It Figures....

[sunset on the dock]

Originally Posted by Bearislandmoose

Hazelnut,
Your problem is not that someone else is slinging mud, your problem is that someone is finally slinging it back. SOBNH has been outed for the go-fast club that it really is, led by the drinking scofflaw that he really is. And that really stings. You guys tried sooo hard to paint a face of legitimacy on the group...tagging along with the Power Squadron and everything...all for naught...it didn't work. Smelly feet still stink through a clean sock.

While you guys are watching cartoons and getting some amusement, the good people of NH are reading their Sunday papers and getting an education;

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../-1/FOSOPINION

Election not a mandate to repeal speed limits

Sunday, December 26, 2010

A bill has been introduced to repeal our boating speed limit and replace it with the vague notion that boaters need only limit their speeds to what they themselves feel is "reasonable and prudent"... similar to the Coast Guard law used on the open seas.

The bill is sponsored by legislators from southern New Hampshire. Not a single legislator from the Lakes Region, where the speed limit has been so popular, agreed to sign on.

This bill was submitted at the prompting of a group having the audacity to name themselves "Safe Boaters," an apparent reorganization of the go-fast-be-loud crowd formerly calling themselves "Recreational Boaters." What will they call themselves next? When will they admit that they are really just "Fast Loud Selfish Boaters"? I guess that moniker wouldn't fit on the bumper stickers.

The concept of allowing boaters to decide for themselves how fast is "reasonable and prudent" is the only thing that can work on the ocean. Enforcing a set speed limit on the open seas is impossible. The best that can be done there is to have a law that can be applied after the fact, to decide whether an accident was the result of a crime.

But Lake Winnipesaukee is not the ocean. It is a lake. Speed limits are enforceable here, they are working, and people have been obeying them. Allowing "thunder boaters" to decide for themselves how fast is "reasonable and prudent" is not necessary here, we can do much better than that, and we have been doing much better than that for three years. And with all the real issues our legislature has to worry about right now, is this something they should be mucking around with anyway?

Two years of a 45-mph speed limit law after a one year Marine Patrol "informal test" have proven that those very few very aggressive cowboys who caused so much mayhem respect a black and White speed limit. Only twenty-some speeding tickets had to be issued over this period, proving what those that use the lake saw, what most people expected... how much more civil and "recreational" boating on Winnipesaukee was for all once again, and how people obey laws that are clear and unambiguous. Why even think about changing that? Especially with all the serious issues our legislators need to address.

The problem on Winnipesaukee has never been the responsible boater behind the helm of a fast boat... it has been the irresponsible cowboy who always wants to see what he can get away with. Cowboys are just big kids. Kids need to be given curfews and defined limits ... 9 o'clock ... four cookies ... take a bath. They cannot decide from themselves. They are not mature or responsible enough.

Telling a cowboy "Just go as fast as you feel is reasonable and prudent" is like telling a kid to just eat as much candy as he thinks he should. Kids have a different idea of what "reasonable and prudent" means than we do, because we have adult minds, and they have adolescent minds.

Last summer, boating traffic on Winnipesaukee was as balanced and civil as we have seen for over 20 years. All of us got to enjoy our boats and enjoy the lake. Kids camps were sailing and canoeing again. Dealers were selling canoes and kayaks again. Waterside restaurants were struggling to find dock space again. Sailing clubs held regattas and sailing schools again. Rowers in skulls were out there in numbers never seen before. Fathers were taking their sons fishing again. And off-shore boats were still out there, going 45 mph, which any boater knows is pretty darn fast on the water. No longer were the majority of family boaters being ruled by the aggressive boating of such a small minority, so why even think about going back? Especially with the real problems New Hampshire has for our elected officials to fix.

The election of Republicans to Concord in such a landslide was not a mandate to repeal such a functional law that even Republican voters favor so overwhelmingly. We elected Republicans to return fiscal responsibility to New Hampshire, not to return "thunder boating" to Winnipesaukee. Cowboys behind the wheels of thunder boats are not the "Republican" standard. That standard is embodied in the father who wants to get behind the wheel of his runabout to take his family for an ice cream, or take his kids tubing. Now he can do that again. Please don't go back to the mayhem that so many hundreds of people described...the mayhem that the current law virtually eliminated.

Those who want Coast Guard rules should go to the ocean. Besides, there are important matters facing New Hampshire right now, and unleashing the "thunder boaters" to terrorize us once again is not one of them. That is not what we voted for.

It's my understanding that virtually none of our lake's region legislators intend to sign on either if the bill gets out of committee. This would be a powerful message to the others in our legislature.

[Yosemite Sam]

Originally Posted by sunset on the dock

It's my understanding that virtually none of our lake's region legislators intend to sign on either if the bill gets out of committee. This would be a powerful message to the others in our legislature.

The president of the SBONH has issed a statement stating that what he posted "are OBVIOUS exaggerations for satirical and comical humor".

There...now we can forget all those things he said about booze crusies and knowing how to fool the NH Marine Patrol....we all stooped real low to post his Forum exaggerations. Shame on us.


Here is what he said:

" Concerning the recent postings on other sites I have felt a response was not necessary due to how disgusting and misleading these personal attacks are. Anyone can see through this veil of misdirection, however being President of the organization I want to set the record straight.

1. I do not, have not, nor do I support, in anyway BWI. I personally have a zero tolerance policy that I think all responsible boaters should adhere to. In no way do I condone any form of Boating under the influence. A designated driver should always be available and planned for accordingly.

2. Quotes that are being posted on other media sources about me are being taken from a personal dialogue between friends. These are OBVIOUS exaggerations for satirical and comical humor. To use them in and of themselves is simply unfounded and does not give a complete story. Context and personal relationships concerning inside jokes between friends are not being considered nor do outside readers have an understanding of these as being sarcastic.

It is really unfortunate that people have such a weak standing to form their own argument concerning actual issues at hand that they must stoop to making personal attacks in this nature. It only continues to prove the feeble case they have to have to bring the debate to such a low point of squabbling. Legislators have already pointed out how such attacks will be viewed unsympathetically if brought to their attention.

Frankly this is pathetic and not deserving any further concern.

SBONH and I will continue to work with organizations, legislators and anyone else who would like to help promote safety and our agenda."

[melvin bay]

As far as the part about legislators being unsympathetic, I think this is a major smoke screen on Sbonh's part. Some of these legislators like Hikel, Packard, Forsythe, and Boutin may well have been hoodwinked here. I suspect they are decent people who did not know the full extent of the deceit which lies below the surface at SBONH. People have fought hard to return a family ideal to the lake. The message from some of these offshoreonly and other posts is a pattern of reckless, irresponsible, and immature behaviior on the part of the president of the organization. These are not the words one would wish to hear from a young man with kid(s). The pattern can be seen with the quotes about Braun Bay and the Naswa and booze cruises...right up until recent quotes about getting anhiilated drunk. The Hooters comment beats them all . The parallels with Erica and the NHRBA are frightening.
I too have spoken with some of our legislators. One has said that yes theyare ticked off at this bill just a few months after the passage of the SL and that indeed these bills often emerge somewhat opposite to what was intended similar to what I read from another poster. It would be ironic if the sl were more not less restrictive and involved all nH lakes. I would urge all who feel similarly to speak with your reps, let them know your feeling, and be willing to back up your concerns with some of these very revealing posts, especially the ones about Braun Bay and the Naswa. These posts do not paint a picture of people who are reasonable and prudent.

Here are 2 more quotes from offshoreonly. I find it interesting that initially some of the posts on the Jammin on the James thread were marked edited as of a few days ago....now the whole thread I understand is missing.
These 2 aren't quite as blatant as some of the others("waking up in the dog's bed") but show the disturbing pattern and do not seem in line with the family values mentioned in the Fosters letter.



01-16-2010, 11:52 AM #123
OCDACTIVE
A.T. Cult Member #4
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Goffstown, NH
Posts: 2,096
1999 28 Active Thunder Savage 2 weeks!!! I'm starting now... Gotta get the liver primed!
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Help stop needless boating speed limits in NH. Please visit www.sbonh.org

01-17-2010, 09:28 AM #136
OCDACTIVE
A.T. Cult Member #4
VIP Member



Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Goffstown, NH
Posts: 2,096
1999 28 Active Thunder Savage I am going to go out on a limb here and say in 2 weeks from today I will have a raging hangover! LOL

__________________
Help stop needless boating speed limits in NH. Please visit www.sbonh.org

I think this bill and organization are toast

[lawn psycho]

Melvin, do you really think posting this here is somehow getting the message out to the masses?

But in all honestly, you have got to take a step back and look at this from someone not as jaded with your viewpoint.

I'll give you an example. I have lawn care, fertilizing, and herbicides as a very serious hobby. There is a forum where we kid around all the time about "killing the environment, making our neighbors nervous, putting the guy who dare walk on the perfectly cut lawn into the wood chipper and using him for organic matter, etc." If you read that forum, you may not even get the inside jokes we have. Someone like you would come along and "oh the horrors". Anyone in real life would know that's not how things really are.

So you can continue to post these all day. I'm sure OCD probably wishes he never posted them as it's easy to paint someone in a bad light. I guarantee there is something you've done or said something that could be used to paint your character, even if not true.

However, there are people like me who saw legislators use dirty politics to take a study period, squash it rather than wait for the lack of data to support their cause, and then push it through. That is why I oppose the SL as I detest slimy politics. Again, my boat can barely do 45 MPH but I want the SL eliminated just to prove a point. The lake won't change with or without the speed limits. And we know that hurts you to know that. You've become obsessed with this whole topic. You should seriously give it a rest or you are going to have a stroke or heart attack. The anger and anxiety you have about the SL is over the top.

Also, the repeated mention of the cartoon shows you how much it got under your skin but there was a lot of truth in the little video.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam

The president of the SBONH has issed a statement stating that what he posted "are OBVIOUS exaggerations for satirical and comical humor".

There...now we can forget all those things he said about booze crusies and knowing how to fool the NH Marine Patrol....we all stooped real low to post his Forum exaggerations. Shame on us.


Here is what he said:

" Concerning the recent postings on other sites I have felt a response was not necessary due to how disgusting and misleading these personal attacks are. Anyone can see through this veil of misdirection, however being President of the organization I want to set the record straight.

1. I do not, have not, nor do I support, in anyway BWI. I personally have a zero tolerance policy that I think all responsible boaters should adhere to. In no way do I condone any form of Boating under the influence. A designated driver should always be available and planned for accordingly.

2. Quotes that are being posted on other media sources about me are being taken from a personal dialogue between friends. These are OBVIOUS exaggerations for satirical and comical humor. To use them in and of themselves is simply unfounded and does not give a complete story. Context and personal relationships concerning inside jokes between friends are not being considered nor do outside readers have an understanding of these as being sarcastic.

It is really unfortunate that people have such a weak standing to form their own argument concerning actual issues at hand that they must stoop to making personal attacks in this nature. It only continues to prove the feeble case they have to have to bring the debate to such a low point of squabbling. Legislators have already pointed out how such attacks will be viewed unsympathetically if brought to their attention.

Frankly this is pathetic and not deserving any further concern.

SBONH and I will continue to work with organizations, legislators and anyone else who would like to help promote safety and our agenda."

Let's use your logic YS, along with that of Melvin the pot stirrer. So if it's never OK to be on a boat or 'booze cruise' and therefore be a cowboy, white-trash drunk, etc. then anyone who set foot on the MS Mount Washington and ingested alcohol fits your definition. Do you think anyone consumes more than a couple drinks before they walked off the gang plank (and had a designated driver). Maybe next you guys will be asking the M/S Mount Washington to ban booze from being served on board.