Cascade Crew

[blue89]

http://www.northwestnissans.com/board/showthread.php?t=53357


Please call our Senator Dale Brandland at 360-786-7682
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/senate/brandland

His secretary is very nice. Just tell them that you would like to encourage Dale to vote NO on senate bill 5544. She will ask for your name and city. This is being voted on today!

This bill will kill all autocrossing, offroading, or racing of any form!

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2007&bill=5544
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5544.pdf

FORWARD THIS ON AND PLACE THE CALL!

-Travis

[Dewey316]

If I were in WA, i would be calling. But, I also did read thru the bill, I don't know that it will actualy kill off that stuff, there may be some changes in they way you build your car though. That law is not all that diffrent from the way it is in the city of portland, there is a Db limit at PIR that even race cars have to follow. But, there is still racing.

[blue89]

At Pacific Internation Raceway drag racing could be shut down. I'll list all of the new rules to make it easier to see the changes.

Sec 1 Part 1 K

(k) In such a manner where the noise created by the engine of the
nonhighway vehicle is plainly audible inside or immediately adjacent to
a residence.

Someone could call, complain, get you a ticket and more. This means raceways adjacent or in close proximity to residential communities will be subject to ticketable complaints.

Sect 1 Part 5

(5) For violations of subsection (1)(k) of this section only, the
violator shall be subject to a penalty of not less than one hundred
dollars per violation for a first violation. Subsequent violations of
subsection (1)(k) of this section by the same person shall result in a
penalty of not less than twice the penalty assessed for the previous
violation, up to a maximum single penalty of eight hundred dollars.

Sec 4 Part 1

For each subsequent violation,
the penalty imposed shall be twice the penalty assessed for the
subsequent violation, up to a maximum of eight hundred dollars for any
one violation.

This could cost alot as it doesn't give a time restraint as to when you get ticket 1,2,3,4.

New section 5

You can't start your racecar at home. Period. You can get fined.

New section 6

You can't start your racecar at home. Period. You can get fined.

[Dewey316]

Like I said, I am against laws like this, that effect what people do on private propertly. I am not trying to argue, I am trying to give you some hope, that even if it passes, you will likely still be able to race.

It is not all the diffrent from ORS 390.

http://www.leg.state.or.us/05reg/measures/sb0001.dir/sb0069.intro.html

[blue89]

Its all good man. It just sucks because the Chuckanut Sports Car Club has had two sites taken away because someone complained about the noise. One of which was at an AIRPORT SITE! We almost lost the Port of Bellingham for the same nature, then we lost it due to Homeland Security anyway. And all of the vehicles meet the maximum allowable 96dB, so tell me where the justice is in that. Lame.

This new bill will allow people to give the cops a reason to ticket you if it is offensive regardless of how loud it is. See Section 1 Part 1 K.

I just wish I could have had more of a notice that this was going on before the day of voting. I could have had a lot more people call the Senator.

[85 T/A WS6]

From: Kline, Sen. Adam Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 3:49 PM Subject: RE: Possible NC: SB 5544

Dear Mr. Helgeson,

I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehicles that have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow--it doesn't include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boaters and swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.

Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have been pleasantly surprized to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why, do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron. There is nothing sporting--athletic, physically demanding--about riding any machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.

Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.

Adam Kline

I emailed Adam's his office and asked if those were his words.

He replied to me an other angry pissed off people


Dear Mr. Bettencourt

Thanks for your e-mail. I've received 100 or so e-mails in the last several days about the e-mail to which you referred in your letter -- some praising me for my stance, others criticizing me. Because I want to reply to all of you fairly quickly, I'm sending nearly identical e-mails to all of you.


Yes, I wrote that e-mail. I should know better than to write while I'm angry. I apologize for my rudeness, and for not acknowledging that a majority of ORV enthusiasts "ride responsibly." I also apologize for insulting a lot of good people who are just trying to have fun outdoors with their friends and families. Having spoken and corresponded with many motorcyclists, snowmobilers and other sports-people in the last several days, I also recognize that I was misinformed about the sheer athleticism involved in some motorized sports. Clearly, you have to be in pretty good shape to maneuver a fast-moving dirtbike down a winding mountain trail.

In this letter, I want to tell you some of the personal experiences that led to my anger-driven e-mail about ORVs. While these experiences don't justify my rudeness, it may help you to understand where I'm coming from. Then I'll talk a bit out the bill, SB 5544, that instigated this discussion. I want to be clear that SB 5544 is not anti-ORV or anti-motorcycle, it is anti-noise. It seeks to lessen the impact of these sports on those who live or play near ORV areas.

First, a few stories from my personal experience. When my daughter was born, I lived next door to a family with two kids who rode their motorbikes incessantly though the alley, up over a small hill the father had built in his backyard, and back to the alley. They did this over and over and over again. Though they had been making a nuisance for all of the neighbors for months, I hadn't yet asked them to stop. Now I had a newborn baby, and my wife, baby and I needed some peace. I respectfully talked to the father. "Hell no!" was his answer. He wanted to punch me out. He said it was his kids' way of having fun, and I had no right to ask them to quiet down for a while.

Fast forward eight or ten years. My daughter and I are in my canoe, on a lazy weekend day on Lake Washington. Lots of boaters are out, mostly motorboats, some sailboats, and a bunch of canoes, and everyone's enjoying the lake. Along come a couple of teenagers on jet-skis, chasing each other in and out of the boats at what looks like 30-40 mph, making a noise like a million angry mosquitoes. These kids are going so fast they can treat moving boats as if they were stationery objects--or so they think. One is screaming and laughing; I couldn't hear him over the noise, but I remember thinking he was drunk. He chases the other alongside my canoe, a few feet off. Think of it--a sudden deep wake approaching a canoe, broadside.

If you're not a boater, let me explain why this is a disaster in the making. A canoe must be turned perpendicular to an oncoming wave, to minimize the force, but this pair was leaving two wakes broadside, so close I had no time to react. This is elementary knowledge to any boater, and responsible boaters and jet-skiers take care to not cause this danger. These drunk kids had powerful and dangerous machines costing tens of thousands of dollars, and they had no idea of the danger they were causing. Luckily, I was able to grab the paddle and haul the boat around so my daughter and I wouldn't capsize.

For decades, my buddies and I have been climbing in the Cascades and Olympics. That's what we do for fun, from late spring to early fall--even now, though a lot less, since we're in our 50's and 60's. I can easily recall a dozen times when we'd be on the trail to or from a climbing route, through National Forest or private land, and hear--I mean REALLY hear--a bunch of motorbikes or snowmobiles in the distance. On one occasion, there were six snowmobiles in single file, chewing up a trail clearly marked No Motorized Use.

Just this past summer, I spent time in many parts of western Washington, helping members of my party go door-to-door to meet voters, distribute campaign literature, etc. In residential neighborhoods in Mason County, in Woodinville, just outside Auburn, and in Bonney Lake, there were occasions where someone was riding around and around and around in a motorbike, making a hell of a noise, and making ordinary conversation difficult. These are the homes of people my colleagues represent. We and the residents had to shout to each other, though we were standing on their doorsteps. These latter are some loud machines--dune buggies, quads, and other ORVs, some with their mufflers adjusted so they can generate more power and even more noise.

Those are just a few of my negative experiences with ORV enthusiasts. I want to point out that I've also had positive experiences with folks on ORVs -- I know that most motorcyclists, snowmobilers, etc. are responsible and careful.

Before I sent out that angry e-mail, I had received only about a dozen letters and calls about SB 5544. All but a few of those were supportive of the bill. The people who contacted me to support the bill like it for the same reasons I like it. They feel that ORV riders cause noise pollution that has negative effects on residential and recreation areas. Many of these folks -- and people who have written to me since I sent the angry e-mail -- have seen their property values and quality of life damaged by loud ORVs near their homes. Others are angered by the air pollution and other types of environmental damage caused by ORVs. It's hard to careen your dirtbike down a mountain trail without tearing up the trail.

For example, I've heard from several folks down here in Olympia who either live near Capitol Peak or like to hike there, and they are distressed about the environmental damage wrought by ORVs. Other people have told me about times they felt their lives were in danger because an ORV user was riding irresponsibly on a trail and nearly hit them or their child. A few have told me about times when they have been threatened by ORV enthusiasts who were angry because they were asking them to stop riding illegally on their property or another restricted area. For example, one of the witnesses who testified before the legislative committee in favor of this bill told me that a guy who owns an ORV store near here has been stalking her, and that she is in fear and needs to tell the police.

On Friday, I saw what could taken as a death threat. It appeared in a motorcycle/ATV blog, ThumperTalk, where SB 5544 was being discussed. One person asked another "what's the best way to get hold of Sen. Kline, by e-mail or letter?" The answer: "Call him. Next best would be in person with a rifle. OOPS, did I just say that?"

A friend copied this "threat" and sent me copy. (The comment is now off the blog, but I can send a copy to you if you want to see it.) I know this person was probably just joking, and that he didn't really mean what he'd written in anger. Normally, I don’t take such vague threats too seriously. Still, in the context of some of the angry e-mails I've received, I've been told that I should take it seriously.

Now I want to talk a bit about the content of SB 5544. Again, the bill is not anti-ORV or anti-motorcycle, it is anti-noise. It doesn't ban off-roading.

SB 5544 simply calls for the industry standard 96-decibel limit on the new 2008 models, 108 decibels on the 2007 and older models. It also sets a 55-decibel limit at the property line of any resident, and 45 decibels within 10 feet of a home. These are peoples' homes we're talking about. Having a 45-decibel noise is like a small jet take off from a neighboring airport, or like a train pulling through town. Between that and the industry standard, it's not asking much.

I'm not very familiar with the prices of ORVs, but I'll guess they're in the $4,000 to $8,000 range. (I understand that jet-skis and snowmobiles cost even more.) For most ORV riders, I've been told that there would be little financial cost to abiding with SB 5544. In fact, there is no cost financially--unless the muffler has been adjusted and has to be re-adjusted--and in any case, folks who spend thousands on these machines should be able to spend a few dollars on a little Thoughtfulness. A little of that will go a long way.

I've attached a copy of the "bill report" that describes SB 5544. The bill was prime-sponsored by Senator Karen Fraser, and was co-sponsored by six other senators, including myself. It passed out of the Consumer Protection and Housing Committee with a 7 to 2 vote, and is currently in the Rules Committee. I'm certainly willing to discuss potential modifications to SB 5544, in order to make it reasonable for all concerned stakeholders. However, I'm not going to retract my support of general idea of the legislation: to give people some peace and quiet when they are in their homes, and to place reasonable limits on the decibel levels of ORV's. It's possible that SB 5544 in its current form is too burdonsome -- that's why we're still discussing the details with a wide range of folks.

I'll leave you with a quote from an e-mail sent to me last week by a motorcyclist.

"I am a motorcyclist and I SUPPORT you and your efforts with SB 5544. I enjoy the sport of motorcycling. It is a wonderful pastime. I also enjoy many other things which bring me into the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest---hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, beachcombing. I am in complete agreement with you regarding the increased level of noise which has been introduced into our environment by motorized vehicles that are operating at a louder level than need be. This is true not just in natural areas such as forest lands, beaches, and mountain trails; but also within our urban environment. Motorized vehicles such as snow machines, personal watercraft, motorcycles, and automobiles are increasingly operated with minimal sound restrictions. Again, I must emphasize that I am taking this position as an avid motorcyclist. I can say this because the motorcycle that I ride is quieter than most automobiles. It has a factory installed muffler. Please stand firm in your commitment to SB 5544. You have many supporters like myself-----including many whom are Washington voters."

Yours truly,

Adam

Senator Adam Kline

[blue89]

While he may have good intentions, the current revisions to the bill leave it open to interpetation.

[DBL_TKE]

Sounds to me like all of his "bad experiences" would have been prevented with better security. i.e. drunk teens riding personal watercraft in excess of 30-40 mph. Don't they have speed limits on lakes and rivers? Not to mention any person consuming alcohol under the age of 21 is committing a crime. Get better police and he wouldn't have that problem. For the snowmobiles/ motorcycles on trails marked "No Motorized Use." If security would patrol those trails then they wouldn't be there in the first place to annoy the guy.

And 45 dB at 10 feet from a home? thats ridicules. how about starting an older diesel truck and driving it up the street. Diesel trucks are easily in excess of 45 dB.

But don't underestimate how loud 108 dB is. That is pretty close to causing ear damage. At PIR no car can be in excess of 103 dB. Most cars with open headers will barely exceed this. If your car is over 93 dB then you can only race until 10 pm, no later. We don't have to send very many people home. most are under 93 dB unless their car is fully built and is pretty much a dedicated track car.

However it does sound like he is just trying to get some revenge because of his bad experiences. I think it's just ridicules how people who live near a race track will complain about the noise. Don't move there if it bothers you.

[Xophertony]

MY CAR exeeds 93 DBA @3". atleast it did at the DEQ station. sheer luck allowed me to pass.

[Dewey316]

[RSFreak]

If they try to fine me for the db level of my car, they had damn well better show me proof in the form of a db meter at the exact spot from which the complaint was made while my car is running however far away! I'd go to court over that sh*t!

[rjmcgee]