Upcoming Meetings:
ABATE of SC Legislative Meeting at Natures Deli located at 1616 Taylor St, Columbia, SC. Call 803-748-9344 for directions to Natures Deli.
This Week's Photos:
Last Saturday some friends and I attended the first ever bike night in Hendersonville, NC. Hendersonville closed Main Street to all traffic other than motorcycles! See who turned out and how I won a trophy at this event at: http://fastfreds.com/trips/HendersonvilleBikeNight/
~FF
1) If we only endanger ourselves, should government intervene?
2) Fashion victims: authorities worried about helmet fad
3) Charleston School Board: “Bitch,” Please
4) Hendersonville, NC Bike Night Benefit for Kid’s Alliance to Skate
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1) If we only endanger ourselves, should government intervene?
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http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/theeditorialpage/story.html?id=97f6e2cc-7f62-47cf-8ded-9e39662839d5
If we only endanger ourselves, should government intervene?
Rob Breakenridge
Calgary Herald
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Foolish decisions can be broken down into two categories: those which put others at risk and those that pose a risk solely to the decision-maker.
It is a most obvious priority for government to guard against the former, but why the need to guard against the latter?
The Alberta government is reviewing its safety rules for all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use. Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette has made it known that he'd like to see a mandatory helmet law introduced.
This is all in response to pressure from injury researchers and activists who are crying "crisis" after a sharp increase in the number of ATV fatalities in Alberta. Just four fatalities were registered in 2001, but that jumped to 12 in 2005, 22 in 2006, and 17 in 2007. Yet no safety laws were repealed during that period.
Meanwhile, we've seen an even sharper increase in the number of ATVs in use, with Alberta leading the way nationally. More than 89,000 new ATVs were sold in Canada in 2006, with 26 per cent of those sold here in Alberta. It's been a steady trend, as ATV sales in Canada tripled between 1996 and 2001.
Moreover, as the Canada Safety Council has pointed out, on a per-ATV basis, the rate of injury has been improving over the last 10 years.
When it comes to ATVs, obtaining some training and wearing a helmet is advisable. Most responsible users already do so. Some clearly do not, but is that because they're waiting for the law to tell them to do so?
If someone knows the risks of inexperience and/or not wearing a helmet and makes a foolish decision anyway, what difference would more regulation make?
Shouldn't government's priority be improving safety in areas where it's outside our control? Gang shootouts put others at risk. Drunk drivers put others at risk. Tainted food puts others at risk. ATV users do not.
As tragic as any death is, the reality is that someone riding his ATV recklessly and without a helmet in some remote back country is a threat to no one but himself. At the risk of sounding callous, it's really not my problem nor is it my business.
Of course, we always hear the health-care arguments -- that costs of responding to and treating these injuries are too high and taking a too much of toll on those working in the system.
Universal health care should not be an excuse for government to run our lives. By that rationale, it should be illegal to not exercise 30 minutes a day. And no doubt we'd see fewer hospital visits if everyone wore a helmet while climbing a ladder or ice skating or just walking around in general.
Even if you accept the need for new laws, would they make a difference?
An excellent example of how ineffective state intervention is as opposed to education, common sense and responsibility can be found in New Hampshire, which is the last U.S. state without a law mandating seatbelt use for adults.
To be sure, New Hampshire's rate of seatbelt use is among the lowest in the United States, but that has not led to high fatality rates. In fact, it is among the lowest -- 16th overall in 2005.
Which begs the question -- do safety measures such as seatbelts or helmets create a false sense of security in some people, thereby leading to more risk-taking?
When it comes to any new ATV laws or regulations, the enforcement hurdles cannot be overlooked.
As troublesome as the notion is of a drunk, helmetless yahoo ripping around his acreage on an ATV, the notion of law enforcement entering that private property to write a ticket is far more disturbing.
But, of course, law enforcement would not be there to write a ticket, just as there is no possible way to police the vast majority of ATV use.
For example, it's already illegal to operate an ATV while under the influence of alcohol. How many riders do you think have been cited for that? Again, it's common sense and responsibility -- not fear of legal repercussions -- that guide the majority of ATV users in the decision to ride sober.
The province would do much better to look at ways of promoting ATV safety. Education will go a long way in helping to change attitudes, or ensuring that foolish decisions are at least informed ones.
- Rob Breakenridge hosts The World Tonight, weeknights from 6:30 to 9 on AM770 CHQR. rob.breakenridge@corusent.com
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2) Fashion victims: authorities worried about helmet fad
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http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=40606
Fashion victims: authorities worried about helmet fad
Six months after helmets became compulsory for all motorbike riders, many young people are using the supposed safety gear to make fashion statements.
A salesclerk at a shop on Ho Chi Minh City’s Nguyen Trai Street said the best-selling helmets were made of lightweight plastic and had large brims or covered only half the head.
Customer Truong Thien K. said she was looking for a white helmet to go with her new white dress.
She said before the helmet law came into force, she could match her hat to her outfit but now she didn’t have as many choices.
“I only have two helmets and I’m gonna buy this white cap-like helmet,” K. said, adding that she didn’t care about quality.
Many helmet shop owners said they weren’t worried by the ban on substandard stylish helmets, which will come into effect in November.
The shop owners said the stylish helmets they were selling all had quality control stickers.
However, the stickers on different helmet types vary.
They don’t give much information about the manufacturer of the helmet, apart from a company name.
A shop owner on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street said her shop had a lot of stylish helmets of “great quality.”
However, she refused to discuss the origins of the helmets.
On Friday Tran Quoc Tuan, deputy head of the Department for Goods Quality Control, said neitherthe Ministry of Science and Technology and its Directorate for Standards and Quality had issued any document to ban stylish helmets.
According to Tuan, many stylish helmets met quality standards.
Only unqualified helmets, especially those which look like normal caps, were not allowed to be used by motorists, he said.
The directorate’s Vietnam Standards Center said all helmets must have quality control stickers with the names of the producer, importer, exporter or distributor and the date of manufacture.
Helmets produced or imported after November 15, the date the ban on substandard helmets becomes effective, must also be labeled “helmets for motorbike riders,” the center said.
Tuan said helmets shops would be asked to separate the products with and without such labels to ensure customers were not misled.
He said the ban on sub-standard helmets was not aimed at motorists as they were only the consumers of the product.
Instead, producers of poor quality helmets would be fined, he said, adding that the penalties would be harsher.
Tran Son Ha, deputy director of the Road and Railway Traffic Police Department, said it would be hard to fine motorbike riders who wore substandard crash helmets because they may be unable to tell real from fake products.
Moreover, there were not enough police officers to stop all motorists and check their helmets to see whether they met safety standards or not, Ha said.
Motorists should be aware of the safety benefits of wearing helmets on the streets and they should choose quality products, he said.
Ha concluded that the most effective way to ban unsafe crash helmets was to target those who produced and sold them.
Recently, market control departments of all localities nationwide have been asked to impose strict penalties on factories making fake and substandard helmets.
The watchdogs have also been asked to watch for cross-border helmet-smuggling.
Under a “name and shame” policy, businesses and individuals caught making or smuggling substandard helmets will be identified in the media.
Reported by Thanh Nien staff
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3) Charleston School Board: “Bitch,” Please
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http://news.ccpblogs.com/2008/07/22/charleston-school-board-bitch-please/
Charleston School Board: “Bitch,” Please
The Charleston County School District failed to pass a new policy that would have penalized members for being foul-mouthed grumpy old men.
Last month, The Post and Courier broke a story about board member Arthur Ravenel threatening the job of Superintendent Nancy McGinley and claiming that he’d “gotten rid of one bitch (former Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson)” and he’d get rid of another.
The board claimed to have addressed the issue behind closed doors, but the community outcry after Ravenel’s comments were revealed led to a proposed policy change that called for civility in discussing district matters, with penalties including a public reprimand and potential removal from office.
In a now typical 4-4 split, the board could not pass the new rules and they’ll be sent back to committee for consideration. Board Vice Chairwoman Nancy Cook voted against the measure because she said she didn’t feel like her brothers keeper.
“I can’t imagine any board initiating removal from office,” she said. “That’s for voters to decide.”
Ravenel, who also voted against the new rules, continued to defend his actions.
“This is political, feel good stuff,” he said. “I think it’s a little silly.”
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Hendersonville, NC Bike Night Benefit for Kid’s Alliance to Skate
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http://www.skatehendersonville.com/HendersonvilleBikeNight.htm
Bike Night Benefit
Coming to Historic Downtown Hendersonville, NC
Hendersonville, NC
Historic Downtown Hendersonville will be hosting the first of a three event series on Saturday, July 26th, August 16, and September, 27, 2008 from 6-9pm rain or shine. All are invited to Hendersonville, on Hwy 64 just off I-26, to enjoy an evening of fun that will begin at 6pm. The street will be blocked off for bike parking. The activities will include music by Consciously Sedated, bike games and The Carolinas' Full throttle Magazine staff will award The Best Bike Award to one lucky rider. There will be food and beer available from participating merchants and local business are encouraged to remain open for browsing or shopping. There will also be hundreds of raffle prizes donated by area merchants, so make it a point to ride to Historic Downtown Hendersonville for these events.
The events are part of a fundraising effort for the Kid's Alliance Skate Park. The goal is to raise $68,000 for a new skate plaza for Hendersonville youth at Patton Park. The Hendersonville Kid’s Alliance to Skate, organized in the spring of 2006 by five local teens, sought the guidance & support of city leaders and businesses to realize their goal of a street skating plaza for the youth of the area.
The Kids Alliance is only $68,000 from their goal of $350,000. The final 12,000 square foot park design has been approved by the City of Hendersonville and is currently under bid for construction later this year. The Skate Plaza will be located in Patton Park on Asheville Highway.
Please join us by making a tax-deductible donation. Donations are accepted at any Mountain First Bank location; the Community Foundation of Henderson County
Kids Alliance Skate Plaza Fund
P.O. Box 1108
Hendersonville, NC 28793
and at www.skatehendersonville.com. For more information, please visit the website or call (828) 697-6224.
Skateboarding is illegal in the town of Hendersonville and continues to pose an issue for the safety of our youth, the downtown area, and our merchants.
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