Looks like our free ride may be over.

[Spidey]

Here is the reply I got from Mark Leno (or his office or ??) when I wrote him about this bill, asking him to have it stuck down or at minimum, add a "grandfather" clause:

Thank you for writing to express your opposition of SB 435, authored by Senator Fran Pavely. I appreciate you taking the time to voice your opinion on this important issue.

SB 435 would require the department to include model-year 2000 and newer motorcycles in the smog check program beginning January 1, 2012. I will keep your comments in mind when this bill comes before me in the Senate.

Thank you again for contacting me. If you have any further questions or thoughts regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (415) 479-6612 (San Rafael), (415) 557-1300 (San Francisco) or visit my website at www.senate.ca.gov/leno.

Sincerely,

Mark Leno

Senator, 3rd Senate District

Pretty standard and non-committal. Pretty much what I was expecting if I even got a reply. I hate to say it but I think we are doomed...

They don't care squat about emails.  One telephone call is worth about 50 emails.  And a snail mail letter is worth even more.  Personally showing up in their office is worth even more.  And taking a dump on their desk really gets their attention. 

[mbalmer]

Yeah, like f*ckin' DIESELS!! And I'm not referring to semi's here.  Now they MAY (really unsubstantiated as there no accurate testing equipment designed for this type of spewage, at least when I was in the biz) put out less CO2 but jeebus, what about the sulphur, NOx, Nitric Acid and HUGE amounts of particulate matter just to name a few.... God I wanna know who got paid off on that one!

<rant off>

Diesels are coming too. My husband runs a small trucking company and I think 2012 is the year that all trucks have to be fitted with smog devices. It's going to cost his company 15k per truck. It's going to kill a lot of small trucking businesses. A lot of trucks and buses are really gross, so I have mixed feelings about it.

As far as motorcycles go I think it's stupid. Maybe they figure if the exhaust and smog is more stock the bikes will not be so loud. Noise pollution as well as air pollution. Stupid. Just a thought.

[johnc]

They don't care squat about emails.  One telephone call is worth about 50 emails.  And a snail mail letter is worth even more.  Personally showing up in their office is worth even more.  And taking a dump on their desk really gets their attention. 

excellent points spidey.  let's start a phone call/vmail and letter campaign.  bravo good sir, bravo!

i gotta tell you, the taking a dump on the senator's desk sounds very appealing.  do you defend folks who do such things?  i am pretty certain i am going to need legal council after taking a dump on a senator's desk, and want to line up my legal ducs now.