I went yesterday down to the capitol to speak in front of the Colorado State Senate Transportation Committee about SB12-089 which would end the MOST program here in Colorado, leaving us with out a Safety program and with no backup plan.
The MOST program is not a state funded program. We, as motorcycle owners, pay $4 when we register a motorcycle or $2 when we renew our drivers licenses. The program offers many benefits, including paying for the CDOT signs, motorcycle safety advertising, and education. The biggest benefit the program offers is a $70 discount for any resident or military person wanting to take a motorcycle safety class if they take the class through a company enrolled in the MOST program. This allows companies in the MOST program to offer the basic training course $99-225 depending on the length of the class. The only training company not enrolled in the MOST program here in Colorado is the Harley Davidson program and they can not qualify because the bikes they use to train are too heavy and do not meet the MSF qualifications. Their class is over $300 per person.
If the MOST program was removed, most companies would have to raise their prices to around $300. It would also mean that the class would no longer waive the state testing. Colorado DMVs do not have the infrastructure to support testing and there are only two facilities in Colorado that even have the room to do motorcycle testing. This would mean a 4-5 month wait to take the test.
Senator Scott Renfroe proposed a bill to end the program. He did so after the first and only audit of the program since it's origin over 20 years ago was conducted and found some issues. One of the big issues was that some of the companies who were in the MOST program were not passing the discount to the students. ABATE and other stakeholders in the program had brought these issues forward in 09 and had proposed a bill to fix the issues. That bill was killed in the committee but the audit was ordered.
One of the biggest opponents of the MOST program is the Colorado Confederation of Clubs. The COC has such members as the Banditos, Sons of Silence and other patched clubs including the Rough Riders. It should be noted that the COC has approached the Colorado Sportbike Club many times asking us to join and have been turned down flat. They do not allow women members to vote or hold any position of power. They also require a hierarchy and their clubs must support the agenda of the COC politically.
They simply can not understand how a club can thrive with out tight controls and a year long admissions process. I was introduced to the Son's of Silence's Public Relations Officer at the swap meet earlier this year. He was very vocal about the removal of the MOST program and claimed he represented all motorcycle riders here in Colorado. This is when I decided to speak up. He represents the 1%ers. That leaves 99% and there was no way he was representing my voice.
I was given two minutes in front of the Senate panel. I explained that most of us believe in rider education and that while there are problems and issues with the program, they can be fixed. I am happy to report that the bill was killed 4-3. In the 5 minute break after it was all said and done, the COC representative approached me and asked why we weren't a member. I told him we weren't interested. That made him really mad and made me really happy in my special angry place.
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That's awesome...
well done Christi!!!
Originally Posted by UglyDogRacing
We are Happy it all worked out, sure wish I could have done more but hey with a great group like this we are in "Good Hands" 
