Equal Access to Our Parks

November 24, 1999 Tony Acosta Director, Office of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs 1520
Lakeside Drive Oakland, CA 94612

Re: Access to Joaquin Miller Park

Dear Sir:

I am very concerned about the arbitrary and discriminatory management of Oakland's parks. I
like to practice bulldozer racing (also known as "bulldozer scrambling", or BS, for short).
That is my way of enjoying nature. Who are you to tell me how I should enjoy nature?! Why
__________________________________________________
is your way of enjoying the outdoors any better than mine?! ____ ____ You allow roller-bladers,
equestrians, mountain bikers, and even hikers in your parks. But I am excluded, and can't enjoy
________
the parks that I pay taxes for. You obviously like them better than me, or maybe you belong to one
of those user groups, so you are biased towards them. In any case, you are discriminating against me
and other bulldozer racers, and I demand that this discrimination, which violates the Fifth
Amendment to the Constitution, stop immediately!

I know that bulldozer racers have a bad name, but that's just because we are the new kid on
the block. We are a tiny minority. I know that there have been some problems, such as some
people riding recklessly, going off the designated trails, and even secretly constructing
illegal trails. But those are a small minority of bulldozer riders. You shouldn't allow a
small minority to give the majority of us bulldozer racers, who ride responsibly, a bad
name. Why should we be punished, just because of them, and be forced to walk, just ________
____ like everybody else?

I also know that some extremist tree-huggers claim that it's a violation of CEQA (the
California Environmental Quality Act) to allow a new use of the park trails, and the
creation of new trails, without doing an EIR (Environmental Impact Report). But you are
right: mountain biking and bulldozer racing, when performed in an environmentally
responsible
________________________________________________
manner, doesn't have a significant impact on the environment.
______
In fact, it's actually beneficial to wildlife. You can tell
__________
that, by the fact that you often see deer tracks on the
mountain biking trails. If the trails didn't benefit them,
they wouldn't use them, now would they? Bulldozer racing
doesn't drive out wildlife. That is a myth. I see lots of
____
wildlife where I ride.

Some people say that we ride too fast to avoid killing small animals on the trail, such as
snakes -- that we have to pay attention to avoid crashing, and can't also look out for
wildlife. Are they that slow? What about "survival of the fittest"? If they are that slow,
they aren't going to survive, anyway.

Some HOHAs ("Hateful Old Hikers", as the mountain bikers call them) claim that bulldozer
racing does more harm to the environment than hiking. But a scientific study was done in
________________
New Zealand, proving that bulldozer racing does no more harm
_______
than hiking. Another scientific study showed that most erosion
________________
is caused by nature, and so any additional erosion caused by bulldozer racing is not significant, by
comparison. Would you rather have the park clear-cut, or turned into another gated community for the
rich? Without the support of strong environmentalists like us, that's what will inevitably happen!
We are your strongest defense against development. If a park doesn't have a strong constituency of
recreational users, no
____________
one will care about it, and it will inevitably be lost.
____
(That's what those environmental extremists call "destroying it, in order to save it". But what do
they know?) The HOHAs
____
claim that vehicles make it too easy for lazy, uncaring people to get into wildlife habitat. But if
nobody goes there, who will protect the park? The more people go to a park, the
_________________________________
better it is for the wildlife!
______________________________

Another claim is that we compact the soil around redwoods, killing them! Can you believe
that?! In Muir Woods National Monument, they don't even let people walk next to them, making
____
them stick to pavement or raised walkways. They must be run by an environmental extremist
tree-hugger!

I know that some HOHAs claim that bulldozer racing is annoying, and destroys their
experience of nature. I guess they're superior to everybody else. They are just being
selfish. They just don't want to share "their" trails with anybody else! That's obvious. The
older ones claim that they have given up going there, because they are afraid of being hit,
or are tired of constantly having to get off the trail to let bulldozers go by. Isn't that
just evolution -- survival of the fittest? Why should hikers, or anyone else, have the whole
park to themselves? We pay taxes, too. We have just as much right to be there as they do. We
are just as much environmentalists as they are. We love nature! That's why we
____
want to ride there!

When you have spent as much on your equipment as we have, believe me, it is very
frustrating, not to have any place to use it! We don't, of course, condone illegal trail
building. However, we can understand the frustration of people whose only sin is
preferring a different way of enjoying nature. They think that, because they are able to
purchase a piece of equipment that lets them go off-road, the public is obligated to give
them a place to use it. That's understandable -- isn't that the American way? Aren't they
just like the pioneers?

We bulldozer racers ("BS-ers") belong in the parks just as much as everybody else. If the
HOHAs don't want us on their trails, because we allegedly create narrow ruts, and make them
difficult to walk on, then we deserve to have our own trails,
___
which we will gladly build for free. There is plenty of space for everyone. If the wildlife don't
like it, they can always move! It's just survival of the fittest. As I said, that's
____
what evolution is all about.

We will even police our own riders, so that you won't have any additional expenses. After
all, how would you catch a renegade
_____
bulldozer racer? Your rangers would also need to drive bulldozers, increasing the wear and tear
on the trails. We can do that for you. How about it? There are more and more of us every day.
And we vote.
____

Sincerely,

Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.

===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

> http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

I just saw that you didnt update your page since last time i looked so i was wondering if you could
put a picture of my bike up on your page?

http://www.sitecenter.dk/peets-inferno/billeder/

pick one yourself.

Kisses Peet

 

Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more valuable land that is REALLY being
ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED with smoke coming from South Mexico and Central America.
Seems to me they are burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable environmentally,
and the fact that the air is saturated with smoke for a thousand miles doesnt help. Seems like
mountain bikes are pretty small potatoes compared to this!

"Mike Vandeman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> November 24, 1999 Tony Acosta Director, Office of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs 1520
> Lakeside Drive Oakland, CA 94612
>
> Re: Access to Joaquin Miller Park
>
> Dear Sir:
>
> I am very concerned about the arbitrary and discriminatory management of Oakland's parks. I like
> to practice bulldozer racing (also known as "bulldozer scrambling", or BS, for short). That is my
> way of enjoying nature. Who are you to tell me how I should enjoy nature?! Why
> __________________________________________________
> is your way of enjoying the outdoors any better than mine?! ____ ____ You allow roller-bladers,
> equestrians, mountain bikers, and even hikers in your parks. But I am excluded, and can't enjoy
> ________
> the parks that I pay taxes for. You obviously like them better than me, or maybe you belong to one
> of those user groups, so you are biased towards them. In any case, you are discriminating against
> me and other bulldozer racers, and I demand that this discrimination, which violates the Fifth
> Amendment to the Constitution, stop immediately!
>
> I know that bulldozer racers have a bad name, but that's just because we are the new kid on the
> block. We are a tiny minority. I know that there have been some problems, such as some people
> riding recklessly, going off the designated trails, and even secretly constructing illegal trails.
> But those are a small minority of bulldozer riders. You shouldn't allow a small minority to give
> the majority of us bulldozer racers, who ride responsibly, a bad name. Why should we be punished,
> just because of them, and be forced to walk, just ________ ____ like everybody else?
>
> I also know that some extremist tree-huggers claim that it's a violation of CEQA (the California
> Environmental Quality Act) to allow a new use of the park trails, and the creation of new trails,
> without doing an EIR (Environmental Impact Report). But you are right: mountain biking and
> bulldozer racing, when performed in an environmentally responsible
> ________________________________________________
> manner, doesn't have a significant impact on the environment.
> ______
> In fact, it's actually beneficial to wildlife. You can tell
> __________
> that, by the fact that you often see deer tracks on the
> mountain biking trails. If the trails didn't benefit them,
> they wouldn't use them, now would they? Bulldozer racing
> doesn't drive out wildlife. That is a myth. I see lots of
> ____
> wildlife where I ride.
>
> Some people say that we ride too fast to avoid killing small animals on the trail, such as snakes
> -- that we have to pay attention to avoid crashing, and can't also look out for wildlife. Are they
> that slow? What about "survival of the fittest"? If they are that slow, they aren't going to
> survive, anyway.
>
> Some HOHAs ("Hateful Old Hikers", as the mountain bikers call them) claim that bulldozer racing
> does more harm to the environment than hiking. But a scientific study was done in
> ________________
> New Zealand, proving that bulldozer racing does no more harm
> _______
> than hiking. Another scientific study showed that most erosion
> ________________
> is caused by nature, and so any additional erosion caused by bulldozer racing is not significant,
> by comparison. Would you rather have the park clear-cut, or turned into another gated community
> for the rich? Without the support of strong environmentalists like us, that's what will inevitably
> happen! We are your strongest defense against development. If a park doesn't have a strong
> constituency of recreational users, no
> ____________
> one will care about it, and it will inevitably be lost.
> ____
> (That's what those environmental extremists call "destroying it, in order to save it". But what do
> they know?) The HOHAs
> ____
> claim that vehicles make it too easy for lazy, uncaring people to get into wildlife habitat. But
> if nobody goes there, who will protect the park? The more people go to a park, the
> _________________________________
> better it is for the wildlife!
> ______________________________
>
> Another claim is that we compact the soil around redwoods, killing them! Can you believe that?! In
> Muir Woods National Monument, they don't even let people walk next to them, making
> ____
> them stick to pavement or raised walkways. They must be run by an environmental extremist
> tree-hugger!
>
> I know that some HOHAs claim that bulldozer racing is annoying, and destroys their experience of
> nature. I guess they're superior to everybody else. They are just being selfish. They just don't
> want to share "their" trails with anybody else! That's obvious. The older ones claim that they
> have given up going there, because they are afraid of being hit, or are tired of constantly having
> to get off the trail to let bulldozers go by. Isn't that just evolution -- survival of the
> fittest? Why should hikers, or anyone else, have the whole park to themselves? We pay taxes, too.
> We have just as much right to be there as they do. We are just as much environmentalists as they
> are. We love nature! That's why we
> ____
> want to ride there!
>
> When you have spent as much on your equipment as we have, believe me, it is very frustrating, not
> to have any place to use it! We don't, of course, condone illegal trail building. However, we can
> understand the frustration of people whose only sin is preferring a different way of enjoying
> nature. They think that, because they are able to purchase a piece of equipment that lets them go
> off-road, the public is obligated to give them a place to use it. That's understandable -- isn't
> that the American way? Aren't they just like the pioneers?
>
> We bulldozer racers ("BS-ers") belong in the parks just as much as everybody else. If the HOHAs
> don't want us on their trails, because we allegedly create narrow ruts, and make them difficult to
> walk on, then we deserve to have our own trails,
> ___
> which we will gladly build for free. There is plenty of space for everyone. If the wildlife don't
> like it, they can always move! It's just survival of the fittest. As I said, that's
> ____
> what evolution is all about.
>
> We will even police our own riders, so that you won't have any additional expenses. After all, how
> would you catch a renegade
> _____
> bulldozer racer? Your rangers would also need to drive bulldozers, increasing the wear and tear
> on the trails. We can do that for you. How about it? There are more and more of us every day. And
> we vote.
> ____
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.
>
> ===
> I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
> help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
>
> http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

> Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more valuable land that is REALLY
> being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED with smoke coming from South Mexico and Central
> America. Seems to me they are burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable
> environmentally, and the fact that the air is saturated with smoke for a thousand miles doesnt
> help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty small potatoes compared to this!

It is very sad. I was just in Belize and there are what seems to be hundreds of fires going all over
the place. The whole country stinks of burning forest. I never realized how good the air smells in
Virginia until I got back.

 

"John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> > Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more
valuable
> > land that is REALLY being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED
with
> > smoke coming from South Mexico and Central America. Seems to me they
are
> > burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable environmentally, and the fact
> > that the air is saturated with smoke for a thousand miles doesnt help. Seems like mountain bikes
> > are pretty small potatoes compared to this!
>
> It is very sad. I was just in Belize and there are what seems to be hundreds of fires going all
> over the place. The whole country stinks of burning forest. I never realized how good the air
> smells in Virginia
until
> I got back.
>
>

Its crazy that we are feeling the effects here in AUSTIN TX!! Its really hot because of the
greenhouse effects.. we have had a week of record breaking/tieing heat, elderly and sick have a
rough time of breathing (not to mention those riders who breath hard like myself). It won't rain
because the smog prevents it. It looks like a thick brownish fog, that lasts ALL day and wont burn
off... its disgusting. I'd hate to see whats happening down there!!

 

Jesus, Mike! Can't you come up with fresh arguments?

 

I have been a pilot for almost 18 years. You should see what Mexico City looks like from the front
seat in the air. Sort of what LAX used to look like in the eighties before some clean up efforts
were made....

"TacomaBoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > > Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more
> valuable
> > > land that is REALLY being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED
> with
> > > smoke coming from South Mexico and Central America. Seems to me they
> are
> > > burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable environmentally, and the fact
> > > that the air is saturated with smoke for
a
> > > thousand miles doesnt help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty
small
> > > potatoes compared to this!
> >
> > It is very sad. I was just in Belize and there are what seems to be hundreds of fires going all
> > over the place. The whole country stinks of burning forest. I never realized how good the air
> > smells in Virginia
> until
> > I got back.
> >
> >
>
> Its crazy that we are feeling the effects here in AUSTIN TX!! Its really
hot
> because of the greenhouse effects.. we have had a week of record breaking/tieing heat, elderly and
> sick have a rough time of breathing (not to mention those riders who breath hard like myself). It
> won't rain
because
> the smog prevents it. It looks like a thick brownish fog, that lasts ALL day and wont burn off...
> its disgusting. I'd hate to see whats happening down there!!

 

One thing I left out-

It seems to get worse though...... (MEX)

"The Airman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have been a pilot for almost 18 years. You should see what Mexico City looks like from the front
> seat in the air. Sort of what LAX used to look like in the eighties before some clean up efforts
> were made....
>
>
>
> "TacomaBoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > > Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more
> > valuable
> > > > land that is REALLY being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are
CHOKED
> > with
> > > > smoke coming from South Mexico and Central America. Seems to me
they
> > are
> > > > burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable environmentally, and the fact
> > > > that the air is saturated with smoke
for
> a
> > > > thousand miles doesnt help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty
> small
> > > > potatoes compared to this!
> > >
> > > It is very sad. I was just in Belize and there are what seems to be hundreds of fires going
> > > all over the place. The whole country stinks
of
> > > burning forest. I never realized how good the air smells in Virginia
> > until
> > > I got back.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Its crazy that we are feeling the effects here in AUSTIN TX!! Its really
> hot
> > because of the greenhouse effects.. we have had a week of record breaking/tieing heat, elderly
> > and sick have a rough time of breathing
(not
> > to mention those riders who breath hard like myself). It won't rain
> because
> > the smog prevents it. It looks like a thick brownish fog, that lasts
ALL
> > day and wont burn off... its disgusting. I'd hate to see whats
happening
> > down there!!
> >
>

 

On Tue, 20 May 2003 11:01:26 GMT, Mike Vandeman <[email protected]> wrote:

>Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.

As in piled higher and deeper, right?

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

 

On Tue, 20 May 2003 13:32:46 +0200, "Peter Tønnesen" <[email protected]> wrote:

.http://www.sitecenter.dk/peets-inferno/billeder/

Too booooring.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

On Tue, 20 May 2003 08:34:38 -0500, "TacomaBoy" <[email protected]> wrote:

.Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more valuable .land that is REALLY
being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED with .smoke coming from South Mexico and Central
America. Seems to me they are .burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable
.environmentally, and the fact that the air is saturated with smoke for a .thousand miles doesnt
help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty small .potatoes compared to this!

By your logic, you shouldn't complain about your wife being raped, if she wasn't killed. Are you
guys really THAT stupid?

."Mike Vandeman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
.news:[email protected]... .> November 24, 1999 .> Tony Acosta .> Director,
Office of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs .> 1520 Lakeside Drive .> Oakland, CA 94612 .> .>
Re: Access to Joaquin Miller Park .> .> Dear Sir: .> .> I am very concerned about the arbitrary and
.> discriminatory management of Oakland's parks. I like to .> practice bulldozer racing (also known
as "bulldozer .> scrambling", or BS, for short). That is my way of enjoying .> nature. Who are you
to tell me how I should enjoy nature?! Why .> __________________________________________________ .>
is your way of enjoying the outdoors any better than mine?! .> ____ ____ .> You allow
roller-bladers, equestrians, mountain bikers, and .> even hikers in your parks. But I am excluded,
and can't enjoy .> ________ .> the parks that I pay taxes for. You obviously like them better .>
than me, or maybe you belong to one of those user groups, so .> you are biased towards them. In any
case, you are .> discriminating against me and other bulldozer racers, and I .> demand that this
discrimination, which violates the Fifth .> Amendment to the Constitution, stop immediately! .> .> I
know that bulldozer racers have a bad name, but that's .> just because we are the new kid on the
block. We are a tiny .> minority. I know that there have been some problems, such as .> some people
riding recklessly, going off the designated .> trails, and even secretly constructing illegal
trails. But .> those are a small minority of bulldozer riders. You shouldn't .> allow a small
minority to give the majority of us bulldozer .> racers, who ride responsibly, a bad name. Why
should we be .> punished, just because of them, and be forced to walk, just .> ________ ____ .> like
everybody else? .> .> I also know that some extremist tree-huggers claim that .> it's a violation of
CEQA (the California Environmental Quality .> Act) to allow a new use of the park trails, and the
creation .> of new trails, without doing an EIR (Environmental Impact .> Report). But you are right:
mountain biking and bulldozer .> racing, when performed in an environmentally responsible .>
________________________________________________ .> manner, doesn't have a significant impact on the
environment. .> ______ .> In fact, it's actually beneficial to wildlife. You can tell .> __________
.> that, by the fact that you often see deer tracks on the .> mountain biking trails. If the trails
didn't benefit them, .> they wouldn't use them, now would they? Bulldozer racing .> doesn't drive
out wildlife. That is a myth. I see lots of .> ____ .> wildlife where I ride. .> .> Some people say
that we ride too fast to avoid killing .> small animals on the trail, such as snakes -- that we have
to .> pay attention to avoid crashing, and can't also look out for .> wildlife. Are they that slow?
What about "survival of the .> fittest"? If they are that slow, they aren't going to survive, .>
anyway. .> .> Some HOHAs ("Hateful Old Hikers", as the mountain bikers .> call them) claim that
bulldozer racing does more harm to the .> environment than hiking. But a scientific study was done
in .> ________________ .> New Zealand, proving that bulldozer racing does no more harm .> _______ .>
than hiking. Another scientific study showed that most erosion .> ________________ .> is caused by
nature, and so any additional erosion caused by .> bulldozer racing is not significant, by
comparison. Would you .> rather have the park clear-cut, or turned into another gated .> community
for the rich? Without the support of strong .> environmentalists like us, that's what will
inevitably happen! .> We are your strongest defense against development. If a park .> doesn't have a
strong constituency of recreational users, no .> ____________ .> one will care about it, and it will
inevitably be lost. .> ____ .> (That's what those environmental extremists call "destroying .> it,
in order to save it". But what do they know?) The HOHAs .> ____ .> claim that vehicles make it too
easy for lazy, uncaring people .> to get into wildlife habitat. But if nobody goes there, who .>
will protect the park? The more people go to a park, the .> _________________________________ .>
better it is for the wildlife! .> ______________________________ .> .> Another claim is that we
compact the soil around redwoods, .> killing them! Can you believe that?! In Muir Woods National .>
Monument, they don't even let people walk next to them, making .> ____ .> them stick to pavement or
raised walkways. They must be run by .> an environmental extremist tree-hugger! .> .> I know that
some HOHAs claim that bulldozer racing is .> annoying, and destroys their experience of nature. I
guess .> they're superior to everybody else. They are just being .> selfish. They just don't want to
share "their" trails with .> anybody else! That's obvious. The older ones claim that they .> have
given up going there, because they are afraid of being .> hit, or are tired of constantly having to
get off the trail to .> let bulldozers go by. Isn't that just evolution -- survival of .> the
fittest? Why should hikers, or anyone else, have the whole .> park to themselves? We pay taxes, too.
We have just as much .> right to be there as they do. We are just as much .> environmentalists as
they are. We love nature! That's why we .> ____ .> want to ride there! .> .> When you have spent as
much on your equipment as we have, .> believe me, it is very frustrating, not to have any place to
.> use it! We don't, of course, condone illegal trail building. .> However, we can understand the
frustration of people whose .> only sin is preferring a different way of enjoying nature. .> They
think that, because they are able to purchase a piece of .> equipment that lets them go off-road,
the public is obligated .> to give them a place to use it. That's understandable -- isn't .> that
the American way? Aren't they just like the pioneers? .> .> We bulldozer racers ("BS-ers") belong in
the parks just as .> much as everybody else. If the HOHAs don't want us on their .> trails, because
we allegedly create narrow ruts, and make them .> difficult to walk on, then we deserve to have our
own trails, .> ___ .> which we will gladly build for free. There is plenty of space .> for everyone.
If the wildlife don't like it, they can always .> move! It's just survival of the fittest. As I
said, that's .> ____ .> what evolution is all about. .> .> We will even police our own riders, so
that you won't have any .> additional expenses. After all, how would you catch a renegade .> _____
.> bulldozer racer? Your rangers would also need to drive .> bulldozers, increasing the wear and
tear on the trails. We can .> do that for you. How about it? There are more and more of us .> every
day. And we vote. .> ____ .> .> Sincerely, .> .> Michael J. Vandeman, .> Ph.D. .> .> === .> I am
working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to .> humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help?
(I spent the previous 8 .> years fighting auto dependence and road construction.) .> .>
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande .

===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

On Tue, 20 May 2003 12:30:02 -0700, "Jeff Strickland" <[email protected]> wrote:

.Jesus, Mike! Can't you come up with fresh arguments?

Why? the old ones are still valid, and you guys haven't been able to refute even ONE of them.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

By your logic, you'd rather have her killed then looked at funny! Doesn't seem to bother you if shes
dead, so long as your happy little tiny world is preserved. Whats the point of worrying about a
little thing if theres a MUCH bigger problem elsewhere. Spend your efforts where they can really
make a difference.

"Mike Vandeman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 20 May 2003 08:34:38 -0500, "TacomaBoy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> .Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more
valuable
> .land that is REALLY being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED
with
> .smoke coming from South Mexico and Central America. Seems to me they are .burning their country
> to ashes. That land is far more valuable .environmentally, and the fact that the air is saturated
> with smoke for a .thousand miles doesnt help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty small .potatoes
> compared to this!
>
> By your logic, you shouldn't complain about your wife being raped, if she
wasn't
> killed. Are you guys really THAT stupid?
>
> ."Mike Vandeman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> .news:[email protected]... .> November 24, 1999 .> Tony Acosta .>
> Director, Office of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs .> 1520 Lakeside Drive .> Oakland, CA
> 94612 .> .> Re: Access to Joaquin Miller Park .> .> Dear Sir: .> .> I am very concerned about the
> arbitrary and .> discriminatory management of Oakland's parks. I like to .> practice bulldozer
> racing (also known as "bulldozer .> scrambling", or BS, for short). That is my way of enjoying .>
> nature. Who are you to tell me how I should enjoy nature?! Why .>
> __________________________________________________ .> is your way of enjoying the outdoors any
> better than mine?! .> ____ ____ .> You allow roller-bladers, equestrians, mountain bikers, and .>
> even hikers in your parks. But I am excluded, and can't enjoy .> ________ .> the parks that I pay
> taxes for. You obviously like them better .> than me, or maybe you belong to one of those user
> groups, so .> you are biased towards them. In any case, you are .> discriminating against me and
> other bulldozer racers, and I .> demand that this discrimination, which violates the Fifth .>
> Amendment to the Constitution, stop immediately! .> .> I know that bulldozer racers have a bad
> name, but that's .> just because we are the new kid on the block. We are a tiny .> minority. I
> know that there have been some problems, such as .> some people riding recklessly, going off the
> designated .> trails, and even secretly constructing illegal trails. But .> those are a small
> minority of bulldozer riders. You shouldn't .> allow a small minority to give the majority of us
> bulldozer .> racers, who ride responsibly, a bad name. Why should we be .> punished, just because
> of them, and be forced to walk, just .> ________ ____ .> like everybody else? .> .> I also know
> that some extremist tree-huggers claim that .> it's a violation of CEQA (the California
> Environmental Quality .> Act) to allow a new use of the park trails, and the creation .> of new
> trails, without doing an EIR (Environmental Impact .> Report). But you are right: mountain biking
> and bulldozer .> racing, when performed in an environmentally responsible .>
> ________________________________________________ .> manner, doesn't have a significant impact on
> the environment. .> ______ .> In fact, it's actually beneficial to wildlife. You can tell .>
> __________ .> that, by the fact that you often see deer tracks on the .> mountain biking trails.
> If the trails didn't benefit them, .> they wouldn't use them, now would they? Bulldozer racing .>
> doesn't drive out wildlife. That is a myth. I see lots of .> ____ .> wildlife where I ride. .> .>
> Some people say that we ride too fast to avoid killing .> small animals on the trail, such as
> snakes -- that we have to .> pay attention to avoid crashing, and can't also look out for .>
> wildlife. Are they that slow? What about "survival of the .> fittest"? If they are that slow, they
> aren't going to survive, .> anyway. .> .> Some HOHAs ("Hateful Old Hikers", as the mountain bikers
> .> call them) claim that bulldozer racing does more harm to the .> environment than hiking. But a
> scientific study was done in .> ________________ .> New Zealand, proving that bulldozer racing
> does no more harm .> _______ .> than hiking. Another scientific study showed that most erosion .>
> ________________ .> is caused by nature, and so any additional erosion caused by .> bulldozer
> racing is not significant, by comparison. Would you .> rather have the park clear-cut, or turned
> into another gated .> community for the rich? Without the support of strong .> environmentalists
> like us, that's what will inevitably happen! .> We are your strongest defense against development.
> If a park .> doesn't have a strong constituency of recreational users, no .> ____________ .> one
> will care about it, and it will inevitably be lost. .> ____ .> (That's what those environmental
> extremists call "destroying .> it, in order to save it". But what do they know?) The HOHAs .> ____
> .> claim that vehicles make it too easy for lazy, uncaring people .> to get into wildlife habitat.
> But if nobody goes there, who .> will protect the park? The more people go to a park, the .>
> _________________________________ .> better it is for the wildlife! .>
> ______________________________ .> .> Another claim is that we compact the soil around redwoods, .>
> killing them! Can you believe that?! In Muir Woods National .> Monument, they don't even let
> people walk next to them, making .> ____ .> them stick to pavement or raised walkways. They must
> be run by .> an environmental extremist tree-hugger! .> .> I know that some HOHAs claim that
> bulldozer racing is .> annoying, and destroys their experience of nature. I guess .> they're
> superior to everybody else. They are just being .> selfish. They just don't want to share "their"
> trails with .> anybody else! That's obvious. The older ones claim that they .> have given up going
> there, because they are afraid of being .> hit, or are tired of constantly having to get off the
> trail to .> let bulldozers go by. Isn't that just evolution -- survival of .> the fittest? Why
> should hikers, or anyone else, have the whole .> park to themselves? We pay taxes, too. We have
> just as much .> right to be there as they do. We are just as much .> environmentalists as they
> are. We love nature! That's why we .> ____ .> want to ride there! .> .> When you have spent as
> much on your equipment as we have, .> believe me, it is very frustrating, not to have any place to
> .> use it! We don't, of course, condone illegal trail building. .> However, we can understand the
> frustration of people whose .> only sin is preferring a different way of enjoying nature. .> They
> think that, because they are able to purchase a piece of .> equipment that lets them go off-road,
> the public is obligated .> to give them a place to use it. That's understandable -- isn't .> that
> the American way? Aren't they just like the pioneers? .> .> We bulldozer racers ("BS-ers") belong
> in the parks just as .> much as everybody else. If the HOHAs don't want us on their .> trails,
> because we allegedly create narrow ruts, and make them .> difficult to walk on, then we deserve to
> have our own trails, .> ___ .> which we will gladly build for free. There is plenty of space .>
> for everyone. If the wildlife don't like it, they can always .> move! It's just survival of the
> fittest. As I said, that's .> ____ .> what evolution is all about. .> .> We will even police our
> own riders, so that you won't have any .> additional expenses. After all, how would you catch a
> renegade .> _____ .> bulldozer racer? Your rangers would also need to drive .> bulldozers,
> increasing the wear and tear on the trails. We can .> do that for you. How about it? There are
> more and more of us .> every day. And we vote. .> ____ .> .> Sincerely, .> .> Michael J. Vandeman,
> .> Ph.D. .> .> === .> I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to .> humans
> ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8 .> years fighting auto dependence and road
> construction.) .> .> http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande .
>
> ===
> I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
> help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
>
> http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

No, the old arguments are as full of shit today as they were when they were still fresh. You are
pathetic ...

"Mike Vandeman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 20 May 2003 12:30:02 -0700, "Jeff Strickland" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> .Jesus, Mike! Can't you come up with fresh arguments?
>
> Why? the old ones are still valid, and you guys haven't been able to
refute even
> ONE of them.
> ===
> I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
> help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)
>
> http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

 

"Mike Vandeman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 20 May 2003 08:34:38 -0500, "TacomaBoy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> .Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more
valuable
> .land that is REALLY being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED
with
> .smoke coming from South Mexico and Central America. Seems to me they are .burning their country
> to ashes. That land is far more valuable .environmentally, and the fact that the air is saturated
> with smoke for a .thousand miles doesnt help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty small .potatoes
> compared to this!
>
> By your logic, you shouldn't complain about your wife being raped, if she
wasn't
> killed. Are you guys really THAT stupid?

Wow, what logic!

Look up stupid in the dictionary and you will find Mike's picture.

Hawke

 

Mike Vandeman <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> On Tue, 20 May 2003 08:34:38 -0500, "TacomaBoy" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> .Hey Mike, wouldnt it be more prudent to try and conserve the more valuable .land that is REALLY
> being ravaged? Right now in Austin we are CHOKED with .smoke coming from South Mexico and Central
> America. Seems to me they are .burning their country to ashes. That land is far more valuable
> .environmentally, and the fact that the air is saturated with smoke for a .thousand miles doesnt
> help. Seems like mountain bikes are pretty small .potatoes compared to this!
>
> By your logic, you shouldn't complain about your wife being raped, if she wasn't killed. Are you
> guys really THAT stupid?
>

By my logic I'd rather see you raped than my moutain bike trails closed down.