Rocky
August 30th, 2010, 05:31 PM
I see that we cant get some of our politicians to answer the ''hard'' questions. Whats new?
Well, I did at least get a letter from Representative Wayne Schmidt two Fridays ago. He is the Sponsor behind the misleading HB 6161.
QUOTE*
Thank you for contacting my office with your thoughts concerning HB 6161. Input is always appreciated when crafting legislation that affects the entire State of Michigan.
As I'm sure your know, HB 6161 has been refered to the Committee on Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, and Natural Resources. Although I do not sit on this committee, I have been in contact with the Committee Chairman, Joel Sheltrown. At this time, the committee is not looking to amend HB 6161
Thank you again for your input, I appreciate hearing from those who are knowledgeable on this subject matter.
Best Regards,
Wayne A Schmidt
State Representative
104th District
END QUOTE*
In the past several months, I have e-mailed Rep Schmidts office at least 3 times, called his office many times and left messages, and spoke with his aid's on several diiferant occasions and discussed the poor quality of Off Road Vehicle [ ORV ] Safety Instructors and what effect his sponsorship of HB 6161 would have on them. I asked his Aids to please have Mr Schmidt call my office and set up at time for us to discuss the important issues that he obviously is not aware of.All I get from his office is a letter that basically states that he does not care what kind of language is in his HB 6161. He is not interested in amending any of it.
I'll just say this much, its tough to amend what you dont understand!
This much I do know. If passed, HB 6161 would allow the current pool of about 600 volunteeer ORV safety instructors to continue instructing safety classes without taking the proper training, for an additional 2 years. As already mentioned, these volunteer DNRE Instructors are not trained and should not be allowed to teach for even one more day, let alone an additional two more years after HB 6161 passes, if it should.
*You should not be allowed to teach a safety course in McDonalds to any youth [ ORV Safety courses were listed as being held at McDonalds on the DNRE website of ORV Safety Instructors ].
* 65 year old Grandmothers and regular house moms who dont own/ride ATV's or ORV's should not be allowed to teach a class they know almost nothing about. Yet his happens all the time and all appearantly, with the blessing's of the DNRE and Representative Scmidt.
Earlier in July of this year,I personally had a volunteer ORV safety candidate sit thru my safety course, and afterwords, she told me that she cannot beleive how easy it was to become a DNRE instructor and then have your name listed on the DNRE website as a bonified ORV Instructor..
This is very misleading to the parents who ''think'' they are talking to a properly trained ORV Safety Instructor when they go to the DNRE website looking for certification for their kids, and see a name listed as ''safety instructor''
After sitting thru my class, this lady realized how important it was to receive the right training BEFORE she was set free to teach on her own.
Proper Instructor training does NOT happen when the DNRE certify you to teach the ORV Safety program. You simple sit thru ONE ORV safety class,you sign a volunteer Release & Waiver of liability form,fill out an application form and have it signed by a ''mentor'' then you are granted your license to go on and teach on your own. Improper training and ALL at the hands and blessing of your very own DNRE and appearantly, Mr Schmidt too.
So essentially?
*Representative Schmidt's letter to me is telling the ORV users that he is perfectly OK allowing ORV Safety Instructors like I have mentioned above, to continue teaching 2 more years without being properly trained.
*He is OK with paying these current pool of untrained non profit,LEO and intermediate school district instructors 20.00 per student out of the ORV safety education fund that is collected out of every 16.25 ORV sticker. You folks that pay 16.25 for your ORV stickers are PAYING for this garbage right now!
*He is OK with abolishing the Private Enterprize Instructor who offers services to clients that no volunteer instructor does, which include, but are not limitied to,
*Private safety classes
*Driving to YOUR home to perform safety classes
*Same day safety classes
*Special safety classes for those from out of State
*Mr Schmidt, you owe it to the taxpayers and ORVers of Michigan, to sit down and address the issues you are laying under the table with some of the language in your sponsorship of HB 6161.
*The hard working ORVers of Michigan dont want some untrained DNRE Instructor teaching their kids about ORV safety issues that they themselves have not been taught to teach.
*They dont want to take them to McDonalds to learn about ORV safety,especially when they have a ''playland'' there to distract their kids from learning properly.
*They dont want the class to last just for one hour.
*And equally important, they dont want to reward any non-profit instructor, LEO, or intermediate school district that is allowed to teach in the above manner, to ''suck up'' 20.00 per student out of the ORV safety education fund that they pay for when they pay for their 16.25 ORV sticker.
Mr Schmidt, the hard working people of Michigan can understand that when you tell them that your are not looking to amend the language in HB 6161, that you are essentially saying that you support poor quality instruction, you support mis-management of their funds, and you support the years of deceit from the DNRE regarding the certification process of ORV Safety Instructors.
We'll remember you the next time we vote :wave:
Well, I did at least get a letter from Representative Wayne Schmidt two Fridays ago. He is the Sponsor behind the misleading HB 6161.
QUOTE*
Thank you for contacting my office with your thoughts concerning HB 6161. Input is always appreciated when crafting legislation that affects the entire State of Michigan.
As I'm sure your know, HB 6161 has been refered to the Committee on Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, and Natural Resources. Although I do not sit on this committee, I have been in contact with the Committee Chairman, Joel Sheltrown. At this time, the committee is not looking to amend HB 6161
Thank you again for your input, I appreciate hearing from those who are knowledgeable on this subject matter.
Best Regards,
Wayne A Schmidt
State Representative
104th District
END QUOTE*
In the past several months, I have e-mailed Rep Schmidts office at least 3 times, called his office many times and left messages, and spoke with his aid's on several diiferant occasions and discussed the poor quality of Off Road Vehicle [ ORV ] Safety Instructors and what effect his sponsorship of HB 6161 would have on them. I asked his Aids to please have Mr Schmidt call my office and set up at time for us to discuss the important issues that he obviously is not aware of.All I get from his office is a letter that basically states that he does not care what kind of language is in his HB 6161. He is not interested in amending any of it.
I'll just say this much, its tough to amend what you dont understand!
This much I do know. If passed, HB 6161 would allow the current pool of about 600 volunteeer ORV safety instructors to continue instructing safety classes without taking the proper training, for an additional 2 years. As already mentioned, these volunteer DNRE Instructors are not trained and should not be allowed to teach for even one more day, let alone an additional two more years after HB 6161 passes, if it should.
*You should not be allowed to teach a safety course in McDonalds to any youth [ ORV Safety courses were listed as being held at McDonalds on the DNRE website of ORV Safety Instructors ].
* 65 year old Grandmothers and regular house moms who dont own/ride ATV's or ORV's should not be allowed to teach a class they know almost nothing about. Yet his happens all the time and all appearantly, with the blessing's of the DNRE and Representative Scmidt.
Earlier in July of this year,I personally had a volunteer ORV safety candidate sit thru my safety course, and afterwords, she told me that she cannot beleive how easy it was to become a DNRE instructor and then have your name listed on the DNRE website as a bonified ORV Instructor..
This is very misleading to the parents who ''think'' they are talking to a properly trained ORV Safety Instructor when they go to the DNRE website looking for certification for their kids, and see a name listed as ''safety instructor''
After sitting thru my class, this lady realized how important it was to receive the right training BEFORE she was set free to teach on her own.
Proper Instructor training does NOT happen when the DNRE certify you to teach the ORV Safety program. You simple sit thru ONE ORV safety class,you sign a volunteer Release & Waiver of liability form,fill out an application form and have it signed by a ''mentor'' then you are granted your license to go on and teach on your own. Improper training and ALL at the hands and blessing of your very own DNRE and appearantly, Mr Schmidt too.
So essentially?
*Representative Schmidt's letter to me is telling the ORV users that he is perfectly OK allowing ORV Safety Instructors like I have mentioned above, to continue teaching 2 more years without being properly trained.
*He is OK with paying these current pool of untrained non profit,LEO and intermediate school district instructors 20.00 per student out of the ORV safety education fund that is collected out of every 16.25 ORV sticker. You folks that pay 16.25 for your ORV stickers are PAYING for this garbage right now!
*He is OK with abolishing the Private Enterprize Instructor who offers services to clients that no volunteer instructor does, which include, but are not limitied to,
*Private safety classes
*Driving to YOUR home to perform safety classes
*Same day safety classes
*Special safety classes for those from out of State
*Mr Schmidt, you owe it to the taxpayers and ORVers of Michigan, to sit down and address the issues you are laying under the table with some of the language in your sponsorship of HB 6161.
*The hard working ORVers of Michigan dont want some untrained DNRE Instructor teaching their kids about ORV safety issues that they themselves have not been taught to teach.
*They dont want to take them to McDonalds to learn about ORV safety,especially when they have a ''playland'' there to distract their kids from learning properly.
*They dont want the class to last just for one hour.
*And equally important, they dont want to reward any non-profit instructor, LEO, or intermediate school district that is allowed to teach in the above manner, to ''suck up'' 20.00 per student out of the ORV safety education fund that they pay for when they pay for their 16.25 ORV sticker.
Mr Schmidt, the hard working people of Michigan can understand that when you tell them that your are not looking to amend the language in HB 6161, that you are essentially saying that you support poor quality instruction, you support mis-management of their funds, and you support the years of deceit from the DNRE regarding the certification process of ORV Safety Instructors.
We'll remember you the next time we vote :wave: