Sen. Kline tells off-roaders to buzz off

During yesterday's state Senate impeachment hearing Sen. Adam Kline defended Congressional Democrats lack of interest in impeachment by saying, "Restraint sometimes is not just a political calculation, but a real reflection of the national interest."

And sometimes Kline has no interest in restraint. In responding to an e-mail from someone asking Kline why he was backing a bill that would crack down on loud off-road vehicles, the senator sent this e-mail:

Dear Mr. Helgeson,

I signed on because I have been annoyed, endangered, and angered one too many times by people riding motorized dirt-bikes and other off-road vehicles
that have no damn business anywhere. To me, this bill is narrow — it doesn't include those "personal watercraft," seemingly jet-powered little missiles whose only apparent purpose is to risk death and dismemberment for boaters
and swimmers, for the amusement of spoiled drunk teenagers.

Yes, I am sure there is the occasional responsible person who rides one of these machines on land or water. And yes, like every human being I have been pleasantly surprised to find my stereotypes broken. But why, why, why, do folks insist on motorized "sports"? Those two words are an oxymoron.

There is nothing sporting — athletic, physically demanding — about riding any machine anywhere. And it's a damned annoyance to folks who see the outdoors as a place to go for quiet and solitude and self-exploration. I would be happy to ban the use of the internal combustion engine off-road, by anyone without a handicapped sticker, subject to a stiff fine. Maybe we could call this an anti-obesity measure.

Please circulate this to all motorized sports enthusiasts, so they can remember never to vote for me.

Adam Kline

It has been widely circulate and Kline's office is getting lots of calls from off-road enthusiasts. I'm trying to get a copy of what Mr. Hegelson sent Kline. For his part, Kline has no regrets. And let's face it, how many "motorized sports enthusiasts" are there in Kline's liberal Seattle district? Kline told Times reporter Elliott Wilson that snowmobilers have ruined ski trips for him and his daughter, they make noise and pollute.

If you're a handicapped person and that's the only way to get to see the beach, I got that.

Why can't they get onto their own two feet? ... Polluting for recreation. It's polluting. It's noise. It's physical danger.

He said he expects to be called an elitist, even though off-road vehicles cost more than his mountain climbing gear. But Kline clearly doesn't like the activity, or many of the people who do it.

I get the impression that a lot of them are 30 or 40-year-old teenagers.

...

It's a fuel-drugged rush. Fuel is their drug. I get my rush out of physical exertion.

Here's the e-mail that prompted Kline's response:

Senator Kline,

I am curious to know why you would co-sponsor the most discriminatory, anti-OHV Bill ever proposed?

SB 5544changes would creating maximum sound levels for riding

near any residence, regardless of where that residence is located or how it

is zoned. It would become illegal for my Family to ride our motorcycles and quads

where they are "plainly audible" from in or adjacent to any residence. This would even include residences that are on farm land, forest land or in an industrial area.

One of the few riding areas where it is still legal to ride in Western Washington is Capital State Forest near Olympia. There are a few parcels of private property located within the forest. This law, if passed, would effectively shut this area down. Ditto for the nearby Straddle Line ORV park.

What really strikes me as absurd about this proposal is race tracks like Evergreen Speedway in Monroe could host auto races of all types, but any off road events would be illegal.

In addition, this law would only apply to my dirt bike or quad. It would not

apply to other, more common sources of residential noise such as lawnmowers,

chainsaws, cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, stereos, playgrounds, ball fields,

etc. It is just plain discrimination against Off Highway Vehicle use and has nothing to do

with keeping neighborhoods quiet.

Off Highway Vehicle recreation is a fun and growing family sport, it would be nice to see sports that support families embraced by Olympia with more open riding areas, instead of discriminated against.

I would hope that you drop your support of this legislation.