VOTE!

by Steve Panten

“One of the best things about October during an election year is the constant barrage of political ads, calls, texts and even mail” said nobody, EVER! Sorting through all the information that is out there to know who our friends are, is important in knowing who we need to support. Losing the opportunity of having a motorcycle friendly person in Madison or Washington DC, can set the motorcycle movement back and could take years to recover from. Remember that motorcyclists vote their lifestyle and what is best for them.

Knowing who is running for an opportunity to represent you in a leadership position for ABATE is also important. There are many candidates running and their profiles are in this newsletter, so take the time to learn about them. Where do they want to take the organization, and are they willing to commit to our mission statement? Take the time to reach out to them and ask questions like you would for anyone running in an election. Whether we are talking about a Federal election, a State election, a Municipal election, or an election for ABATE of Wisconsin, the most important thing you can do is VOTE.

Even though things in Washington DC and Madison have come to a basic standstill, we still need to stay focused and work behind the scenes as much as we can. In Wisconsin, ABATE was again invited to have a seat on a committee looking at autonomous and connected vehicles. When Governor Walker put together a steering committee to advise the Governor’s office on moving forward, the motorcyclists were represented by our very own Ric Melon. Ric did a great job on that committee and we saw a lot of his influence in the final report. This time we have ABATE’s Web Administrator, Damon Payne speaking on behalf of the motorcyclist’s interests.
Damon has already sat through 2 days of virtual meetings, and his influence is already being felt by others in the committee. One of the most eye-opening statements was said by the individual representing NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration). He said that when they are developing the testing model for CAV (Connected and Autonomous Vehicles) “motorcycles are considered, but not prioritized”. Anyone who does not believe that the future of motorcycling as we know it is not in jeopardy, needs to reread that statement.

Having a seat at the table for the future of transportation in the State of Wisconsin is only the first step. We need to have friends that are going to help us. These friends need to be in Madison and in Washington DC. Most of the Wisconsin delegation in Washington DC has been working with the Motorcycle Riders Foundation to make sure that the riding community will have a seat at the table when/if they renew the Motorcycle Advisory Council.

I say when/if because it appears that the Highway Bill has been stalled in the United States Senate until after the election. Motorcyclists from around the country have worked very hard to include language important to us in the version passed by the House of Representatives and ABATE of Wisconsin had a very important role in that. Now it looks like we will have to start all over again next year. Therefore, it is so important to have motorcycle friendly representation in elected positions. It would be very easy for the environment to change and then we would have to spend more time trying to influence our own elected officials from the home of Harley Davidson Motor Company.

Even though it’s an election year, the increase in motorcycle fatalities this year is starting to draw the attention of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. OK, I know it has nothing to do with this being an election year, but the sad truth is that our fatalities are up 24% over last year. Losing a brother or sister is tough on everyone in the motorcycle community and losing them because of rider error, or from impaired riding, is even worse because those deaths CAN be prevented. ABATE of Wisconsin has long preached for motorcyclists to get trained and we have our very own, award-winning training program so there are no excuses. All riders need to know what their riding limits are. Understanding how to control your motorcycle and not riding beyond your ability is something that we all need to focus on. We have worked very hard on awareness for other drivers, but now we need to spend more time on us. Let’s all pay a little more attention to the road that we are traveling on. Are we in the correct lane position? Are we trying to take a corner a little faster than we should? Are we able to clearly see the road ahead of us for the speed that we are traveling, or should we slow down a little to make sure that we make it to the end of our journey? Your family, and your brothers and sisters are counting on you to make it to join them another day. Let’s all watch out for each other and make sure that we make it around the next corner. Take care of your brothers and sisters but most important, take care of yourself. If we don’t take care of ourselves, the government will.

We are working with the Department of Transportation to try to slow this trend. Having friends working in offices at the Capitol in Madison will help, because then we will have input on changes that may be coming. Be sure to know who you are voting for and if they support your lifestyle.

The October ABATE Board Meeting is one of the most important ones that we have every year. This is the meeting where the ABATE Legislative Committee will determine what issues we are going to work on in 2021. We know that CAV is going to be important, but do you have any other thoughts on what we should be doing? Here is your opportunity to bring them up to the full committee. The Legislative Committee is made up of any ABATE of Wisconsin member in good standing that “shows up”. Anyone that is in attendance has just as much voice as I do, in determining our future Legislative Agenda. This document is fluid and will most likely change as things progress through the year, but it’s a starting point. We will also be talking about our Motorcyclist’s Lobby Day for 2021.

Right now, the Capitol in Madison is closed so we need to start putting together a plan for getting the information to the new legislature. I look forward to seeing you in Green Bay on October 11th.

That’s it.
Steve