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Black Thursday
Washington rider's day to be heard
The beginning of the new legislative session is upon us! Our
elected officials are headed back to Olympia, and it's time for us
to remind them about our issues. Black Thursday, motorcycling's
first big day in Olympia, is scheduled for January 22, 2009. This is
a great opportunity for us to show our representatives in the State
Capitol that motorcyclists WILL stand up and be counted, that we
WILL be heard in the halls of government, that we WILL be part of
the solution.
How do you get involved? First, you need to know who represents
you: two members of the House, one of the Senate. If you don't know
who these people are, you can go to
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx, enter your
address, and the website will tell you who they are. The next step:
you need to call each of them, identify yourself as a constituent
and a motorcyclist, and ask for an appointment. A few fine points:
- Your legislator will not answer the phone. The phone will be
answered by his/her Legislative Assistant. This is NOT a
secretary or a receptionist. This person is part of the
legislator's team, and supports him/her in the work of
understanding our state's many issues and crafting responses. It
is important to treat this person with the same respect you
would show to the member. He or she may ask you what you want to
discuss. I suggest your response be brief, and state that you
are an active motorcyclist who lives in the district and you
want your legislator to be aware of issues that matter to
motorcycling. Not sure what that is? Read on....
- In general, the most important message is that motorcycling
is a way of life as well as a serious mode of transportation for
many of us. I've met legislators and others who think that
motorcycles are something we take out on weekends and play with
when the sun is out (both days). I know many people who use
motorcycles as their primary means of transportation - including
me! It makes a big impression when you tell your legislator that
this is how you or your friends get to work, and why.
- The WRRA annually creates a set of talking points. This is
a summary of the issues we are tracking right now. This is NOT
to tell you that you must only address those issues. The talking
points are offered as helpful hints, not an agenda. We don't
have any particular bills we are running this session, but we
are watching some trends that are important to motorcycling. To
get a copy of the talking points email me directly at the
address below.
- Don't own a suit? No worries. It's actually great if you
show up as a motorcyclist. I most often do that at big-ticket
fundraisers, because I want everyone to know I'm a biker. If you
don't ride that day and don't want to wear riding gear, just
dress in something clean, comfortable and that would not offend
either your mother or her old-maid sister. :-) Oh, by the way: I
keep two helmets, one for normal riding and one that I wear
around legislators. The former is something you wouldn't leave
around for your mother to read - the latter is as clean as a
baby's first (or maybe second) thoughts. Watch those patches,
too. We do want to make a positive impression.
When should you call? Well, tomorrow would be good. Tomorrow is
only a few days away from Black Thursday. The legislators may not be
in the office yet, but their assistants will be. It's important to
get on their calendars before they fill up. One important thing to
remember: these are very busy people. While they will do their best
to keep their appointments with you, sometimes Things Happen. If you
are asked to wait or are told your appointment can't be kept, please
be gracious. Yes, it sucks. But it's not malicious - it just
happens when committee chairs call unexpected meetings, the
Governor's office wants to talk to you.... And if you can't make it
for some reason, please call and cancel, even if it's just before
your appointment. It's all about respect.
I know I'm asking you to do something pretty special and perhaps
a bit hard. For most of us (myself included), it involves taking a
day off work. But this is one of the most powerful statements you
can make in defense of your right to ride. Imagine a world where
highways are built such that we can't ride on them (some versions of
the Intelligent Transportation System propose this). Imagine a world
where your choice of motorcycle is limited to one or two models
(there are current and proposed pollution control rules that would
make it impossible for manufacturers to offer many models or for you
to customize your motorcycles - and don't really impact pollution!).
If our elected officials do not see the face of motorcycling -
that's you and me - they can't and won't know how to act in our
interest. It's important.
If you live in a district with a new legislator (as I do), it is
even more important he or she meets you. We need to start out the
new kids right. :-) During the campaign, I had a conversation about
motorcycling with the candidate who eventually won. He was very
interested in our perspective and told me he had never realized the
challenges we face - of course not, he doesn't ride! But he's
interested in what we have to say now, because he realizes there is
a different perspective from atop two wheels. That's how this works,
folks: we educate those who legislate, so they are empowered to
legislate in our best interests. They don't know if you and I don't
tell 'em.
Questions? Please email me and/or Texas Larry at WRRA:
president@roadriders.org
wrraleg@aol.com
I look forward to seeing you around the sundial! -- Ian King
Ian King is the president of the Washington Road Riders
Association. For more information about this legislative
organization please visit
http://www.roadriders.org
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