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The off-road debate: signs or solutions?
By Chris Hutchins / Yucca Valley
In response to the July 13, 2005 article concerning signs to notify off-road riders about trespass laws and rules, I can only say, what a waste.
ORV Watch community has stated many times that these off-road riders care not about signs, rules or laws. Will these signs be obeyed any more than the 40 miles an hour sign on Highway 62 through the middle of Yucca Valley or the 65 mile an hour sign between Joshua Tree and 29 Palms? They (Watch ORV) portray the riders as anti-environmentalist and destroyers of ecology. What logic is used to say, with this sign, it will be better.
If we continue with this idea, why not have the following signs: "Look out for turtles" "Do not light pollute", or just "Go Away". This is silly.
The real solution to this problem is money. We don't need new laws. We don't need bans. We, as a community, need to "pony up" the money to pay for enforcement. Enforcement will be the first, and most important, step towards solving this issue for good. For as little as 300K to 500K a year, we could supply our law enforcement with the funds necessary to solve this issue. This would equate to about $7 to $12 per parcel assessment that would go directly to enforcement (based on 50,000 taxable parcels). We, the voters and taxpayers, would be solving this perceived, huge problem.
Yes, I said perceived. For everyone involved in the Watch lunch group, there are an opposite number of people who moved here to ride their off-road vehicle. This has been the culture for years in the Morongo Basin. I did not create it. It was here long before me. Good people, here for three or more generations, have responsibly enjoyed off-road vehicles for decades. I believe when pressed, they will mobilize against people from Anza or San Francisco, or whereever, who want to change our culture to fit their views.
Let's stop creating villains and start working the problem. I think this would be a perfect way to find out how the voters feel about this issue, putting their votes where their money is, and assess the funds necessary to fix outlaw riding in the Morongo Basin.
ORV Watch community has stated many times that these off-road riders care not about signs, rules or laws. Will these signs be obeyed any more than the 40 miles an hour sign on Highway 62 through the middle of Yucca Valley or the 65 mile an hour sign between Joshua Tree and 29 Palms? They (Watch ORV) portray the riders as anti-environmentalist and destroyers of ecology. What logic is used to say, with this sign, it will be better.
If we continue with this idea, why not have the following signs: "Look out for turtles" "Do not light pollute", or just "Go Away". This is silly.
The real solution to this problem is money. We don't need new laws. We don't need bans. We, as a community, need to "pony up" the money to pay for enforcement. Enforcement will be the first, and most important, step towards solving this issue for good. For as little as 300K to 500K a year, we could supply our law enforcement with the funds necessary to solve this issue. This would equate to about $7 to $12 per parcel assessment that would go directly to enforcement (based on 50,000 taxable parcels). We, the voters and taxpayers, would be solving this perceived, huge problem.
Yes, I said perceived. For everyone involved in the Watch lunch group, there are an opposite number of people who moved here to ride their off-road vehicle. This has been the culture for years in the Morongo Basin. I did not create it. It was here long before me. Good people, here for three or more generations, have responsibly enjoyed off-road vehicles for decades. I believe when pressed, they will mobilize against people from Anza or San Francisco, or whereever, who want to change our culture to fit their views.
Let's stop creating villains and start working the problem. I think this would be a perfect way to find out how the voters feel about this issue, putting their votes where their money is, and assess the funds necessary to fix outlaw riding in the Morongo Basin.
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mydoit2002 wrote on Jan 7, 2009 11:34 PM: