You bet the next few months are going to shape the future of ORV activity in Michigan. We have the revealing of the final ORV Draft Plan, we have the unfolding of USFS activity, that could close a lot of miles of forest roads to some, or all motorized traffic, including SOS vehicles, STATEWIDE! We have CPSC recommendations, expected in early in 06 that, could be devastating to all those under 16 on an ORV. We have made "recommendations" that will dramatically revise the way we offer and train our residents, now to see it put into action. Those are just the beginning! We will get a "second helping" of this already FULL plate.

For your information, the $400,000. remaining in the 06 budget, it has been strongly suggested, those monies be used for additional grooming.

I am not sure you are understanding something fully, the ORV Board is an ADVISORY Board. WE DO NOT, AS YOU PORTRAY, HAVE ANY AUTHORITY. WE ONLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. Yes, we are handpicked, by the DNR, so is every other Advisory Board they have, and their are several of them.

You have problem with suggesting more money for our permit. Education first, we now generate $180,000 annually. Not sure how much is in the fund to the dollar, today, so I won't quote other than, more than should be. A year or so back, there was $250,000 plus in there. We should have used every dime to train huge numbers of kids. Take the 180 generated, we paid $20 for 6826 kids to be trained in 05, total of $136,520. There was the cost of classroom material, say a buck a student, cost of shipping material to instructor, cost of DNR staff, office space, telephone, manpower, easily another $50,000 there. We are operating in the "red", now dipping from the "balance leftover" from previous years.

Bear in mind, not one penny of the 05 payments to instructors went to any "profit" corporations. Majority went to county Sheriff's, and other places like college's and few participated because the pay was so low.

In 06, we have "recommended" expansion, not only classroom opportunity, but offer "hands on" training through the program at $35 per student. If we stay at the same level of income, and reach our goal of 10,000 students, all "leftover funds" will be gone. There has been discussion of putting a cap on the amount left in "leftover funds", those monies could go to grooming, enforcement by Sheriff's, restoration.

It will take an act of legislature to have any "new" money or increase of fee's. No point in even commenting on the remaining until a price tag is put on any new cost arising from the ORV Draft plan, those are not available or have they even been clarified or discussed at this point.

Again, I will never reveal who our allies are in the Lansing arena, nor do I know of anyone else working in the political arena, to even considering doing the same. Get used to it, the way it is.

While in a drug store the other day, I read two phrases hanging on the wall, rather interesting I thought. Went something like this, the first "ALONE, WE ARE ALMOST NOTHING, TOGETHER, WE ARE SOMETHING". The second, not the exact verbage, had I had a pen and paper, would have wrote it down. FOR A GROUP TO FORM, ITS CALLED "PROGRESS", FOR THEM TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING, IT'S CALLED A "SUCESS", FOR THEM TO CONTINUE ON, "AWESOME".

The AMA has been in operation almost 80 years, AMA D-14 is nearing 30 years, CCC is close to 35 years. Motorcycles have been around for over 100 years, ATV's, 40 or so. Blue Ribbon, NOVAAC and a few other positive organizations for our sport, they too, have a few decades. AATVA, a sister group of the AMA, became a reality in the past 10 years.

Our sport would be many years advanced, had we a strong organization in place decades ago in Michigan.

Many of us do not understand your reasoning to bash motorcyclists, AMA, any motorized group, segement thereof, "city slickers" as you call them. They have a right to ride too! How many times do you wish to divide this group of users and expect progress!

There is a long "unwritten creed" among all user groups, you DO NOT EVER bash anyone! Not campers, hikers, fisherman, hunters, boaters, snowmobilers. That is TOTALLY COUNTER PRODUCTIVE!
We try and find ways to get along and enjoy our great outdoors and never forget, those are public lands, they belong to all of us.

We must also remember, we the people, hired the DNR to be "stewards" of those lands. We may not always agree with the decisions, but we first must view all the problems posed, any solutions available, and those that must be created.

 

Mr. M4Life,
Thank you for your heartfelt response. Lawyer's do not make money on " overtime" , they just make money so quiting my daytime job, thank's to your advise is not going to happen. As I have been nicely trying to tell you, make sure you tell the truth to the congregation. I have been riding/owned motorcycles and atv's since 1967 and to put the list up as to what I have owned or what my riding expertice is would be too much for this tread or your imagination. I went up the BIG HILL on my 500 GOLDSTAR when you were a mistake on ...Let's put it this way very simply" I have been where you only hope to go". Ask your mommy when BILLY can come out and "play' and we will " ride ".... Happy Holiday's

 

Superman,
if you were really the lawyer that your portraying in your last post,your time could go to MUCH better use than coming in here and trying to defend your buddie BB.

In fact, if this topic were in a courthouse right now, the judge would have you locked up for contempt of court.

 

Muddy4Life, 1TopWOP, or Bill Gilbert,
Thank you again for your expected response. You have now opened the door for me to monitor your public comments and display to viewers on all forums how you react to confrontation. Again, the best of Holiday's to you and your family and please enjoy the fruitcake that RR or SR hopefully delivered.
PS: Did you ask Mommy if you could go out and play with the BIG GUY's???

 

I'd just like to let everybody know it's ok to laugh if you are as suprised as I am to hear that Superman1 is a lawyer.

I know with the way he debates an arguement I was fooled, must not win many cases.

 

THeotherguy,

Thank you for getting on the BUS... It just add's more ignorance to the seats that are available. I hope that you all are taking your Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word Spam wordSpam word  or what ever you feel works to make you think your a man. I hope you do not get in over the head that controls your reason and sound judgement. If you feel BIG BILL is HONEST and CORRECT, back him up with all marbles.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I dont need anybody's approval of my self worth or value to the ORV community from within this forum,especially from somebody that thinks he's not only a tough guy and SUPERMAN,but a LAWYER too.

My satisfaction comes from the many hand shakes,100s of letters from past students and the current club members from ATV OFF ROAD.

Now why dont you go and do the right thing and put on your cape and fly away,cause I think folks are getting a little tired of the garbage you set out at the curb.

 

Originally posted by: BusyRider
"...HB 5343: Anyone who read that Bill and understood all they read, would soon realize, it was a piece of "undersireable legislation". We can and will, do far better than that when its all over. Hope you all realize, some who post on here, are not telling it exactly like it is. Was any mention made of the cost of widening about 1,000 miles of trail to 60" and who was going to do it? What would the after affects be? Speed, safety, erosion and a host of others. There is a better way of accomplishing this same objective....."

As you can see, Dick doesn't have much interest in responding to my demand that he reprint that bill in its entirety here...which really seems kind of 'funny'...considering that 22,000 members of "our" orv community (supposedly) opposed it in the span of around 28 hours!
For gosh sakes, Dick...if you are so proud of all this TERRIBLE legislation that you and your super-secret MMRC have been "saving us" from...let the users you 'represent' see just how horrible a thing those 5 extra inches on each side of our trails would have represented!

Isn't it amazing how we can't possibly EVER raise our fees here in Michigan to accomplish the needed <u>widening</u> of our current system; nor (god forbid) take BACK some of the trails effectively <u>hijacked</u> by others? (opening up trails never even so much as 'viewed' by the very people who OWN them?).....or is it the Michigan orv community's wish that we allow people who won't even give their names...to determine the make-up of 750 more miles; as we are doing now?

I mean, for gosh sakes...I can understand "apathy" and "greed" as exhibited in the neglect of our current 3,000 mile system and these Detroit boy's desire to keep their money in southeast Michigan with this new riding area...yet how does a community swallow the pure arrogance of folks who flat out declare absolutely no need to know who they are, nor what they are doing?...
AND THEN <U>BRAG</U> ABOUT IT!!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

You do seem to have difficulty finding factual information and resort to accusations and conjured fantasy just to get negative attention.
Here's the bill which anyone can locate and read for themselves and where it's been available since it's inception:
<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=2005-HB-5343
">http://www.legislature.mi.gov/mileg.asp?page=getObject&objName=2005-HB-5343</a>
and the specific language:
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/docume...5-HIB-5343.htm

 

QUOTE**
or is it the Michigan orv community's wish that we allow people who won't even give their names...to determine the make-up of 750 more miles; as we are doing now?
END of QUOTE**

BB,
WHERE are you getting your information from?[your making it up?]Nobody I know has ANY idea WHO or WHERE this extra 750 miles of trail will be at YET.We first had to get APPROVAL. The stages you speak of have not even gone to the table yet as far as I know.

How do you expect Dick to give up names or trail locations for the 750 extra trail miles when he himself has not yet been provided this information