Off-road riders and racers are opinionated, passionate people. Debates rage about all sorts of issues - Honda vs. Yamaha, four-stroke vs. two-stroke, best tire, best type of oil, best footpegs... All these debates are dependent on one much larger issue - the right to ride. Lose this argument, and none of the others are going to matter.
There is a U.S. election coming up, and congressional seats will be decided. The representative you send to Washington will have an impact on your life. What that impact turns out to be is up to you.
You need to get educated on the issues and candidates in your area if you aren't already. Now is the time to do that. Then you have to be sure to vote.
But your local representatives head off to Washington to be part of the national government. We recently received an e-mail here at Dirt Rider from the President and CEO of ORBA, Roy Denner (www.orba.biz). He wanted us to help get the word out about a congressman who is up for re-election that needs your help, Chairman of the House of Representatives' Resources Committee, Richard Pombo. Congressman Pombo probably isn't from your district, so you probably can't vote directly for him, but his re-election will have a major, national impact on your riding, and there is something you can do. As Roy told us -
...organizations and political zealots ...contributed of a million dollars to the campaign to defeat the re-election of Congressman Richard Pombo, Chairman of the very important House of Representatives' Resources Committee. They have put over four million dollars into his district to fund false TV and radio ads that use out-of-context information to make him look bad.
Chairman Pombo - to date - has raised about one million dollars and has spent it all to tell his constituents about the good things he has been doing in Congress.
You might be thinking "What's the big deal about a single Congressional seat from the Central Valley of California." I'm here to tell you that this is the most important Congressional seat in the United States of America for the motorized off-road recreation industry!...
During 2005 Richard Pombo succeeded in getting a bi-partisan bill passed by the House of Representatives to reform the Endangered Species Act - federal legislation that has brought about the elimination of vehicle access to many millions of acres across the U.S. He has laid the groundwork to push for passage of similar legislation in the Senate - if he is re-elected!
If he is not re-elected, the liberal leftist arm of our federal government will see his defeat as a mandate to strengthen environmental protection laws!...
Unfortunately, it takes large amounts of money to become an elected representative in the United States. Congressman Pombo is a grass-roots rancher - not a wealthy tycoon. He depends on citizens who believe in what he is doing to survive.
Please help me show Richard Pombo that the motorized off-highway vehicle industry believes in what he is doing!
You can make a contribution quickly and easily be going to the following website: www.richardpombo.com. Just click where it says "Contribute." Be sure to put the words "Off Road" somewhere in your entry.
Please dig deep and contribute as much as you can possibly afford. Small contributions will not get the job done!
If you prefer you can download the attached contribution form, write a personal check and mail it in. Once again, be sure to include the words "Off Road."
Don't put this off! Time is running out!..
I am counting on you to help! The survival of the Off-Road Business Association could actually depend on the re-election of Congressman Pombo!
Thank you in advance for your participation.
Roy Denner
Are you going to wait until it's too late and you find your riding areas closed? If you don't act now, you have no right to complain later.
Roy Denner has agreed to participate right here on the dirtrider.com message board and answer questions and help get the word out about this issue that does affect you. Please go to the Dirt Rider message board (the link is in the navigation bar just to the left - just click on "message board") and read more, get involved, and keep your riding areas open.