Yesterday was an interesting day. I spent several hours in Annapolis, MD at a hearing on the proposed bill, H.B. 513 which would eliminate the requirement for a front plate in Maryland. This law would not be difficult to ammend if people got off their asses and helped to support it. I got such an education yesterday and find the whole process a joke on the people of Maryland. Unfortunately regular taxpayers are not getting involved enough and they are allowing panels of uninformed and disinterested parties to make decisions that effect our pocket books and our lives. This was the FIRST time in five years that this bill has been introduced that ANY taxpayers actually showed up to testify. There were two of us. Me... and another man from another local NCCC Corvette Club that I knew. Our testimonies were heard with great interest from some of the state representatives, but fell on deaf ears of others. What really fried my britches is that there were so many car clubs and organizations that passed this information around on the internet the weeks preceding the hearing and touted they were going to do something to help, but nobody came. I know that some sent in letters of support or signe d petitions, but the letters don't get read and the petitions mean little to nothing. What get's attention is butts in seats at the hearing. If I would have had twenty people to get up and give decent, well thought out testimony I think we could really have done something yesterday. Well there were only two of us and the Maryland Representative that proposed the bill; we were up against a lobby of the Maryland State Police and the Transportation Authority. These are tough opponents to beat. The bill still has to go to sub-committee meeting next week but I doubt it will pass because of the State Police and Transportation Authority Testimony. I feel the State Police testimony was pretty weak as they cited instances when they have solved many hit & run crimes by front plates left at the scene or tag numbers embossed into the other cars bumper. Additionally, the Transportation folks said that too much money will be lost from toll booth runners. Apparently they shoot photos of both front and rear plates and correlate the two in instances when one or the other are missing or not legible. They claim to have recovered millions of dollars from these drivers and that it far exceeds the saving we would realize by doing away with the plate. I call BS on that. Anyhow, I think I'm going to take up this challenge for next year to get rid of this front tag. I hope I can help make a difference next year.

The link below is an example of the kind of advertising that was on the internet over the past few weeks. I'm surprised no more people showed up but the two of us.

http://streetrodder.automotive.com/15 ... mittee-hearing/index.html

Ok... you see the link and the article if you followed it. If you do a Google search of Maryland H.B. 513 you will find numerous search results that show clubs and organizations from all over... I mean everywhere requesting hobbyists to help out by coming down to the state house to testify on this bill... Where were they? Maybe next year.

OK Rant Over

Kudos for your effort!

Here's an example that may give you some encouragement.
Gun rights are anathema to politicians here in the state of Chicago, I mean Illinois. The annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) march to promote our agenda, in Springfield, however, keeps getting bigger and bigger and politicians are starting to get the message.

Good Rant! You did all you could do.

There is a theory that the more people that witness some event (such as an accident, etc.), the less likely it is that anyone will call 911 - everyone assumes somebody else did. So there is probably some of that going on.

And people wonder why the system is screwed... ignorant fools with questionable agendas making all the rules.

I hate front plates, they are there only to be nosy. I got pulled over at LAX because of a lack of front plate and it was a "security violation". The state takes pics from the front and back, right? This means 2 camaras, right? Why not put on camera where it belongs and go with it.

I really doubt they are making that much money... And front plates embossing their number on a victim? 1 or 2 digits, maybe, but if you have a silver sedan of unknown branding, a couple of digits isn't gonna fix that!

I applaud your initiative and involvement, Don, but our system of making law is a flawed one.

As far as the front plate issue, not enough people give a crap to change it. Until that changes, the law will remain.

Matthew

People will never get concerned until it affects them. Look at Indiana and Wisconsin. Now they give a hoot. The same thing happened here in hawaii. No one cared about the track getting closed till it did, even though the writing was on the wall.
So many things about society piss me off, but until a major crisis happens, no one cares.

I've always wondered if I could get a motorcycle plate to match my car plate, and wear that one in the front. It's smaller and not as hideously huge yet would still be visible for law enforcement.

There is guy here that just transferred from Maryland. He uses one of those German Euro plates up front. They are about 2 times the length and half the width, but has the same letters. Why is that okay there?

It should be noted by readers here from other states that:

THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TOO!!!

Best get on the ball and start gathering your forces NOW!!!!

Nuts! I just discovered that Steve has the same signature line that I do. It's a good line though.

Kansas does not have a front plate and there is always a lot of Kansas cars up here. (Checking out the good life no doubt) so I think I could run without and keep the plate in the car and tell them that the thing was falling off. At worst I would get a fix it ticket and have to put it on and then start the whole process over again. Or just run the damn front plate.

I have a front plate on mine...I guess I just don't care.

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I understand ... I still have mine up front. I went three years here in Maryland after moving from a one plate state in 2004. I never got a ticket but guys in my club were getting stopped almost everyday during the summer, so I decided not to get a fine and put it back on. I also use a contoured Mid-America clear cover over it to make it a little more bearable until I beat this law into the ground.

Eh, different strokes, I guess. Front tint here was illegal for the longest time but I still had mine done because I hate the sunlight while I'm driving. It was a risk I took. Now they finally changed the law after many years. Mine is still slightly darker than is allowed, but no one will bother me about that.

Matthew

If front plates are so important;

Why isn't a light required?

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That question was raised. One of the DOT people stated that they have infrared assistance when photographing un-lit tags in low light levels.

I love laws that are founded on the assumption that you're probably doing something wrong that it will make it easier for them to prosecute you for.

Mmm,Hmm ya that's why front plates are not required on MC's

And why only the rear plate shows registration tags.

You guys aren't big or loud enough. Never gonna beat city hall.

They had a water rate hike here in SD, and to prevent it, required that more than 50% of residents mail in a form to protest it.

The received about 3%. I'm honestly surprised they got that many.

Front plates are required because it increases your radar/lidar crosssection making it 10x easier for them to clock you for speeding safely.

End of story.

MD is fucked up. The entire state needs to be cut off from the rest of the country and set adrift in the Atlantic. Fuck that place.

While active duty military I lived all over the place, and I've never hated a place more than Baltimore, MD. Korea, Canada, Japan, Turkey, and Afghanistan all have Baltimore beat. Fuck Baltimore, that place is a shithole.

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I have to agree with you. I lived in Md for 51 years, now I live about 20 miles into West Virginia just over the Maryland line. This way I don't have to put up with Marylands high taxes,the stupid laws,or any of the other crap in Maryland, but Im still close enough that my wife can visit her parents and work in the school system to retain her pension.. I also only have a rear plate on my Corvette here..Life is good...WW

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Don't hold back now! LOL

I would have to agree to a large extent that Maryland has some "effed" up politics. I didn't notice how bad it was here until I moved back after living in South Carolina for 13 years. However, Maryland has some real beauty in the Chesapeake bay and I grew up here, not far from where I live now. If I can stomach the politics for a few more years I will. My parents are getting older and I want to be here where they live for now. I don't live in Baltimore, thank god, although too close to D.C.!!!

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Haha....try out Illinois!

I grew up in the "land of taxes", 10 minutes from the Maryland border.

The only time we would go thru Maryland in high school was to get to Martinsburg, W.Va. cause the drinking age was 18.

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No, really Josh quit beating around the bush. Just say what you really feel. LOL

There has to be some redeaming qualities? How about they have a great baseball team......err, ok, what about humidity they have great humidity....mmmmm, ok, still it's got to be better than Afghanistan.

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Wow! I only lived there 5 months and have the same opinion. Of course MD follows CA. Why do the crazies seem to migrate to the coastal ares?

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That's because only 3% speak/read/write English.

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Getting closer to their roots, bottom feeding fish people.

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If Afghanistan had "steamed crabs" it would be 10 times better then Maryland in my book...WW

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