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~ Southwest Chapter
Volume XXXII, Issue VII
MARCH 2013
Southwest Chapter
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Please Lister your voting districts from your Voter Registration Card: _________ FL Senate
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Memberships are open to anyone 18 years of age or older All members receive with their paid membership a membership card, our bi-monthly Masterlink magazine, Chapter Newsletter, Chapter voting privileges and personal involvement in Statewide legislative actions and their freedom to ride PG 2
Southwest Chapter Meeting Schedule This months Chapter Meeting March 3rd, 2013 10 a.m. at Harley Davidson of Fort Myers
Located at 2160 Colonial Dr. Fort Myers, FL 33907 239-275-4647
southwest.abateflorida.com
NEXT CHAPTER MEETING APRIL 7TH PRESENTLY, MEMBER MATERIAL DEADLINE IS THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE EACH CHAPTER MEETING FOR BOARD APPROVAL FOR SUBMISSIONS NEW ADVERTISERS OR AD CHANGES MUST
Will be held on
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of ABATE of Florida, Inc. and or the Southwest Chapter. This publication allows members to express their beliefs and opinions. ABATE of Florida, Inc. and Southwest Chapter accept no responsibility for the comments, opinions or views contained in this newsletter. Please direct correspondence in reference to this publication to:
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SOUTHWEST CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 3
Presidents Message
Hello fellow riders and members, Here we are in the middle of winter with blue skies and 85 degree weather. How awesome is that! Season is in full swing so watch your mirrors, side streets and calendars for things that may just appear out f nowhere. Many new legislative bills are being submitted this term such as cell phone use, gun control and taxes. Keep your legislators busy with phone calls and e-mails and let your voice be heard. This past month our Chapter has grown and if not for dedicated members, where would we be now. Thank you to everyone who has stepped it up and continues to move ABATE in the right direction. Our main goal right now is to be included in the Florida budget to get back the funds for Motorcycle Safety Awareness. Make sure you stop by our bike night booth on Tuesday nights, the upcoming Ft Myers Bike Night and your Chapter meetings where we will have a petition to instate an annual allocation of safety awareness money. 100% of the money goes to increasing safety awareness for the general public. This past months dinner ride went over to Pericos on Hancock Bridge Parkway. Thank you to the owner Gabe and his staff for their hospitality and we look forward to more visits to Pericos. March is another busy month with Daytona Bike Week and more. Help support ABATE OF FLORIDA, INC. and get your spot at the
ABATE campground. We have entertainment, brotherhood and good times. Thank you to Peace River and West Coast Chapters for their Pre-Daytona event. We had over 50 bikes head up to the Charlotte County Fairgrounds with many Southwest members. I would also like to thank the many groups who rode with us especially the Lost Riders who not only rode with us but provided us with Road Captains who made our ride go smoothly and thank you to all who ride with the Southwest Chapter where we always ride safe and orderly. And last but not least, Thank you to all of you who have stepped it up these last few months filling in empty positions. Your Chapter thanks you and I personally cant thank you. The following members have made my life easier taking off some burdens I have carried for the past 2 years, Moe Moser, new membership trustee and for helping me out with Tuesday night safety table which will allow me to actually ride my bike for a change, Jerry Barnett for bringing in membership wherever he goes, Fred Glennon for stepping in as new PR and Advertising Trustee, Lynn Davis and Gwynne Hickman, what can I say, these two ladies have been working 100% for the Chapter bringing in members and spreading the word about safety and last but not least, Babs for coming back on board with the newsletter. I would also like to thank Kevin Barfield who had to step down from the newsletter due to personal obligations. Kevin did a fantastic job and is a great asset to our Chapter. These are just a few who are proud to be associated with the SW Chapter and I am personally proud to call them my friends. Thank you everyone for helping make my job a lot easier these days. Til tomorrow, Ride safe, ride often, Wayne
Fred Glennon
339.235.2189
freddog1956@gmail.com
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"Dear God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, my heavenly Father, the God of Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and have been separated from You. I receive forgiveness of my sins by the finished work on the cross. I repent and accept this gift of repentance and I wish to be free in you. I confess with my mouth that your son Jesus is my savior and died for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. I receive Jesus into my heart and ask Him to become the center of my life. I ask, in the Name of Jesus. Amen."
If you wish to contact us, to talk about your decision for Him, please email or call. If you wish us to help with prayer for you, loved ones, friends or others, let us know. We'll see you on March 8th!
Blessings, Pastor Tom (SW ABATE Chaplain and Estero River ABATE Life Member) and Pastor Kathy (SW ABATE Life Member)www.messiahsmessengers.org - 239-267-8641 or email: tprovenz@comcast.net
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 7
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THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS, ADVERTISERS AND SUPPORTERS OF OUR MOTORCYCLE RIGHTS ORGANIZATION
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA LOCAL CHAPTER INFORMATION
CALOOSAHATCHEE Meetings: TBD ESTERO RIVER Meetings: every 3rd Sunday at 10:00 AM Place: Wicked Wings 8024 Alico Rd. #A10, Ft. Myers, FL PEACE RIVER Meetings: every 4th Sunday at 11:00 AM Place: 4940 Pan American Blvd., North Port, FL
GATOR ALLEY Meetings: every 4th Sunday at 11:00 AM Place: VFW Pine Ridge Rd., Naples, FL (no meeting in Dec.) SOUTHWEST Meetings: every 1st Sunday at 10:00 AM Place: Harley Davidson of Ft. Myers 2160 Colonial Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL
WEST COAST Meetings: every 4th Sunday at 11:00 AM Place: Fruitville Park 5151 Richardson Rd., Sarasota, FL
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state's health-insurance program to offer coverage to many temporary employees. But the Medicaid issue --- and particularly its potential costs for the state --- has drawn the most scrutiny. As an example, supporters of the Medicaid expansion accused Republican Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year of inflating the estimated costs of such an expansion. Scott has been a longtime critic of the federal law, which President Obama and congressional Democrats approved in 2010. Also, groups such as the hospital industry are lobbying heavily for the expansion. Three hospital executives told the House select committee Monday that enrolling more people in Medicaid would reduce the amount of uncompensated care they have to provide when uninsured people show up in emergency rooms. But Corcoran said after the meeting that the executives lacked data to show how their hospitals would be affected. The Affordable Care Act says Washington will pay 100 percent of the costs of expanding Medicaid eligibility during the first three years and 90 percent of the costs later. The expansion could provide coverage to hundreds of thousands of people in Florida, primarily childless adults who don't currently qualify for Medicaid. Amy Baker, coordinator of the state Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said state analysts will meet March 1 to revise cost estimates. That information then will go to the select committees, which will hold a joint meeting during the morning of March 4 before holding separate meetings later in the day. The analysts will have to wade through issues such as projecting how many newly-eligible Medicaid beneficiaries would actually enroll in the program and trying to figure out how much it would cost to provide coverage to them. While the federal government would pay most of the costs in the coming years, the state would eventually have to pick up part of the tab. Analysts also will grapple with estimates for people who are currently eligible for Medicaid but have not enrolled in the program. Baker said there is wide-ranging agreement that some of those people will enroll in Medicaid as the Affordable Care Act takes effect.
"The military has a strong presence in Florida, which means jobs and opportunities for Florida families," Scott said in a statement. "With numerous bases across Florida, nearly 100,000 men and women who serve in active and reserve duty are living in the Sunshine State." The announcement drew praise from legislators whose districts are tied to military spending. The awards also come as federal officials prepare for the next round of military base realignments, an often politically charged process pitting states and communities against each other for what are expected to be increasingly limited federal funds. "The impact of Floridas military bases is often overlooked as an economic driver for the state," said Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando. "More than $60 billion is inserted annually into our economy by the nearly 700,000 personnel living in our state. These grants go a long way to help preserve this economic asset." Among the list of projects are four in Northwest Florida totaling $1.1 million. Projects include a $500,000 grant for land acquisition in Panama City and $160,000 to construct fencing around Whiting Field in Santa Rosa County. The City of Jacksonville will receive two grants totaling $450,000, allowing city officials to continue protecting local military installations used at the Air National Guard Base and Naval Station Mayport. "These grants help protect our military bases from potential encroachment and other obstacles that may adversely affect them," said Rep. Daniel Davis, R-Jacksonville. "I applaud Gov. Scott and the defense task force for addressing this need." In Orlando, a $350,000 grant will be used to improve simulation and modeling capabilities at the Navy's National Center for Simulation, a move to improve the facility's chances of surviving potential program cuts. In Tampa, a $130,000 grant will allow be used to strengthen relationships between MacDill Air Force Base and the community.
Citing the military's role as an economic engine across the state, Gov. Rick Scott on Monday awarded $2.6 million in grants to projects ranging from wounded veteran assistance and technology seed money to buffers around military installations. Scott gave approval to 10 projects that the governor said will translate into new jobs, not just for military personal but the communities that surround the facilities.
A bill that would ban texting while driving was approved in its first committee Wednesday, but only after lawmakers added some exceptions. The Senate Transportation Committee amended the bill (SB 52) by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, to allow texting while a driver is stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic. This is the fourth year Detert has sponsored a texting ban. She said it's embarrassing that Florida is one of just a few states with no limits on texting while driving. Steve Augello traveled from Spring Hill to tell lawmakers about his 17-year-old daughter, Alessandra, who was killed in 2008 when a driver crossed the center line while texting and caused a head-on crash. "It kills. I'm living proof," he
said. "I have a life sentence. I have to live the rest of my life without my daughter because of someone who was texting and driving. We've got to get this law passed." Sen. Greg Evers, R-Crestview, said lawmakers must change with the times, as they had when requiring the use of seat belts. "I just find it hard to believe that so many folks have had to die," Evers said. "I, too, was one that would not support the seat belt. But by education my son, when he crawls in a vehicle, that's the first thing he does." Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, wanted to know why the bill didn't make texting a primary offense instead of a secondary one. "So you would consider it careless?" he asked. "Beyond careless. I would consider it reckless," Detert replied. "In the four years we have been doing this bill, we have found that it makes it more passable to make it a secondary offense."
Drivers whose texting leads to death could be charged with vehicular homicide, a second degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in jail under a proposal (SB 708) filed this week by Sen. Darren Soto, D-Orlando. Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, is expected to file a companion measure in the House. The bills are among a handful of efforts to reduce the use of wireless communications by motorists. Florida is one of a few states without restrictions against texting while driving even when death occurs as a result.
Drivers whose texting leads to an accident and death would be guilty of homicide under a bill filed this week in the Senate and expected to soon show up in the House.
-ers voted in 2010 to allow local governments to use the cameras. This year's repeal bill (HB 4011), a bipartisan effort sponsored by Reps. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, and Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, was approved 10-8 by the Economic Affairs panel, its first committee stop in the House. Trujillo touched a chord with Republican lawmakers, most of whom voted for the bill, by arguing that public safety isn't worth sacrificing constitutional rights. "We're willing to compromise the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution: the right against selfincrimination for self-perceived safety," he said. "That's the road we're going down. We're willing to tell somebody, 'You are guilty until proven innocent.'" Law enforcement interests and municipal governments, which get a portion of the fines paid by red light runners, are strongly opposed to the measure. "I think it's obvious that it does change people's driving behaviors, and I think it is obvious that it also helps to save lives and prevent people from having serious injuries," said Haines City Police Chief Rick Sloan. Last month, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles released a report showing that crashes were less frequent at intersections monitored by red light cameras. The report, based on data from 73 agencies, found accidents were less frequent at monitored intersections in 41 jurisdictions but more frequent at monitored intersections in 11 jurisdictions. The panel also debated the question of local governments, law enforcement agencies and contractors making money from the fines. "This law is strictly revenue driven," Campbell said. According to Kathleen Russell, a lobbyist for the City of Orlando, the city took in $6.1 million over the last two years and turned over $3.1 million to the state. After Orlando paid its costs, she said, its profit from the fines was $300,000. "Whether we're going to call it a fine, a tax or not, I feel like when we're creating a system that allows maybe excessive fines to be produced, I don't think it is the best interests of what we should be doing for the citizens," said Rep. Jimmy Patronis of Panama City. The Republican committee chairman, voted for the repeal bill. Campbell alleged that having red light cameras at intersections discriminates against minorities, the elderly and the poor based on where they are placed, though law enforcement officials denied that was the case. The Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald reported last week that Campbell's husband's Honda Odyssey minivan had been caught on camera running a red light five times since the law passed. Campbell told the newspapers she only knew about one of those and doubted that others had
occurred. She declined to be comment after Thursday's committee hearing. The bill now goes to the House Appropriations Committee, its last stop before reaching the House floor, but so far, the measure has no Senate sponsor.
The panel charged by Gov. Rick Scott with reviewing the state's 'stand your ground' self-defense law did not recommend any major changes to the statute, although it did make suggestions for tweaks by the Legislature in the upcoming session. The basic premise of the law isn't challenged in the final report released Friday. Scott's Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection included lawmakers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, representatives of minority communities and law enforcement. Scott appointed the panel amid outrage over last year's shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen who was killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford. Zimmerman wasn't arrested for months, until after national protests. Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith, who asked to be on the task force but wasn't appointed, said he'd expected this result. "When you put a task force together of people who wrote the bill and full of people who support 'stand your ground,' I knew that the task force wouldn't come up with anything earth-shattering," he said. The law basically allows those who feel their life is in danger in public to meet the threat with deadly force. If they claim that was the situation, they can go to a hearing before a judge and get a ruling on that issue without ever going to trial. The task force issued a draft report in December that urged lawmakers to look more carefully at a few areas of the law that might be vague. Smith, who convened his own task force after being left off Scott's, has maintained that the law gives cover to those who attack others for revenge or as part of a crime. "Anyone who looks at all of the data and all of the misuses of 'stand your ground' from Miami, where people are chasing someone down the street and stabbing them to death, to Tampa, where people are getting shot on playgrounds, all the way to Tallahassee, where gangs are using 'stand your ground' as they shoot up the streets anyone who looked at that data realistically would have come out with stronger recommendations, as my task force did," Smith said. Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, the original sponsor of the bill and a member of the task force, said the statewide hearings and public debate helped to clarify that the law
doesn't cover those who assault someone they have pursued. "The greatest benefit of the task force was a thorough review of what our self-defense law is and is not. I think it has brought understanding," Baxley said. "I think moving forward, we'll all see ways to make clearer application." The panel wants lawmakers to look more carefully at the part of the law that says the presumption of justifiable selfdefense doesn't apply when the person who uses defensive force is engaged in "unlawful activity." Also at issue: how law enforcement officers should proceed in situations in which shooters claim to have stood their ground in selfdefense. Baxley said people will always try to claim that 'stand your ground' covers their cases. "And there will always be close calls near the foul line no matter where you put that line," he said. "But to automati-
cally arrest people and detain them and they have to go on defense and prove their innocence is not consistent with our standard of legal care, which says you are innocent until proven guilty of something." Smith said Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs and a co-sponsor of the law who also sat on the task force, will file a bill to make minor changes in the upcoming session.
Fort Lauderdale Sen. Chris Smith said Wednesday that because of widely different cultures around guns from place to place in Florida, efforts to make schools safer should largely be a local issue. Smith, who is the Senate Democratic leader, told a group of newspaper editors Wednesday morning in Tallahassee that the state should provide a common funding source for
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school safety improvements, but shouldn't make statewide mandates. He noted that what may be best at a high school in crowded and urban Broward County might not be the best thing for an elementary school in rural Dixie County in north Florida. Legislators are expected to heavily discuss school safety in the coming year in the wake of the December elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn.
A bill that would let school districts put cameras on school buses with the hope of getting pictures of drivers who don't observe the school bus stop signs when children are boarding was filed Tuesday in the House. The measure (HB 669) by Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, was also filed last year but died in committee. Under the bill, for which there is no Senate companion yet, the images or video recorded by a school bus safety camera could not contain the faces of people driving through the stop sign. The fine for getting caught blowing through a school bus stop sign under the legislation would be $250.
The proposal to ban law enforcement from using unmanned drones appears to be on auto-pilot. The House version of the measure flew through its first committee on Thursday, gaining unanimous support with no debate. The measure (HB 119), sponsored by Rep. Ritch Workman, is opposed, however, by police chiefs and sheriffs, who say they want to make sure there are carve-outs for circumstances under which they would still be able to use drones. Some exceptions including one for use when there's a high risk of a specific terrorist attack have been added to the bill. The Senate version (SB 92), has been assigned to four committees, but has already been approved in two of those, and by unanimous votes in both.
A proposal designed to expand early voting days and limit the length of ballots unanimously passed a House subcommittee Wednesday, but Democrats warned the measure would need to change to continue to attract bipartisan support. Still, the across-the-aisle support marked a striking departure from the venomous debate two years ago over legislation that restricted voting, and showed how the debate has shifted since an Election Day that featured long lines, late results and more late-night jokes at Florida's expense. The measure (PCB EES 13-01) would allow supervisors to increase the number of early-voting days to 14, though
they could remain at the current standard of eight. It would also limit some ballot summaries for legislatively-sponsored constitutional amendments to 75 words, a standard that already applies to citizen initiatives. However, if the Legislature approved more than one summary for an amendment as a fallback to deal with court challenges, only the first would be subject to the 75-world limit. And if the attorney general were required to rewrite a flawed ballot summary, that revision would also not fall under the new rules. The unanimous vote only happened after Democrats withdrew nine amendments, dealing with everything from making Election Day a holiday to the automatic registration of voters. They did that in part based on assurances from Republicans that the majority party would consider altering the bill later. "But today, this is a good start," said House Ethics and Elections Subcommittee Chairman Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton. After sponsoring five of the amendments, Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, pointed to the promise of bipartisanship. "I'm sure, if we can get beyond Valentine's Day, show some love, we might be able to get all five of them in," he said. There were few examples of that sort of trust two years ago, when Republicans pushed through HB 1355, a measure that slashed early voting days, barred voters who have moved from one county to another from changing their addresses at the polling place, and made a raft of other changes to elections law. After November's voting snafus, even the old measure's sponsor conceded there was room for change. "I still think we had a great bill," said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R -Ocala. "Did we improve it today by doing some things that would make it more functional? I think we did." Democrats, however, didn't guarantee that the good feelings on display Wednesday would last if the GOP rejected their ideas. They gave a more measured view of the legislation. "The reality is that this bill goes a long way towards repairing the damage that 1355 caused. ... Right now, this is just an early voting bill, and that's for the most part all it is," said Rep. Jim Waldman, a Coconut Creek Democrat and a member of the party's leadership. But Waldman declined to outline any hard-and-fast demands, instead choosing to focus on the opportunities for a bipartisan vote. "You're certainly going to get Democratic support if it improves and resolves the problems we had with 1355," Waldman said.
and instead hire lawmakers on a full-time basis, under a proposed constitutional change filed Tuesday that would need voter approval to succeed. Saying it makes no sense for the nation's fourth largest state to be run by "part-time employees," Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, has proposed a constitutional amendment that would replace the state's part-time body with a full-time Legislature that would convene shortly after the general election and meet off and on over the next two years. Florida's Constitution restricts a Legislative session to 60 days or less, but lawmakers already spend at least two additional months attending committee meetings in Tallahassee. Frequent special sessions and obligations back home add additional work, making the notion of a part-time lawmaker wrong anyway, Clemens argues. Clemens acknowledges that critics will immediately object if lawmakers raise their salaries from the $30,000 a year they now receive. But he countered that the costs would be minimal because legislative staff members already work on a full-time basis. Raising the salaries of 160 lawmakers would be tiny in comparison to the state's budget as a whole. Clemens is only the latest lawmaker over the course of several years to advocate for a full-time Legislature. "I didn't get into this job for the money," Clemens said "But it just doesn't make sense that a state with a $70 billion budget should be run by part-time employees." Instead, Clemens said that lawmakers now have little if any time to honestly debate complex policy issues. Budgetary matters receive an even more cursory review by rank and file members. "I think we shortchange Floridians by rushing through legislation and accelerating the budget process with a proper vetting," Clemens said. " Part-time lawmakers are also saddled with the dilemma of voting on issues that may affect their full-time jobs back in the "real world." Clemens said there is an inherent conflict of interest that would be alleviated if lawmakers worked year round. "You can't serve two masters," Clemens said. The proposal would have to be approved by 60 percent of voters, if it ever passes in the Legislature. But so far, there is no House sponsor and Clemens, as a member of the minority party, has little political muscle to push bills through. But he has hope. Two of his bills have already been placed on the calendar to be work-shopped in committee next week. Ironically one proposal, SJR 254, would limit the number of constitutional amendments the Legislature can propose.
again in the Legislature on Tuesday, with a Senate committee agreeing to offset any new money collected with other tax breaks in a bid to appease anti-tax lawmakers. The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee approved a measure (SB 316) by committee chairwoman Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, that would require Internet vendors who sell to Florida residents to pay state sales tax. The bill would require Internet based companies, even if they don't have a physical presence in Florida, to pay sales tax when a product is sold to a person residing in Florida. Though estimates vary widely, Detert said the tax would generate about $400 million in additional sales tax revenue. The bill was approved 10-1, but still needs approval from three other Senate committees before the floor. A similar House bill (HB 497) is yet to get a committee hearing. The effort to collect Internet taxes has been cursed for years by the fear of a backlash from voters for voting to increase taxes even though backers have long argued that the tax is supposed to be charged already, but simply isn't paid. In an attempt to win over anti-tax lawmakers, the measure this year includes a $141 million sales tax cut for machinery and equipment used in manufacturing and another $150 million cut in the communication services tax, charged on certain phone and other telecommunications services. "Rather than worry about whether this is a new tax, a tax reduction, or a tax increase, what this really is, is tax reform," Detert said. Business groups queued up on Tuesday to add their support. Representatives from the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida said the time has come to end Internet tax breaks that hurt storefronts and strip malls now sometimes places that simply showcase items that are later purchased on the web. "It puts everyone on an equal footing," said Sen. Gwen Margolis, D- Miami. "I'm tired of seeing empty shopping centers. The money is walking away from Florida." "It has been a lingering problem and it has only gotten bigger and bigger," said Randy Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Retail Federation. "The face of retailing is changing. We recognize that people don't want to go to the mall anymore. They want to sit at their computer." "This protects employees - employees who bring paychecks home to provide for their families," said Brewster Bevis, senior vice president for Associated Industries of Florida. Noticeably absent from Tuesday meeting were representatives of Amazon.com and other Internet merchants that enjoy a competitive advantage.
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Southwest Hog Chapter 10TH Annual Easter Bunny Toy Run HD of Ft. Myers
PG 20
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Membership Report
Submitted by Moe Moser, Membership Trustee
New members: Glenn McGill Mark W. Levesque Steven Hogan Michael Mazzoli Anthony P. Bowser Lee Bowser Renewed Members: Gary Serrago Due to Renew: February: Ronald Eiben David Elias Tim Fisher Chelsey Matheson Robert Yoho March:
Tony Allen Joe Cowan Ronald Dapointe Leo Hinkley Dave Neville Susan Perola Sterling Peterson Francine Schroeder Douglas Sepanak John Stepan Paul Thornton Rick Vontok Jeff Wilkes April: Kenneth Coon Harry Hudson Eric Malasky Robert Speakman Sally Tietz Renewals expire the last
day of your month. Membership applications can be picked up at local motorcycle shops throughout Lee County and many
offer discounts to ABATE Members (just show your card) and at our Tuesday Bike Night at The Joint in Cape Harbor from 6p-9p
Membership Is $20.00
per year or a life membership for $150.00. Membership includes a $4,000.00 accidental death or dismemberment policy, local discount with participating businesses and a VOICE to be counted as a member of a Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO) to make roads safer and drivers accountable for their actions.
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Cities and counties could bar smokers from beaches, parks and other publicly owned outdoor areas under a proposal that passed an early Senate test Thursday, despite concerns from restaurateurs. By unanimous vote, the Senate Regulated Industries Committees approved the measure (SB 258), which expands the state's clear indoor air restrictions to more outdoor venues. Voters approved the Florida Indoor Clean Air Act a decade ago. The proposal would allow local governments to enact smoke free areas on publicly owned land as long as smoking sections are also available. A similar bill stalled last year after concerns over smoking on sidewalks. The current version prohibits smoking only on sidewalks in public parks, on public beaches or in recreations areas, continuing to allow smoking on regular streetside sidewalks. The bill would also allow cities and counties to extend smoke-free zones from public buildings to 75 feet from the entrance, or the same distance from a ventilation system or windows. Law enforcement officials would be required to first alert violators of the no-smoking restrictions and ask them to leave before they can issue a citation. "Nobody wants to put anyone in jail for doing these things but it does send a signal," said Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine. "This state wants to be smoke free, eventually. this is just one incremental step toward getting there." Rep. Bill Hager R-Delray Beach, filed a House version of the bill this week. In December, Sarasota County Judge Maryann Boehm ruled that Sarasota's ordinance banning smoking in public parks was unenforceable, arguing that regulating smoking was a task left to the Legislature. Thursday's vote came after representatives of the state's restaurant industry expressed concerns over the potential of unintended consequences, but said they hoped to work with the sponsors to work out problems as the bills progress. "When the smoking ban was passed many businesses spent hundreds of millions of dollars reconfigure their properties to accommodate both the new law and our customers," said Richard Turner of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. "At the moment, we are concerned that some of these ordinances could impact the investments that have been made." Some panelists also expressed concerns, saying they want assurances that beaches and public parks will not be totally off limits to smokers. "The beach belongs to everybody," said Rep Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville. "And people are different."
Bill introduced to limit ethanol blend to 10 percent Urge your senators to support today! On Feb. 14, U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and David Vitter (R-La.) introduced S. 344. The bill would overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waivers that allowed gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15) to be used for many passenger cars and light trucks. EPAs flawed waivers allowing E15 amount to government bureaucrats issuing short-sighted regulations that negatively impact families and businesses across the country, said Wicker, a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. The concerns surrounding E15 that existed prior to the waivers have increased instead of diminishing. Whether you drive a car, truck, boat, or tractor, misfueling with E15 could result in engine failure, increased emissions, and the voiding of warranty coverage, said Vitter. It is irresponsible for EPA to allow E15 without sufficient testing and technical analysis. I support an all-inclusive energy strategy, but experimenting before understanding the consequences and potential cost of using E15 is unfair to consumers. The American Motorcyclist Association has repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials and federal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and allterrain vehicle engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15 when the new fuel becomes widely available, and has asked that motorcycles and ATVs be part of any scientific study into the effects of E15. The new E15 gasoline formulation may appear at a fueling station near you and you need to be careful where you use this new fuel blend. That is because the EPA, in October 2010, approved E15 for use in model year 2007 and newer light duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles). In January 2011, it added model year 2001-2006 light duty vehicles to the approved list. No motorcycles or ATVs are currently on the list. Since the approved list includes many light-duty vehicles in use today, refineries, distributors, and fueling stations may choose to offer primarily E15 gasoline because of this action by the EPA. This should concern all motorcyclists and off-highway enthusiasts since this may affect the availability of gasoline with less or no ethanol (E10 or E0). We need your help to pass S. 344. You can send a prewritten email to your senators immediately by following the "Take Action" option and entering your information. The AMA encourages riders to personalize their message by drawing on their own personal riding experiences. Send a message to your federal lawmakers immediately, urging your senators to support S. 344 and to back an independent study to determine whether E15 is safe for motorcycle and ATV engines.
Washington DC is back at work and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is no exception. Two separate lobby trips have been made on behalf of ABATE and the MRF. ABATE of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have both made visits to the nation's capitol so far this year. Many others have their trips booked for the busy winter and spring lobby season. The main issues of concern to the MRF before Congress are, ending the motorcycle only roadside checkpoints the use of high ethanol blended fuels that have been approved for use by the public but have not been tested on motorcycles. Also on the radar is stopping outside agencies from wandering into motorcycle safety as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have recently done. The MRF also had a solid presence at ABATE of Pennsylvania's Leadership and Legislation seminar this year. MRF President, Kirk "Hardtail" Willard stole the show at the opening evening's panel discussion which was aired on Pennsylvania public access. If you have not started planning your lobby trip to DC and need help doing so please contact the MRF DC office staff for assistance.
cause of possible engine damage. AAA said it found in a survey a strong likelihood of consumer confusion and the potential for voided warranties and vehicle damage. Senator Vitter had this to say It is irresponsible for EPA to allow E15 without sufficient testing and technical analysis. I support an all-inclusive energy strategy, but experimenting before understanding the consequences and potential cost of using E15 is unfair to consumers. As stated in the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Legislative Strategy Agenda for 2012-2013, the decision was made to not support the use of E15 fuel without further testing and specific recommendations from motorcycle manufacturers. (97% Favor, 3% Abstain).
The 5th annual Michael "Boz" Kerr, Bikers Inside the Beltway, has been scheduled for May 16th. The only national biker lobby day, has been growing larger and more effective each year and this year should not disappoint. The action packed day promises to elevate the important issues that the MRF works on before Congress and gives you the opportunity to walk the halls of Congress to lobby and educate your Members of Congress. Fly out or ride out.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation reports; Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the lone Republican in President Barack Obama's Cabinet, is leaving the administration. The departure of LaHood is the latest of several changes in Obama's administration since the President won reelection in November. Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, Interior and Labor have all been recently vacated. Possible LaHood replacements include Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Jim Oberstar, a former Democratic Congressman from Minnesota and chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. LaHood, 67, was named Transportation Secretary in January 2009. Before that, he served seven terms in the U.S. House as a representative from Illinois. The MRF has always enjoyed a healthy, positive, working relationship with Mr. LaHood both during his term in the House and now as he served the White House. See you in the wind, TEDDYBEAR
Legislation seeks to limit ethanol blend to 10 percent. United States Senators Roger Wicker (RMS), and David Vitter (R-LA), have introduced legislation that would invalidate the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from approving introduction into commerce gasoline which contains greater than 10-volume-percent ethanol. The EPA admits it did not test the 15% ethanol blends on motorcycles or small displacement engines. The Motorcycle Industry Council has gone on record saying that the higher blend will be damaging to motorcycle engines. In November 2012, AAA urged the Obama administration to halt the sale of E15 be-
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