I'm in 100% agreement with your optimism dragginbutt....yet at the same time, I would have never guessed their were so many spineless, uninterested and just plain selfish members in any given off-road community. I observed the old-time sledders and motorcyclists....thinking there surely had to be "somebody" in this state who could at the very least carry their jockstrap.

I found one guy who manages to stand up and say "something" every 3 months in regards to atvs (and this in a state with 3,000 miles of trail system).

It has went beyond frustrating a long time ago.

 

As far as I go, I am mostly a pessimist... but... I work in Washington DC, and see how these things work... It all starts with an idea, and people getting together with like interests and opinions. Sooner or later, you get enough members together to be considered worthy of the politicians interest... and things get done. That is why the environmentalists are winning right now.. because they have the funding to buy the media.. and more importantly, buy.. er, sorry... control the legislation....

Don't think for moment that ATV enthusiasts don't care... for the most part, they just don't know how to take that next step... they just don't see a flag they can rally too.... Time for us to put the pole in the ground and say enough is enough.. time to stand and fight...

 

Where is the ATVA?

Hiding behind the AMA and trying to tell me that MOST users are "hunters" who go 2-3 mph and don't need/want to wear helmets?
Turning a blind eye to places like Windrock where little kids are riding around doubled up without brain buckets?
Giving us some spineless petition to sign at the last CPSC hearing which spelled out absolutely NOTHING in regards to a specific stand on age/cc/heigth/weight issues; resulting in <u>this</u>: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache...cpsc+atv&hl=en

Where is my local leadership here in Michigan?

Breaking their collarbone <u>teaching</u> youth atv safety classes?
Charging parents $25 to sit in on their kid's class?
Putting their 'family' in leadership positions within their club, refusing to hold elections, refusing admittance to their meetings for anybody with a contrary view....then running to our legislators and proclaiming themselves as THE voice of atving here in Michigan?


Where is our DNR?

Stringing the average citizen along for years as to their elibility to serve on advisory boards....then yanking that promised ability to do so at the very last minute?
Crawling so far up our own advisory board's butts that they won't even defend the average citizen's right to speak to them first?
Yanking our ability to even have the thoughts spoken to them (not back and forth with them, mind you) BE PROPERLY RECORDED ON THE PUBLIC RECORD as they have in the past?

When would you like me to stop?

I'll "stand up" all right....but darn if I'll stand next to somebody who doesn't have the ***** to call these people for who they are and pull a cover off of what they have been pulling (I'm not spending "the next" 5 years handling these topics with kid gloves or ignoring these issues like all these riders born without a spine have been happy to do).

 

Blackballed, I'd like to shake your hand.... You remind me of me...... keep them in check...sooner or later they will listen... Do you feel like Don Quixote yet?

 

(lol)..I'd like to shake your hand also someday, my friend. You've really been a great voice over the years for our sport and my door is always open to you up here on the big lake. Come on up and we'll take care of everything/show you a good time. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

You're right, you have to keep them in check (or at least thinking that somebody just "might" challenge their b.s.)