Executive Report

by Chubby

Forty-six years and still going strong. Stronger than ever if our accomplishments are your litmus test. I don’t know that there are statistics kept on grassroots political organizations throughout the country, but if there are, I would dare to bet anything that ABATE of WI is the strongest volunteer based organization in the nation. I’ve read things on more than one occasion from the typewriter tough guys and the folks with the tinfoil hats that sit in their underwear conveying their negative attitudes on the world, that ABATE is going in the wrong direction. Of course, these instances are rare, but they always get me a little fired up. Because there never seems to be any substantial evidence that we are going anywhere but forward. This month, I’d like to highlight a few things that we, as an organization, do to keep us moving in the right direction.

ABATE of WI is all inclusive. It doesn’t matter what you ride, what color you are, which restroom you choose to use, or how long you’ve been riding, we have a place for you to fit in. If you have a passion to stand up and fight for your freedoms, we can show you how to be the most effective at doing it. Sure, the biker culture which we strongly represent holds a pretty vague public perception of long hair, long beards, and loud American made bikes. But a true biker knows that all bikes are cool, just some a little cooler than others. And yours is probably the coolest of them all. Our meetings may be a little lacking in cultural diversity, and I’d love to see more young people involved. It will be up to all of us to not only solicit those people to join, but to welcome them to meetings and events and mentor them to be productive members. With the outreach we have been doing over the last few years with our marketing and public relations I believe we are headed in the right direction.

Every issue that confronts us as citizens is not a motorcycle issue. ABATE of WI remains strong because we dedicate our time to on-road motorcycle issues. We don’t deal with gun issues even though many motorcyclists own guns. We don’t deal with union issues even though many bikers belong to labor unions. We don’t deal with veterans’ issues even though many bikers are veterans. We, for the most part, have stayed away from the Covid-19 issue although it isn’t over and has directly affected the organization so we will continue to monitor. We do motorcycle issues only. And we do it well.

As a motorcyclists’ rights organization, we have a responsibility to deal with safety issues. Yes, our primary focus is on grassroots legislative activism but we have a responsibility as individuals and as an organization to make roads safer and make riders safer without taking away an individual’s right to choose what is best for him/her. I admit that I cringe when I see some states motorcyclists’ rights organizations (SMRO’s) put more effort into safety than freedom but I believe it would be foolish to not agree that there needs to be a balance of our obligations. Rather than run and hide from government agencies that perpetuate their own existence by pushing misleading statistics and developing plans that would take away all of our choices in life, we strive to work hand and hand with them so that we can positively affect the outcomes of programs and laws intended to keep us safer without taking away our freedoms in the process.

Is the WI DOT our enemy? I certainly hope not. Although we have had our share of battles over the years and it would seem that if their goal of reaching zero fatalities per year would have to rid the roads of motorcycles – they are not the enemy. At least not today. As recently as a few years ago and on many occasions in the past, our DOT has acted as our nemesis. Today, we are working together on public service announcements, statistic gathering and data analysis, and highway planning. Through our efforts on the Motorcycle Advisory Council (MoSAC) we are proving that a diversified effort utilizing rider education and public awareness does more to lower accident and fatality statistics than apparel mandates and unjust laws. Working with the DOT also allows us to directly influence roadway repairs and design, public outreach, and law enforcement education. Although I don’t believe our relationship will evolve into having blind trust in each other, I do believe that our current influence has been and will continue to be beneficial to all motorcyclists in the state.

In the last fourteen years, every bill that ABATE of WI has had introduced into law has passed with a unanimous vote. Our ability to work with all stakeholders affected by legislation and our willingness to abstain from special privileges for motorcyclists has given us a positive reputation in our state capitol. We don’t shy away from difficult issues, and our current legislative agenda is proof of that. ABATE of WI has asked our members to start getting loud about our issues and we’ve seen the results. We back up that noise with solutions that make sense for everyone in Wisconsin. Most of the small problems that plagued our bills last session are being ironed out as you read this, and we are prepared to move our issues forward as we get past the current pandemic and elections. At the federal level, we are continuing to not only support the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) legislative agenda but lead the way with support and sponsorship of our bills in congress through our grassroots lobbying efforts. This is the first time in over ten years that we have not successfully visited every congressional office and both Senators because of the cancellation of the MRF Bikers in the Beltway event. That does not mean we won’t be going to DC when and if they lift restrictions related to the pandemic, hopefully soon. Next year we will be looking to increase the number of members that we include in scholarships to attend this event to ensure that we continue to positively effect change for motorcyclists at our nation’s capital.

ABATE of WI owns 80 acres, named ABATE Acres, in the direct center of the state. Although primarily used in the summer for monthly board of directors and committee meetings, the Summer Hummer, and the Family Campout it is available for all members to use from Mother’s Day through Labor Day. There is no cost for members to use the land, but we ask that anyone using it be an ABATE of WI member for insurance purposes. Hot showers, flush toilets, and wide-open space to pitch a tent or park a camper make ABATE Acres a great value for membership. The only rules are that you treat your land and others there with respect.

Since its inception, ABATE of WI has been working without a strategic plan. What is a strategic plan? A strategic plan outlines the long- and short-term goals of our organization as it relates to membership and financial growth. We have been working for several years on finalizing a plan and I’m happy to say that we are currently in the last stages of completing that work. By our annual meeting we should have it completed and ready for our newly elected board to finalize our efforts.

Bikers are a diverse group to deal with. I gave up long ago with trying to please all of the people all of the time. It seems that when we concentrate our efforts within any one group of motorcyclists, we alienate another. For years, motorcycle clubs felt that we didn’t give their issues enough attention or that we didn’t value their opinions. We have gotten past those issues by educating them on our efforts and involving them in our events. We reach out to our youth but struggle to show them the value of our efforts. We reach out to minority groups, but struggle with cultural differences. There doesn’t seem to be any one simple solution to membership growth and success, but I do know that if we quit trying to reach the entire motorcyclist community we will never be able to grow as an organization and it could ultimately lead to its demise. It is important that we view not only all bikers, but all roadway users as equal. It is important that we stay on top of the issues that have an effect on our way of life. It is important that we continue to find solutions to our problems rather than just bitch about them. It is important that each and every one of us do all that we can to promote unity and brotherhood. And, it’s important that we try to have fun together while working toward our goals. That will keep us moving in the right direction.

Until next month…Ride Free

Chubby