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/126501
(Continued from page 30) area.' Therefore the department has restructured the accounts." Reading on through the minutes. we find this choice tidbit: "Commissioner Gibson asked. if this project (The Opera House) was on the original list of priorities for the 1976 Bond monies. Deputy Director Johannsen said that it was not ...Commissioner Egizi related .. .'1t looks as though the Commitsion is again taking money out of the Bond Act and putting it for something else the people did not vote for. ." It is interesting to us that the Department conveniently fmds it more "appropriate" to fund our projects "out of OHV funds" although the Department promised the voters in 1974 that that Bond act would provide a project for us. It took a legislative audit to find out that they did not intend to keep that promise to the people. They had spent aU of the 1974 Bond money and "forget" our project. Not to worry, they said to the Legis· lature. "we will do the project out of 1976 Bond monies". Now look what happens when' they think no one is looking. They "again" take "money out of the Bond Act and put it for something else the people did not vote for." Perhaps the most interesting part of his entire explanation is the Department's nonchalant explanation that it has "restructured the accounts." It's like having a pickpocket rationalize that he was simply "restructuring" your pocket. Somehow the end result is the same; you've been robbed but it has such a nice sounding name you are expected to feel better about it. Now that the events on the Desert Plan seem to be in the hands of the lawyers. we can devote some more attention to the Department of Parks and Recreation. It looks as thou,l\'h they are in the process of making Hungry Valley almost useless as an ORV facility. Some estimates are that as much as 11,000 of the 19.000 acres acquired for the facility may be closed to ORV use. Somehow this does not seem to be exactly what we had in mind when the ORV fund was set up. At the recent ORV Advisory Committee meeting, the State's ORV Coordinator again played games with the advisory board. Word is now that certain members of that body are thinking about sponsoring legislation which will give the committee statutory authority to approve grants and provide direction to the program. It is becoming clear to many of the advisory committee members that the department established the committee as "window dressing" to make it look as though the Department really was interested in the program. They were horrified when the Committee let it be known that they wanted to examine the grant requests from the BLM, counties, and others prior to approval by the department. The staff "sort of' agreed, in an effort to make it look as though they wanted to deal in good faith with the committee. At the last meeting. however, the staff decided to have the committee "prioritize" the proposals. rather than be aUowed to approve or veto them. Thus the department can still frivolously spend ORV money to help BLM print worthless information about ORVs, or other non-land aquisition programs. We will be watching this program very closely. and report on the progress of any committee-sponsored legislation to clean up this situation. Since this is our last column this year. on behalf of all of the contributors to this government watchdog column. we wish all of you a happy and safe holiday season. ~. Diamond chained eighteen out of twenty-six Winston Pro winners in 1980. If your needs are for street, competition, or off road, Diamond has' the right chain for you, and it's American made! Write Diamond fqr a free sticker and a copy of Bulletin No. 1093. ASK YOUR DEALER FOR DIAMOND . .. THE CHAIN OF PROVEN PERFORMANCE! CLASS B iUI2 MEMBER WE SUPPORT YOUR SPORT! THE PERFORMANCE PEOPLE We have helped many of the XR·500 riders on the track today let us help you too! ENGINE DYNAMICS COMPANY 1010 LAKEVIEW HWY. NO. B2 - P.O. BOX 2838 PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA 94952 Dellorto Carbs Oil Cooler Kits HIC Pistons Camshafts Valve Springs Special Clutches Air Filters. etc. Porting Boring Balancing Blueprinting DynoWork HeIi Welding HIP Modification. etc. ~C::.,:.'N,." De.!p..t!J!08t. _~ .l::=_==_=-:;;-~.,.,.......~(7.::....0=...:7:...:)--=7::::6::=3:::::-75=1::.:9~::::::-:=::::=:::-::--::-=:=:::::::::::=:::::::::::::::=::::::~~.:u_lC:::::=;: " 45