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.

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.

According to Don Fuller, strategist for R.A.G.E. the issues that R.A.G.E. will be addressing at the upcoming Rate Proposal Hearings are:

1) Opposing the 2014 (6.4%) rate increase for Motorcycles

2) Opposing SGIs continued practice of increasing insurance rates for all vehicles not just motorcycles.

- RAGE has proposed SGI stop increasing license plate rates across the entire Saskatchewan motoring public.

- RAGE has proposed SGI begin focusing on a "real long-term solution" to the escalating accident, injury and death rates in this province.

- R.A.G.E. does not agree with implementing increase after increase in order cover the costs associated with high-risk drivers behavior.

- It is RAGE's position that individuals responsible for the escalating costs of licensing in this province need to held accountable for their behavior.

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.

R.A.G.E. has some fundamental and core issues they will be raising at the upcoming Rate Proposal Hearings:

License Demerits
- Raise demerits on high-risk drivers "driver's license" not the license plate.

- 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.

- Extend the time-frame of the demerit fee from "one-time" to multi-year.

License Suspension
- Reduce the number of demerits an individual can accumulate on their driver's license before their license is suspended.

- Demerits and fines associated with driving demerits must remain in effect through-out the term of a suspension.

Criminal Charges
- Review the criteria for criminal charges related accidents, injury and high-risk behavior causing death.

Law Enforcement
- Request law enforcement be more diligent in assessing fault and charging individuals "at" the "scene", as well as filling out accent reports in full.

- Police services informed R.A.G.E. that police officers seldom assess fault or charge individuals at the scene unless alcohol is involved.

- Accident reports are seldom filled in with all the information needed for any type of full-scale causation study (i.e.: Hurt Report).

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.

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.

There is now a second group that has formed in Saskatchewan to see the way SGI does things changed, but they are calling for privatization of insurance for motorcyclists and others.

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?

I ask that question because after all, private companies are about profit just as much as any government insurance is!

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.

Remember, Lobbying for Change takes four things:

1 - Determination and the will of the people to see change happen.

2 - Letters, phone calls, emails and attendance at hearings

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!

4 - Persistence - never let up the pressure.

DATES for Rate Review Meetings ARE:

REGINA -- April 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Delta Regina

SASKATOON -- April 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Delta Bessborough

You'll have a chance to ask SGI questions and express your views on the rate proposal. 

Learn more here: http://saskratereview.ca/images/docs/sgi-2014/srrp_SGI%20Media%20Release_Mar3_posting.pdf

What are your thoughts on this subject?

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!

I hope everyone who subscribes to the Busted Knuckle Chronicles is enjoying their newspaper today!

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Putin's Night Wolves

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.

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. 

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.

The ethnic tensions are mounting as the Ukraine begins mobilizing its army to defend its sovereignty.

Enter Putin's Night Wolves

From the Telegraph's article - Begin Quote: 

On Saturday, the Night Wolves organized a mass ride from the northeast of Ukraine through the Russian speaking eastern regions to the Crimea.
They wanted to hand out supplies to pro-Russian militia forces there.
A member of the club's local chapter said: “We don’t want what happened in Kiev to happen here. 

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

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.

Formed during Perestroika in the 80's, the Night Wolves claim to reject all laws, written and unwritten, reject all political or religious movements and embrace rock 'n' roll and motorcycles.

Putin, a rider himself, lead the Night Wolves in to Novorossiysk for a motorcycle show back in 2011 and has reportedly been late for meetings because he was out riding with the club.

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 - start.westnet.ca

Vladimir Putin, then Russia's Prime Minister,
with Alexander Zaldostanov, the leader of the
Night Wolves, in 2010 (AFP/GETTY)

According to the article on Start.WestNet, 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.

Non political but fiercely patriotic? 

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.

According to the article in the Telegraph, the Night Wolves rides and rallies have become a show of soft power in Eastern Europe.

After reading the articles in the Telegraph, StartWestNet and a few others, I have one question about the Russian leader...

Is Putin a member of the Night Wolves?  ARE THEY Putin's Night Wolves?

I really wonder - how about you?

I pray for peace in the region and for cooler heads to prevail.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

1%ers sell out while others get a hard time

According to an article in the Vancouver Sun's Real Scoop section, reporter Kim Bolan talked to a police expert on One Percent Bikers: Det. Sgt. Len Isnor, of the Ontario Provincial Police Biker Enforcement Unit, there is a trend in One Percenter Clubs selling of their property.

According to him, the fact that the Nomads have sold their clubhouse in Burnaby BC for over 2 million dollars is exactly what other chapters across the country are doing, selling their clubhouses.

Tired of having their property seized, they are beginning to sell their clubhouses and are going back to renting.

In Australia it is the every day rider who is affected more by the VLAD (Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act) laws there.

While the 1%ers are selling out, others are getting a hard time...

In a recent article from the Fraser Coast Chronicles, non riders have begun shunning those in leather and donations to charity events are way down.

Begin Quote: Although he has not been intercepted by the police, he said it was the public discrimination that was the thorn in his side.
"My wife and I walked into Maccas. There was a lady standing in line. I asked if she's been served. She looked us up and down like we were criminals, ignored us and walked off," he said.

Bikers such as Lizzie Walker, the public relations officer for the recently formed Independent Riders group, said she had noticed a big change in the public's attitude toward them since the VLAD laws were introduced.

It's scaring a lot of people who once donated goods for our raffles and charities.
"When I ask businesses for sponsorship they back off and say: 'no, the rules have changed now.'"
She said by this time of the year she usually had $2000 worth of goods to raffle, but would be lucky if there was $300 in the kitty. End Quote

I can only imagine how frustrating and sad it is for the riders of Australia.

Then we skip over the UK where a man on a trendy mobility scooter has been having his own challenges with the law!

Photo from the article in Western Morning News

He's been given a hard time because he rides his scooter on the sidewalk, that is until police offers get an up close look at it.

Begin Quote: Geoff got the scooter last summer after he was diagnosed with HSP - a condition which means his nerves are dying off, leaving him unable to control his legs.
But he was horrified by the thought of getting an "old fashioned" scooter for OAPs and approached his local retailer to ask if they could source something different.

Photo from the article in Western Morning News

The Sport Rider model features chrome-style forks and handlebars and a large central headlight like a motorbike. However, his unusual mode of transport quickly attracted the attention of the local police. End Quote

So it seems, even as we age, if we want to look cool, we might still get a hard time!



There are lots of other news items over at www.beltdrivebetty.com that might be of interest to you, and I encourage you to check them out.

Have a fabulous Wednesday everyone and if you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider

The Power of the Patch

The Power of the Patch has landed the Hells Angels a place in Canadian infamy.

Manitoba's department of Justice has deemed the Manitoba Hells Angels as a Criminal Organization.

Manitoba is the first North American jurisdiction to do so.

Club members and associates can now be tried without the prosecution having to bring forth additional proof of the accused being a member of a criminal organization speeding up trial times and making it easier for the province to confiscate property under the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act.

Manitoba is pushing Ottawa to follow suit and declare the Hells Angels as a Criminal Organization on a National level to affect federal cases.

Among their arguments for a National designation of Criminal Organization, the Manitoba Justice department cites the fact that in numerous individual trials in Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, members were found to be part of a criminal organization.

As a rider I am concerned with this ruling as it is the same sort of ruling that has brought Australia's riding community untold grief.

We have a situation where you are guilty until proven innocent and innocents are going to become embroiled situations that will become costly in numerous ways.

We have already seen the Manitoba Justice department threaten to put family members in jail for 6 months if they associate with their son/brother/uncle/grandson.

If you have committed a crime you deserve to pay the price for your crime, where I become very concerned is the mentality of todays police officers.

Too many times, right here in Canada, we see cases of police officers lying to cover themselves - like in the Robert Dziekanski tasering where Monty Robinson and three other officers are reported to have met privately to get their "stories straight" according to new charges being brought against them.

Then there is the Orion Hutchison case where Monty Robinson allegedly fled the scene with his children and had a couple of shots to steady his nerves. It is suspected that he was already impaired when he struck and killed the rider, but because he claims to have had a couple of drinks at home to calm his nerves, he got off with only an obstruction of justice charge.

We see in the news where officers have beaten people they felt were disrespectful or belligerent or have abused their authority and used excessive force, like the case in Kelowna where officer Geoff Mantler kicked a man named Buddy Tavares ,who was kneeling, in the face.

So what do you think?

Do you think we here in Canada will be immune to the heavy handed tactics the justice system and police of Australia are using to stomp out Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs?

Do you think our police officers will stop group rides and hassle innocents like they have in Australia?

Are you prepared to live in a country where you have to phone the police station before you go out on a ride?

Unlike Australia, we have no national riders rights organization to fight for us, the everyday ordinary rider, and that National Organization in Australia has made some inroads in improving the treatment of the every day rider.

Do you think our Charter of Freedoms and Rights will protect you?

Are you prepared to be arrested because you were at an event where the Hells Angels or the Bandidos etc. were in attendance?  

Are you prepared to be searched?  

Are you prepared to have your life disrupted to prove your innocence?  

Are you prepared for the costs?  And I am not just talking financial.

Look at tattooists in Australia and the fact that they have to be fingerprinted to work in that country now.

Are you prepared to have your family and life turned upside down to prove your innocence?

Just Google what is happening in Australia with police and their abuse of authority, then Google the same thing in Canada and the US and tell me how well the riding community is going to fare.

Think about it and then tell me your thoughts.

I know where I stand on the subject - how about you....where do you stand?

Have a fabulous weekend and if you are lucky enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

4 Canadian Riders have died

4 Canadian Riders have died in crashes in Florida in the last two days.

The first two riders were from Quebec and died when a spool of electrical wire came off of a truck and struck their motorcycle.

According to the article from the Orlando Sentinel: 
The motorcycle was southbound on State Road 415 near Sanford about 11:25 a.m. when the spool fell from the cargo area of a large northbound truck as it passed, troopers said.

Andre Grenier, 58, and Helene Bouchard, 54, of Quebec were ejected from the motorcycle, which caught fire. They died on the scene. End Quote

The newest crash took place when 2 riders from New Brunswick, on a trike struck a median attempting to enter the interstate.

According to the article from Bay News:
The driver, Gilles Michaud, and his passenger, Mona Dube, both of New Brunswick, Canada, were riding north on the frontage road on a 2009 Harley-Davidson three-wheel motorcycle when they tried to enter U.S. 19.

The motorcycle struck the raised median that separates the frontage road from U.S. 19.

Michaud and Dube were both taken to Bayfront Hospital St. Petersburg, where they were pronounced dead. End Quote

My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of these riders.

In Business & Industry News: Vietnam is planning to ban motorcycles from many urban centres in stages. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh and other major centres would see the limiting of motorcycles to ease congestion and improve air quality.

The government is also looking to reduce the numbers of motorcycles a household can own.

The government wants to reduce the number of registered motorcycles in Vietnam from 37 million to 36 million in a bid to ease traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce fatalities.

On average there are 26 traffic fatalities per day in Vietnam with the bulk of them coming from the motorcycling population.

Japanese Motorcycle Manufacturers are concerned that these restrictions will deal a heavy blow to the industry as they sell 80% of the 3 million new units that are purchased in Vietnam yearly.




Personally, I don't think I would want to challenge the traffic in Hanoi. It looks absolutely crazy.  What say you?

Have a good Friday everyone, and please, if you are lucky enough to be riding today, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Go on Vacation & Improve Your Skills!

March, April and May are three of the hardest months in the year on a rider's psyche, especially if you are from most places in Canada.

In March, Mother Nature generally delivers some horrid snow falls and blizzards.  April starts bringing hope, but ice and mud prevent many from getting their bikes out of the garage.
May presents such a mixed bag that you can't really plan anything because of the potential for - you got it - MORE SNOW!

Going on a vacation where it is generally warm and you can ride is something a lot of riders from the northern climates do.

Have you ever considered going to California to ride the Pacific Coast Highway?

If you have, then you might want to consider taking your spring refresher course from
Superbike-Coach, Can Akkaya.

 
Can (pronounced Jon) is a former pro racer with many records and trophies under his belt.

When he retired Can worked as a test rider and a coach for track days all around Europe and found he had a passion for teaching and became the head instructor of Germany's first racing school.  In fact he has taught over 2,500 riders so far!

Can immigrated to the US in 2008 and has a book coming out soon called "Racers Story"

When he and his family moved to California, Can opened up his school, Superbike-Coach and developed courses for those who want to race, those who already race, stinters and regular everyday riders.

He has also put together an amazing guided tour of California that you can take.

So if you are frustrated by Mother Nature and PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) and you are considering an escape, why not check out the Superbike-Coach, take some training which starts at $89 US, take a tour and come home to Canada ready to conquer the roads with your brushed up skills.

According to the testimonials from former students, it's the best money and time you will ever spend on training.

I am not in a position to go down to California so I'll have to make do with watching the action in the 2014 Beat the PMS Blues Online Show 'n' Shine where our sponsors like Kimpex are giving away some great prizes!

Have a great Thursday everyone,
And please, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you if you are lucky enough to be riding.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Bikers Prevented from Attending Funeral

Members of the Hells Angels have a petition circulating to allow members of the club, associates and family members from out of country to attend the funeral of Cisco Elliot Valderrama.

According to the article attached to the petition - Begin Quote: "just days ago Homeland Security and the Obama Administration relaxed visa restrictions for those who have given refuge and assistance to terrorists who aided and abetted in the killing of U.S. Soldiers and innocent civilians worldwide! It is unjust, unreasonable, and a violation of human rights to intentionally bar bikers, clubs, friends, supporters of bikers, associates of bikers and family members of bikers from entering the United States." End Quote

To me, some things are sacred - funerals would be one of them and in spite of the ban on bikers entering the US, you can be guaranteed that the police will be swarming the funeral of Cisco.  

It appears to me that the Obama government and Homeland Security think that groups like the Hells Angels are worse than terrorists.   

What do you think?

Also in the US a lawmaker says that motorcycles and bicycles do not belong in Suffolk County New York.  According to Mr. Barraga, who was responding to a young man's request for a dedicated bike lane after his mother was hit by a car while riding her bicycle, signs have no impact on drivers.

Begin Quote: I have heard the suggestion of bicycle lanes and additional signage but unfortunately
this would do little to solve the problem. 

Suffolk County is a suburban automobile community drivers expect to see other drivers on the road not bicyclists and motorcyclists. Even in those areas outside of Suffolk County where a portion of the road is for bicyclists they still get hit by motorists. Signage has limited effects there are currently 135 signs between Montauk Highway and Sunrise Highway on Higbie Lane and Udall Road most of them are ignored by drivers.

Reality at time can be difficult for some to come to grips with but giving false hope would be inappropriate. END QUOTE

What do you think of this lawmakers opinions?

In Australia it took 570 cops to raid 60 properties in Victoria and arrest 18 members of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club. According to the intelligence the police received, the Comancheros were going to use explosives to destroy Hells Angels property.

Along with tasers, a large quantity of steroids, ammunition and cash fireworks were confiscated.
It is believed by the police that the fireworks were going to be used to make improvised bombs.

And there is sad news out of Orlando Florida. Two Quebecois riders were killed when a spool of electrical wire came off a truck and struck their bike which then caught fire.  The husband and wife, Andre Grenier, 58, and Helene Bouchard, 54 died on the scene.

My heart goes out to their family and loved ones.

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Have a Happy Hump Day,

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider