[New-hampshire-students] Legislative Alert-HR 5734 Urgent Action Needed

[David Andrews]

>
>Blank----- Original Message -----
>From: Hartle, Jesse
>To: undisclosed-recipients:
>Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:49 PM
>Subject: Legislative Alert-HR 5734 Urgent Action Needed
>
>
>Fellow Federationists:
>
>
>
>             I wanted to let you know the latest on our Quiet Cars
>legislation, HR 5734.  We currently have thirty Members of the House of
>Representatives listed as cosponsors, and Congressmen Towns and Stearns
>have sent a letter to Congressman John Dingell, Chair of the Committee
>on Energy and Commerce, asking for hearings on this bill.
>
>
>
>             We must increase our cosponsor support on this legislation
>to show Chairman Dingell that this issue is important to members of the
>House.  The Members of Congress will be leaving for the Memorial Day
>recess on Friday May 23rd.  I would like us to have fifty cosponsors
>before the recess starts, so I am urging you to call your member of
>Congress and ask him or her to join as a cosponsor of HR 5734.  You can
>be connected to your member of Congress by calling the capitol
>switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
>
>
>
>             I have included a news article and a link below, which shows
>exactly why this legislation is needed.  Thankfully there were no
>serious injuries in this case.  I have also included a list of the
>thirty cosponsors on the bill.  Thank you all in advance for your work
>on this important matter.
>
>
>
>             Please contact me with any questions you may have.
>
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>
>Jesse M. Hartle
>
>Government Programs Specialist
>
>NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
>Telephone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
>
>E-mail: jhartle at nfb.org
>
>
>
>JMH/wmb
>
>
>
>http://www.kare11.com/news/ts_article.aspx?storyid=510106 - Where you
>will also find a video.
>
>
>
>Boy hit by hybrid car; mom says he didn't hear it coming
>
>
>
>It was something that had never occurred to Jane Flannigan, until she
>got the call Sunday that her eight-year-old son had been hit by a car
>while biking with a friend.
>
>
>
>Owen Erickson was not badly hurt, though he did end up on the hood of
>the car.  But when the car's driver moved his Toyota Prius from the
>street to the curb, Flannigan noticed something.  "I saw the car, but I
>could not hear anything," she recalled about the hybrid vehicle which
>was operating on battery power at the time. "It is totally silent."
>
>
>
>That's when it dawned on Flannigan, Owen never heard the Prius before he
>cut in front of it.  "Bikers, runners, anybody out on the street, I
>think it's a huge safety issue," she said.
>
>
>
>She's not the only one.  Last month legislation was introduced in the
>U.S. House of Representatives that could eventually require hybrids to
>emit a minimum amount of noise.
>
>
>
>It's a priority piece of legislation for the National Federation of the
>Blind, which believes Hybrids pose a real threat to those who rely on
>noise from cars to keep themselves safe.
>
>
>
>"These quiet cars that are very difficult to hear in the normal flow of
>everyday outdoor activity play a safety hazard," says Jennifer Dunnam,
>president of the NFB's Minnesota affiliate.  "Blind people depend on
>their hearing to know what the traffic is doing."
>
>
>
>Toyota has not taken a position on the legislation, but is aware of the
>concerns behind it. "We do have to step back and take a look," said John
>Hanson, Toyota's national manager of environmental, safety and quality
>communications.  The Prius ranks third among Toyota models in sales,
>behind Camry and Corolla, according the Hanson.
>
>
>
>Flannigan doesn't blame the driver of the Prius for running into her
>son, since Owen biked out in front of his car but she does cut her son
>some slack.  "We're conditioned to hear car noises," she says. "This is
>a big safety issue."
>
>
>
>
>
>Cosponsors of HR 5734
>
>
>
>
>AK
>
>Congressman Young-R
>
>
>
>AR
>
>Congressman Boozman-R
>
>
>
>AZ
>
>Congressman Grijalva-D
>
>
>
>CA
>
>Congressman Filner-D
>
>Congresswoman Linda Sanchez-D
>
>
>
>FL
>
>Congresswoman Brown-D
>
>Congressman Stearns-R, Original Sponsor
>
>Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz-D
>
>
>
>GA
>
>Congressman Bishop-D
>
>Congressman Lewis-D
>
>
>
>GU
>
>Congresswoman Bordallo-D
>
>
>
>IL
>
>Congresswoman Schakowsky-D
>
>
>
>MA
>
>Congressman McGovern-D
>
>
>
>MD
>
>Congressman Wynn-D
>
>
>
>MN
>
>Congressman Ellison-D
>
>Congresswoman McCollum-D
>
>Congressman Walz-D
>
>
>
>MS
>
>Congressman Taylor-D
>
>
>
>NC
>
>Congressman Butterfield-D
>
>Congressman Price-D
>
>
>
>NM
>
>Congressman Pearce-R
>
>
>
>NY
>
>Congresswoman Maloney-D
>
>Congressman Rangel-D
>
>Congressman Towns-D, Lead Sponsor
>
>
>
>OR
>
>Congressman Blumenauer-D
>
>
>
>PA
>
>Congressman Robert Brady-D
>
>
>
>
>PR
>
>Congressman Fortuno-R
>
>
>
>
>VA
>
>Congressman Goode-R
>
>
>
>VT
>
>Congressman Welch-D
>
>
>WA
>
>Congressman McDermott-D
>
>
>
>
>WY
>
>Congresswoman Cubin-R
>
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