Sent the following to the "BID", Chamber of Commerce and their local "B103" radio station.

Reading the "food for thought" flyer for your upcoming meeting that refers to banning unsightly bikers and their motorcycles took me back to my days in the U.S. Navy when I was stationed in the Norfolk / VA Beach area. There were still stories still floating around about signs posted years before that read "Dogs and Sailors stay off the grass". The base commander reacted to this by placing all places of business in the area OFF Limits to all military personnel stationed there. it wasn't very long before a quickly declining bottom line called for an apologetic plea for the return of the military dollars to be spent in local merchants facilities.

Your situation is similar except we don't need a commander to tell us who is deserving of our hard earned dollars. I'm a biker. I'm also a father, husband, pilot, a former business owner, a mentor, a manager, a decorated veteran and a protector of the innocent. There are hordes of us. Our bikes are expensive to procure and maintain. We work hard at our jobs to afford these machines that project our personalities and give us the recreational release that keeps us balanced. The trips we take in ever increasing numbers because of the power of the Internet to unite us cost a fair amount as well. We like to spend money on those trips to take home memento's of our travels and remind us of the new people we meet. We like to visit the small "mom and pop" establishments to feel we have really met a part of those regions that are somewhat foreign to us.

You seem to have confused all of us for the kind of people you don't feel are up to the standard of trust and behavior you'd expect in your community. Those are the one percent'ers. They call themselves that as a way of designating themselves as those who are not averse to rowdy behavior at the expense of others well being. The important thing to realize is they they represent a very tiny percentage (hence the term 1%er) of the biker community. We are Doctors, consultants, accountants, Christians, educators, astronauts, engineers, coach's and any other responsible/prosperous/dignified vocational label you want to try.

With your newly exposed opinions of the way we dress and look, "unsightly" I believe it was, one thing a lot of us are not is future patrons of your merchants. I have traveled extensively and some of the most beautiful riding I have done is in Eastern NY. I will, at some point be taking my family to Bear Mountain resort near West Point along with many other places I want them to experience. Port Jefferson will not be on any of our proposed lists of places to visit. Apparently we're not welcome. (I'm not the only rider in the family)

I am writing this from my office in Findlay, Ohio. I became aware of your view towards those of us who ride from an online community of bikers with the very same aforementioned vocational demographics. There are 5,200 of us on this one site who have profiles, not even mentioning the number who visit this one site and don't create profiles. There are hundreds of sites like ours. I'll be posting, along with all the other "unsightly" bikers, on every social networking avenue available, your dislike for those of us who ride. Your business "improvement" district is working on failing it's mission statement with intolerant views such as this.

  Your blade is sharp as a rezor but your cut is to the point and kind.  I enjoy the way that a person of words can state the position in a way that the object recieving the notice feels good about what is said even when they are the bottom of the food system..

hgsc90, thank you very much.....They are confusing the sheepdog for the wolf and deciding to eradicate the species.

After reading Defcon's post i sent the following through AMA

To whom it may concern. I am a motorcyclist from Ireland, and i have recently read of your discrimination against me and my fellow riders, not just in America but around the world. I am part of a responsible community of like minded people and find your actions insulting to say the least.

I have read the history of Jefferson Port and it is quite fascinating and seems to be a beautiful area to visit. I see also it was founded by an Irishman back in the 1600's. It was renamed Jefferson Port in honour of a great man Thomas Jefferson, a man who encouraged the oppressed nations of the world to rebel against oppression, to strike for freedom, and he enshrined those ideals in your Constitution, a document which extolls freedom of expression, an ideal which motorcyclists live by.

I believe that with your discrimination of motorcyclists, you dishonour John Roe, who founded you town and indeed Thomas Jefferson. I visit America frequently, and enjoy your great country and its people, needless to say I will not be visiting your area any time soon, and I will discourage any of my friends or family from visiting your area.

As I live 4000 miles away you may not pay much heed to my letter, but at least have the decency to apologise to your fellow countrymen for the slight you have put on them. I thank you for your time.

Hey rory1, good on you for taking the time. You may be 4000 miles away, but that speaks to the lightning speed and vast geography this message is getting passed. I hope many take up the small effort to put a few words down and send it to them. Likewise, I would hope that if they issue any formal apology we, in turn, will except and not hinder the exploration of what looks to be a small maritime community rich in culture.

That was quick.....just got an e-mail from the Mayor of Port Jefferson. I have asked for her permission to repost her correspondance on here.......developing......

Of course.....I do not want the motorcycle popultion to believe that this one "letter" represented our "villages" view or the chamber of commerce or the BID board for that matter

Margot J Garant
Attorney at Law
220 East Main Street
Port Jefferson NY 11777
631-928-5500
631-828-6720(f)





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "vsbarnhart@aol.com"
To: Margot Garant
Sent: Mon, April 5, 2010 5:32:46 PM
Subject: Re: Proposal

May I have your permission to post this email on the site where I became aware of this ?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Margot Garant
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 14:28:14 -0700 (PDT)
To: PJCC portjeffchamber.com
Cc:
Subject: Re: Proposal


Dear James,

I am the Mayor of Port Jefferson - I am not pleased with the tone and content of the letter which went out from ONE member of the BID without board approval. I have been working closely with both the chamber and BID and both organizations were not "behind" the letter nor was the village. I would love to discuss this matter with the you further and apologize for the negative tone and message this one letter sent. I ask you to please not send out your letter or postings....I have a public meeting tonight and plan on attending the BID meeting tomorrow night personally to inform them of my great disapointment with how they have incited this matter for our village.

Margot J Garant
Attorney at Law
220 East Main Street
Port Jefferson NY 11777
631-928-5500
631-828-6720(f)





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: PJCC portjeffchamber.com
To: Margot Garant
Sent: Mon, April 5, 2010 4:57:37 PM
Subject: FW: Proposal


Margot,
I think you should see this...and the flyer that BID put out. People are outraged at this, and think that it was the Chambers doing...and or Village Hall. This needs major clarification to the public.
KK

I think they may be taking steps to reverse this, if so i think we should support the good Mayor's efforts and get the word out that Port Jefferson is biker tolerant and hopefully biker friendly.

might have been frank zappa ( not sure) that said,
" just cause i don't look like you, don't mean i ain't real "

Outstanding everyone who can put words to paper as you have done. It's nice that you got such a fast reply. Hopefully the situation will be rectified at the meeting tonight and tomorrow.

Defcon,

Terrific job of expressing the views of many, and helping to clear up a situation by getting the facts.

Thanks again. The Mayor sent an e-mail this morning with a draft of her formal letter. I suggested she submit directly to Lucky for handling it from an entire site standpoint and also submit to the AMA since that was the originating portal from which we became aware of it.

DAMN!!!!!! Next time I get in trouble, I'm gonna hire DEFCON fer my Lawyer!!!! He uses words I had to go "Look-up"....

I myself was an elected rep for 5 years in a town similar to Jefferson port, i even done a year as mayor. I can see where that lady is coming from, sometimes a council rep or official will take a flyer at a pet hate/love, without consulting with other officials. This obviously is going to hurt other cllrs and the reputation of the area. Enshrined in every City/County/ Town's local constitution all over the western world are anti-discrimination rules. This official , who wrote the "unsightly bikers" piece broke those rules, and should be disciplined for that. Because not only has he/she broken the rule, but also harmed the reputation of the town, which looking at it, depends on tourism to a large degree.

If there is any history of 1%'ers or any other group causing trouble it is up to the police to resolve it, they can make a recommendation to council and then action can be taken. This is universal.

As for the mayor, she is supposed to be in contact with all her officials and their duties, she obviously is not. Her reply to Defcon is a simple case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. I honestly believe towns like this and many others , including my own, are trying to beat the life out of anything that upsets their "ordered" way of life, its killing diversity and basic freedoms, these "rights" were hard won by generations past, and should not be given up easily. It takes people like Defcon and all others who followed this up to protect our freedom, and sometimes the pen is as strong as the sword.

P.S...if all else fails maybe we should just send Hambone up there.

I have to disagree with the comment on the Mayor reacting for votes. Her email notification from KK about this issue apparently was her first knowledge of the issue. The fact that she chose to respond to me/us doesn't necessarily mean to me that she is simply looking for a PR opportunity. She knows full well that I and most of you reading this have virtually no impact on the outcome of any of her subsequent bids for re-election.

Many will post lines of rehtoric on sites like this without taking action and those quips will go unnoticed by 99.999% percent of her constituents and so are inconsequential at best. She could simply have ignored my email and went on to blame any down-tick in their economy, that may or may not have resulted from this bad PR, to a continually floundering economy. But, she took the time to respond anyway. I don't know if she has alterior motives and do not care.

The fact of the matter is that there was an intolerant proposal that went public. If we are about actually protecting the innocent, as many of us claim when we don Nightdragon's patch, rhetorical sniping accomplishes nothing. It takes action to reverse a wrong nomatter what the situation. From where I stand, one of the best people to engage for action would be the Mayor. If we are concerned about her motives for giving us what we ask for, it is up to us to ensure we are asking for what we really want. She has an obligation to herself to preserve her tenure for her own financial well being. She has promised her village she would look out for their best interest and in turn they will reward her proper action by re-electing her and her financial future should remain intact as long as she is a person of action and not PR stunts. Let's not pretend she should be doing this for us. She should be doing what is just and fair to protect her career. Her career of choice is to serve the people. So of course she has to blow her own horn to counter all those in her voting district who undoubtedly are sniping at her continually. If you are pleasing everyone, you stand for nothing.

Don't claim anyone should be falling on their proverbial "sword". I, for one, will never claim I have never acted solely to protect my families financial well being, although I would never dishonor myself. And, if she WAS involved in the original offending proposal, allow her to see the error of her ways and do what we asked even if that realisation is only that her previous choice would have cost her personally and she is not doing anything for anyone other than for her own financial preservation. Who cares why? We got the result. Let her constituants decide if she is altruistic while we park freely on her streets with the law of the village to protect our right to do so if we so choose.

Once again, very well put.

Defcon, You are a true Wordsmith!

"If there is any history of 1%'ers or any other group causing trouble it is up to the police to resolve it, they can make a recommendation to council and then action can be taken. This is universal."

Plenty areas in South Florida have done this because of un-ruly bike nights, congesting traffic, hurting business owners. What's new?......... This is a business district organization with pages full of doing things for their kids, cleaning the neighborhood and making it nice, a historic section of town from what I can find.

If they have a problem with a particular group of people, bikers, low rider compacts with boom boxes, street gangs stealing purses or whatever this is an obvious out cry for help from their officials, for all we know they could have a serius issue.

Remember Myrtle Beach?..........  Ever been to South Beach and seen undercover cops snatching keys out of motorcycles sitting at a traffic light?............

Whew!!!! Well I guess to distill it down from the Mayor's response is that they may have a criminal problem that Flatlander is alluding to. If that is the case it looks as though the mayor and her admin understand it is not a biker issue, but maybe an issue of criminals on bikes.....Anyway, just had a phone conversation and my e-mail will be posted on their editorial page in two weeks. SO, let's see what the good people of Port Jefferson have to say in response to this once it hits the news stands. Then we'll have real results from the public there. Not from the politician's. Hopefully it will shed light on what 'They the People" think about the cut of our jib.

Defcon,

Really have to hand it to you. First of all just for actually taking the initiative to write the letter, second, that is some really nice writing there. Amazing how when you take the time to actually expain your point to someone in a reasonable manor, you can actually get their attention.

Job well done.

I just took a look at "www.portjeff.com" to see what is "UP". Home page has a statement from Port Jefferson BID President and Port Jefferson Mayor conserning the BID Topics to consider.. Someone is in deep POOP by sending unauthorozed letterhead official statements. For a short read it is imformative...Howard

wow - some serious heat in Port Jeff!

Again, I stand in Awe! Steve, I believe you've come close to describing the skills DEFCON commands when using the "Written Word"..... Articulation, "Second to None"! Sarge...

I'd like to thank the Academy and.......LOL.....Seriously, I just read the statement on www.portjeff.com. Thats very satisfying. I write a lot of letters to Congress, local political interests, pro gun interests, etc. And mostly the letters receive a cordial "thank you" or we'll "look into it". Every now and then something actually happens and some "action" is taken.

You guys are very kind and I greatly appreciate the compliments but I have to say that a large part of this was due to the Mayor and others looking over this site and seeing that we aren't just a bunch of rode grime idiots spitting hate and discontent. We get covered in rode grime, but we are exactly what I said we are and that is people like them who love our bikes like others love their high dollar golf clubs, or fly-fishing lure collection, weekend drag car, quilt display at the county fair, etc. So it's easy when you have a support group such as this to back you up when you say, "we are who you need to respect, because we will respect you back AND have your back if you call on us to do so".