From: Patrick.Martin@f825.n102.z1.fidonet.org (Patrick Martin)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.dirt
Subject: Re: Smear
Date: 5 Nov 1992 16:40:10 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

 
Quoting ericm@microunity.com (ERIC MURRY - 3 Nov 92) in reply to
PATRICK MARTIN:
 
>Whoa, whoa, I didn't say there has.  The original article (which has
>already expired here, so forgive me for not quoting it exactly) said
>something like: "the only crime that happens in the desert is running
>over a tortise [or a couple other things]".  Remember, this was a piece
>written by someone from LA, for other people from LA to read.  The
>point that sentence was trying to make is that there's hardly any crime
>out in the towns in the Mojave.
 
Okay.  For starters, it was a local issue, I concede this point.
However, I still see it as an intentional SLAM directed towards the OHV
community as opposed to a casual error. I am NOT one of the image
conscious of the OHV community.  I personally could care less about my
image.  But for those who are OHV image concerned, the article I
originally posted should have spiraled them off.
 
>I thought you were taking it the wrong way, and wanted to point it out.
>And it really IS a crime to crush a tortise, whether or not anyone
>has actually done so, isn't it?  (BTW, habitat damage is much harder
>on the tortise population than an occaisional crushed individual tortise).
 
I don't believe I took the Times article the wrong way at all.  They
took an unjustified shot at the OHV community and I thought it time to
let as many folks know about this as I could.  And yes, if one WERE to
crush a mojave tortoise it would be a crime as mandated by federal law.
But this is only _hypothetical_.  Believe it or not, the OHV community
out here in SoCal is quite caring for the lowly little tortoise.  Me, I
could care less about them but I'll still move them from a highway,
where they don't belong, so they don't become pancake.
 
Re: Wise-Use Movement
 
>Their financial statements aren't going to show it.  They try to make
>themselves look like 'ordinary joes'.  For instance, I worked for the
>Forest Service in Wyoming for a while.  There was a land-use
>controversy in the wilderness area I worked in, where the local guides
>wanted to pack in more fishermen, and the FS wanted to limit them
>because the large pack trains were ripping up the trails and the camp
>sites were getting too damaged.  The coaliton opposing the limits was
>made up mostly of the local guides.  But instead of listing guiding as
>their occupation (and therefore revealing their direct financial
>interest in using the wilderness area), they were all 'ranchers'.
 
Interesting.  Maybe that info was quite accurate also.  If asked my
profession, I would respond with: manufacturing engineer.  Though I run
a BBS for the Sahara Club and am a key decision maker for SC also.  My
time is 100% donated.  Over 90% of my phone bill is donated also.  This
is my contribution to the OHV community and the effort to keep our
public lands open.  Idealist?  Yes.  Bust my butt?  Yes also.
As I stated before, our operating capital comes from direct membership,
small donations, and a few (what I call large -- in the $400-500
neighborhood) large donations from some of the afternarket motorcycle
industry.  Though we have been accused of taking monies from several
areas and interests.
 
>The ranching and mining interests who support 'wise use' type ideals do
>the same type of things to hide their direct financial involvement.
>It's a widely varying movement though, so maybe your particular group
>really doesn't have Big Business support (if so, I congratulate you).
>But the major supporters of 'wise use' type movements (take the
>"state's rights" movement for instance) are the people who stand to
>make money in a federal land-grab, and their political supporters.
 
Simplistic, generalizing, and basically unsupported...  Though I'm sure
it HAS happened, please don't try to make an "across-the-board"
statement regarding this...
 
Re: Background and off-road access support
 
>I started motorcycling on dirt bikes (at Carnegie park, back when they
>held the USGP there, so you know it was a long time ago).
 
Okay, you've been around a while.
 
More reply to follow in another article, I have message size
restrictions at my end...
 
Pat
 
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