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There has been some confusion over the numbers of
registered motorcycles in Texas and the accident/injury/death rate. The
feds are claiming there are 140,000 motorcycles in this state and that the
death rate for bikers has gone way up since SB 99 was enacted in 1997. The
last report I read from Austin claims there are 375,000 registered bikes
in Texas. To try and clear this up I called the Motorcycle Safety Bureau.
Personnel there told me as of this year there are 162,000 motorcycles
registered in Texas. It's always a good idea to get two or more sources of
information, so I also called licensing and registration, but kept getting
recordings. I then called State Representative Ron Clark's office. A new
assistant (a man named Gilbert I believe) said he'd get right on it. He
called me back a little while later and confirmed the 162,000 registered
road bike number. He also rattled off some numbers for ATVs, which at one
time had to be registered to be used on government land, and for mopeds. I
didn't snap to it at the time, but it may well be that in the past ATV and
moped numbers were lumped in with full size motorcycle registrations. This
would account for the 200,000 extra motorcycles. If so, and this is only
speculation, perhaps the accident and injury numbers were also compiled on
one list. This would result in inflated numbers on injury reports for
bureaucrats to howl about. News' reports claim there is a 14% increase in
fuel consumption nationwide. In Texas, which is experiencing a population
boom and is basically one giant construction site, the consumption rates
are probably higher. More trucks, cars, motorcycles and new road
construction. It would be a miracle if the accident rate didn't rise.
This, however, is not our main problem. In 1997 at a committee hearing on
SB 99 there were at least half a dozen government safetycrats testifying
unsuccessfully against us. The salaries, retirement and government
benefits of just one of these people would probably support the families
of three construction workers, maybe more. Doubtless, their expenses in
traveling to Austin were covered by government funds, while we have to
pick our own pockets to confront them. How much more economic activity,
lower taxes and higher pay would result for average citizens if not for
the existence of these human parasites? Who create nothing, but more
bureaucrats and useless statutes, that control and literally enslave us.
We've won some battles, but not the war, not by a long shot. The beast is
still out there. Feeding on your money. As Lead Dog pointed out a few
years ago. The government needs to build roads and deliver the mail. I
would add, "Leave my skinny ass alone while you're doing it."
And, while I'm thinking about the contents of BVDs. A few years ago at a
convention in Irving I talked briefly with a rider who was an elected
official in the Dakotas and who chaired his state's budget committee. He
said when you have their budget in one hand you have their cajones in the
other. Makes me walk funny just thinking about it. Ride safe and remember
to keep squeezing. Make that government beast howl.
End
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Rants
