Bible Thumping

So today we went to Bugusta and listened to a boat load of LD's that amounted to a bunch of Blah Blah Blah and a couple of Yada Yada's. So then we got to our little slice of heaven called LD1306 which was heard last.

The Right Reverend was a little more subdued and thumped his bible just a little and never mentioned 457 and all its grayness during the hearing, but was later seen beating some poor soul about the head and shoulders saying "Repent Repent"

The problem with a public hearing it is not very public and from the age curve of the committee they were probably hard of hearing. We got our point across to the powers that be to the point that on the 20th an ad hoc committee of concerned hobbyists will meet with a Rep of the BMV and State Police to come up with some type of idea for the Work Session on the 29th. A Meeting to convene more Meetings. Politicians are giving me a case of the Red Ass.

Here is my little speech that I gave being "neither for nor against" LD1306

I speak to you today on LD 1306 being neither for nor against or if I may, being both for and against.

LD 1306 is not about adding Restrictions to the criteria to register an antique Auto or to make it easier to enjoy the privilege of Driving our Antique autos, Custom Cars and trucks or Street Rods, or making minor changes in wording that as the opponents and proponents have stated are unneeded or not worded correctly, respectively.

It is however about a concept of which I applaud. That concept is to either completely or partially close a loophole in a Statute that was conceived and implemented in the 1950s when things were a lot simpler. A loophole that allows hundreds of vehicles that have been registered as Antique Autos solely to circumvent the rules and regulation pertaining to Motor Vehicle Safety inspections, not as the Historic or storied vehicles that have written an entire era of American History. These vehicles include various older cars of no significance other than daily transportation as well as customized vehicles and street rods that should be registered as just that Customs and Street Rods.

The concept of a working Group of Stakeholders consisting of all parties concerned in our hobby as well as state agencies, working toward a viable plan would only help our hobby and allow us to present to you a plan or idea or possibly an update on a statute that needs to dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

This is not about restrictions, wording, interpretation or one sector of the hobby acting against another, but all sectors of the hobby coming to a consensus in order to preserve our hobby for future generations. Before non hobbyists put into action restrictions that would take away our privilege to operate our Antique Autos, our Street Rods or our Custom cars and trucks.

The language of LD1306 I am NOT for.

The Concept of LD1306 I am NOT against.