- Jun 9, 2002
- 9,535
- 0
YZ/250 said:It always has to come to that. I just CANT see what kind of terrible damage that atv's and dirtbikes cause. Its a money/power trip if you ask me.
Chris in Denver said:Pretty simple. Tack $100 onto every new bike or ATV towards PURCHASING new land designated for off road.
QUOTE]
WOW! Great idea Chris. :whoa:
We could name the program something with an enviro catch to it like maybe, Green Sticker Fund. We could have the DMV collect the money from everyone when they register their bikes and take that money and use it to locate land and build and maintain off road parks.
I don't think it will work though.
Sooner or later the enviromentelists will worm their way into the green sticker fund and start to control where the money is spent. They will take the money that is supposed to go for new ohv parks and buy big fancy pick-up trucks and toy-box trailers and a few quads and start to pay police officers to go out and keep those nasty off roaders from going on public land. They will use the funds to buy land around the offroad parks to create buffer zones and will hire a whole gaggle of people to run the offices. They will hire like-minded people that will vote the way they want them to vote on these issues and force the people that oppose them out.
Soon the green sticker fund will become the red sticker fund and we will only be able to ride in the off road parks during certain parts of the year. Many of these parks will be closed down or will go into a state of dis-repair due to the money being spent on other things than the parks.
Many of us will have to spend even more of our money and license our dirt bikes for the street, just so we can still ride. We will be required to still pay for the green sticker fund when we register our bikes and we will also have to pay for the license plate and now, insurance. This will be called, 'Dual registration'. We will also have to spend even more money to hire attorneys and sue to get the off road money to be used for what it was intended for.
Many riders will simply give up and start riding where ever they want. They will start riding places they are not supposed to because there won't be any legal places to ride. The opposition will then say, look what those horrible off roaders are doing to the enviroment.
Many of the riding areas will be shut down and in many counties it will be illegal to ride on your own private property. A lot of people will go to county and city meetings to fight this but, most of us won't We will sit at our computers and tell jokes to one another and suggest ways to fight against this but won't actually take the time to attend these meetings and speak against the opposition or speak up for our rights. The opposition will show up at the meetings and make us look like fools. One of us will stand up and try to explain how this is a good sport that keeps familys together and helps us keep our kids on the straight and narrow path. Then four or five of the opposition will stand up and show a video of some jerk on a un-muffled quad riding back and forth in front of their house in an effort to simply annoy them. And we will stand there looking like idiots. :think:
Don't ask me how I know this stuff. :|
Sarcastic mode OFF. :ugg:
Tony you are right. We ARE our own worst enemys.
Ol'89r said:Chris in Denver said:Pretty simple. Tack $100 onto every new bike or ATV towards PURCHASING new land designated for off road.
WOW! Great idea Chris. :whoa:
We could name the program something with an enviro catch to it like maybe, Green Sticker Fund. We could have the DMV collect the money from everyone when they register their bikes and take that money and use it to locate land and build and maintain off road parks.
I don't think it will work though.
Sooner or later the enviromentelists will worm their way into the green sticker fund and start to control where the money is spent. They will take the money that is supposed to go for new ohv parks and buy big fancy pick-up trucks and toy-box trailers and a few quads and start to pay police officers to go out and keep those nasty off roaders from going on public land. They will use the funds to buy land around the offroad parks to create buffer zones and will hire a whole gaggle of people to run the offices. They will hire like-minded people that will vote the way they want them to vote on these issues and force the people that oppose them out.
Soon the green sticker fund will become the red sticker fund and we will only be able to ride in the off road parks during certain parts of the year. Many of these parks will be closed down or will go into a state of dis-repair due to the money being spent on other things than the parks.
Many of us will have to spend even more of our money and license our dirt bikes for the street, just so we can still ride. We will be required to still pay for the green sticker fund when we register our bikes and we will also have to pay for the license plate and now, insurance. This will be called, 'Dual registration'. We will also have to spend even more money to hire attorneys and sue to get the off road money to be used for what it was intended for.
Many riders will simply give up and start riding where ever they want. They will start riding places they are not supposed to because there won't be any legal places to ride. The opposition will then say, look what those horrible off roaders are doing to the enviroment.
Many of the riding areas will be shut down and in many counties it will be illegal to ride on your own private property. A lot of people will go to county and city meetings to fight this but, most of us won't We will sit at our computers and tell jokes to one another and suggest ways to fight against this but won't actually take the time to attend these meetings and speak against the opposition or speak up for our rights. The opposition will show up at the meetings and make us look like fools. One of us will stand up and try to explain how this is a good sport that keeps familys together and helps us keep our kids on the straight and narrow path. Then four or five of the opposition will stand up and show a video of some jerk on a un-muffled quad riding back and forth in front of their house in an effort to simply annoy them. And we will stand there looking like idiots. :think:
Don't ask me how I know this stuff. :|
Sarcastic mode OFF. :ugg:
Tony you are right. We ARE our own worst enemys.
Tony Eeds said:We have one BOD member on TMTC that is pushing for a law that requires the purchase of a sticker with every OHV sold here. This is supposed to "help" us as he sees it. I see it as nothing but a tax. If the pile of money gets big enough to be noticed, it will be raided for other "causes".
Chris in Denver said:Ol 89, could that happen? Yes, of course. It all depends on the foundation it is set up on. Start out right, stay the course and fight for what is right.
Chris in Denver said:Really? That is a big assumption. Apathy is the name of the game in any "pro" group. It is easier and more gratifying to be against something than for something. In fact is is easier and more gratifying to tell someone that they are wrong vs. actually having a discussion.
Are you saying that user fees are always wrong and never work?
Don't go around trying to shut down an idea because you failed. Sorry about your loss, but it is yours not mine.
Ol'89r said:You don't even have a clue Chris. :(
If you know of a way of overcoming the Apathy problem, you would be my hero Chris. But until that happens, I will consider you to be just another uninformed voice on the internet. Prove me wrong.
Ol'89r
Ol'89r said:You don't even have a clue Chris. :(
Obviously, you did not get the sarcasm in my post.
I am not trying to shut down your idea, I'm only trying to pass along a little insight from someone that has been involved in land issues since long before you were born. And it's not your idea, it's called the Green Sticker Fund and we have had it in California for over 30 years. Back in the 70's we fought against land closures in the California desert. When you were about three years old Chris, I rode in the Barstow to Vegas Protest ride to protest the closing of this once great race. I have attended more BLM, Forest Service, AMA, County and City meetings than I can count. Don't you dare sit there behind the security of your computer and tell me that I have failed. It is only through the efforts of people like myself that we still have the land that we have and I am only one of many, many people actively involved in this.
For discussion sake, what have you done to insure our riding areas will remain open? Have you joined any organizations that are actively fighting for our rights? Do you send money to these organizations to help them fight for our rights? Do you attend City and County meetings and stand up to speak for our rights? Do you run a quiet silencer on your off road vehicles and obey the laws when on trail? Do you ride only where you are supposed to and not where your not supposed to? Do you write letters and send emails to your political representatives to protest the closing of land and mis-use of funds? Or, do you just sit behind your computer and tell the rest of us how you would do it?
Yes, the user fees do work when properly managed. We have many great off road parks in California sponsored by the Green Sticker fund. Unfortunately, as I already mentioned, many countys are now using this fund for other things than which they were intended. Using it against us.
You hit the nail on the head with 'Apathy'. This is the biggest problem facing the ohv community. Most people wont bother to attend meetings or even send a letter. They are more than willing to tell those of us that do, how they would do it better or how we are doing it wrong but, they won't actually get off of their lazy butts and do it themselves. We tell our riding friends about these meetings and how important they are. We post on the dirtbike sites about how important it is that they show up. But, we can't force people to go. We can't tie them up and drag them there if they don't want to go. If that is being a failure to you then I guess I'm a failure.
Most people don't really care as long as they have their little sand lot to play in. But as soon as someone comes along and closes down their little sand lot, they scream like wounded banshies. :yell: Oh Crap! How could this happen?
If you know of a way of overcoming the Apathy problem, you would be my hero Chris. But until that happens, I will consider you to be just another uninformed voice on the internet. Prove me wrong.
Ol'89r
The "FUNDS" are being "misused" ... Not the Park... Politicians misappropriating funds should not be "news" to you or anyone else.Chris in Denver said:Still I am a bit confused. You said that you now have great off road parks paid for by the green sticker yet are upset it is being "misused". How did it get this way?
Nobody said or implied that you suck-Take a deep breath.It is the community that will bring us together against or for whatever is important at the moment-not telling me or someone new to this sport that indeed I suck because I question you.
Our sport needs "warm bodies" ...more than hot air...to actively,intelligently and articulately defend our right to ride. This of course takes a sacrifice of time and money. Are you in?You are right, there needs to be a change in tactics. The current way is not working. Our lands are decreasing and the enviornmentalists are winning.
Most excellent, Chris! What is the name of the group?There is one group I belong to
Ol'89r said:You say my message is alarming. Good! I hope you took it that way because I have seen more land closed to the public in my lifetime than you could ever imagine. Public land closed to the public. What do you see wrong with that sentence? :(
knowiam said:Terry-
Out of curiosity, where do you find your sources of information regarding upcoming bills that have the intent to harm our sport? (other than BRC)
I have googled and found a site where upon I can identify my local Senators and Congressman. I assume I can type in bill numbers to see how these people vote(d) on bills that curtail our riding.
I've half a mind to run down to my local bike shops, cycle gear and toy hauler dealers with information in hand and ask for their letters of support against legislature and lawmakers that seek to impede on our places to ride...and ultimately the dealer's future market for OHV's. [Am I wrong to assume that players like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki etc. have a strong lobbyist presence in the halls?]
Ken