ACC calls for submissions on cyclist levy proposal

[bogan]

Well I see it as counter productive myself

Spoofs like this will only damage credibility of the organisations the are seen condoning such carry on's

The short burst of so called sympathy it raises will be utterly lost if soneone discovers a Motorcycle rider (cyslist or not) penned it up

Just my opinion

I agree, ACC can do the propaganda tactics, but we should be above this. Unless this thread is deleted and no acc people have seen it the hoax would be exposed very quickly (would probly be exposed anyway), and damage the rep of bikers.

[paturoa]

I emailed this to mad keen peddly friend at work this arvo. When the spoof penny finally dropped, he thought it was hilarious, then went - oh!

He was going to send to his peddly mates too.

I suspect that across unzud significant proportions of people engage in activities high on the claim rankings. The "thin end of the wedge" is also something that will generate further political pressure.

[FastBikeGear]

I agree, ACC can do the propaganda tactics, but we should be above this. Unless this thread is deleted and no acc people have seen it the hoax would be exposed very quickly (would probly be exposed anyway), and damage the rep of bikers.

Lighten up. There is no attempt to pass this off as a real press release. There are many clues in the release that it is not genuine including the submission date and my subsequent posts confirming it is a spoof.

The idea here is to wake up fellow cyclists to the pending realities and have a bit of a laugh at the same time. So far this 'release' has humoured a lot of cyclists and raised awareness and understanding of motorcyclists issues.

There are many way we can protest and be activists this is just one approach.

[bogan]

Lighten up. There is no attempt to pass this off as a real press release. There are many clues in the release that it is not genuine including the submission date and my subsequent posts confirming it is a spoof.

The idea here is to wake up fellow cyclists to the pending realities and have a bit of a laugh at the same time. So far this 'release' has humoured a lot of cyclists and raised awareness and understanding of motorcyclists issues.

There are many way we can protest and be activists this is just one approach.

yeh i got no problem using it to have some laffs, but i dont think deliberately getting the media involved is a good idea, or trying to pin it on the gubbermint as truth.

[FastBikeGear]

First up let me state that I am a motorcyclist, cyclist, car driver and I also own a bus!

I have had a very busy day dealing with a flood of responses today to my spoofed ACC presss release on ACC levies for cyclists. It's certainly got people other than bikers talking about the issues that may also effect their road usage in the future.

I have received a flood of emails and PMs from several cycling forums I posted my spoofed ACC news release to and also some from this site. On one cycling forum alone over 690 cylclists have read the spoofed release and I expect readership on this site alone will climb to over a thousand before the week is out. ref http://www.vorb.org.nz/acc-calls-for...l-t101719.html

Please have a look at the debate now happening over at this forum. Yuo may want to post something...but please no silly anti cyclist comments!

As you can see overwhelmingly the responses and posts on the cycling web sites have been supportive of our issue. Like motorcyclists cyclists have their own interests at heart and their is real concern that once ACC has got the increased Motorcycle levies and user pays mentality accepted that they will turn to cyclists to fund their current claimed billions in liabilities.

Todate I have had no (zip, nada) negative responses from my fellow cyclists on the way I have raised this issue despite some fears of this expressed in this thread.

To create the original spoofed release I did just a little more than exchange the word cyclist for motorcyclist on the original version of this press release on the ACC web site. http://www.acc.co.nz/news/PRD_CTRB118214.

As you can see the same logic and reasoing behind the silly motorcyclist ACC levies applies to us cyclists.

Cyclists know that we could be next once the ACC has dealt with motorcyclists.

I doubt that ACC will target sporting groups ....but other high risk road users like cyclists...very possibly

Make no mistake we could be next in the ACC firing line.

It makes sense to embrace the cycling community who are a strong lobby group and seek their support.

Maybe BRONZ should make contact with some of the cycling lobby groups to get their support for the issue motorcyclists are spearheading.

Can I please ask that kiwibikers continue to cut and paste and email the original spoofed ACC release at the start of this thread to all their cycling mates and colleagues. (Please remember to subsequently let them know that is a spoof, we do not want to look like we are trying to fool anyone.

I have very little faith in the submission process (not that it's stopping me from making one). We all have other interest groups and many of us belong to forums other than motorbike ones. It is essential we broaden our support base. Please post about the ACC levy increases in other interest groups/forums you belong to.

[Pixie]

To create the original spoofed release I did just a little more than exchange the word cyclist for motorcyclist on the original version of this press release on the ACC web site. http://www.acc.co.nz/news/PRD_CTRB118214.

Perhaps we should do the same for 4x4's on the basis that they injure more car drivers.
And boat owners (drowning)
And a levy on Fast Food to cover fat fucks doing a Mama Cass

[Ixion]

I think it is worth mentioning that noone (or noone speaking "officially" from any biker organisation) is arguing that cyclists (or anyone else) should be made to pay levies, just because we have to.

We are arguing the revrse. Pointing out that an unequal amount of risk is inherent in the system. Many groups are "riskier" than average - from old ladies (falling over too often ) to hang gliders to cyclists. And of course , those at greater risk will usually cost ACC more .

Yet ONLY motorcyclists get told "you are greater risk and therefore cost more. So you must pay more".

Old ladies don't get a charge on their superannuation because they fall over too often. Hang gliders don't have to pay extra tax because they cost more. Rugy players cost a lot more than table tennis players - yet they are not expected to pay more. ONLY MOTORCYCLISTS. It is the discrimination that we object to.

We DON'T want ACC to start discriminating against other people also. We just want them to stop discriminating against US.

[k2w3]

"And a levy on Fast Food to cover fat fucks doing a Mama Cass"

That's the funniest thing I've read all day.

[ckai]

When I first read this I thought WTF I own more bikes then motorbikes so would I have to pay the same as what they're doing to us?!?!?!!...

Then I carried on reading and understood. To be honest, very clever. I can now relate to all those people that have more than 2 bikes each.

I also thought it was an absolute joke but certainly didn't see it as unrealistic. Which just proves the point. Me shall forward to ex-workmate mad bi-cycle person with pro-gf. Will be interesting to see the reaction.

[FastBikeGear]

I also thought it was an absolute joke but certainly didn't see it as unrealistic. Which just proves the point. Me shall forward to ex-workmate mad bi-cycle person with pro-gf. Will be interesting to see the reaction.

Spare a thought for us poor cyclists. According to the ACC each car driver subsidises each motorcyclist by $77. It's possibly much higher when it comes to cyclists.

If the National Party does introduce ACC levies for cyclists and apply the same logic to the cost of the levies their costs could be twice that of motorcyclists.

The ACC say they have based their calculations partly on their claim that motorbikes are 16 times more likely to be injured than car drivers.

The following from the Wellington Regional Council suggests it's possibly nearly twice that bad for cyclists. (From first hand experience I certainly feel safer on my motorbike than my cycle - I have a lot more closes misses on my cycle from other roade users each week than I have on my motorbike.)

Using ACC style maths, each and every car driver needs to pay an extra $140.00 ($77 x 2) per year to meet the cost of cyclists injuries.

3/11/2009
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...ts-decade-high

Greater Wellington regional council issued its annual transport report card yesterday, prompting chairwoman Fran Wilde to call for sweeping law changes, such as lowering the drink-drive limit.

Twenty-one people died on the region's roads in 2008, up 40 per cent on the year before.

Serious casualties rose by 10 to 355, an increase that is outpacing population growth – meaning the region's road safety is getting worse. The number of fatal and serious injury crashes was the highest since 1999.

The report card also showed that:

* Almost half of recorded crashes happened in Wellington city.

* Wellington's roads continue to be proportionally more dangerous than Auckland's.

* A cyclist is 30 times more likely to be injured than someone in a vehicle.

Does anyone know if Nick Smith rides a cycle?

[ckai]

Spare a thought for us poor cyclists. According to the ACC each car driver subsidises each motorcyclist by $77. It's possibly much higher when it comes to cyclists.

If the National Party does introduce ACC levies for cyclists and apply the same logic to the cost of the levies their costs could be twice that of motorcyclists.

I know what you mean. I'd be right, royally screwed. I have, just for me, a MTB, a road bike, and a BMX. I'd have to sell the motorbike just to afford the rego on the pushbikes! haha Fat chance that'll ever happen.