My Correspondence as of 06/22/2007
Here are some of the things I’ve written to news organizations and elected officials over the years. Not too successfully. Comments and other things are in green. Replies and what others have said are in red.
Here is an excerpt from Gov. Daniels’ web site before he was elected.
To get anything at all done by a large organization without the discipline of a profit-and-loss statement, or the pressure of attentive shareholders, requires a special level of rigor, organization, and inspiration.
Here is what I wrote to his campaign looking for a reaction.
Mr. Daniels
I'm kind of a single issue guy. Mostly I look for elected officials to protect us (Hoosiers) from the federal government. How can you do that? It appears to me from your writings on the website that you may even bring Washington to Indiana instead of the other way around. For instance, I think that the use of coercion by the DOT to get laws passed in local legislatures when there is no popular mandate requires an executive that recognizes it and doesn't just rubberstamp the law. How can you help us there? And by the way, there is at least one "attentive shareholder" (read that voter) in Indiana to hold you accountable.
Phyll Havens
There was no reply to this and I did not vote for him. I have seen him in an interview since and believe that underneath that down home Hoosier façade lurks a cunning and ruthless businessman that will not let his constituents stand in the way of his projects. It came to pass that he has rubberstamped most of the things I was concerned about.
I had this thought to counter his assertion.
A governor, elected legislator or state worker does have to answer to the people. The people of the state are the shareholders and it is not really the purpose of the state government to make a profit but to provide the goods and services desired and paid for by the people of the state.
It is just sometimes really hard to undo what they have done.
Safe Enough!
A guy named Leininger that writes a column for our local newspaper wrote a piece about seatbelts that sounded like he was on our side but he ended up towing the official line. Some of the statistics might be kind of dated but probably still pretty valid for comparison.
Dear Mr. Leininger,
Tom Wyss's crusades really aggravate me. Your editorial in the Feb. 14 issue of the News Sentinel is what I've been saying for a long time and I thought I would send along my current observations. I'm not sure where he came from but I think we should send him back! There's nothing "meekly" about me and I don't intend to give any more up to these jerks. Guess I'll just have to be a criminal like "our "liberty or death" ancestors. Maybe there are some things here you didn't know.
You guys still don't get it!
"In fact, by lowering death rates and reducing significant injuries, seat-belt use lowers insurance rates for all drivers and reduces public service costs for emergency medical services."
Recognize this? It's something you said.
Here's what I found out.
Maybe its time that Tom Wyss retired. You expect to hear his brand of "safety" from Democrats not Republicans. Maybe its time he left the Republican party if not politics all together. It is safe to say that he doesn't represent me. His socialist agenda should be reigned in.
Tom Wyss says that Indiana stands to lose $23 million dollars by not passing his bills. That's a great deal of money for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to withhold from Indiana especially since in 2002 Indiana didn't get anywhere near that amount. Total! In 2002, Indiana did get back more money per person than California, Illinois, Ohio and twice as much as Massachusetts. These are all states with seatbelt laws. Two of them are held up by the NHTSA as examples. California had 91.1% observed seatbelt use and Massachusetts had 0.9 fatalities per 100 million miles. These are NHTSA benchmarks. My view is, if the federal government has money to hold over Indiana's head then Indiana sent the federal government too much money!
You hear a lot about how a seatbelt law would bring Indiana more in line with the surrounding states. Why is that important? I don't think its true. Indiana is right there with the rest of them when you look at the NHTSA numbers. Indiana was slightly worse then Illinois in observed use and slightly better than Ohio. Indiana's observed use in 2001 with no seatbelt law was 67%.
Indiana's fatalities per 100 million miles is better than both Illinois and Ohio at 1.27. California had exactly the same number that year. Massachusetts with only 56% observed seatbelt use had 0.9. What does that mean? It means that something else makes more difference than use of seatbelts. Other traffic laws, distances traveled, speed, alcohol, etc. may contribute more to fatalities then seatbelts. If the best seatbelt wearing state has the same number but the worst state is half, draw your own conclusions about seatbelts effectiveness. It's just not crystal clear to me. Tom Wyss, at the scene of an accident the other day said it was a perfect example of the effectiveness of restraint systems in vehicles. To me this was a perfect example of a "soccer mom" driving too fast in a mini-van. How often have we all seen this? I personally think seatbelts and airbags cause accidents by allowing people to feel safer and take more chances. What do you think? I think large vehicles have the same problem.
Do you know how many miles we drive in Indiana? NHTSA does and now you will too. They are using about 71.5 billion miles for Indiana. By comparison, Illinois and Ohio use values of about 105 billion miles. That's reasonable since both states have higher populations (almost twice). California with about five times as many people uses 311.5 billion miles. Massachusetts with just slightly more people uses 53 billion as their number. What does this mean? People in Indiana drive more miles per person than any of these other states. At least 200 more miles per person per year. Of what interest is that? Well, it means that driving in Indiana is even more essential than in these other states. Anyone not driving is probably a second class citizen and contributing negatively to the state. Let's make some more of these. Let's put these non-wearing seatbelt criminals in jail! That should help the state economy.
The NHTSA keeps another interesting number. The percentage of people wearing seatbelts when they were killed. I guess that means that these accidents happened under circumstances where seatbelts made no difference. I think they expectedly follow the observed use numbers. Indiana is at 41%. Nation wide this number runs about 40.5%. California has the highest number and Massachusetts has the lowest at 57% and 24% respectively. Ohio and Illinois are slightly less than Indiana at about 37%. This is more likely to be a valid number than observed use. It shows that more people were wearing their seatbelts in Indiana then in Ohio, Illinois and Massachusetts, in 2001 with no law.
As far as costs go. California is the cheapest state to have accidents in. Its cost per person for 2000 for all crashes was about $600. Indiana was about $700. The NHTSA doesn't break these numbers down, just lumps fatalities in with all fender benders. How much do fender benders cost? Well, Massachusetts with their low fatality rate is the most expensive of the group here. It cost every person in the state about $980 in 2000. It also costs more to have accidents in Illinois and Ohio. In Ohio it runs about $250 per person more than Indiana. How are seatbelt laws supposed to save us money? There are some other numbers held by the NHTSA that suggest insurance companies pay out about $30 dollars for every $300 they take in. That's a pretty good return for wagering on other peoples misfortune. California comes out smelling like a rose in this area because they have so many more people than these other four states. California has about 12.1% of the national population, 9.4% of the national fatalities and 8.9% of the national cost of accidents. Indiana runs about 2% on all these numbers. Massachusetts runs closer to 1% more on cost, 1% less on fatalities and the same on population.
What's a few million dollars in grant money compared to the billions that accidents bring to the auto repair and health care industries. I know this may sound rather far fetched but consider the insurance companies, lawyers, doctors and hospitals interest in keeping you injured, but not fatally. A fatal injury means some lawyers and undertakers get some money. But an injury, means lawyers, doctors and auto repair places can all dip into the insurance companies and personal assets of the victims for an extended length of time. These numbers do seem to support the notion that something like this is going on. Whether these professions knowingly participate is the only question. The collapse of any of these industries would certainly be frowned upon by those in power.
Another thing not pointed out is how not wearing your seatbelt makes the other guy the victim. That's right, your head injury is not because of that other guy's careless driving. It's your fault for not wearing your seatbelt. If you're too stupid to wear it they're going to force you by making you a criminal if you don't. Some people say it's a right not to wear it. It isn't but it should be. They still let people gain weight, ride snowmobiles and motorcycles, climb mountains and own guns. How long can these last if we let them get away with this? You see they have no right to make it a law. By law, states have jurisdiction over these matters. So, these wannabe social engineers find a willing stooge like Tom Wyss to further their agenda in the states. Very few, if any citizens of Indiana called Tom Wyss up and said, "Tom there ought to be a law". No, Tom decided there ought to be a law and these guys helped. I have found no one wearing their seatbelt to limit your liability in the event that you make a mistake. That's how common this idea is. Now, however, a careless driver may not have to pay for your injuries if you're not wearing your seatbelt. In some cars they will even have indisputable evidence recorded in the "black box" of the vehicle. In the end, all they've done is make stupidity a crime. That itself should be unacceptable to free men.
Think about this. Why would the NHTSA be interested in recording, in your vehicle, whether you were wearing a seatbelt at the time of an accident? Why would they be interested in making it more apparent for law enforcement to know when someone was not buckled up? Why is the NHTSA pressuring insurance companies and businesses that have drivers, to require seatbelt use? Why do they employ a laundry list of specialists such as psychologists and social planners to force you to wear your seatbelt? These are all things they brag about in their reports! Why is a Republican Department of Transportation (DOT) through the NHTSA making all this possible? I have trouble believing the tremendous effort being put into this. I can't help but believe there is some ulterior motive or this is a precursor to some other onerous laws, yet to be brought before the legislature. I call these pre-conditioning laws. Incrementally taking your freedoms so you won't notice when they try to take the big ones.
I think there are enough questions about the true nature of this government intrusion into the state's business to warrant some serious thought. It would seem that having a seat belt law could cost us more money and not save any more lives. These numbers do not prove it to be otherwise. I don't think these guys can really back up their claims that a seatbelt law makes us (society) safer. If it causes social unrest (at least I'm restless) then it really can't be helpful and could wound more than anyone can imagine. Maybe these guys have received some divine sign that the rest of us stupid, heathens missed. Maybe they are really better than us and should make our decisions for us. What do you think, I think, about that?
Draw your own conclusions, but I'm declaring war on these guys and their misguided minions in our legislature. If this kind of activity really aggravates you then let these characters know it. Call on everyone who might listen, your congressman, senators, judges, mayors, city councilmen and any law enforcement officers you know. Let them know that they are being judged. Let them know that Washington's actions aren't necessarily wanted here. Send their money back and tell them where they can put it! Pass this report on to anyone you think can help and if you think any of this isn't true, check out the NHTSA web site on the internet. All of these numbers came from there. I wish they were more up to date. I guess "our" guys in Washington are too busy screwing around with our lawmakers to work on the numbers. I mean these guys are supposed to be working for us aren't they? If we don't want them to do something, why are they doing it?
Phyll Havens
Concerned Hoosier
Shortened Version of Above
About Seatbelt Laws
Tom Wyss says that Indiana stands to lose millions of dollars by not passing his bills. That's a great deal of money for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to withhold from Indiana especially since in 2002 Indiana didn't get anywhere near that amount. Total! In 2002, Indiana did get back more money per person than California, Illinois, Ohio and twice as much as Massachusetts. These are all states with seatbelt laws. Two of them are held up by the NHTSA as examples. My view is, if the federal government has money to hold over Indiana's head then Indiana sent them too much money!
Some say that a seatbelt law would bring Indiana more in line with the surrounding states. Why is that important? I don't think its true. Indiana is right there with the rest of them when you look at the NHTSA numbers. Indiana was slightly worse than Illinois in observed use and slightly better than Ohio. Indiana's observed use in 2001 with no seatbelt law was 67%. A more accurate number might be the percentage of people wearing seatbelts when they were killed. Indiana is at 41%. Nation wide this number runs about 40.5%. California has the highest number and Massachusetts has the lowest. Ohio and Illinois are slightly less than Indiana at about 37%. It shows that more people were wearing their seatbelts in Indiana than in Ohio, Illinois and Massachusetts, in 2001 with no law. Do we really want to be more like these states?
Some say that wearing seat belts will be cheaper for Indiana. California is the cheapest state to have accidents in. Its cost per person for 2000 for all crashes was about $600. Indiana was about $700. The NHTSA just lumps fatalities in with all the fender benders, etc. How much do fender benders cost? Well, Massachusetts with their low fatality rate is an expensive state to have an accident in. It cost every person in the state about $980 in 2000. It also costs more to have accidents in Illinois and Ohio. In Ohio it runs about $250 per person more than Indiana. We run about 2% of the national total that's about 1/50th as one might expect. Explain Massachusetts with roughly the same population accounting for 3%. Does that sound cheaper?
Some say that not wearing your seatbelt makes the other guy the victim. Your head injury is not because of that other guy's careless driving. It's your fault for not wearing your seatbelt. If you're too stupid to wear it they're going to force you by making you a criminal if you don't. Not wearing a seatbelt is not a right but it should be. They still let people gain weight, ride snowmobiles and motorcycles, climb mountains and own guns. How long can these last if we let them get away with this? By law, states have jurisdiction over these matters. So, these wannabe social engineers in Washington find a willing stooge like Tom Wyss to further their agenda in a state. Very few, if any citizens of Indiana called Tom Wyss up and said, "Tom there ought to be a law". No, Tom decided there ought to be a law and these NHTSA guys helped. I have found no one wearing their seatbelt to limit your liability in the event that you make a mistake. That's how common this idea is. Now, however, a careless driver may not have to pay for your injuries if you're not wearing your seatbelt. In some cars they will even have indisputable evidence recorded in the "black box" of the vehicle. In the end, all they've done is make stupidity a crime. That itself should be unacceptable to "free" men.
I think there are enough questions about the true nature of this government intrusion into the state's business to warrant some serious thought. It would seem that having a seat belt law could cost us more money and not save any more lives. The NHTSA numbers do not prove it to be otherwise. I don't think these guys can really back up their claims that a seatbelt law makes us (society) safer. Maybe these guys have received some divine sign that the rest of us stupid, heathens missed. Maybe they really are better than us and should make our decisions for us. The news media and Washington advertising will make it appear that they are in the majority but the truth is, most people (a majority) just plain don't care one way or the other. 67% already wear their seatbelt and these things don't make any difference to them.
Draw your own conclusions, but I'm declaring war on these guys and their misguided minions in our legislature. If you agree, keep the faith. Just like 99.9% of the people can walk, why should they care about handicap access, right?
Phyll Havens
Concerned Hoosier
My conclusion is that logic and statistics really makes little difference to these guys.
Daylight Savings Time
Another one of my pet peeves is Daylight Saving Time. Read the rationale for deep-sixing one of Indiana’s anchors, Indiana Time. We even had our own place in the list of time zones on the computer. If this isn’t a perfect example of the dumbing-down of America I don’t know what is. Basically we turned our world up side down for morons on the east coast. Here is an excerpt from our local media. Get a load of this Chamber of Commerce guy.
An Idea Who's Time Has Come [Headline]
If approved, the resolution would request the U.S. Department of Transportation move all but five southeastern Indiana counties to Central time. Dobis said he believes that the change would automatically put Indiana on daylight-saving time. A bill switching Indiana to daylight-saving time is preferable to a resolution, although Dobis' bill died in the House. The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce supports the change, as do Gov. Joe Kernan and Mitch Daniels, a GOP candidate for governor.
If Indiana were to adopt daylight-saving time, the federal government would determine time zone lines, although input from lawmakers would likely weigh in the decision. Daniels has said he supports Central time; Kernan said Friday that Central time made the most sense. The local chamber hasn't chosen one zone over the other. Removing the restriction on daylight-saving time is the most important step, according to Brian Bergsma, the chamber's vice president for government [notice how the government creeps in here] affairs. "It's just another impediment to doing business," he said. "It causes a lot of confusion." The economic considerations outweigh the emotional ones on this subject. Legislators should support the switch to daylight-saving time and allow Indiana to get in step with the rest of the nation.
Wow, that is some powerful logic, isn’t it? In case you couldn’t tell by now I think Brian is a pompous ass. We’re still waiting for those economic considerations and I’m not really sure who authored that last sentence. Was it Brian or some nameless staff writer? I might point out that the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce only represents a fraction of the business done in our area.
Well Kernan lost the election and our zealot new governor, Mitch, jumped headlong into making his vision for a Washington based Indiana a reality. In the end we didn’t make it to Central Standard Time. As planned we aligned ourselves with Washington DC, six hundred miles further away than Chicago and the governors mansion might as well be called the West Wing. Here are some things I wrote to local media about DST.
I wrote this in response to a guy named Thomas who grew up somewhere else. I didn’t keep what he said specifically but that was the gist of it. It was sent to a local TV station who solicits public input. Probably too long though. I don’t know what they did with it.
Just because Thomas grew up as a sheep doesn't mean people in Indiana should give a damn about what he says. We have people like him hanging around putting in their 2 cents worth because of Indiana's uniqueness, not because we're the same as every other state. Why would anyone come to Indiana if we were the same as every other state? Most of the people who came here, came here because we had jobs when everybody else didn't. So now the governor is trying to tell us that being like everybody else will create jobs. The governor isn't much better than a carpetbagger himself bringing his Washington DC time back to Indiana. If progressive means like every other state then I don't think that kind of thinking belongs in Indiana. But I'm not going to give the state to these sheep that couldn't make it where ever they came from. In one week, the people are going to send the legislature in Indianapolis a reply to their ruthless determination to align Indiana with the east coast states.
The Republicans lost many seats that election and a majority in the House. Much of this was thanks to George Bush but the governor shared equally with his iron rule. Commenting on this election, some of the southern counties showed a real idiot streak when they continued this trend into the House of Representatives of the United States Congress. Subsequently delivering the House to the Democrats. Brilliant! Do you really want to turn in your guns that bad?
I sent this to the same place when DST ended last year. This one got on the air.
Finally, the sun is in the sky at the time it is supposed to be and all the morning people get back the hour the governor took away. Welcome back Indiana Time.
David Long is one of the state senators that represents my area. I saw him in a TV interview and it infuriated me. I immediately wrote this to the station. Valiant effort but he turned out to be right. They had already made up their minds. What a state!
David Long might think DST is a dead issue but he's wrong. Business likes DST because it draws attention from the fact that everyone is working ten hour days. Golfers have even more daylight to play golf. People from Ohio like it because they can't get their own legislators to do away with it. People further east like it because Indiana time confused them. I hope the voters remember how these guys cavalierly sold us out to these special interests.
Why should everyone have to live by the clock when nature has made us sun dependent? What could be more uniform then not re-setting our clocks twice a year? How can you calculate the loss of productivity that is caused by the biological disruption? How do we measure the effect of the loss of one of our defining anchors, Indiana Time? Why should we put up with the sun being directly overhead at 1:45pm? Can we determine how much DST will shorten our lives?
Don’t know if anyone was listening but there it is for what it’s worth.
Why Voters Don’t Matter
The failure of democracy is this. The majority of the people really don't care. Of the people who do, some are for and some are against. Therefore, the politicians can do anything they want and only upset a small number of citizens.
I sent this to Jeff Espich, my representative in the state house. Jeff seems to represent me fairly well and I didn’t really have any bones to pick with him. Just registering my dismay.
Here we go again. Every year we hear about how Indiana has to be like everybody else and everybody has to wear a seatbelt. Enough is Enough!
Smoking bans, seatbelts, daylight savings time, this isn't the Indiana I was born in. I don't think the founding fathers expected the police to be the instruments of social change. I don't think they envisioned a country where the citizens would be forced to submit to an unresponsive government. I do think they would fight back and send them to Hell with their "laws".
Sometimes the language gets stronger. I originally wrote this about the same time but decided they might get the wrong idea. It is pretty much what I was thinking though and probably still do.
It's getting to where I'd rather be buried here than have to live here. You guys just have to consider who is going to be buried with me. It's time to take it back from these thugs.
I wrote this one to Amos Thomas, a representative from another district, when I found out he wanted some money to fix his historic bridges. I think the point was wasted on Amos.
Amos,
I understand you want more money for covered bridges in your district. This is really unacceptable. I have argued for some time about keeping Indiana Time. About how what makes Indiana what it "is" is being sold and given away to interests in the east. How people from other places came here because of what it was and now want to make it like the places they left. If I have to wear my seatbelt, smoke outdoors and put up with golfers telling me what time to get up and go to bed, then I think it is time for your bridges to go also. How can this state possibly move forward through your bridges? Amos, we have to win. We can't let these guys take any more.
Phyll Havens
Yoder
I don’t know what Amos thought about that. Maybe he never reads his e-mail. Maybe a staffer intercepted it and he never saw it. Never heard anything back. Need to find out how he voted. Obviously he was not a fellow lover of liberty and allowed them to take some more anyway.
Local Seatbelt News Item
I saw a story by one of our local news guys at one of our local stations. To say the least, I was mad. This is what I ripped off to him. He knows who he is.
Jeff,
I saw your piece about seat belts yesterday evening. I'm tired of punching walls. It's time to start punching legislators, cops, news guys, whoever it is that's deciding what we "have" to do. Nobody has to do anything except be born and die. The one guy, the sheriff, was talking about fairness? That line of thinking was started by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute in an advertising campaign a few years ago. Enslaving everyone equally does not make slavery right. The legislature was wrong to force anyone to wear a seatbelt to make somebody in Washington happy.
[some of the following has appeared before but it was also part of this rant]
The failure of democracy is this.
The majority of the people really don't care.
Of the people who do, some are for and some are against.
Therefore, the politicians can do anything they want and only upset a small number of citizens.
I don't think the founding fathers expected the police to be the instruments of social change. I don't think they envisioned a country where the citizens would be forced to submit to an unresponsive government. I do think they would fight back and send them to Hell with their "laws".
Enough is Enough!
Smoking bans, seatbelts, daylight savings time, this isn't the Indiana I was born in.
It's time to take it back from these thugs.
I believe civil disobedience is going to be the only course left and revolution shortly thereafter.
Phyll Havens
Yoder, Indiana
Another non-responder. What a weenie. After that, I sent it to my representative Jeff Espich [who became confused about the double Jeff thing] and the governor. This was how I prefaced it.
I sent the following to Jeff Neumeyer at WPTA in Ft. Wayne. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give up on my "representatives" since they seem "hell bent" on passing a law to try to "make" me wear a seatbelt. Can you really? You mean the way everyone observes the speed limit? The way they use their turn signals? The way they pass on the yellow line and tailgate the rest of the time? What a bunch of bullshit.
Jeff Espich sent this reply. Sorry again Jeff.
I am not sure what you saw of my comments. But, let me assure you I voted against the increasing requirements of the seat belt bill and will continue to do so. je
I believe this was the “governor’s” response.
Dear Mr. Havens,
Thank you for contacting me to express your opinion regarding seat belt usage. Governor Daniels appreciates the time you took to share your thoughts and views on this matter and has asked me to respond on his behalf.
The legislation you reference is currently under consideration by the General Assembly and the Governor and his legislative staff are keeping a close watch for action regarding the issue. If it receives legislative approval and comes before the Governor, he will give it full consideration in light of the deliberations during the legislative session, including thoughts such as yours.
Thank you for your active citizenship.
Sincerely,
Suzi Spahr
Constituent Services
Office of the Governor
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This E-mail and any attachments are confidential and may be protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of this E-mail or any attachment is prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error, please notify us immediately by returning it to the sender and delete this copy from your system. Thank you.
I hope there wasn’t anything confidential here.
I sent this to the governor about seatbelts after they passed their law.
The governor’s automated response system sent this back.
Thank you for emailing Governor Mitch Daniels. The Governor appreciates that you took the time to contact his office and play an active role in the discussion about making Indiana a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Your email will be shared with the appropriate staff for a response.
Needless to say, they must not have required any more information yet but it’s really a good thing they sent that link to somebody who obviously already knows how to get a hold of them.
I sent this to Jeff Espich. Jeff gets picked on a lot.
Jeff,
It has come to my attention that my favorite organization, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (known to me as the Seatbelt Police), is making yet another power play that appears to benefit a small number of people at the expense of the rest of us. The SAVIN system looks like an idea that came from Washington DC as part of their centralization of power. We must have been really good little boys and girls to get such a disproportionate share of the money congress allocated for the system. Indiana usually pulls up pretty far back in the pack when it comes to pork but lately, not when it comes to thumb money (that's money for keeping Washington's thumb on the people).
The press release only revealed Indiana's share of the startup costs ($950,000) but did not expose how much 24/7 phone operators, computer operators and computers were going to cost on an annual basis. It will be interesting to see how many users are registered after a year. Will it cost 30 cents or 300 dollars per person?
Needless to say, I do not support anything that increases the ICJI budget. This is the kind of Orwellian world we should be trying to avoid.
I also told Amos Thomas (one of your colleagues) the following in regard to his covered bridges.
I understand you want more money for covered bridges in your district. This is really unacceptable. I have argued for some time about keeping Indiana Time. About how what makes Indiana what it "is" is being sold and given away to interests in the east. How people from other places came here because of what it was and now want to make it like the places they left. If I have to wear my seatbelt, smoke outdoors and put up with golfers telling me what time to get up and go to bed, then I think it is time for your bridges to go also. How can this state possibly move forward through your bridges?
Although I meant this satirically it makes my points.
As long as Washington's minions like Tom Wyss are allowed to make laws in Indiana I will have to do everything I can, against them.
I don’t seem to have a response recorded for this one. I also sent a copy of it to the Journal Gazette who did respond. Haven’t heard about it on the news yet. Maybe big brother doesn’t have his ears on yet. I hope they find a better place to make their software than the guys who did the BMV’s.
I did receive this reply from the governor finally.
The Governor received your recent message regarding your opposition to legislation which will require seat belt usage in all vehicles. He appreciates the time you took to share your thoughts and views.
House Bill 1237, which requires occupants of motor vehicles to wear safety belts, passed both houses of the General Assembly and was signed into law by the Governor on May 10th. The legislation will take effect on July 1st. There are still some exceptions to the requirement for seatbelt usage, which may help to alleviate some of your concerns regarding the legislation. Generally speaking, individuals who are directly involved in farming activities, construction work or public safety operations are not required to wear a seatbelt. As well, there are other exceptions such as occupants in the living quarters of a recreational vehicle, sleeping compartments of vehicles or vehicle occupants participating in parades.
Thank you for your active citizenship.
Sincerely,
Suzi Spahr
Director of Constituent Services
Office of the Governor
Well I’m definitely relieved. Aren’t you? Maybe I can have someone take me around in an RV like the governor. Suzi must have a hard job.
I’m always thinking but this will have to do it for now.