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Hello, Friends--
 
I hope everybody's having a good week, and you're having fun getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday--okay, not everybody's into football, but it's just the way things go this time of year!  Here's my February Tiger Tales article for you to scope out, if you're looking for a bit of light reading.  I got back from Phoenix, AZ  this past Monday, after a very successful AZ Freedom Rally on Jan. 28.  Over 920 bikes showed up for the parade to the State Capitol, and the entire event at the State House lasted 60 minutes (yes, even with me speaking! LOL).  After the Pledge of Allegiance (with the VNV M/C as color guard) and opening prayer, there were remarks by the heads of both ABATE of AZ and the Modified Motorcycle Association of AZ.  Then we heard speeches by Pooh-Bear, president of the AZ Confederation of Clubs and Jeff Hennie, Washington lobbyist from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.  Then it was my turn to speak, representing the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists, and I talked about what progress we've made in Oklahoma, and the challenges we face this year, among other things.  Basically, I was tasked to get everybody fired up LOL!  One of the AZ State Legislators who rides followed me, and he spoke eloquently about some critical Freedom-related issues facing Arizona, which I'll expand upon in the future.  Anyway, I also attended the Confederation and MMA Board Meetings on Sat., which were both enjoyable and educational.  While AZ has issues to deal with specific to their state, they (and all MROs) experience many of the same challenges we do.  I came away from the weekend's activities with a strong sense of family bonding with our Sister Organizations, as well as an increased appreciation for the special folks I work with here in our own outfit.  I also returned home with another souvenir: the good folks out there presented me with a Life Membership in MMA of AZ!  I was really stoked about that!  So, that's a thumbnail sketch as to how things went, and I'll write about it more in my next Tiger Tales.  Take care, my friends, enjoy the weekend and stay warm, and you'll hear from me again soon!  If some of you are getting my article for the first time, it's because I've updated my Oklahoma Bikers List again, and probably included you--hope you enjoy it.
 
Yours in Freedom,
Tiger Mike Revere
State Coordinator,
ABATE of Oklahoma, Inc.
 
 
 
TIGER TALES - FEBRUARY, 2007
 
 
  Greetings to all my Freedom-loving Brothers and Sisters!  I hope this finds all of you well, and bearing up without problem after the exceptionally nasty weather we've experienced.  As I write this, a good part of Oklahoma is still encased in a covering of ice, thousands of our citizens are still without power, and a major snowstorm is on the way.  Global Warming who??  With bikers usually being so public-spirited and concerned for the welfare of others, I hope most of us are taking the time to look in on folks who might have been victimized by the storms to make sure they're alright.  Because of the major-league Ice Storm that hit our state in mid-January, our ABATE State Membership Meeting that was scheduled for January 13th was cancelled.  Paul Cohn, Great Plains of Altus Chapter President, contacted me, and he has the Best Western Hotel in Altus, OK reserved for the weekend of March 9,10, and 11, 2007, so that's when we're rescheduling the 2007 ABATE of Oklahoma State Membership Meeting.  The Best Western Hotel is located at 2804 N. Main St. in Altus, on Hwy 283 North, and the phone numbers are: 580-482-9300 or 1-888-537-1087. Personally, I haven't had any problem at all using the first one.  Paul suggests that folks desiring to attend the meeting and stay at the hotel make their reservations early, as there are other events going on in Altus that weekend as well.  The room cost includes a complimentary hot breakfast in the morning, so bring your ABATE Membership Card to get the special room rate for the event.  The Hospitality Room, hosted by the Great Plains of Altus Chapter, will be open Friday night, March 9, from 6:00PM until late, so early ABATE arrivals can socialize and get to know Brothers and Sisters from the Altus and Lawton areas.  Activities on Sat., March 10 will begin with the ABATE State Board Meeting from 10:00AM until 12:30PM.  We'll break for an hour for lunch, then the General Membership Meeting will begin at 1:30PM and run until 5:00PM.  The Meeting will include: Opening remarks by the State Coordinator (the "State of ABATE Address"); a Legislative Update from our Political Director; Keynote Speech and/or a Legislative Roundtable with members of the Oklahoma State Legislature who can attend (we were originally expecting five or six--wow!); a Motorcycle Safety Seminar presented by our Rider Education and Training experts Paul Brinker and Chris Coombs; and we'll wrap up with an Open Format "Town Meeting" of the ABATE General Membership, where individual members will have the opportunity to air their views and concerns, make suggestions, and share ideas.  We'll take a Dinner Break after the membership meeting concludes, and the Hospitality Room will reopen around 5:30PM.  ABATE members can enjoy entertainment, featuring a DJ playing music, door prizes, and a 50/50 drawing, from 7:30 Saturday night until things wind down a few hours later.  At 9:00AM Sunday, those who'd like to get up early and participate can join in a spiritual service where folks can take some time to give thanks for a successful event and for Riding Freedom, and request Traveling Mercies for the trip home. 
 
  One date which will not be re-scheduled is our annual ABATE of Oklahoma Legislative Breakfast slated for Thursday, March 1, 2007, from 7:30AM until 10:30AM at the Fourth Floor Rotunda of the State Capitol in Oklahoma City.  For those who haven't participated before, ABATE hosts this Breakfast every year for members of the Oklahoma State Legislature and their staffs.  We send out engraved invitations a few weeks in advance, and encourage as many members of the Legislature as possible to attend, as well as folks in the Governor's office.  It's an excellent opportunity for members of Oklahoma's Motorcycling Community to meet their Representatives and Senators and discuss one-on-one with their legislators issues important to them, especially items relative to improving motorcycling Quality of Life in our state.  With over 70,000 motorcycles registered in Oklahoma, it's important that we turn out in force to emphasize to our elected officials that we're actively involved in the political process regarding topics of concern to riders in the Sooner State.  Last November's election was momentous in that a large number of legislative seats turned over due to term limits and electoral upsets, so there will be lots of new faces to get to meet and make friends with.  If we can get a few hundred motorcyclists and trikers to attend, we can make a significant lobbying impact with our Public Servants.  So, PLEASE make plans to be at the Capitol on March 1--I look forward to seeing a large number of you there!

  At the Legislative Breakfast, we'll have information sheets with talking points to provide attendees, so they have an idea of what specific issues we're focusing on.  Holly, our ABATE Political Director, puts in a lot of time laying the groundwork for this event to be successful.  We'll also have a computer set up, so if you're not sure who your State Senator or Representative is, we can find their names and office numbers for you based on your address.  We accomplished this for over 400 attendees at the ABATE Freedom Rally last March 15 in keeping with our goal of providing our Riding Community with as much information as possible to increase our political effectiveness--remember, Knowledge is Power!  The deadline for submission of initial legislation passed in early December, so ABATE will investigate which bills are getting fleshed out with subject matter of concern to motorcyclists, and we'll get that information out as soon as possible.  Our planned "Dead Red" legislation, which would allow motorcyclists to proceed through an intersection if they don't trigger the traffic light, has been filed, as well as legislation to clarify Title 47, the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Safety Statute.  Rep. Wesselhoft has also filed his proposal to reduce Turnpike Tolls for motorcycles, and I'll let you know the bill number on that as well, as soon as I get it.  I don't have any information right now on any proposal to eliminate the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, but that doesn't mean it isn't out there.  Most importantly, we don't have any initial proposal information yet for a bill which includes restrictions for All-Terrain or Off-Road Vehicles, either for rider age or helmet usage.  Holly is networking with both State Legislators and the
American Motorcyclist Association to make sure we don't get faced with the same threat as last year, either with undue prohibitions regarding ATV usage or a back-door attempt at a Mandatory Universal Helmet law (too late on this one, unfortunately--see next paragraph).  As you can see, not a whole lot is carved in stone yet, legislatively, since the Legislative Session just started the beginning of February.  So, I'll try my best to keep folks updated with the latest developments, in this monthly article, on our ABATE State Website, www.abateofoklahoma.org , and via e-mail.  If you want to be included on my Oklahoma Bikers e-mail list for informational updates, just send me a message at tigermike7@cox.net , and I'll include you.  I try to use the List to inform our riders on significant developments, and I don't send Spam!  Or, you can contact Holly, our Political Director, at 405-329-7254 with legislative questions.

   Okay, Folks--It looks like the opening salvo of the battle has been fired!  Rep. Skye McNiel (R-Tulsa) (Oklahoma House Assistant Majority Whip--House District 29) has just filed a bill last month, HB1539, and the verbiage will strike the words "under 18 years of age" so Title 47 will mandate UNIVERSAL HELMET WEAR for ALL riders in Oklahoma. Check out the excerpt of HB1539 on the Oklahoma Legislative Website if you want, but it's a pretty simple action.  One sentence is stricken from the Title 47 statute, and we all lose our Freedom of Choice.  I've forwarded the information on to Holly, and she'll send out a Legislative Update as soon as she finds out more definitive information.  Charlie Williams, our ABATE Communications Director, also has a meeting with Oklahoma's new House Speaker. However, THIS IS NO DRILL--it's a real threat we'll have to meet head-on and defeat.  It does look like we have our work cut out for us, and it definitely increases tenfold the importance for as many as are able to attend the ABATE Legislative Breakfast.  We need HUNDREDS of concerned motorcyclists to swarm the State House and network with their legislators.  Remember, it doesn't matter how you feel about Helmet Wear--this is about Freedom of Choice for adult riders in our state vs. profit-mongering interests in Oklahoma and nationwide who care NOTHING about your safety!  They're employing politicians to curtail your right to decide for yourself whether or not to wear a Helmet, and putting that power in the hands of the Government!  If you care at all about the continued erosion of your Personal Freedoms, PLEASE get the word out to all Oklahoma motorcyclists and other Freedom-loving citizens in the Sooner State and elsewhere, and urge them to contact their State Representatives and Senators and request that HB1539 be defeated.  Thanks very much to those sharp-eyed folks out there for notifying me.  We were expecting 8-12 inches of snow in Oklahoma as I was sending this alarm out, but the thunderclouds of another storm, a political one, are gathering.  It would be a sad shame if we had to mark 2007, Oklahoma's Centennial Year, with the eradication of our Freedom to choose for ourselves!  I'm confident that, with your help, we can achieve the victory together and send HB1539 to the trashcan where it belongs. 
 
  I was exceptionally pleased to see over 240 motorcyclists and trikers attend the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs meeting in January.  The American Legion Post #73 hall in Del City was very hospitable, and the meeting room was packed with enthusiastic folks ready to celebrate Freedom in 2007, Oklahoma's Centennial Year!  We discussed issues affecting all Americans, such as the Federal Government's desire to search postal mail, as well as e-mails and phone monitoring, without the use of warrants, and other Constitutional-related topics.  I outlined ABATE's 2007 legislative strategy and publicized the upcoming Legislative Breakfast, and talked about the Helmet Law threats which now exist in Utah, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Montana, Colorado, and most recently, in our very own state .  We expected Helmet Law proposals to be filed in a number of states as the result of the Big Ben Roethlisberger incident last year, and we weren't surprised.  ABATE of Montana has issued a national appeal already for folks to write or call the State House and urge preservation of Freedom of Choice for adult riders.  If you need more information as to your course of action, you can do an Internet Search for the State Motorcyclist Rights Organizations of each of the above states, or send me an e-mail and I'll update you.  Personally, I plan to contact each State Department of Tourism to notify them that I don't intend to spend one tourist dollar in any state which passes a Helmet law!  Additionally, we can't turn our back on Sen. Lautenberg, the new Chairman of the U.S. Senate Transportation Committee, who I'm almost positive will attempt to re-introduce a Federal-level Helmet law Proposal.  If he does, we Freedom Fighters will have another war on our hands, and I'm certain we can defeat him again, just as we did in 2005 with Sen. Jim Inhofe going to bat for us.  On the fun side, the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs is gearing up to host the Oklahoma Motorcycle Expo March 16-18, 2007 at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City (which real Okies know as the Myriad).  This is looking like it's going to be a terrific occasion, with Bike Shows, custom bike builders from around the country, all types of vendors (including an ABATE Booth), a tattoo contest, music, and family fun for all.  There will even be a Mystery Celebrity Guest attending!  So, be sure to enter the dates on your calendar, and I'm sure I'll run into a bunch of you!  One final thing: We held Confederation officer elections, and I was re-elected as Liaison for another term.  I really appreciate the trust and confidence Oklahoma motorcyclists in our Confederation have in me to represent them to the Confederation Board--folks who don't consider motorcycling as a fad or image, but cherish motorcycling as a Way of Life! 
 
  Tiger's Tip O' The Month:  Even with most of us keeping our bikes off the road in this ice and snow, it's not a bad idea to remember that there are a LOT of homicidal maniacs on Oklahoma's roadways, and driving with a defensive mind-set every time we throw a leg over our sleds can greatly contribute to our survival out there.  Always use your mirrors and head-check, and not just when changing lanes.  Constantly check both mirrors to watch out for those speeders darting in and out of traffic that can clip you and move on.  Keep in the middle or right lane for both maximum deconfliction and maneuverability.  Expect a higher number of the irresponsible and reckless out at night, and especially between Friday night and early Sunday morning, and on Holiday weekends.   Before I close, I want to mention that Princess, a longtime ABATE supporter who's a member of the Shovelhead Owners Society, wrecked her car during our Ice Storm and needed 26 stitches in her head, as well as sustaining black eyes and a leg injury.  I'm very glad her injuries weren't worse, and I ask all of you to have a good thought for her and keep her in your prayers.  Well, that's it for February--take care of each other, stay safe and warm, hold your sweetie close and share the love this Valentine's Day, don't get overloaded with beads during Mardi Gras, and I'll see you on the Road.  Don't hesitate to call me or our ABATE Legislative Hotline if you have any concerns.  Quite frankly, I'm ready for Spring!

 
Keep It On The Black Strip Between The Trees,
Tiger Mike