amateur racing. Urge your Senators and Representative to support the inclusion of the Rehberg language, already in the House Financial Services Appropriations bill, in the final version of the fiscal year 2010 Financial Services Appropriations bill or the Omnibus Appropriations bill.

The quickest way to reach your Senators and Representative is to call them. You can find contact information for your elected officials by entering your zip code on AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues & Legislation. Additionally, a prewritten e-mail is available for you to immediately send to your lawmakers by following the "Take Action" option and entering your information.

For more information and ways you can help exclude youth-model motorcycles and ATVs from the CPSIA, click here.

Please contact your Senators and Representative right away and urge them to support the Rehberg language.Add to Technorati Favorites

Run for the Gov 09

A really strange poker run. Not for any organization or charity based out of state. But for a local biker in need of medical care and the local Biker community turning out to help insure he gets it.

The "Governor" has been riding in this neck of the woods forever  it seems.  Unfortunately sometimes forever catches up with ya and ya need medical care that you can't always afford.

So the kind folk at Ouzt's got together with friends and family to throw a run and a feed.  Good stuff to.  And a good turn out for a chilly morning as we headed to Hookwreck Henry's, Southern Spirits, Riverside Cantina and back to Ouzts where two bands, including slow hand pete, played some kickin tunes.

There were enough door prizes that almost anyone who bought a ticket was sure to walk away with something.  Much of it contributed by folk who dug in their closets and sheds and contributed their own stuff.  Go figure huh.

And then wonder of wonders, the winner of best hand donated it all back to the cause.  The winner of the 50/50 donated it back to the cause.  You know, kinda like IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE, if your riding in a run to support a cause!!!!!

Click here for more pics.

Our prayers and best wishes go out to the Gov and his family and Kudo's to all those who worked to put together a REAL poker run.Add to Technorati Favorites