Image Copyright 2006- Sons of Liberty Riders
December 3, 2006
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SONS OF LIBERTY RIDERS E-NEWS
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Contents:
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1. US DOT Statistics
2. The Hidden Danger of Seat Belts
3. Biker fatalities raise concerns
4. Feds Quietly Assign Terror Risk Scores to Millions of Americans
5. These terror busters mix motorcycles and swagger
6. S.C. police working to cut biker fatalities
7. New Rules Make Firms Track E-Mails, IMs
8. Helmet law gets results
9. Vermont judge rejects U.S. Supreme Court search ruling
10. AMA PLEDGES $100,000 TO HELP FUND MOTORCYCLE CRASH STUDY
11. Why we love government
12. Honolulu police officer injured during Bush's visit dies
13. Deja Vu in Florida
14. Bikers Threatened With Hefty Noise Fines in Carefree, Arizona
15. Coon Rapids man kills home invader
16. Oklahoma Police Equip Motorcycles with Cameras
17. Experts Concerned as Ballot Problems Persist
18. PA. - Report gives state a ŒB‚ for highway safety laws
19. From the Lighter Side of the Saddle Bag
20. Show your support for the fight.
http://www.solriders.com/products/
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1. US DOT Statistics
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Check it out at:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2006/810678.pdf
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2. The Hidden Danger of Seat Belts
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http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1564465,00.html?cnn=yes
The Hidden Danger of Seat Belts
They still decrease our risk of dying, but the statistics are not all
black and
white. In fact, according to one researcher, seat belts may actually cause
people to drive more recklessly
By DAVID BJERKLIE
Posted Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006
If there's one thing we know about our risky world, it's that seat belts
save
lives, right? And they do, of course. But reality, as usual, is messier
and more
complicated than that. John Adams, risk expert and emeritus professor of
geography at University College London, was an early skeptic of the seat
belt
safety mantra. Adams first began to look at the numbers more than 25
years ago.
What he found was that contrary to conventional wisdom, mandating the use of
seat belts in 18 countries resulted in either no change or actually a net
increase in road accident deaths.
How can that be? Adams' interpretation of the data rests on the notion
of risk
compensation, the idea that individuals tend to adjust their behavior in
response to what they perceive as changes in the level of risk. Imagine,
explains Adams, a driver negotiating a curve in the road. Let's make him
a young
male. He is going to be influenced by his perceptions of both the risks and
rewards of driving a car. The considerations could include getting to
work or
meeting a friend for dinner on time, impressing a companion with his driving
skills, bolstering his image of himself as an accomplished driver. They
could
also include his concern for his own safety and desire to live to a ripe old
age, his feelings of responsibility for a toddler with him in a car
seat, the
cost of banging up his shiny new car or losing his license. Nor will these
possible concerns exist in a vacuum. He will be taking into account the
weather
and the condition of the road, the amount of traffic and the
capabilities of the
car he is driving. But crucially, says Adams, this driver will also be
adjusting
his behavior in response to what he perceives are changes in risks. If he is
wearing a seat belt and his car has front and side air bags and
anti-skid brakes
to boot, he may in turn drive a bit more daringly.
The point, stresses Adams, is that drivers who feel safe may actually
increase
the risk that they pose to other drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and
their own
passengers (while an average of 80% of drivers buckle up, only 68% of their
rear-seat passengers do). And risk compensation is hardly confined to
the act of
driving a car. Think of a trapeze artist, suggests Adams, or a rock climber,
motorcyclist or college kid on a hot date. Add some safety equipment to the
equation ˜ a net, rope, helmet or a condom respectively ˜ and the person
may try
maneuvers that he or she would otherwise consider foolish. In the case
of seat
belts, instead of a simple, straightforward reduction in deaths, the end
result
is actually a more complicated redistribution of risk and fatalities.
For the
sake of argument, offers Adams, imagine how it might affect the behavior of
drivers if a sharp stake were mounted in the middle of the steering
wheel? Or if
the bumper were packed with explosives. Perverse, yes, but it certainly
provides
a vivid example of how a perception of risk could modify behavior.
In everyday life, risk is a moving target, not a set number as
statistics might
suggest. In addition to external factors, each individual has his or her own
internal comfort level with risk-taking. Some are daring while others are
cautious by nature. And still others are fatalists who may believe that
a higher
power devises mortality schedules that fix a predetermined time when our
number
is up. Consequently, any single measurement assigned to the risk of
driving a
car is bound to be only the roughest sort of benchmark. Adams cites as an
example the statistical fact that a young man is 100 times more likely to be
involved in a severe crash than is a middle-aged woman. Similarly, someone
driving at 3:00 a.m. Sunday is more than 100 times more likely to die than
someone driving at 10:00 a.m. Sunday. Someone with a personality
disorder is 10
times more likely to die. And let's say he's also drunk. Tally up all these
factors and consider them independently, says Adams, and you could
arrive at a
statistical prediction that a disturbed, drunken young man driving in
the middle
of the night is 2.7 million times more likely to be involved in a serious
accident than would a sober, middle-aged woman driving to church seven hours
later.
The bottom line is that risk doesn't exist in a vacuum and that there
are a host
of factors that come into play, including the rewards of risk, whether
they are
financial, physical or emotional. It is this very human context in which
risk
exists that is key, says Adams, who titled one of his recent blogs:
"What kills
you matters ˜ not numbers." Our reactions to risk very much depend on
the degree
to which it is voluntary (scuba diving), unavoidable (public transit) or
imposed
(air quality), the degree to which we feel we are in control (driving)
or at the
mercy of others (plane travel), and the degree to which the source of
possible
danger is benign (doctor's orders), indifferent (nature) or malign
(murder and
terrorism). We make dozens of risk calculations daily, but you can book odds
that most of them are so automatic˜or visceral˜that we barely notice them.
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3. Biker fatalities raise concerns
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http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_5172594,00.html
Biker fatalities raise concerns
Nueces County ranks 9th in state in 2005
By mary ann cavazos Caller-Times
November 27, 2006
A steady increase in the number of motorcyclist deaths in Nueces County over
several years has prompted law enforcement, safety and transportation
officials
to take an aggressive approach in preventing fatal traffic accidents.
"When we noticed the spike, we knew we had to do everything we could to
educate
people," said Capt. Robert MacDonald, Corpus Christi police traffic
supervisor.
Public service announcements, safety presentations at community events and
meetings with motorcycle clubs were all part of the effort to reach riders.
Nueces County, which has a population of more than 300,000, was ranked
ninth in
the state based on the number of motorcyclist deaths in 2005, according to a
statistical study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There
were 10 motorcyclist deaths in the county that year.
Bexar County, which includes San Antonio and has a population of about 1.5
million, ranked 10th on the list with nine deaths. Harris County, which
includes
Houston, had the highest number of motorcyclist deaths in 2005 with 47 in a
population of 3.7 million. There were a total of 360 deaths in the state
that
same year.
Since January, three riders have died in traffic accidents in Corpus
Christi,
MacDonald said.
In May, two motorcyclists were struck by a Jeep Cherokee after the vehicle
crossed a median, sideswiping one rider and colliding with the second. A
third
man was killed in an August motorcycle accident after he lost control of the
bike and struck a center median at a highway overpass.
"It wasn't just the high number of fatalities we were concerned about -
it was
all the injuries. One group lost five guys over the years and another was
crippled," MacDonald said. Road rash, broken bones and loss of limbs are
other
injuries that riders must face, he said.
Although inexperienced riders cause many deaths, a majority were caused by
excessive speed or riders using highways to pull dangerous tricks.
"We have to have a zero-tolerance policy. When we see someone stunt
riding or
racing we'll stop them, ticket them or arrest them and impound the bike,"
MacDonald said. "We're doing education and enforcement."
Motorcycle operators must hold a valid motorcycle license, which they
receive
after passing a written test covering traffic laws pertaining to
motorcycles and
a road test. The road test may be waived.
Bill Strawn, traffic safety specialist for the Texas Department of
Transportation said the increase in fatalities is a statewide trend.
"The numbers have gone up every year. We've got to teach people that
speed and
don't wear helmets that they are not invincible," Strawn said.
To help prevent fatal traffic accidents, the Texas Department of
Transportation
plans to launch the statewide Motorcycle Safety Awareness program by
late 2007.
Kevin Pacacha, who has been a motorcycle rider for 27 years, said he makes a
point of always wearing a helmet and obeying traffic laws but fears a small
number of riders are giving motorcyclists a negative image.
"A lot of kids have easy access to sport bikes and are not educated on
how to
handle them. Most of them don't wear helmets either," said Pacacha, sales
manager at Corpus Christi Harley-Davidson.
Texas law states that to be exempt from wearing a helmet, a rider must be at
least 21 years of age and have completed a motorcycle safety course or be
covered by a health insurance plan with at least $10,000 in medical
benefits for
motorcycle-related injuries.
Pacacha said sport bikes often are available at lower costs than larger,
more
durable bikes, drawing younger riders with less disposable income.
During the past year he's seen dozens more people register for the store's
three-day long safety classes than last year.
"Sometimes the accidents aren't even the rider's fault. It's other vehicles.
People will change lanes without signaling," Pacacha said.
Contact Mary Ann Cavazos at 886-3623 or HYPERLINK mailto:cavazosm@caller.com
cavazosm@caller.com
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4. Feds Quietly Assign Terror Risk Scores to Millions of Americans
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,233459,00.html
Feds Quietly Assign Terror Risk Scores to Millions of Americans
Friday, December 01, 2006
WASHINGTON ˜ Without their knowledge, millions of Americans and foreigners
crossing U.S. borders in the past four years have been assigned scores
generated
by U.S. government computers rating the risk that the travelers are
terrorists
or criminals.
The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk
assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years.
The government calls the system critical to national security following the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Some privacy advocates call it one of the
most intrusive and risky schemes yet mounted in the name of anti-terrorism
efforts.
Virtually every person entering and leaving the United States by air, sea or
land is scored by the Homeland Security Department's Automated Targeting
System,
or ATS. The scores are based on ATS' analysis of their travel records
and other
data, including items such as where they are from, how they paid for
tickets,
their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and
what
kind of meal they ordered.
The use of the program on travelers was quietly disclosed earlier this month
when the department put a notice detailing ATS in the Federal Register, a
fine-print compendium of federal rules. The few civil liberties lawyers
who had
heard of ATS and even some law enforcement officers said they had
thought it was
only used to screen cargo.
The Homeland Security Department called the program "one of the most
advanced
targeting systems in the world" and said the nation's ability to spot
criminals
and other security threats "would be critically impaired without access
to this
data."
But to David Sobel, a lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group
devoted to civil liberties in cyberspace: "It's probably the most invasive
system the government has yet deployed in terms of the number of people
affected."
Government officials could not say whether ATS has apprehended any
terrorists.
Based on all the information available to them, federal agents turn back
about
45 foreign criminals a day at U.S. borders, according to Homeland Security's
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Bill Anthony. He could not say
how many
were spotted by ATS.
"Homeland Security ought to focus on the simple things it can do and
stop trying
to build these overly complex jury-rigged systems," said Barry
Steinhardt, an
American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, citing problems the agency has had
developing a computerized screening system for domestic air travelers.
That data-mining project ˜ now known as Secure Flight ˜ caused a furor
two years
ago in Congress. Lawmakers barred its implementation until it can pass
10 tests
for accuracy and privacy protection.
In comments to the government about ATS, Sobel said, "Some individuals
will be
denied the right to travel and many the right to travel free of unwarranted
interference."
Sobel said in the interview that the government notice also raises the
possibility that faulty risk assessments could cost innocent people jobs in
shipping or travel, government contracts, licenses or other benefits.
The government notice says some or all of the ATS data about an
individual may
be shared with state, local and foreign governments for use in hiring
decisions
and in granting licenses, security clearances, contracts or other
benefits. In
some cases, the data may be shared with courts, Congress and even private
contractors.
"Everybody else can see it, but you can't," Stephen Yale-Loehr, an
immigration
lawyer who teaches at Cornell Law school, said in an interview.
But Jayson P. Ahern, an assistant commissioner of Customs and Border
Protection,
said the ATS ratings simply allow agents at the border to pick out
people not
previously identified by law enforcement as potential terrorists or
criminals
and send them for additional searches and interviews.
"It does not replace the judgments of officers" in reaching a final decision
about a traveler, Ahern said in an interview Thursday.
This targeting system goes beyond traditional watch lists, Ahern said.
Border
agents compare arrival names with watch lists separately from the ATS
analysis.
In a privacy impact assessment posted on its Web site this week, Homeland
Security said ATS is aimed at discovering high-risk individuals who "may not
have been previously associated with a law enforcement action or
otherwise be
noted as a person of concern to law enforcement."
Ahern said ATS does this by applying rules derived from the government's
knowledge of terrorists and criminals to the passenger's travel records.
Ahern declined to disclose any of the rules, but a Homeland Security
document on
data-mining gave this innocuous example of a risk assessment rule: "If an
individual sponsors more than one fiancee for immigration at the same time,
there is likelihood of immigration fraud."
Ahern said ATS was first used to rate the risk posed by travelers in the
late
1990s, using personal information about them voluntarily supplied by air and
cruise lines.
A post-9/11 law vastly expanded the program, he said. It required
airline and
cruise companies to begin in 2002 sending the government electronic data in
advance on all passengers and crew bound into or out of the country. All
these
names are put through ATS analysis, Ahern said. In addition, at land border
crossings, agents enter license plates and the names of vehicle drivers and
passengers, and Amtrak voluntarily supplies passenger data on its trains
to and
from Canada, he said.
In the Federal Register, the department exempted ATS from many
provisions of the
Privacy Act designed to protect people from secret, possibly inaccurate
government dossiers. As a result, it said travelers cannot learn whether the
system has assessed them. Nor can they see the records "for the purpose of
contesting the content."
Toby Levin, senior adviser in Homeland Security's Privacy Office, noted
that the
department pledged to review the exemptions over the next 90 days based
on the
public comment received. As of Thursday, all 15 public comments received
opposed
the system outright or criticized its redress procedures.
The Homeland Security privacy impact statement added that "an individual
might
not be aware of the reason additional scrutiny is taking place, nor
should he or
she" because that might compromise the ATS' methods.
Nevertheless, Ahern said any traveler who objected to additional searches or
interviews could ask to speak to a supervisor to complain. Homeland
Security's
privacy impact statement said that if asked, border agents would hand
complaining passengers a one-page document that describes some, but not
all, of
the records that agents check and refers complaints to Custom and Border
Protection's Customer Satisfaction Unit.
Homeland Security's statement said travelers can use this office to obtain
corrections to the underlying data sources that the risk assessment is
based on,
but not to the risk assessment itself. The risk assessment changes
automatically
if the source data changes, the statement explained.
"I don't buy that at all," said Jim Malmberg, executive director of American
Consumer Credit Education Support Services, a private credit education
group.
Malmberg said it has been hard for citizens, including members of
Congress and
even infants, to stop being misidentified as terrorists because their names
match those on anti-terrorism watch lists. He noted that while the
government
plans to keep the risk assessments for 40 years, it doesn't intend to
keep all
the underlying data they are based on for that long.
Homeland Security, however, is nearing an announcement of a new effort to
improve redress programs and the public's awareness of them, according to a
department privacy official, who requested anonymity because the formal
announcement has not been made.
The department says that 87 million people a year enter the country by
air and
309 million enter by land or sea.
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5. These terror busters mix motorcycles and swagger
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http://jewishworldreview.com/1206/terror_busters.php3
These terror busters mix motorcycles and swagger
By Ned Warwick
JERUSALEM ˜ What looms suddenly in your rearview mirror and is past you in a
streak on the stone slip of a darkened street is crime-fighting
Israeli-style: two men, dressed in black, bent low on a dark motorcycle, the
one behind with his automatic rifle angled off his back, the bike darting
quick as a bat.
A moment later up ahead, near the Ben Yehuda shopping area in the center of
Jerusalem, a man is up against a wall, dressed in clothes that resemble what
a Hasidic Jew would wear, but in a faintly raffish way that doesn't quite
square with the sober probity of Hasidism. The backseat rider from the
motorcycle is frisking him; the driver, still atop his bike, is reaching for
the man's identification.
The man is eventually let go but not before he is closely questioned. He has
just had his first, and he hopes his last, brush with the motorcycle unit of
Yasam, an elite police unit.
In a city that has experienced war, terrorism, and its share of crime, the
sight of these fast-moving patrols elicits little reaction. But for
newcomers, the first impression is of something straight from a thriller or
a gritty science-fiction tale.
Their low-slung KLE 550 motorcycles are powerful and highly maneuverable,
the right specs for threading the clogged and narrow streets of this edgy
city at high speed.
And speed was of the essence one night in the summer of 2002, when, at the
height of the intifada, a Palestinian militant started firing automatic
weapons at pedestrians on busy Jaffa Street. A two-man Yasam team, blocks
away, heard the gunfire and raced to the scene.
Jumping off their bike, the officers confronted the gunman. Shots were
exchanged as pedestrians flattened on the sidewalk; the gunman was killed.
Tzvika Hassia, the superintendent of the Jerusalem Yasam force, said 24
members of his 80-person unit "ride and fight from motorbikes and are meant
to answer (to) special criminal or terrorist acts quickly, getting to where
cars can't go." Israel is divided into six police districts, and each has a
Yasam unit.
To even be considered for the Yasam unit, applicants must have served in one
of Israel's military combat units and been highly rated. Given that Israel
has had precious few days without conflict, that means nearly all have seen
action.
Their dark clothes, their no-nonsense bikes, and a certain common swagger
make them stand out in a country where many people wear uniforms and carry
guns.
"In my opinion, they are awesome," said Ya'akov Brod, 24, a security guard
for the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffeehouse on Jaffa Street near Zion Square.
"They are like the best of the best. Although they are police - if you ask
me - they are part of the army."
On the narrow, twisting streets of hilly Jerusalem, accidents on the bikes
are unavoidable.
"At the speeds we go, there is no way to avoid them," said Alon Weinstein,
31, who joined Yasam 2 ∏ years ago after serving in an army reconnaissance
unit.
"You have to like motorcycles. You live your life on them," he said,
grinning and cradling his M-16. "But this is the best place to be."
The men on each team rotate as the driver and the firepower on the back.
They carry M-16s and 9mm handguns. While the units were created - beginning
in Jerusalem - during the 1990s to deal with terrorism and then the intifada
and the upsurge in suicide bombers, they are no less busy since the intifada
gave out and the suicide attacks became rare, a police spokesman said.
While declining to give statistics, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, the
units are still stopping militant Palestinians trying to commit terrorist
acts. Much of the units' activity on that front takes place without
publicity, he said.
In Arab East Jerusalem, feelings toward the Yasam unit are not as warm as
those held elsewhere. In fact, none of the shopkeepers interviewed along
Salah Eddin Street had a good word for the unit, calling it anti-Arab.
"No one messes with Yasam, especially the ones on the bikes," said Amr
Sandouka, 25, who works in the family business selling electronics
equipment. "They are rude, violent, and have a license to kill."
"It is shocking to hear those words," Rosenfeld said. "Yasam is the most
advanced operational unit in the police that has stopped tens of terrorist
attacks and hundreds of criminal acts."
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6. S.C. police working to cut biker fatalities
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http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/16111897.htm
S.C. police working to cut biker fatalities
Officers reaching out to motorcyclists in effort to reduce record death toll
By JOHN MONK
jmonk@thestate.com
Faced with a record-breaking number of deaths of S.C. motorcyclists, state
police are reaching out to biker groups and dealers to try to slow the
carnage.
„We don‚t want to see more of them dying. We‚re already ahead of last year‚s
(record-setting) count,‰ said Max Young, highway safety director for the
S.C. Department of Public Safety.
Earlier this month, Young attended the first meeting of what police hope
will be a task force of law enforcement and motorcycle advocates. They hope
to find ways to reduce the body count in the increasingly popular activity
of motorcycle riding. A key goal: making sure inexperienced bikers get more
training to ride the heavy, complex machines.
As of Monday ˜ with five weeks to go until year‚s end ˜ 102 motorcyclists
had died on state roads. Last year‚s record was 94.
The deaths are the flip side to the alpha-male, „Easy Rider‰ image of bikers
cruising down highways on sleek choppers.
One major reason for the increase in fatalities in recent years is that
there are more bikers on the road. In 2000, the state had 51,436 registered
motorcycles; 86 bikers died. In 2005, there were 86,603 motorcycles
registered; 94 died. Motorcycles increased 68 percent during that period,
while motorcycle deaths increased 9 percent.
„It‚s the age-old story of statistics,‰ Young said. „Yes, if you look at
ratios, you can make the case that there‚s been an improvement. But is it
fair to say we are safer, even though we are killing more people each year?
That‚s not good. We need to strive toward zero.‰
Bikers themselves are mostly to blame for the rise in deaths, 2006
preliminary statistics suggest. In recent months, the S.C. Department of
Public Safety has been keeping a running analysis of this year‚s deaths.
The figures show:
In almost three-fourths of the fatal crashes ˜ 74 of 102 ˜ bikers
contributed to their own deaths. Eighteen bikers were driving under the
influence. Thirty-one were speeding or going too fast for conditions. Ten
ran off the road and hit ditches or trees, killing themselves or, in two
cases, a passenger on the motorcycle.
In four-fifths of the crashes ˜ 81 of the 102 ˜ the motorcyclists weren‚t
wearing a helmet. Head injuries are a leading cause of motorcycle deaths,
and helmets can save lives in 37 percent of motorcycle fatalities, according
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Drivers in other vehicles caused about one in five motorcyclists‚ deaths,
or 23 of 102.
A major reason for biker deaths is that many people are buying heavy,
expensive motorcycles and riding without much training, police and
motorcycle advocates said.
Many new bikers are middle-aged men who buy expensive motorcycles and think
riding them is easy, said Mary Eaddy, who represents the S.C. Motorcycle
Dealers Association and Harley-Davidson dealerships in Charleston and Myrtle
Beach.
They say, I don‚t need to take any training. I know how to drive a car,
she said.
Business is booming at S.C. motorcycle dealerships. In recent years, for
example, Harley-Davidson dealers have opened large stores in high-visibility
locations in or near Columbia, Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg and
Charleston. A top-of-the-line Harley, called the Ultra, weighs 950 pounds
and sells for about $21,000.
Tom Zepka, sales manager at Thunder Tower, a Harley dealership on I-20
outside Columbia, said he stresses to prospective customers ˜ even though it
might cost him a quick sale ˜ that they need training and experience to ride
today‚s motorcycles.
Zepka said he often likens motorcycle riding to a sport. If he finds a
potential buyer is a hunter or scuba diver or former football player, he
will explain that just as you needed training and a teacher for those
sports, you also need it for motorcycle riding.
We‚re all about education, he said of the regular training classes his
dealership offers. The finer points include not only teaching people how to
ride but where to ride, since some roads are more hazardous than others, he
said.
In South Carolina, anyone can buy a motorcycle without knowing how to ride
it.
Under S.C. law, it‚s possible to get a 180-day learner‚s motorcycle permit
by simply passing a vision and knowledge test. People who get these permits
are supposed to learn how to ride a motorcycle, then get a motorcycle
license, which requires a skill (riding) test.
Frankie Nelson, secretary of ABATE of South Carolina, a motorcycle rights
group, said the courses offered at tech schools are great ways to get
initial specialized training.
But, said Nelson and others, there are too few training sessions offered and
not enough publicity.
ABATE legislative coordinator Dennis Welborn, who attended the task force
meeting, said the group might push the Legislature for more money for
qualified instructors and courses.
If the Legislature does appropriate more money for training, the statistics
suggest South Carolinians will be the major beneficiaries.
According to the Public Safety Department‚s study of this year‚s deaths,
nearly nine out of 10 dead riders, or 90 of 102, were from South Carolina.
Five were from North Carolina, and one each, from seven other states.
People pushing for the task force are taking it for granted that, for now,
it would be of little use to seek a mandatory helmet law, given the
libertarian stance of both the Legislature and Gov. Mark Sanford. Moreover,
biker groups have a reputation for mounting fierce lobbying campaigns
against any proposed mandatory helmet laws.
South Carolina bikers 21 or older don‚t have to wear a helmet on a
motorcycle.
Most dealers push safety training, Eaddy said.
It‚s hard enough to get good customers. We don‚t want to see them kill
themselves.
Reach Monk at (803) 771-8344.
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7. New Rules Make Firms Track E-Mails, IMs
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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061201/D8LNRQB80.html
New Rules Make Firms Track E-Mails, IMs
Dec 1, 12:26 AM (ET)
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. companies will need to keep track of all the e-mails,
instant messages and other electronic documents generated by their employees
thanks to new federal rules that go into effect Friday, legal experts say.
The rules, approved by the Supreme Court in April, require companies and
other
entities involved in federal litigation to produce "electronically stored
information" as part of the discovery process, when evidence is shared
by both
sides before a trial.
The change makes it more important for companies to know what electronic
information they have and where. Under the new rules, an information
technology
employee who routinely copies over a backup computer tape could be
committing
the equivalent of "virtual shredding," said Alvin F. Lindsay, a partner
at Hogan
& Hartson LLP and expert on technology and litigation.
James Wright, director of electronic discovery at Halliburton Co. (HAL)
(HAL),
said that large companies are likely to face higher costs from
organizing their
data to comply with the rules. In addition to e-mail, companies will need to
know about things more difficult to track, like digital photos of work
sites on
employee cell phones and information on removable memory cards, he said.
Both federal and state courts have increasingly been requiring the
production of
relevant electronic documents during discovery, but the new rules codify the
practice, legal experts said.
The rules also require that lawyers provide information about where their
clients' electronic data is stored and how accessible it is much earlier
in a
lawsuit than was previously the case.
There are hundreds of "e-discovery vendors" and these businesses raked in
approximately $1.6 billion in 2006, Wright said. That figure could double in
2007, he added.
Another expense will likely stem from the additional time lawyers will
have to
spend reviewing electronic documents before turning them over to the
other side.
While the amount of data will be narrowed by electronic searches, some
high-paid
lawyers will still have to sift through casual e-mails about subjects like
"office birthday parties in the pantry" in order to find information
relevant to
a particular case.
Martha Dawson, a partner at the Seattle-based law firm of Preston Gates
& Ellis
LLP who specializes in electronic discovery, said the burden of the new
rules
won't be that great.
Companies will not have to alter how they retain their electronic
documents, she
said, but will have to do an "inventory of their IT system" in order to know
better where the documents are.
The new rules also provide better guidance on how electronic evidence is
to be
handled in federal litigation, including guidelines on how companies can
seek
exemptions from providing data that isn't "reasonably accessible," she said.
This could actually reduce the burden of electronic discovery, she said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Helmet law gets results
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/4796301.html?showAll=y&c=y
Helmet law gets results
Advocate Opinion page staff
Published: Dec 1, 2006
Among its many curious distinctions, Louisiana is the only state in the
nation
to have passed a mandatory motorcycle helmet law, repealed the law, and then
reinstated it. The state repealed its motorcycle helmet law in 1999 but
reinstated it in 2004.
The latest figures on motorcycle deaths in Louisiana seem to support the
wisdom
of requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets.
Although the number of motorcycle crashes in Louisiana has generally
climbed in
recent years, the number of fatalities from those accidents has dropped.
Between
1999 and 2003, during the absence of a mandatory helmet law, motorcycle
fatalities in Louisiana steadily climbed from 42 deaths per year to 83.
But in
2004, during which the reinstated helmet law was in effect for less than
half of
the year, motorcycle fatalities stopped their sharp increase and even
dropped a
bit, to 80 deaths that year. In 2005, Louisiana‚s motorcycle fatality rate
dropped even more, to 74.
Last year, in an anomaly from recent years, there were fewer motorcycle
crashes
in Louisiana. There were 1,940 crashes in 2005, compared with 1,971 in
2004. The
drop could be related to the decreased population in the latter part of
the year
because of the 2005 hurricanes.
One way to measure progress in motorcycle safety is to consider not only the
number of crashes in any given year, but how many of those crashes
resulted in
motorcycle fatalities. In 2005, there were 38 deaths per 1,000 motorcycle
crashes in Louisiana, compared with 41 per 1,000 motorcycle crashes in 2004.
It‚s a modest decrease, but notable when compared with the national trend.
Motorcycle fatalities across the United States jumped 13 percent in
2005, but
fell by 7.5 percent in Louisiana.
What‚s less encouraging in Louisiana‚s motorcycle accident numbers is
the number
of motorcycle crashes related to alcohol. The percentage of alcohol-related
motorcycle crashes in the state was 32 percent in 2005, compared with 19
percent
in 2004, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
That suggests that Louisiana‚s next priority for motorcycle safety, after
enforcement of the helmet law, should be stopping motorcyclists from
getting on
the road when they‚ve had too much to drink.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Vermont judge rejects U.S. Supreme Court search ruling
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://tinyurl.com/q3kmz
Vermont judge rejects U.S. Supreme Court search ruling
July 11, 2006
GUILDHALL, Vt. --A Vermont District Court judge has rejected a recent U.S.
Supreme Court ruling on the power of police to search a private home,
concluding
that the state offers greater protections in such cases.
Judge Robert Bent said that under the state Constitution police must
knock and
announce themselves before conducting a search, even if they have a
warrant, or
face the prospect that any evidence they find could be thrown out.
The Supreme Court said June 15 that evidence obtained without first knocking
could be used at trial, but Bent said that would not apply in Vermont.
"Evidence obtained in violation of the Vermont Constitution, or as the
result of
a violation, cannot be admitted at trial as a matter of state law," Bent
wrote,
citing an earlier state case as precedent. "Introduction of such evidence at
trial eviscerates our most sacred rights, impinges on individual privacy,
perverts our judicial process, distorts any notion of fairness and
encourages
official misconduct."
A defense lawyer in the Vermont case said Bent's ruling was an important
statement. "Sanity prevails in Vermont," said attorney David Williams.
Bent agreed with the dissenting opinion in the federal case, which said
allowing
otherwise illegally obtained evidence to be used could lead law enforcement
officers to ignore the law.
"The exclusionary remedy should remain in full force and effect," Bent
wrote,
"at least in our small corner of the nation."
Unless the attorney general's office appeals Bent's ruling to the Vermont
Supreme Court, it applies only to the drug case he was hearing and would
not be
binding on other judges, legal experts said. But other judges are likely
to take
it into consideration if they have similar issues, said Cheryl Hannah, a
Vermont
Law School professor.
It was unclear whether the state would appeal to the high court. The
prosecutor
on the case was on vacation and unavailable for comment.
Williams challenged evidence the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force
obtained
against Ellen Sheltra last fall during a raid on her Island Pond home.
She was
charged with marijuana possession.
The officers were gathering in front of the home Oct. 12 when the door
suddenly
opened, an officer testified. The agents shouted "state police with a search
warrant" and stormed inside, Bent wrote in his ruling.
The judge concluded the officer's testimony wasn't credible, noting that the
three adults and two children in the house said they did not open the door.
Police seized 88 grams of marijuana and four guns.
Information from: The Burlington Free Press,
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. AMA PLEDGES $100,000 TO HELP FUND MOTORCYCLE CRASH STUDY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A06054
Friday, December 1, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tom Lindsay
Phone: (614) 856-1900
E-mail: tlindsay@ama-cycle.org
AMA PLEDGES $100,000 TO HELP FUND MOTORCYCLE CRASH STUDY
-- Asks riders, industry to 'Fuel the Fund' --
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has
announced that it has committed $100,000 to help fund a comprehensive
nationwide study of motorcycle crashes, and encourages individual
motorcyclists, organizations, and businesses in the motorcycle industry
to contribute to the effort through the AMA's new "Fuel the Fund"
campaign.
In 2005, Congress approved federal funding to study the causes of
motorcycle crashes, the first such research in the U.S. in more than 25
years. The $2.8 million pledged by the government calls for another $2.8
million in matching funds from the American motorcycling community
before the entire federal grant will be released.
The AMA, in addition to spearheading the effort to secure federal
funding and committing the first matching funds, has launched "Fuel the
Fund," a national campaign allowing individuals and businesses to
contribute matching funds necessary to take full advantage of the
federal funding.
"After declining for more than a decade, motorcycling fatalities have
increased in recent years, prompting much speculation about the reasons
why," said Edward Moreland, AMA Vice President for Government Relations.
"Last year, Congress agreed that we need answers, not theories."
"Now, we're confident that American motorcyclists, rider groups,
motorcycle dealers and industry leaders will come together to raise the
matching funds required to get the crash study underway," said Moreland.
"This is about saving lives, and we need the help of everyone in the
motorcycling community to 'Fuel the Fund.'"
Contributions to "Fuel the Fund" can be made online at
www.fuelthefund.com; or by calling Cathy Brown at 800-AMA-JOIN ext.
1224; or by mail addressed to Fuel the Fund, c/o AMA, 13515 Yarmouth
Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147.
Legislation authorizing the funding of the crash study specifies that
research grants be provided to the Oklahoma Transportation Center,
located at Oklahoma State University. The last comprehensive study of
motorcycle crashes, commonly called the "Hurt Report" after University
of Southern California researcher Dr. Harry Hurt, was published in the
1970s.
The American Motorcyclist Association: rights. riding. racing. Founded
in 1924, the AMA is a non-profit organization with more than 280,000
members. The Association's purpose is to pursue, protect and promote the
interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs of its members. The
AMA also is the world's largest motorsports-sanctioning body. For more
information, visit the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com, or call
1-800-AMA-JOIN. For the latest news releases, visit the AMA News Room at
http://home.ama-cycle.org/newsroom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Why we love government
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/wwilliams.htm
Why we love government
WALTER WILLIAMS
By Walter E. Williams
December 1, 2006
Unlike today's Americans, the Founders of our nation were
suspicious, if not
contemptuous, of government. Consider just a few of their words.
James Madison suggested that "All men having power ought to be
distrusted to
a certain degree."
Thomas Paine observed, "We still find the greedy hand of government
thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping
at the
spoil of the multitude. ... It watches prosperity as its prey and
permits none
to escape without a tribute."
John Adams reminded, "You have rights antecedent to all earthly
governments;
rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights
derived from
the Great Legislator of the Universe."
Thomas Jefferson gave us several warnings that we've ignored: First,
"The
natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain
ground." Second, "The greatest [calamity] which could befall [us would be]
submission to a government of unlimited powers." And third, "Whensoever the
general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative,
void, and of no force."
In response to what Jefferson called an "elective despotism," he
suggested
that "The tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the
blood of
patriots and tyrants."
With sentiments like these, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison
became presidents. Could a person with similar sentiments win the presidency
today? My guess is no. Today's Americans hold such liberty-oriented
values in
contempt, and any presidential aspirant holding them would have a zero
chance of
winning office.
Today's Americans hold a different vision of government. It's one
that says
Congress has the right to do just about anything upon which it can secure a
majority vote. Most of what Congress does fits the description of
forcing one
American to serve the purposes of another American. That description differs
only in degree, but not in kind, from slavery.
At least two-thirds of the federal budget represents programs that
force one
American to serve the purposes of another. Younger workers are forced to
pay for
the prescriptions of older Americans; people who are not farmers are
forced to
serve those who are; nonpoor people are forced to serve poor people; and the
general public is forced to serve corporations, college students and other
special interests who have the ear of Congress.
The supreme tragedy that will lead to our undoing is that so far as
personal
economic self-interests are concerned, it is perfectly rational for every
American to seek to live at the expense of another American. Why? Not
doing so
doesn't mean he'll pay lower federal taxes. All it means is there will
be more
money for somebody else.
In other words, once Congress establishes that one person can live
at the
expense of another, it pays for everyone to try to do so. You say,
"Williams,
don't you believe in helping your fellow man?" Yes, I do. I believe that
reaching into one's own pockets to help one's fellow man is both
laudable and
praiseworthy. Reaching into another's pockets to help one's fellow man is
despicable and worthy of condemnation.
The bottom line: We love government because it enables us to accomplish
things that if done privately would lead to arrest and imprisonment. For
example, if I saw a person in need, and I took your money to help him, I
would
be arrested and convicted of theft. If I get Congress to do the same
thing, I am
seen as compassionate.
This vision ought to bother the Christians among us, for when God
gave Moses
the commandment "Thou shalt not steal," I'm sure He didn't mean thou
shalt not
steal unless you got a majority vote in Congress.
Walter E. Williams a nationally syndicated columnist and an economics
professor at George Mason University.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Honolulu police officer injured during Bush's visit dies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/26/death.bush.motorcade.ap/index.html
Honolulu police officer injured during Bush's visit dies
POSTED: 8:59 a.m. EST, November 27, 2006
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- A motorcycle officer injured last week while
escorting
President Bush in the islands died Sunday, police said.
Steve Favela, 30, and two other officers crashed their cycles as the
presidential motorcade was traveling across Hickam Air Force Base to
meet troops
for breakfast early Tuesday.
The other officers were treated at The Queen's Medical Center and released.
Favela, an eight-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department and
father of
four, had suffered internal injuries and had been listed in critical
condition
at the medical center. (Watch how the community responded with blood
donations )
Bush said in a statement that he and the first lady were "deeply
saddened" by
the death, and sent their condolences.
"Officer Favela risked his life every day to protect the people of his
community," Bush said in the statement. "In this time of great sadness,
we give
thanks for his life of service."
Police Capt. Frank Fujii said police officers across the state would
place black
bands across their badges in honor of Favela.
"When I received the phone call that Steve had passed away, quite frankly my
heart just sank to the guts of my stomach," Fujii said.
Light rain had been falling on the partly cloudy morning, and some roads
on the
base were slick.
Members of the White House medical team -- including an ambulance --
were cut
loose from the motorcade to help. Local ambulance and fire units also
responded.
Bush had spent the night on the base on his way back from a trip to
Indonesia
and Vietnam.
In a separate incident, a fourth solo motorcycle officer crashed and
injured his
wrist when attempting a U-turn on loose gravel while escorting the
president on
Monday night. He was also treated and released.
Also during the president's 16-hour stopover, a White House staff member was
hospitalized early Tuesday after being mugged by three assailants near
Waikiki
Beach.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. Deja Vu in Florida
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112706O.shtml
Deja Vu in Florida
The New York Times | Editorial
Sunday 26 November 2006
One of the great hazards of the way electronic voting has been
introduced in
the United States is that it could end up undermining democracy by producing
unreliable election results that cannot be truly audited or corrected. This
month, that nightmare became a reality. Voting machines in a
Congressional race
in Florida - where else? - may have swallowed about 18,000 votes, far
more than
the nominal winner's razor-thin margin of victory. Because those votes
were in
the loser's strongest county, if there was a computer glitch it probably
changed
the outcome of the race.
Vern Buchanan, the Republican candidate in Florida's 13th Congressional
District, was certified the winner, with 369 more votes than the Democrat,
Christine Jennings. But voting machines in Sarasota County produced
about 18,000
"undervotes," ballots on which the voter made other choices, but did not
vote in
the Congressional race. There have been reports of voters saying that their
votes did not register when they chose Ms. Jennings, or that the race
did not
appear on their machines.
If the machines are to be believed - a big if - an extraordinary 14.9
percent of Sarasota County voters using the machines decided to skip the
Congressional race, a highly publicized contest that voters knew could help
decide which party controlled the House of Representatives. Among the
absentee
ballots, which were cast on paper, the undervotes were a more plausible 2.5
percent. The undervote rates in the district's other counties were far
less than
in Sarasota County.
There is a good chance that if something went wrong it changed the
result.
Sarasota was Ms. Jennings's strongest county, and The Orlando Sentinel's
analysis of the ballots that did not register a choice in the
Congressional race
found that the votes cast in other races were more Democratic than
Republican -
and by a margin of more than the 369 votes separating Mr. Buchanan and Ms.
Jennings.
The Jennings campaign has filed a lawsuit challenging the results. There
are, unfortunately, no voter-verified paper ballots, so all that can be
done is
to try to figure out what went on inside the "black boxes," as critics call
electronic voting machines that do not produce a paper record for each vote.
The campaign wants its experts to review the machines' secret computer
source code, the programming that runs the computer inside the machine,
to look
for problems. Election Systems and Software, the company that made the
machines,
is not saying whether it will allow this. If it resists, the courts
should order
the company to hand over the code - a requirement that should, in fact, be
routine in all places where electronic voting machines are used.
As Ms. Jennings's suit proceeds, we should learn more about what, if
anything, went wrong, and what the options are if any remedies are
needed. But
one verdict is already in: electronic voting without the full array of
protections, including a voter-verified paper trail, is unacceptable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. Bikers Threatened With Hefty Noise Fines in Carefree, Arizona
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,232309,00.html
Bikers Threatened With Hefty Noise Fines in Carefree, Arizona; Call Measure
'Discriminatory'
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
PHOENIX ˜ Carefree has posted signs threatening recreational motorcycle
riders
with $750 fines if their bikes make too much noise.
The signs went up Monday despite neighboring Cave Creek's protests that the
signs are discriminatory.
Local bikers oppose the signs and the fines, which previously were only $50.
However, motorcycle manufacturers generally applauded Carefree's efforts
to get
bikers to ride responsibly.
The signs are part of a program Carefree launched to encourage bikers to
throttle down as they ride through Carefree on their way to popular
biker bars
in Cave Creek. Bikers must ride through Carefree to get to Cave Creek.
The program emphasizes education as well as consequences.
Carefree also plans to spend $250,000 for increased law enforcement with the
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
The maximum number of decibels allowed is 80, down 5 decibels from the
town's
2002 noise ordinance. Eighty decibels is slightly quieter than a kitchen
garbage
disposal.
Carefree Councilman Bob Coady estimated that only 10 percent of bikers cause
problems, but there are so many bikers coming into Cave Creek on the
weekends
during the cooler months that the noise is unbearable.
At the Nov. 8 Carefree Town Council meeting, resident Mike Beck said
many of his
neighbors are so fed up they want to sell their homes, but it is too
noisy to
even show them.
Rebecca Bortner, spokeswoman for the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. in Milwaukee,
said the industry is keeping an eye on Carefree's program, particularly the
educational aspects in which the community is reaching out to bikers.
"It's a cool model," Bortner said. "We support the effort and are
interested in
the resolution."
Jen Dreis, media administrator for the Motorcycle Industry Council, said her
national organization is considering giving Carefree a grant to carry
out its
sound reduction campaign.
Carefree had hoped Cave Creek also would post signs, but Cave Creek Town
Manager
Usama Abujbarah refused.
Critics have accused Cave Creek of protecting bikers because of the huge
amount
of revenue they generate for that town.
"That's not it," Abujbarah said. "It's about not discriminating against
people."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. Coon Rapids man kills home invader
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.startribune.com/467/story/839249.html
Coon Rapids man kills home invader
A 73-year-old Coon Rapids man was at home alone Monday night when he
heard the
sounds of a break-in on the first floor and minutes later faced an
intruder in
his second-floor bedroom. Gerald Whaley told police he fired one shot.
Jim Adams, Star Tribune
Last update: November 28, 2006 ˆ 3:21 PM
A 73-year-old Coon Rapids man was at home alone Monday night when he
heard the
sounds of a break-in on the first floor and minutes later faced an
intruder in
his second-floor bedroom.
Gerald Whaley told police he fired one shot.
Police today are trying to identify the intruder who died of a single
gunshot
wound, in what appears to be a case of self-defense.
According to Capt. Robert Aldrich of the Anoka County Sheriff's Department:
Whaley told police he heard banging and rattling sounds as someone broke
through
his garage door and into his house at about 11 p.m. Monday.
Whaley said he grabbed the loaded .22-caliber single-shot rifle that he
keeps
near his bed. When a man carrying a flashlight suddenly came into his room,
Whaley fired a single shot.
Then intruder fled and Whaley, who has no telephone, dressed, climbed
out a back
window and went to a neighbors' house for help.
He was at his neighbor's house, still carrying his rifle, when police
arrived.
He was able to give a clear explanation of what happened at his house,
Aldrich
said.
Police found the intruder dead of a single-gunshot wound in his chest.
He had
fled down the stairs but collapsed in front of a door, Aldrich said.
The man appears to be about 20 years old, but was carrying no
identification and
was not armed.
Whaley told police he thought there was a second intruder, but Aldrich said
police aren't sure about that.
Whaley had no police record. Police don't yet know if the intruder has a
record.
Aldrich said it does not appear police will recommend charges against
Whaley.
But the final decision will be the Anoka County Attorney's, Aldrich said.
"You are in your own house," Aldrich said. "You have a right to defend
yourself
and protect yourself."
Police and neighbors speculated that the intruder might have targeted
the Whaley
house because it could have appeared unoccupied.
Whaley has no car and walks to work. The house is usually dark. Some of the
windows are covered by paper bags instead of curtains and the back yard is
overgrown with trees, neighbors said today.
Ray Hanson, 36, who lives across the street, said he wasn't surprised
someone
might break in.
Whaley himself is a recluse, Hanson said. ""The gentleman kept to
himself," he
said.
Whaley was married and has four grown children, Hanson said.
Jenni Elmore, who lives nearby, said Whaley walks to and from his job at Cub
Foods and seemed like a nice man. "He seemed sweet," she said.
This isn't the first shooting on Bittersweet St. NW.
Just over a year ago, a Coon Rapids man was charged with shooting his
father-in-law just a block away from the Whaley house.
Michael L. Bethke, 50, had argued with William H. Dosh Jr., 70, over the
messy
kitchen in Dosh's home in the 11800 block of Bittersweet.
Bethke shot Dosh and was later charged with intentional second-degree
murder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. Oklahoma Police Equip Motorcycles with Cameras
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?id=33718&siteSection=1
Oklahoma Police Equip Motorcycles with Cameras
Updated: November 27th, 2006 12:13 PM EDT
DIANA BALDWIN
The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)
EDMOND, Okla.-- "I was trying to get to the orthodontist," a woman
quickly told
an Edmond motorcycle police officer who stopped her car at 11th Street and
Boulevard one recent afternoon.
"I'm really a good person. You can check it out."
All of her excuses and pleas for a warning didn't stop her from getting
a ticket
for driving 19 miles over the 35 mph speed limit.
Her words and actions were clearly available the next day, and will remain
available for many years later, thanks to the police department's new
digital
cameras.
The department's six police motorcycles were equipped with wireless
recording
systems earlier this month.
Cameras are activated when the officer turns on the emergency lights. Each
officer is furnished with a body microphone, about the size of a small cell
phone, that fits inside a shirt pocket.
Three antennas were installed on the east side of the police station at 23 E
Main where data begins to transfer from the equipment on the motorcycle to a
server inside the department once the bike is parked at the station, police
officer Acey Hopper said.
"It is user-friendly," Hopper said. "All I have to do is turn my lights on."
Officers can call up prior-recorded traffic stops and add information
from the
ticket to the computer file. DVD recordings of the information can be
made from
a specific stop, then taken to court to be played for a judge or jury.
The cameras cost the city $5,200 each. The equipment was part of a
$183,474 bid
to buy the entire digital car video system for the police department. In
June,
the council accepted the bid which includes 24 in-car systems, the server,
wireless access points, backup and archiving station, and training.
Police Chief Bob Ricks said the purchase allows all patrol officers to
have a
camera system in their patrol vehicles, and one for the department's
motorcycles.
The new equipment gives the department a reliable system to gather and store
audio and video recordings from the patrol vehicles. The old system used
VHS and
8 mm tapes, creating a storage problem because of the large number of tapes,
Ricks said.
Work to install the cameras in the cars has started.
Technology advancements are not new to Hopper, who has been a motorcycle
officer
for seven years and an Edmond police officer for more than 15 years.
Bulky, hand-held microphones for the radios have gone to boom mikes
attached to
officers' helmets. Radar equipment has gone cordless, eliminating wires
running
along the side of the motorcycles ? and now, cameras with recording and
global
positioning system (GPS) capabilities.
"I don't know what else they can put up there," Hopper said, pointing to the
motorcycle handlebars. "They are running out of room.
"If they put a laptop up there, I may go back to a car."
Diana Baldwin: 475-3675
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. Experts Concerned as Ballot Problems Persist
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112606G.shtml
Experts Concerned as Ballot Problems Persist
By Ian Urbina and Christopher Drew
The New York Times
Sunday 26 November 2006
After six years of technological research, more than $4 billion spent by
Washington on new machinery and a widespread overhaul of the nation's voting
system, this month's midterm election revealed that the country is still far
from able to ensure that every vote counts.
Tens of thousands of voters, scattered across more than 25 states,
encountered serious problems at the polls, including failures in
sophisticated
new voting machines and confusion over new identification rules,
according to
interviews with election experts and officials.
In many places, the difficulties led to shortages of substitute paper
ballots and long lines that caused many voters to leave without casting
ballots.
Still, an association of top state election officials concluded that for the
most part, voting went as smoothly as expected.
Over the last three weeks, attention has been focused on a few close
races
affected by voting problems, including those in Florida and Ohio where
counting
dragged on for days. But because most of this year's races were not close,
election experts say voting problems may actually have been wider than
initially
estimated, with many malfunctions simply overlooked.
That oversight may not be possible in the presidential election of 2008,
when turnout will be higher and every vote will matter in what experts
say will
probably be a close race.
Voting experts say it is impossible to say how many votes were not
counted
that should have been. But in Florida alone, the discrepancies reported
across
Sarasota County and three others amount to more than 60,000 votes. In
Colorado,
as many as 20,000 people gave up trying to vote, election officials say,
as new
online systems for verifying voter registrations crashed repeatedly. And in
Arkansas, election officials tallied votes three times in one county,
and each
time the number of ballots cast changed by more than 30,000.
"If the success of an election is to be measured according to
whether each
voter's voice is heard, then we would have to conclude that this past
election
was not entirely a success," said Doug Chapin, director of
Electionline.org, a
nonpartisan election group that plans to release a report Wednesday with a
state-by-state assessment of voting. "In places where the margin of
victory was
bigger than the margin of error, we looked away from the problems, but
in 2008
we might not have that luxury."
Accusations of missing ballots and vote stuffing were not uncommon with
mechanical voting machines. But election experts say that with
electronic voting
machines, the potential consequences of misdeeds or errors are of a greater
magnitude. A single software error can affect thousands of votes, especially
with machines that keep no paper record.
There were a few signs of progress this month. Several states that faced
computer difficulties in the primaries fixed the kinks by Election Day
and were
better stocked with backup paper ballots. Fears that more stringent
identification laws in Indiana and Arizona would create confusion at the
polls
did not pan out.
And though recent test runs of new computerized voter registration
rolls in
Indiana and Missouri revealed large numbers of errors, on Election Day
reports
of problems with the databases were few and isolated. The National
Association
of Secretaries of States, which represents top election officials from
across
the country, has said Nov. 7 was generally "a good day."
But some of the biggest states have not been able to overcome
problems with
new technology or rules and the lightly trained poll workers who must
oversee
them. In Ohio, thousands of voters were turned away or forced to file
provisional ballots by poll workers puzzled by voter-identification
rules. In
Pennsylvania, the machines crashed or refused to start, producing many
reports
of vote-flipping, which means that voters press the button for one
candidate but
a different candidate's name appears on the screen.
Perhaps most notoriously, officials in Sarasota County say nearly 18,000
votes may never have been recorded by electronic machines in a Congressional
race, even though many voters said they tried to vote.
The recent problems will probably help propel legislation that has
stalled
for months in Congress mandating that electronic voting machines have a
paper
trail to better enable recounts. Less clear, experts say, is whether
anything
will be done to address concerns about the lack of technicians to
troubleshoot
machines, polling places with too few machines and poorly trained
workers, and a
system run by partisan election officials who may decide conflicts based on
politics rather than policy.
"These types of low-tech problems threaten to disenfranchise just as
many
people, if not more, but they tend to get less attention," said Tova
Wang, an
elections expert with the Century Foundation, a nonpartisan research
group in
New York. "We still have a long way to go toward fixing the biggest problems
with our election system."
Election workers and experts say the advances in technology have simply
overwhelmed many of the people trying to run things on the ground. At a
hearing
in Denver last week, one focus was on how hard it has become for the poll
workers, often retirees getting paid $100 for a 14-hour day, and what it
would
take to attract younger people who are perhaps more savvy about computers.
"It used to be that you would come in, set up the machines, make a
cup of
coffee and say hello to your neighbors," said Sigrid Freese, who has
worked at
Denver polling places for more than 20 years. Now, she said, the job is
complicated and stressful, and "I know a lot of people who said, 'Never
again.'
"
After widespread confusion and controversy caused by the hanging
chads of
the 2000 presidential election, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act in
2002 to help states phase out old-fashioned lever and punch-card
machines and to
introduce electronic voting equipment. But with malfunctions reported from a
handful of states in the primaries earlier this year, many voting
experts and
state officials feared that the new technology might have only swapped old
problems for newer, more complicated ones.
On Election Day, two voting-rights groups, Common Cause and the Election
Protection Coalition, fielded nearly 40,000 telephone calls on two
national hot
lines from voters' reporting of problems or seeking information, and
both groups
are due to release their findings within the next two weeks. An initial
review
of their data, along with interviews with officials and experts, reveals
that
Florida, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania were among the states with the most
calls reporting trouble, including long lines, names missing from voter
registration rolls, poll worker confusion and computer failures.
In a few places, the difficulties started as soon as voters walked
up to the
sign-in tables.
In Ohio, even a congressman, Steve Chabot, a Republican, was turned away
from his polling place because the address listed on his driver's
license was
different than his home address. Mr. Chabot was able to vote only after he
returned with a utility bill. The state's top election official had to fax a
midday notice to all precincts that such minor discrepancies were
acceptable.
In Denver, the culprit was a new electronic poll book, which workers
had to
consult through laptop computers. The system was supposed to verify each
voter's
name in less than a minute. But it started slowing at 7 a.m. and
eventually had
to be turned off and rebooted, after taking up to 20 minutes to find
each name.
As a result, voters waited in line for two to three hours. Liz
Prescott, a
computer industry executive, said she twice tried to vote but was
deterred by
the lines. "I'm just flabbergasted that this system at all levels
failed," Ms.
Prescott said.
John Gaydeski, Denver's election director, acknowledged that the
system had
not been tested properly before the election.
In Arkansas, Florida and Pennsylvania, the questions were about the
voting
machines themselves. In addition to the Sarasota issue, which may have been
caused by a software problem, there were similar problems in the Florida
counties of Charlotte, Lee and Sumter. In those counties, said Barbara Burt,
vice president and director for election reform at Common Cause, more than
40,000 voters who used touch-screen machines seemed not to have chosen a
candidate in the attorney general's race. But since one candidate won by
250,000
votes, the anomaly has been generally overlooked.
On election night in Arkansas, officials discovered that erroneous
results
had been tallied in Benton County. After retabulating the votes, they
announced
that the total number of ballots cast had jumped to 79,331 from 47,134,
which
meant a turnout of more than 100 percent in some precincts. After a third
tallying, the total dropped to 48,681.
In Pennsylvania, computer problems forced polling places in
Lancaster and
Lebanon Counties to stay open late. In Westmoreland County, a
programming error
in at least 800 machines caused long lines.
Mary Beth Kuznik, a poll worker in that county, said she had to
reset every
machine after each voter, or more than 500 times, because the machines kept
trying to shut down.
Howard Shaub, the elections board chairman in Lancaster County,
counseled
patience. "We used those old lever machines for 20, 30 years," Mr. Shaub
said.
"We just have to have better quality control and the new machines will work
fine."
But Ms. Kuznik said one man refused to vote on the electronic
machines and
demanded a provisional ballot. "At least my vote will be on a piece of
paper,"
Ms. Kuznik recalled his saying.
Bob Driehaus contributed reporting from Cincinnati.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. PA. - Report gives state a ŒB‚ for highway safety laws
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17524522&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416046&rfi=6
Report gives state a ŒB‚ for highway safety laws
STAFF REPORT
11/29/2006
As highway safety laws go, Pennsylvania is a B student, a newly released
report
card by the Emergency Nurses Association shows.
However, if legislators enact laws ensuring citizens buckle up, protect
their
heads better and limit the amount of peer pressure in cars operated by young
motorists, the state could move to the head of the class.
Pennsylvania scored a seven of 10 on the association‚s inaugural
Scorecard on
State Highway Laws, and local officials agree that the state is
delinquent in
the areas identified by the Illinois-based nonprofit group, which is
made up of
32,000 emergency room nurses.
The state‚s deficient areas include lack of a primary seat- belt law and a
universal motorcycle-helmet law, as well as no passenger limitations on cars
driven by teenagers.
„I would support legislation on all three of those things,‰ Scranton Police
Capt. Carl Graziano said.
Primary seat-belt laws allow police to pull over drivers simply for not
buckling
up. In Pennsylvania and other states with secondary enforcement laws,
officers
may only issue motorists citations for not wearing seat belts when they are
first pulled over for another violation.
Capt. Graziano said that while he would like to see a primary seat-belt law
enacted, that doesn‚t stop police from running „click it or ticket‰
campaigns,
such as those conducted by local police departments across the state
last week.
We cited 30 people on Wednesday alone, he said. People act very surprised
that they would get a ticket for that. They just don‚t take it seriously.
Capt. Graziano said he agrees with the association that the state‚s highways
would also be safer if motorcyclists were required to wear helmets.
Legislators modified the state‚s 35-year-old helmet law three years ago,
allowing those drivers 21 and older ˜ or who have taken a riding-safety
course ˜
to ride without helmets.
„We‚ve seen some nasty fatal accidents where I‚m sure the helmet would have
given them a chance,‰ he said.
Young drivers with little experience on the road and high susceptibility
to peer
pressure are also hazards, according to the association. Several states have
enacted laws limiting the number of passengers allowed in cars driven by
junior
drivers, but Pennsylvania is not one ˜ and it paid for that on the
association‚s
score card.
„They‚re teenagers. They act like teenagers,‰ Capt. Graziano said. „You
don‚t
want any peer pressure to come along with that. You‚ve got a new driver
that‚s
solely supposed to be focused on the road.‰
Mike Cotter, safety press officer for the state Department of
Transportation,
noted that on top of being easily distracted and susceptible to peer
pressure,
young drivers are also more likely to take risks, such as not buckling their
seat belts.
While the factors outlined by the association do pose risks to state
drivers,
Capt. Graziano said that aggressive driving, impaired driving and driver
distractions like cell phones are the leading causes of vehicle crashes
„without
question.‰
Mr. Cotter said that while legislators should be more aggressive about
pushing
laws relating to helmet use, seat belt use and passenger restrictions,
motorists
should be less aggressive with their driving to ensure the safety of
themselves
and others.
„We‚ve seen a lot more aggressive driving in our district and even in
work zones
˜ a lack of patience ˜ weaving in and out and tailgating,‰ he said.
„What are
you going to save ... minutes? But you‚re putting your passengers, the
public
and yourself in danger.‰
Washington, D.C., and Washington state are the only places to receive
10s on the
score card. Arizona, with a score of two, was the lowest-ranked state.
Pennsylvania‚s score placed it in the top third of all states.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. From the Lighter Side of the Saddle Bag
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to Hawk for this gem of a contribution!
A ROW violator gets violated!!!
http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf Turn the sound up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. Show your support for the fight.
http://www.solriders.com/products/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.......................
If you need more info on this or any other subject just go to the Sons of
Liberty Riders Info Zone
http://solriders.com/ or http://bikers4row.org
-- Later Hawk
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Success is determined by EFFORT!!
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Anything can be accomplished, if it's planned right and you have the desire and creativity to execute it. Jesse "The Governor" Ventura
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Sons of Liberty Riders http://www.solriders.com/ or http://www.bikers4row.org
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Copyright 2006, Sons of Liberty Riders
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