Belt Drive Betty's Blog

Lobbying for Change

In Saskatchewan, Riders Against Government Exploitation, (R.A.G.E.) have a battle ahead of them with a government that appears to be continually putting them off and or "lying" to them.<br />
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The minister responsible for SGI, Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Donna Harpauer, seems to be invisible and yet, Saskatchewan has the highest motor vehicle accident and death rate in Canada.<br />
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According to Don Fuller, strategist for <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sask.rage"><span style="color: red;">R.A.G.E.</span></a> the issues that R.A.G.E. will be addressing at the upcoming Rate Proposal Hearings are:<br />
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1) Opposing the 2014 (6.4%) rate increase for Motorcycles<br />
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2) Opposing SGIs continued practice of increasing insurance rates for all vehicles not just motorcycles.<br />
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- RAGE has proposed SGI stop increasing license plate rates across the entire Saskatchewan motoring public.<br />
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- RAGE has proposed SGI begin focusing on a "real long-term solution" to the escalating accident, injury and death rates in this province.<br />
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- R.A.G.E. does not agree with implementing increase after increase in order cover the costs associated with high-risk drivers behavior.<br />
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- It is RAGE's position that individuals responsible for the escalating costs of licensing in this province need to held accountable for their behavior. <br />
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Note:  The personal injury insurance component is not in here as SGI has already identified a full-scale review is happening in 2014.  The issue of personal insurance will be addressed by R.A.GE. in that venue where are efforts will have greater impact. <br />
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R.A.G.E. has some fundamental and core issues they will be raising at the upcoming Rate Proposal Hearings:<br />
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<b>License Demerits</b><br />
- Raise demerits on high-risk drivers "driver's license" not the license plate.<br />
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- Raise the dollar value on the demerit points to where they are more in line with today’s costs, and present a real consequence for high-risk driving behavior.<br />
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- Extend the time-frame of the demerit fee from "one-time" to multi-year.<br />
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<b>License Suspension</b><br />
- Reduce the number of demerits an individual can accumulate on their driver's license before their license is suspended.<br />
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- Demerits and fines associated with driving demerits must remain in effect through-out the term of a suspension.<br />
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<b>Criminal Charges</b><br />
- Review the criteria for criminal charges related accidents, injury and high-risk behavior causing death.<br />
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<b>Law Enforcement</b><br />
- Request law enforcement be more diligent in assessing fault and charging individuals "at" the "scene", as well as filling out accent reports in full.<br />
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- Police services informed R.A.G.E. that police officers seldom assess fault or charge individuals at the scene unless alcohol is involved.  <br />
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- Accident reports are seldom filled in with all the information needed for any type of full-scale causation study (i.e.: Hurt Report). <br />
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These issues affect all drivers not just motorcyclists and it is imperative that all Saskatchewan drivers and riders get out to these meetings and show the government that they want REAL CHANGE not rate increases.<br />
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There are many issues involved in seeing accident and injury rates go down in Saskatchewan, and R.A.G.E, as part of the Motorcycle Review Committee put many suggestions forward.<br />
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There is now a second group that has formed in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1464706370410421/1465622060318852/?notif_t=group_comment_reply"><span style="color: red;">Saskatchewan to see the way SGI</span> </a>does things changed, but they are calling for privatization of insurance for motorcyclists and others.<br />
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It will be a tough battle to get an insurance company to come into a province where there are only 30,000 registered motorcycles but it might be possible if all 1,114,170 people in the province opted for privatization. Would rates actually go down in a province with a small population?</div>
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I ask that question because after all, private companies are about profit just as much as any government insurance is!<br />
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R.A.G.E. isn't against privatization, but sees the issue of driver behaviour as the single issue that will reduce crashes and injury in the immediate future.  Privatization is something that has been talked about in Saskatchewan since the 80's but it will not happen unless the people are truly persistent and unified.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>Remember, Lobbying for Change takes four things:</b></h4>
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1 - Determination and the will of the people to see change happen.<br />
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2 - Letters, phone calls, emails and attendance at hearings<br />
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3 - Patience, because the wheels of government turn slowly, especially when the bureaucracy is affected. Changing the way things are done involves the changing of systems and mind sets!<br />
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4 - Persistence - never let up the pressure.<br />
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<b>DATES for Rate Review Meetings ARE:</b><br />
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REGINA -- April 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Delta Regina<br />
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SASKATOON -- April 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Delta Bessborough<br />
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You'll have a chance to ask SGI questions and express your views on the rate proposal. </div>
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Learn more here: <a href="http://saskratereview.ca/images/docs/sgi-2014/srrp_SGI%20Media%20Release_Mar3_posting.pdf"><span style="color: red;">http://saskratereview.ca/images/docs/sgi-2014/srrp_SGI%20Media%20Release_Mar3_posting.pdf</span></a></div>
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What are your thoughts on this subject?</div>
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There's lots of other news in the news feeds this morning, check it out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping you informed!</div>
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I hope everyone who subscribes to the Busted Knuckle Chronicles is enjoying their newspaper today!</div>
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If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.</div>
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Belt Drive Betty</div>
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Editor & Rider<br />
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Lobbying for Change

In Saskatchewan, Riders Against Government Exploitation, (R.A.G.E.) have a battle ahead of them with a government that appears to be continu...

Putin's Night Wolves

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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the outstanding job that Russia did hosting the Olympics in Sochi, a friend on Facebook commented that he thought this was Russia's way of softening up what was to come next and he was right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15,000 Russian troops are now in the Crimean Peninsula poised to "defend" the Russian speaking citizens and the Russian military base in Sevastopol in answer to the plea of the pro-Russian leader of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depending on which report you read or watch, there have been take-over attempts at 2 airports and military personnel with no identifying insignias have been reported to be manning strategic locations.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXrJGlQPJcJsxUEhE5BvQqQwcnRKdGw93QpT2T4V7v1n-c6wsReghvOPD95SiATkvqdxDO1Jw40-h-4t6HLYOya6zpDmGFMtpr1ML1q4RY_C9I3RhOqi9KGEV8HWYAeo2FQy2/s1600/Conflict+Region.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXrJGlQPJcJsxUEhE5BvQqQwcnRKdGw93QpT2T4V7v1n-c6wsReghvOPD95SiATkvqdxDO1Jw40-h-4t6HLYOya6zpDmGFMtpr1ML1q4RY_C9I3RhOqi9KGEV8HWYAeo2FQy2/s1600/Conflict+Region.tiff" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ethnic tensions are mounting as the Ukraine begins mobilizing its army to defend its sovereignty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enter <a href="http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/30022-meet-the-night-wolves-putin-s-hell-s-angels"><span style="color: red;">Putin's Night Wolves</span></a></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the Telegraph's article - Begin Quote: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, the Night Wolves organized a mass ride from the northeast of Ukraine through the Russian speaking eastern regions to the Crimea.<br />They wanted to hand out supplies to pro-Russian militia forces there. <br />A member of the club's local chapter said: “We don’t want what happened in Kiev to happen here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Nazis and bandits have seized power there. And if we have to fight, we’ll fight with everything we can get our hands on.” End Quote</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Putin has a strong connection to the Night Wolves Motorcycle Club, so strong in fact that he was put on the blacklist of the Finnish government and barred from entering Finland by accident.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Formed during Perestroika in the 80's, the Night Wolves </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">claim to reject all laws, written and unwritten, reject all political or religious movements and embrace rock 'n' roll and motorcycles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Putin, a rider himself, lead the Night Wolves in to Novorossiysk<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span>for a motorcycle show back in 2011 and has reportedly been late for meetings because he was out riding with the club.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn0GIM7Y0CZvtDJtEs-PlCPRPOk9rsCsT4BZU9ymF_tDA0KDF2m8SIzPxRvifuEdRvlAkeDdYE_5v53yJ-i8kQcPM133P6-xtbanY8zZhfrcq5pn2_ibW0lcZ58IpKK0C7qUK/s1600/n-NIGHT-WOLVES-PUTIN-large570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwn0GIM7Y0CZvtDJtEs-PlCPRPOk9rsCsT4BZU9ymF_tDA0KDF2m8SIzPxRvifuEdRvlAkeDdYE_5v53yJ-i8kQcPM133P6-xtbanY8zZhfrcq5pn2_ibW0lcZ58IpKK0C7qUK/s1600/n-NIGHT-WOLVES-PUTIN-large570.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: start;">Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (L) rides a motorbike as he takes part in the 16th annual motorbike festival held by 'The Night Wolves' youth organization in the southern Russian town of Novorossiysk, on August 29, 2011. (ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images) | POOL via Getty Images - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">start.westnet.ca</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2trkaXfoToKJApYqUjl_YdsMfQZ_eUVr0zuxbn2cxjRTPFo0lJ9pozH21pgJnEe9LdtrFM_fh-yg5yLhs8VRw1Lbx8v0vAAtw3FVs7UG8zTPpAijni0W-wWZnOXeeN8I-Du2/s1600/Putin-and-the-nigh_2838761c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL2trkaXfoToKJApYqUjl_YdsMfQZ_eUVr0zuxbn2cxjRTPFo0lJ9pozH21pgJnEe9LdtrFM_fh-yg5yLhs8VRw1Lbx8v0vAAtw3FVs7UG8zTPpAijni0W-wWZnOXeeN8I-Du2/s1600/Putin-and-the-nigh_2838761c.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 20px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Vladimir Putin, then Russia's Prime Minister, <br />with Alexander Zaldostanov, the leader of the <br />Night Wolves, in 2010 (AFP/GETTY)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the article on <a href="http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=2014/02/28/night-wolves-ukraine-putin-biker-brothers_n_4873315.html"><span style="color: red;">Start.WestNet</span></a>, Alexander "The Surgeon" Zaldostanov, the leader of the Night Wolves, was presented with an Order of Honour after the group helped restore a monument symbolic of Soviet war heroism in the southern city of Volgograd by Putin and in return, "The Surgeon" praised Putin for attempting to return Russia to its former greatness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Non political but fiercely patriotic? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's what the Night Wolves want people to believe but when a club called the Three Roads decided to sever ties with the Night Wolves in favour of forming an allegiance with the Bandidos, a shoot out occurred killing a member of the Night Wolves.  The president of the Three Roads Club expressed that the Wolves had become too political.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the article in the Telegraph, the Night Wolves rides and rallies have become a show of soft power in Eastern Europe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After reading the articles in the Telegraph, StartWestNet and a few others, I have one question about the Russian leader...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is Putin a member of the Night Wolves?  ARE THEY <b>Putin's Night Wolves</b>?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really wonder - how about you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I pray for peace in the region and for cooler heads to prevail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Belt Drive Betty</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Editor & Rider</span></div>
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