|
|
THE NATIONAL COALITION OF MOTORCYCLISTS
An Idea That’s Long Overdue!
On January 27, 1986, an idea whose time was long overdue, became reality.
Twenty years ago, leaders of various motorcycle groups from across America
met in Las Vegas to discuss a “coming together” and the overwhelming need
for a national voice to protect our life-style and right to ride.
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) was born from that meeting.
NCOM is not another association, but rather a bringing together of
existing motorcycle groups for the purpose of mutual exchange of
information, legislative strategy and the combined strength to fight all
that is adverse to the freedom of the road.
During the past two decades years, NCOM has grown to over 1,000 member
organizations representing hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists
nationwide. In addition, motorcycle associations from Europe, North
America, Australia and New Zealand have joined forces through the
International Coalition of Motorcyclists (ICOM).
By networking information and expertise, everyone benefits.
The goal and purpose of NCOM is to assist all motorcycle organizations and
individual riders with legal, legislative and other motorcycling issues.
The Coalition does not dictate to any organization, but will be available
to assist NCOM member groups through such
FREE services
as legislative assistance, nationwide information network, public
awareness programs, safety projects, loan program, biker
anti-discrimination legal and legislative assistance, etc.
NCOM is managed by bikers for bikers.
Through its Board of Directors, comprised of motorcyclist rights leaders
representing 9 regions of the United States, and a Legislative Task Force
that includes six elected state and federal legislators plus many other
experienced legislative advocates from across the country, we have the
talent and expertise to serve the motorcycling community whenever called
upon to do so.
Unlike other associations, NCOM is not supported by membership dues and
does not solicit funds from member groups or individuals. All operating
costs are paid through the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.)
nationwide network of attorneys who are the sole financial support for
NCOM. A.I.M. attorneys contribute a significant portion of their legal
fees from motorcycle accidents back into motorcycling by providing all the
funding for NCOM...a
way of recycling money from motorcycling back into motorcycling!
All motorcycle groups are invited to join the National Coalition of
Motorcyclists, regardless of what they ride, the patch they wear or the
motorcyclists rights organization they belong to.
If your club or organization is interested in joining NCOM, call
1-(800)-525-5355
for further information.
ABOUT NCOM…
The
National Coalition of Motorcyclists is governed by an 18 person
Board of Directors comprised of two (2) representatives, elected or
appointed by an NCOM member group, in each of 9 Regions throughout the
United States; plus special liaisons in different areas of expertise.
This network is further extended to include a person appointed from each
group as a member of the National Council, who serves as a liaison between
NCOM and their state motorcycle rights organization (SMRO).
Here are just a
few of the programs available to NCOM member groups:
A)
Informational Data Banks
- information and statistics to help in your legislative struggle;
B)
Legislative Task Force
- comprised of lobbyists and legislators that are sent to a state MRO
requesting help at hearings and other lobbying efforts at no charge to the
NCOM member group;
C)
Funding
to help send SMRO members to Washington, D.C. to lobby federal
legislators;
D)
Regional Seminars and Meetings
- each NCOM Region holds a local seminar to educate NCOM group members and
to discuss regional motorcycling problems;
E)
National Convention
- workshops, panels, seminars and meetings to protect the right to ride
free. MRO and COC leaders from all over the world meet, confer and
exchange ideas on motorcycle issues. State and national elected officials
also attend and share views;
F)
Confederation of Clubs
- the NCOM Board of Directors feel that all segments of the motorcycling
community should participate in our mutual struggle. This judicial
(protectinglegal rights through the courts) coming together is the fastest
growing part of the rights movement (currently 56 Confederations in 38
states and 3 Canadian provinces);
G)
Anti-Discrimination
- Through NCOM, governmental harassment and anti-biker discrimination and
has become a second front in the war to protect the rights of all
motorcyclists.
Through the
NCOM Legislative Task Force, educational semi-nars and the A.I.M.
attorneys, anti-discrimination legislation specific to motorcyclists, has
been introduced or is pending in several states. Minnesota passed the
first-ever biker anti-discrimination legislation, making it illegal to
discriminate against motorcyclists in public accommodations, and many
other state MRO’s have introduced such legislation;
H)
Educational Tapes and Brochures - are available to all NCOM member
groups;
I)
On Going Communications Network
- to immediately inform NCOM Member Groups, through articles, press
releases, faxes and e-mail, on impending motorcycle issues;
J)
National Legislative Hotline - 1-(800)-300-NCOM;
K)
Get Our People Elected – expertise and financial assistance to help
elect motorcyclists to public office;
L)
Emergency Loan Program and "Start Up" Assistance;
M)
Financial Help to
NCOM Member
Groups
- A.I.M. will financially participate with the A.I.M. attorney to bring
in speakers for SMRO seminars or events. A "Burger Feed" program to
raise funds for the state MRO is also available.
N) The Freedom Fund
-- To financially assist NCOM member groups to lobby on the federal and
state level. The NCOM Freedom Fund was instrumental in helping the
following NCOM member groups go to Washington D.C. in 1995 to lobby for
the repeal of the federal helmet mandates: ABATE of Michigan, Texas
Motorcycle Roadriders Association, ABATE of Washington, ABATE of West
Virginia, ABATE of Mississippi, MMA of California, ABATE of South
Carolina, ABATE of Alabama, ABATE of Oklahoma and ABATE of Louisiana;
NCOM is absolutely free to all of its member groups and only respectfully
requests that each group avail its members of the benefits of Aid to
Injured Motorcyclists.
The
A.I.M./NCOM
Connection.
The Aid to Injured Motorcyclists program and it’s A.I.M.
Attorneys are the sole financial sponsors of the National Coalition of
Motorcyclists. It is the opinion of these attorneys that it is vital to
our sport and lifestyle that some of the earned legal fees from motorcycle
accidents be donated back to the motorcycling community through A.I.M. and
NCOM. Of the 33 1/3% contingency fee (only if recovered) legal fees, a
large portion is recycled back into making motorcycling safer and better.
|