TMRA2 Legislative Update

This is why I refused to support thie Lane Splitting Bill. THese are all in just one area.
Sputnik

http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_13433868

Recent deaths highlight dangers of lane-splitting By Jason Sweeney Oakland Tribune Posted: 09/28/2009 12:00:00 AM PDT Updated: 09/28/2009
04:44:24 AM PDT
Click photo to enlargeA motorcyclist splits lanes on Interstate 238. Two motorcyclists died this year splitting lanes…«12»HAYWARD — So-called “lane-splitting” on a motorcycle is perfectly legal, but Officer Cristina Tagle of the California Highway Patrol asks, “Is it really worth it?”
Bikers have an obvious advantage when it comes to the daily commute, but Tagle said splitting lanes — riding alongside other vehicles, between lanes — carries significant risk, as exemplified by three deaths this year in the Hayward-San Leandro area.
Earlier this month, John McGuinness, 45, of Alameda, was killed while splitting lanes on Interstate 880 in San Leandro. He lost control of his motorcycle and collided with two vehicles, police said.
In June, Jason Amaya, 29, of San Mateo, was killed on Interstate 238.
In February, Jeremie Troub, 28, of Mountain House, was run over by a big rig, also on Interstate 238, in Castro Valley.
“California does not have a law that prohibits (lane-splitting),” CHP Sgt.
Kevin Briggs said. “But you’re still subject to all the laws in the Vehicle Code. Everything still applies.”
That means if traffic is moving at 65 mph, a motorcyclist splitting lanes can be cited for speeding. “But catching them is a different matter,”
Briggs said.
Lane-splitters also can be cited for “unsafe speed,” which Briggs said is “a judgment call.”
Briggs, a motorcycle officer for 10 years, said he has encountered all manner of danger while on the job.
“You have people that don’t use a blinker that pull out right in front of you, people that are angry and will block your way, people opening doors,”
he said. To avoid the dangers, “You have to use sound judgment.”
Fernando Camilli, 35, is a motorcycle enthusiast who knows the risks.
Camilli is president of the Hayward chapter of the Bay Area Delinquents — the motorcycle club that Troub previously led.
Camilli was friends with Troub. He said I-238, where Troub was killed, is a particularly notorious spot because of narrow lanes and the large number of trucks that leave little space between lanes for a motorcycle.
“When I drive through there, I think, Jeremie, man, why here?” Camilli said.
Camilli has been in two motorcycle accidents in the last four years, suffering road rash, bruises and a concussion. But splitting lanes on his Yamaha R6 is not something he is going to give up.
“We split lanes every day, commute time, night time,” he said. “In 60,000 miles on a sport bike, I just don’t think there’s a class they could give that could teach an awareness while you’re lane-splitting. You can’t re-create that environment. It is something you learn from experience.”
He said inexperienced motorcyclists can make unsafe decisions, but even for experienced riders, the danger is always there from drivers who are not paying attention.
“Everybody knows the risks. We know it every day, the minute we stick that leg over the bike. Everybody knows the consequences. You never hope it’s going to be your time, but it can be any time.”
Even so, he hopes no laws are passed to prohibit lane-splitting, as has been done in other states.
In these days of crowded freeways and heightened environmental awareness, Camilli asks that drivers see motorcycles not as a dangerous nuisance, but as a green, fuel-efficient alternative to cars.
Camilli says Troub’s death affected him deeply, but he did not consider giving up his bike.
“It’s a freedom,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle. It’s a way of life that I’ve been accustomed to.”

Upcoming Constitutional Election
We have a constitutional election coming up on Nov 3rd 2009. The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 Constitutional Amendment election is Monday, Oct. 5. Please call (1-800-252-VOTE (8683)) or show up and register to vote. You can also fill out the form from http://www.votexas.org/
Here is a link to the sample ballot.
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/sampleballot-2009amendments.pdf

Here is an internet link to the amendments and a short explanation of what their intent is.
http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2009novballotexp.shtml

Always remember when it comes to voting for constitutional amendments. If you don’t know then just vote NO! If you don’t understand it, then it was written badly or not properly explained. Also it takes a lot longer to get a lost freedom back.

Here is a link to the pro’s and con’s of each amendment.
http://www.lwvtexas.org/2009VG/2009CAVG[FINAL].pdf

Please read and make your voice be heard. Voting is your right that your forefathers gave you in blood. Not voting is submission to someone else’s decisions. If you submit, don’t complain to me about the outcome, you had your chance.

Posted on September 15, 2009

On Sunday, state Rep. Norma Chavez held a campaign kick-off event on El Paso’s East Side. Often seen as controversial or polarizing, Chavez’s event was several things all at once
– party / political event / show of political strength.

The event attracted more than 800 people by the time it finally ended. If you’ve never attended a Chavez function and have attended similar events by other candidates and elected officials, you’d notice that Chavez does things differently.

You won’t find wine and cheese with a string quartet playing softly in the background. No hors d’oeuvres. What you will find is beans, beer, and brisket. Instead of a string quartet, there was a band and a DJ and no shortage of seniors cutting the rug.

I always knew Chavez was strong in her district; all you have to do is look at her numbers to see that. In her last contested race against Marty Reyes, she didn’t lose a single precinct and her smallest margin of victory in a precinct was over 60 percent of the vote. But the turnout at her event still surprised me.

Chavez took the opportunity to recognize several people who had done as Chavez recently has, completed their education later in life.

The other thing that makes a Chavez event unique is that you rarely leave empty-handed. Chavez is a big on door prizes. Funny thing about door prizes, turns out County Judge Anthony Cobos was in attendance and his name was drawn for a door prize. Unfortunately, he left before I got there and I didn’t get a chance to ask him if he was running for re-election.

But it’s really too bad that he wasn’t there to collect his prize, especially because I’m pretty sure he won’t be winning anything else in this town.

Most of the various candidates for the upcoming election made the obligatory stop at the Chavez event, including Sergio Coronado, Larry Medina, Beto Acosta, Norma Favela, Connie Telles-Odom, and the U.S. Senate candidate John Sharp.

Rumor has it that there may be a challenger against Chavez. The buzz is that Naomi Gonzalez is being courted to run against Chavez. Gonzalez last ran against city Rep. Emma Acosta in a previous special election to replace Jose Alejandro Lozano.

Speaking of Lozano, I was critical of him in the past because his campaign signs in his last attempt at public office looked to me to be a total rip-off of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign logo. So I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that things seem to have come full circle in El Paso. Coronado, a candidate for county judge, has some identity issues of his own. His campaign logo looks very much like President Obama’s during the campaign.

To add to the irony, his new campaign headquarters is located on Missouri, near downtown. That building also formerly housed the McCain/Palin headquarters.

Only in El Paso!

On a quick sidebar, I recently wrote a column that mentioned several El Pasoans that have a reputation for being government watchdogs. Well, another civically involved El Pasoan and former candidate for City Council, Walt Phillips, has taken ill. He is fighting prostate cancer and has several treatments ahead of him. When I spoke to Phillips, he told me “It was divine providence that I didn’t win because I wouldn’t have been able to serve.” Phillips’ spirits are high and he ended our conversation by saying he’ll be around for a long time yet.

That’s Why They Call Her the People’s Rep

It drives some people nuts, not just those who comment here and on my blog, but other elected officials and politicos, that I refer to Chavez as the People’s Rep. For some insane reason, a few people even thought I was the one who came up with that label, but she’s been called the People’s Rep before I even came to El Paso.

Chavez has plenty of detractors and you could fill a phone book with legitimate criticisms of Chavez, but to be fair to Chavez, there’s a lot she’s done that people don’t know about. It’s stuff that flies under the radar because it doesn’t involve a public meltdown, text messaging, or a fight with Congressman Silvestre Reyes, state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, state Rep. Marisa Marquez, or County Commissioner Veronica Escobar.

As I mentioned earlier, I was late to the event, but I stuck around while people were cleaning up. I noticed that several people that were serving food earlier (and helping Chavez hand out cake to kids) were lined up in front of Chavez who was sitting at a table. I realized Chavez was writing checks. Turns out Chavez was paying them for their work.

Normally, there is nothing remarkable about paying labor, DJ’s, etc after an event. But this was different. I talked to the workers and found out that they were from La Mujer Obrera and were women who needed work because of the situation over at Café Mayapan. Chavez has publicly supported them, which one would expect from an elected official. Sadly, she’s one of the few who have done so publicly.

But after talking to the women, I remembered something I had heard Cesar Chavez tell my dad once. He said that there was dignity in work, all work, no matter what it is. He also said that when you give someone the dignity of work, you feed their spirit.

It’s one thing to issue a press release or attend a public event with cameras and reporters in support of these women, but it’s a whole other thing to put your money where your mouth is. Chavez backed up her words with deeds. Chavez directed Lily Ruiz, a senior staffer, to collect the names of the women so that they can be given more work at a later date.

The food that was served came from Sin Fronteras, another local Latino-based organization. There’s a lot of criticism about Chavez when it comes to money, but one thing is for sure, she makes sure she supports her local community by spending money with people who need the business.

It wasn’t meant to be made public and she’ll probably be mad at me (again) for making it public. But it’s something that needs to be made public, because for every meltdown or email fight she’s involved it, there are probably 100 acts of this nature that no one ever hears about.

So when people approach me with a stink-face and ask me, “Why do you keep calling her the People’s Rep?” I’ll tell them to ask those women.

Indian Motorcycles Cash for Clunkers program August 31, 4:32 PM

Motorcycle Travel Examiner
Patty Davis

Indian Motorcycle Chief – source: http://www.indianmotorcycle.com The 'Cash
for Clunkers' program is not dead yet. Indian Motorcycle has just announced
their own version of the program. Indian will offer $3,000 for your old
clunker when you trade-in an old bike towards a new 2009 Indian Chief. Now
for the fine print: Trade in must be street legal, 100cc or larger and n
running and ride-able condition; NO mopeds, scooters, or dirt bikes are
eligible. Trade-in must have a clear title. This program cannot be used in
conjunction with any other program. Indian Motorcycle reserves the right to
alter or terminate this program at anytime at their sole discretion and
without notice.
So what is keeping you? Head to the nearest Indian dealer and check out the
Chief.

Sputnik

The following stats come directly from TxDOT. I would say this is a direct
result of the Texas Transportation Institute put together to cut down on
Traffic fatalities, especially for motorcyclists. Several of our members sit
on the Board of that newly formed Institute.
The Motorcycle Awareness Program put together by TxDOT at our instance and
the full combination of effort put forth by all concerned parties over the
past year.
We have very high hopes that SB 1967 and the year round PSA's, increased
penalties for negligence and Rider Training will bring that number down even
farther.

Ride Free – Ride Sober

Sputnik
State Chair
Tx. MN Rights Assoc.

FYI

Motorcyclist Fatalities Comparison
*JAN 1, 2009 – AUG 24, 2009 = 264
*JAN 1, 2008 – AUG 24, 2008 = 344

Statistics
*80 less fatalities in 2009 versus 2008; during same period
*23.25% less fatalities in 2009 versus 2008; during same period.

Gonzo

Gonzalo A. Poncé
Program Manager
Traffic Safety Section
TxDOT | Traffic Operations Division

Desk: 512.416.3258
Cell: 512.965.4920
Fax: 512.416.3349
Email: gponce@dot.state.tx.us