[nfbwatlk] Fw: Legislative Alert-HR 5734 Urgent Action Needed

Tue May 13 22:08:35 CDT 2008

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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----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:JHartle at nfb.org Hartle, Jesse
To:
mailto:undisclosed-recipients: 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 23
rd
.

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:
blocked::mailto:jhartle at nfb.org
jhartle at nfb.org

JMH/wmb

blocked::http://www.kare11.com/news/ts_article.aspx?storyid=510106
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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