Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126078
Letters? Hoo-ee, did we get letters! Blow 'em high as Watergate! I read vour November 2:hd issue article ''' l'he Case of The Leaking OHV Fund ," with gre al int er est . I have been suspicious of the mi smanagemcm of t lu-se funds since earl y 19i 5 . I don 't m ean to in lp ly t hat t hc m onies are being st o le n , hu t I do know how large funds of this Iyl'" hav e a wa y of gell ing lost, For the amount of total dollars generated by the ORV program, very little progress has been shown. I run a business where the word " profit" is a must. Why government people can't use their brains to the same degree of efficiency escapes me. My idea on these funds would be to develop government land with long term leases , not spend large sums to buy the land . There are thousands of acres of government land that could be leased to the people. Pursue this problem and blow this mismanagement on ORV funds as high as Watergate. If we, the people. don't start using some common sense approaches to problems like these our whole fr ee enterprise system is threatened. JOHN L. HESS EI Cajon, Calif. Cuss-ern-out artist The, "Rhodes robs Calif. OHV Fund," item by CC was most neatol Perhaps you wiII recall my personal , vendetta with the erstwhile Director of our most-screw ed -up Parks and Recreation money-grabbing S.O .B .S . Now that I'm not the only one in California who recognizes the Green Stickle ripoff for what it really is, and a few others are willing to com e out from beh ind pen names. (M . Thunderpussy. for example), I am again willing to put in a few hours extra duty fighting the bureaucrats. There has to be a wa yl One technique I have wondered about it : If a majority of people - motorcyclists, OHV , interested folks - were to form a corporation. say buying stock at a buck or so - with a true intent to make a profit (ou rs is a Capitalist society, eh ?) we might be in a position to fight back. The approach; whether to sell stock to organizations such as AMA , CMC , CRC , DRA with their memberships as full shareholders - or to see to individual riders , is inconsequential - we need a rather large , profit-oriented organization. Attempts by individuals - or by large groups - to cause harm to our ability to earn a living (profit) could be brought to court. I am not a legal beagle b ut Old English Common Law fo rbade anyone to deprive anyone from his /her right to earn a livingl Slander, libel - malfeasance in office , misappropriation of Public funds we no longer would have to sit back and take it . The fact that a profit could be made could open the door to a few partners in our common effortl . Open lene.. 10 Je....y B..own n o t long after we elect ed you to office . I wro te you expressing co ncern over you r appo in t men t o f Cl aire Dederich as head o f the State Resources Agen cy; The reason for m y co n ce rn was th e fa ct that Ms . Dederich was a devote member of the Sierra Club . I was worried over whether she cou ld make non-bi ased decisions in volving off-highwa y vehicles (OHV) and OHV funds . My conc ern was justified. I recentl y discovered in the Los Angeles Tim es and Cycle N ews West that the State Auditor General's Office had just released a report on the California Department of Parks and Recreation that the department had drained off a minimum of $2 million through misuse of funds . The California Department of Parks and Recreation is headed by an appointee and former employer of Ms. Dederich, Mr. Herbert Rhodes (she was formerly his campaign manager in his unsuccessful bid for a senatorial seat). Together they dissolved the Offhighway vehicle section and scattered its responsibilities among many other departments. According to Rhodes, they did this to bring the department into a "fu nctiona l" organization which in truth it was more than likely a divide and conquer scheme designed to ruin the OHV program . The acquisitions and development division of the Cal. Dept. of Parks and Recreation, no longer specifically mentions OHV's in its manual of 22 major "missions. " If you need a door -knocker, organizer , cuss-ern -out artist , I'm available. As I said: There has got to be a way! BOB CURNUTT Canoga Park. Calif. No one pers on or group of people ha ve any responsibilities within th e d ep artment d ealing specifica lly with OHVs. Claire Dederich wrote her d epartment di rectors on August 9th, asking for five page stra tegy papers in volving 40 subjects. Off-highway veh icles were not included . There doesn't appear to be any interest , in OHVs within the Department of Parks and Recreation , only among the millions of people who a ctively participate in the sport weekly . This may be be cause everyone at the top in the department is so Sierra C lub oriented, they refuse to look in our direction and try to understand our point of view and com p rom ises. Chambers Lightweight Cycle Shop Shop early for the holiday specials Full line of new Italjet cyles and go-carts Lay-away p lan available 1319 W, Willow Long Beach. CA 9 080 1 213-426-9694 . MOTORCYCLE WOMAN Our registration money is supposed to buy us the services of the Department of Parks and Recreation. to help us obtain and maintain land to "do our thing ," as well as hikers, skiers , hang gliders , fishers, hunters and horseback riders (who pay no registration fee for the trails they use) , But how can the department do its job if it is run by people like Claire Dederich, Herbert Rhodes and James Tryner (another Sierra Clubber ) whose beliefs are contrary to ours. It appears to me that the offhighway program may be stalled indefinitely unless you do .som erhing, NEWSLETTER for women who ride or want to. The kind of information you've been looking fa, - from a woman's point of view. One yea, subscription (8 issues) $5 .00. Send check to: MOTORCYCLE WOMAN, Dep l E. 333 ~ENNY )BlOBERTS RAC ING SPECIALTIES 9600 Pionee r Ave. Oakdale: Frames RALPH NEVIS San Pedro , Calif. Dear Governor. " , I have just finished reading the story of the OHV fund ripoff in Cycle News . I am infuriated! If the story is true , I think the time has come for you , as Governor, to act. These men have broken the law and betrayed their public trust . They Ca . 95361 Swing Arms Shocks 209·847·2572 Wheels DAVID F. COFFIN Inglewood, Calif. should be fired , at the least . and the money returned to the program from the general fund. Is it any wonder that I, as a taxpayer, am discouraged? Is this a lesser crime than Watergate? I have paid into this fund and consider this a theft of my money . I would like to know what action you are going to take? Tibblln Inc. * Don't blame the Sierra Club While I feel the same frustration that you do, I'm not upset by the Sierra Club. They were doing what they do . I'm mad that the motorcycle industry with their budgets can't match th e Sierra Club in paid trouble shooters. I'm surpr ised tha t su ch a comperirive indu stry has b een completely defeated by the bureaucrats of the Sierra Club. T hey have the work of professionals in the hands of local novices. When there is no place left to ride, who will buy their products? They may blame rider apathy. but we've all written our letters and sent our telegrams that went unanswered . We need some top notch pros (read attorneys) to keep the Sierra Club honest. How about it, Honda , Yamaha , Suzuki , Kawasaki , MIC? East 49th St. , N .Y., N .Y. 10017 Southland Cycle 8141 Garden Grove Blvd Garden Grove, CA 714-893-5091 * Sales - Parts - Service - Financing MERRILL W . LINDLEY Gardena, Calif. WARDS RIVE RSID E "'OJAVE IBy Benelli l PARltLA CAPR/OLO MV ACUSTA Z50 BIANCH I CAPR I SCOOTERS I'm on your side Hey listen , I'm on you r side. But what do I do? It really pisses me off to see some of the motorcycle riders I know.just sluff off the responsibility of taking the time and making th e effort to write a letter or sending a few bucks to support a ca use . I'll work on them. But please , spell it out. What do we do ? Who makes the decisions? Which agency is going to respond to our cries? . How can we organize? I belong to the Suncoast Trail Blazers club. We have a sizable membership. Please do a follow -up article on what the individual and the organizations can do to come to the aid of all motorcyclists. THOMAS H. KIDD St. Petersburg, Fla. 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