Les just rolled over

[Big Dave]

i think hereing lies the crux of matters. they havents DONE a great job they are i hope DOING a great job.

Ix has maintained all along that this will be a long deal - and has predicted these current developments.

We haven't had a meeting to respond officially yet.

[mikeey01]

Hey fellas don't get me wrong I think Les has done a dam fine job up to this point, he along with a hell of a lot of others have too.

We move forward at a constant pace, ramping things up if and when required, I didn't see stalling or acceptance anywhere in the charter.

This is many things, money is not the issue now...
I question being targeted if a bike is over 601cc, I question the no fault, no blame,

[MSTRS:Me]

I think really that if we were to be totally honest...when we first saw the proposed increase, we all cringed at how much it was going to cost...so really it was the money that started all of it. Think the rest of the principle followed a bit later.

No shit, Sherlock.
There's a few here that were aware of what was happening with National and ACC all along. I'm ashamed to say I was not one of them.
All the proposed figure/s did was get the attention of the rest of us. Nick the Prick should have quietly OK'd $50pa and for the most part we'd never have noticed. And his slimy agenda of dismantling ACC as we know it, would have quietly rolled on unremarked by all NZ.
Instead, he did get our attention. Using public sympathies to a certain extent, we've managed to educate a fair number of people as to the real issue. Our task (challenge?) is to continue that good work. Those that would support us are not fooled by the Prick's so-called backdown, so we've not really lost anything. In fact, by suggesting that car rises are because of the lower mc levy, the Prick has just given us more ammunition.

[Skyryder]

As predicted by some of us on here.

From

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...-to-rise-again


ACC Minister Nick Smith announced yesterday increases in the workers' levy under which the average wage earner will pay an extra $148.50 a year from April, and he warned that further big rises could not be ruled out.

Car owners have been stung by a $30 rise in the ACC component of annual registration fees, but motorbike owners have been given a reprieve after the Government balked at proposed massive increases for them.

Reprieve?? Smith is still going to come back at us. As most of the population drive cars he will get them on his side by blaming us for some of their increased costs

It comes at a cost for car drivers, who are paying about $5 more a year than they would have otherwise to subsidize the lower rate for motorbikes.


Thirty dollars will be set aside from each motorbike levy for a $3 million annual fund for public education and safety campaigns and to address motorcycle black spots on roads.



It’s some improvement but still a sop for Smiths real intentions and when you consider that this government has cut back road safety funding


http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/crit...ng-cut-2557684

Smith has put some of this cost onto us by way of a levy increase.

But this is of some concern.

Peter McIntosh, president of the 4000-member Ulysses Club for motorcyclists, said the lower levy rises represented a victory.
"They're much better than we expected."

I think this guys idea of victory is different from mine, given the fact that Smith still has not ruled out further increases some time in the future when he believes that the conditions are more suitable for public acceptance.

Smith would have been well aware of the public sympathy that we got for our rallies. He has now began another stage of creating hostility between the biker community and other road users by blaming us for the some of the costs for the cage levies.

Victory??? My arse.




Skyryder

[avgas]

And how does that differ from the so called 77$ cross subsidy claim, Av?
It doesnt, they already have been told that right from day one, and they aint as tupid as YOU make them out to be

Today I have had no less than 12 NON motorcyclists contact me to say 'its still bullshit, we still support you and the BIKEOI, whens the next one'

The public are more onside with US than smith, I even had a coffee with a super govt agent type yesterday, and even the public service is 90% behind US, and against the ACC hikes

My next event im arranging is going to be 20,000 plus chanting BULLSHIT....round 1 may have been fought, and we may have had some territory gains, the war has NOT ended and the next round is going to be the huge one

Good to hear

I am hoping the public will still support us. But I can understand why they would not, and at the end of the day you have to live with these people.

[Mr Merde]

I have been pretty much very quiet during this whole subject of ACC.

I havent joined in any protest rides because my bike is currently without WOF and Rego and I wouldnt compromise any activity by joining in whilst this is so.

This is not to say that I havent followed all the threads with great interest.

From the beginning I believed that the outcome we have just been presented with is what was going to happen. I am thoroghly against it but it was a forgone conclusion.

What has disappointed me is that everyone has realised this from the beginning but pretty much everyone has played the appeasement game.

Look to history.

Your efforts so far ar akin to Neville Chamberlain in 1939 returning from Berlin with a document, waving it in the air and claiming" peace in our time"

Look where that led to.

I am disappointed that the more active protests were not strongly supported as they should have been.

"PEACE IN OUR TIME"

You should all get the T shirts made now. You have earned it.


MERDE

[avgas]

That's sad to hear.
I wonder how many of the chest-beaters on here couldn't be arsed paying $20?

No offence - but for me its not about $20. I'm sure bronz is a great organisation - but governance and motorcycling should not be in the same sentence in my mind.
I ride a bike for fun. I read reports for Governance.
I only hang out here cos I have to do something at work

[avgas]

I have been pretty much very quiet during this whole subject of ACC.

I havent joined in any protest rides because my bike is currently without WOF and Rego and I wouldnt compromise any activity by joining in whilst this is so.

This is not to say that I havent followed all the threads with great interest.

From the beginning I believed that the outcome we have just been presented with is what was going to happen. I am thoroghly against it but it was a forgone conclusion.

What has disappointed me is that everyone has realised this from the beginning but pretty much everyone has played the appeasement game.

Look to history.

Your efforts so far ar akin to Neville Chamberlain in 1939 returning from Berlin with a document, waving it in the air and claiming" peace in our time"

Look where that led to.

I am disappointed that the more active protests were not strongly supported as they should have been.

"PEACE IN OUR TIME"

You should all get the T shirts made now. You have earned it.


MERDE

And this is why I like having you on here.
I missed the good ol' days when you and Ixion would banter over kick-starts

[Mr Merde]

And this is why I like having you on here.
I missed the good ol' days when you and Ixion would banter over kick-starts

I must be getting old as I too miss "the good old days".

There comes a time when you dont have the energy to partake of all the fights. I am heavily involved in another sport and fighting for its survival so cannot devote a lot of time to others.

The mind is strong but the flesh is getting weaker.

[Drogen Omen]

Who the fuck made these guys boss of NZ bikers "Les Mason" and the "dude from Ulysses"...???

wonder if they would like to pay for my rego...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...614765&ref=rss

Steep rises in levies mean a person on the average wage with one car will pay $1300 to ACC each year - $180 more than they do now.

The increases, approved by the Government yesterday

So from April i will be paying...

bike 1200cc - $430
bike 350cc - $340
bike 250cc - $340
family 4x4 registration - $198.46
Diesel levy - $150
Wages - $990.00
TOTAL - $2448.46

hey BRONZ and Ulysses i'll email you my bank account since you guys just said that the new ACC Levys were ok...

you guys can pay my ACC levy's...

[Katman]

No offence - but for me its not about $20. I'm sure bronz is a great organisation - but governance and motorcycling should not be in the same sentence in my mind.

BRONZ isn't a motorcycle club. They don't do 'club rides'.

The reality is though that there come times when motorcyclists and motorcycling need an organisation to stand up on behalf of the whole motorcycling community.

Ulysses doesn't cut it - neither does HOG. Even MNZ have been strangely conspicuous by their silence.

[Swoop]

The Ulysses guy......anyone else notice the smile?

To say that I am disappointed in Peter Mac would be an understatement.

It would be nice if he would shut up. His comments are being repeated in the media and it sounds like we have rolled over and accepted the "lower" figure, when really we are accepting a new system that penalises owners for what we ride, rather than the no fault-no blame accident compensation scheme.

Peter Mac, STFU!

[Pussy]

Peter Mac, STFU!

You're asking a bit much there, Swoop... he likes the sound of his own voice too much!...

[riffer]

Don't think Ulysses members are too happy about this either. Sounds like we're getting a pretty hard time on Ulysses forums too:

Disgraceful

---

I don't think i've seem such capitulation by a group of people since the All Blacks rolled over to the French in the Rugby World Cup. What a bunch of softcocks. I'm sorry Ken, but scanning Kiwibiker (if they are an example)shows a number of people have hoisted the white flag. I, however, will continue the fight. I thought bikers were tough but obviously not. They should HTFU and show some spine

See thread here:

http://www.ulysses.org.nz/vbulletin/...=4108#post4108

[avgas]

BRONZ isn't a motorcycle club. They don't do 'club rides'.

The reality is though that there come times when motorcyclists and motorcycling need an organisation to stand up on behalf of the whole motorcycling community.

Ulysses doesn't cut it - neither does HOG. Even MNZ have been strangely conspicuous by their silence.

Reread my post main man - club was never in the mention.
Do we really need an organisation to stand up on our behalf. As far as I can see the 2 reasons there has been any change at all have been down to the individuals involved. Having an organisational body behind it added no value.
Which is why I am quite happy to pat Ix on the back - its a good effort for him to do this for us. Its a shame he didn't have the BRONZ committee to stand behind him in those tough interviews though.... seeing as that is what boards are suppose to do.
Which is exactly why I don't like combining Governance and Motorcycling.