Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

lobbying season. Russ succeeded in getting the all important phrase "except motorcycles" inserted in half a dozen state regulations that would oth,erwise have had everyone who rides bowling with outrage, possibly in jail by now. One senator wrote to thank him for pointing out the oversight when "forty highly paid lawyers who worked on this bill had all missed it." How many of you reading this own "title only" registrations on your motorcycles? There was a strong attempt to raise the fee on these to $15, but Russ Sanford managed to get it knocked down to $8, the same as basic registration. Leafing through the orderly files that MORE maintains of its lobbying business. I was impressed at how often the wording of Sanford's lett.ers to a lawmaker would be reproduced exactly Who's Doing M.O.R.E. For Motorcycling? By Charles Clayton American democracy is set up so that even the lowliest, most powerless citizen can head off or change the laws in his pursuit of happiness. Revolution, currently being explored by some modish minds among the people, is only one way of making changes. Another, more effective means is the specialty of Russ Sanford. He calls it "working with the system." MAVRICK MOTOCROSS MODEL $32.00 pair Dealer Inquiries Inwlted Phone: (805) 824-42&1 DelWle M~I $34.00 pair ." travel w/60·9O prOlresslvelJ w $29.95 : : , sprlncs 65t t to 125t In stack .Sprlnc Ratios from Shacks came with 78 as stantiard spa.. sprlncs $1.00 pair. Complete rebuild kits $5.00 ea. lW Extensions $3.00 pr. Seals $1.50 pair Plea sa SpICily motareJele make & model. lIaunt type required. E,. at each end ar e,. and clevis tJ!l8. N.. In stack tile new "Mavrlek' 5-waJ adjustable hNvJ dutJ shacks, rahai/dable lustrous eh.- .sprtnp, 11\2" or 12\4' leneth available. Center to center of eJes 3\2" Iravel. • e PaJ Pasta,. an Prepaid Orders. Call1arnia Residents add 510 for sales tax NOW••••••NEW ADDED .ARRANTy•••••• If the sal falls an anJ MAVRICK unit within 90 daJs from date of pUrc\lasa we will replace the saal tree. P.S. Does anJbadJ else do this? Many motorcyclists have wondered why cruel and mindless laws have passed against them, but tanned, crewcuit Sanford is the only one who actually set himself up to head off ignorant motorcycle legislation for himself and everyone in his home state of California. Two years ago Russ enrolled in a extension course University lobbying, taught by a master at the game. "The course cost $30, but I saved $300 in that first lesson. He taught us how to be our own legislative reporting service. I was all set to spend 300 dollars for that service." Sanford confesses. Upon graduation Sanford took $2600 of his savings and established an organization called Motorcycle Owners, _ Riders & Enthusiasts to provide a non-profit lobbying service in the state Capitol. He registered himself as the M.O.R.E. lobbyist. In the year since that time Russ has gotten us more riding area and saved the state's motorcyclists about a million dollars besides shaping up or altogether thwarting several dozen state laws. "I don't think I'ye done enough" the lobbyist candidly admitted. ''There were three, what I consider, failures on my part. I didn't get the anti-eable (neckbreakerj law through, for one thing." The other two "failures" for Russ last year were a proposal to end "white-lining," riding between cars. He was only able to add "unless there is sufficient room in the lane for two vehicles." "In other words, if you made it through ok, there was enough room," Russ explains, grinning. The other bill that passed over our lobbyist's misgivings was the famous "trespassing" law. Sanford succeeded in amending it to require that a peace officer must actually witness the crime before anyone can order you off of land that mayor may not belong to him. To me, these seemed like minor setbacks in an otherwise outstanding 2,000 paid members, is approximately $400 in the hole. About $5,000 was on In MORE's bedroom office in lobbyist's Sacramento home, Russ Sanford displays the stack of legislatiye bills he has had to study on motorcyclists behalf this session. in their amendments to bills. Obviously, this man is doing the job. Most lobbyists charge $10,000 and up for the job MORE is doing, and another motorcycle enthusiast among them would be hard to iood. Sanford seemed embarrassed about discussing MORE's income, but I called on my reporter's persistence until soon, with a sigh, he brought out the ledgers, explaining he feared that MORE's membership and iooancial status, if revealed, might lessen the impression it is making on the politicians. I reminded him that even one person, if his reasoning was right, can change a legislator's mind. Sanford's face lit up "it's the logic that counts," he agreed: "You know, most of these points have been gotten across on the force of logic alone." Good thing, too, for the books revealed that MORE, with less than Motocross Engineers are exclusive Importer for Arthur Browning English Racing Leathers. Most flexible• abrasive resistant clirome tanned hide. Weight of garment is I 3/4 pounds. Fully lined with red Nylon, elastic crotch and reinforced fly seam. Velcro leg fasteners (no more zipper pinches). Color is black with yellow/red, yellow/blue or yellow/green side strips. Sizes: 32", 34'" 36" waist. Price $67.00. See your dealer or contact: U.s. MAVRICK DOES IT AGAIN ~ $10 00 an litis Introductory offer. Calif. residents add 5'" sales tax. TAINJ..ESS STEEL SPOKES IN STOCK NO. Dealer Inquiries Invited MAv.,cr NORTH AMERICAN IMPORTS 2325 c.... Ger., P.O. Box N " ,11II1"11 ~1If. .93511 Arthur Browning English Racing Leathers MOTOCROSS ENGINEERS--ST OFFICE BOX 261 NORTH WILBRAHAM A Take advanface of the best bUJ of the Jear. SPOOL HUBS, 40 hale with 5/8" bearlncslneluded. Best allaJ with chrome like finish. .. collected, total, including Sanford's $2,600 loan, and the association owns a '62 Dodge panel truck, Plymouth car, electric typewriter, several thousand pieces of printed matter and a public address system that it lends to Sacramento area clubs for their races. (Unable to resist an opportunity to promote MORE, Russ plays instrumental tapes of their theme song of the same name between the marches and band music at intermissions.) What would MORE do if it had more to do it with - more members, more money? "I'd like us to have a Flexiwriter," Sanford dreamed. This is a machine that types letters, requiring the operator to only change addresses and salutations. His quiet wife Doris that week had gone on the payroll as Secretary at $50 a week. Before that she'd be..n employed elsewhere and cranked out the hundreds of letters a lobbyist needs in her spare time on the old IBM. Russ also envisions opening local offices in San Diego and Orange County to lobby for motorcyclists on a city and county level. Naturally Sanford wants more money for MORE, but what he says he's really interested in is more support from registered voters. "In a showdown, it's the votes that count." If half of the motorcyclists in California who arc eligible to vote wrote a postcard to MORE and said that it was their appointed lobbyist, Sanford could walk into a comrnitteeroom packing half a million votes. Re.aJistic enough to know that this will never happen, Sanford is making do with what he has to work with: Logic, love and understanding of motorcycling, and a night job that pays him a good living. At that, nobody has done as much for motorcycling in the past year as the man who does MORE. . '. A 111 A ·S A K • KAWASAKI ONL Y sa'es and seryiee 'argest parts stoel on west coast Draco's Motorcycles 1629 S, Standard Saata Ana, Ca'if, (114) 543-9688 "The most effective lubricants of our time" ~ 7340 Florence Ave. Downey, Ca. 90240 • .... :. o.flI/er, i.llQwi.rieS- invited ~

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