-=> Richard Webb wrote to Bob Ackley <=-

 RW> Yep, IOwa motorcycle riders got a helmet law actually
 RW> repealed in IOwa way back when.  I had friends working both
 RW> sides of that one when it came up.

I was a registered lobbyist in Illinois, working to repeal Illinois' helmet law
back in the 1960s. On the day the legislature was scheduled to vote to repeal
(we had the votes lined up) the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the
legislation ... rendering our efforts moot. Ever want to cheer and cuss at the
same time???
 
 BA> Something over a decade ago the Nebraska legislature, at the behest
 BA> of the federal DOT bureaucrooks, passed a motorcycle helmet law.
 BA> The *people* of the state of Nebraska repealed that law with a
 BA> petition drive sponsored by various organizations of motorcycle
 BA> riders.  DOT bureaucrooks went absolutely ballistic and threatened
 BA> to cut off Nebraska's highway funds if the legislature did not
 BA> immediately re-impose that law.  The legislature rolled over and
 BA> played dead for the feds, and passed a new helmet law.  Had *I* been
 BA> the governor I would have announced that (a) I would veto another
 BA> helmet law and (b) the day federal funds were cut off would be the
 BA> day that I-80 would not be patrolled or maintained - to include
 BA> plowing snow and finding, investigating or cleaning up any accidents
 BA> or other mishaps - until those funds were reinstated.

 RW> Dig that!

I can agree with that ... and have proposed similar riders on insurance
policies for years. Particularly WRT to seatbelt usage. But, it works the same
for helmet laws, too.
 
 RW>  My dad said it was a sad
 RW> day for the people of IOwa when they repealed it.  My old
 RW> man rode his Harleys and other bikes for years, and never
 RW> mounted one without his skid lid, and I wasn't allowed to
 RW> either back when I was doing a lot of playing off road with
 RW> small motorcycles as a kid.

When you were a kidling your dad had control. Once you reached adulthood the
choice was up to you. When I started riding motorcycles helmets were mostly
painted papier mache' (or similar) or war surplus (WWII was not long over)
tanker's helmets. 
 
 BA> The fact that the state doesn't tell you that you HAVE to wear a
 BA> helmet doesn't mean that you cannot wear one.  It's a freedom thing.

Absolutely right. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But, it's my head and my
choice. 
 
 RW> AGreed, I've always said that failure to use proper safety
 RW> equipment should also mean that your insurance company
 RW> doesn't pony up.  Better and much more effective than
 RW> legislation imo.  What was that one group in Iowa?  Abate?
 RW> American bikers against tyrnaical excesses or something like that iirc.
 RW>  Bet they were active in the NEbraska thing too.

ABATE = A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education. ABATE is active nationwide. The
president of my motorcycle club (Vintage Iron Riders) is also a (formerly)
retired attorney who has taken on being the legal representative, legislative
liaison and lobbyist for Illinois ABATE. So far this session, among all the
budget crisis and Rod Goblowabitch residuals helmets laws have been almost
hidden. But, four have been submitted - three have been withdrawn by their
authors thanks to George and ABATE educating the politicos to why their
proposals would make things worse. The fourth is currently bottled up in
committee - where, hopefully, it will die of starvation or dehydration. I
expect a report at our next monthly meeting. 
 
 BA> The only law a state needs on the books WRT motor vehicle safety is
 BA> that the failure to use protective equipment is grounds for being
 BA> held at fault for injuries
 BA> such equipment would have prevented or mitigated.  That's for
 BA> helmets *and* seat belts (I have worn seat belts religiously since
 BA> about 1960).

 RW> INdeed, the way I"ve always thought of it, but my dad was
 RW> far from a libertarian.  Dad is of the belief that sometimes you have
 RW> to protect man from himself, by legislation if
 RW> that's the only way.  I figure that if a man needs regs and
 RW> legislation to protect him from himself, then, maybe he
 RW> needs to be left free running, HE'l take care of the
 RW> problem, hopefully before he
 RW> contributes to the gene pool.

Ah, but here's the deal. You're a realist. And the legislators listen to the
weeping "save us from ourselves" twats who promote such. And to
the loverly $$$
spread around by insurance companies to promote MANDATORY safety regulations in
individual matters of choice - in order to increase their bottom line (already
obscene) profits. So, we're going to get mandated safety laws aimed at the
individual.

ENJOY!!!

From Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
Home of YAHOOOOAHHHH Hot Sauce & Hardin Cider 

 

... Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain. - Lily Tomlin
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