Bikes Belong. Sounds like a lovely non-profit, but look at their description of their group:
Bikes Belong formed in 1999 when U.S. bicycle companies recognized an exceptional opportunity to work together to maximize bike funding in TEA-21—the upcoming multi-year federal transportation bill. Our initial goal was to ensure funding for great, new bicycle facilities that would increase bike riding, boost public health and happiness, and strengthen the bike business.So, they got together to lobby to get more money to help their industry.
Since then, we’ve successfully harnessed the collective power of the U.S. bicycle industry to accomplish more than bike companies could by working independently. We’ve steadily expanded our efforts, but we remain focused on creating safe places to ride so more people will bike, and bike more.
And, look at who is on their Board of Directors:
The Bikes Belong Board of Directors includes executives from the top companies in the U.S bicycle industry. Their collective experience and commitment to bicycling guide the Bikes Belong vision, creating an influential force in America.
The Officers of Bikes Belong Coalition are:
President: Steve Meineke, President of Raleigh America
Vice President: Chris Fortune, President of Saris Cycling Group
Treasurer & Secretary: Michael Mercuri, VP of SRAM Corporation
The Directors include:
Steve Bigelow, EVP & GM for Consumer Retail Division & Specialty Retail Division for
Easton-Bell Sports
Leslie Bohm, CEO of Catalyst Communication
John Burke, CEO of Trek
Lance Camisasca, President of Lifeboat Events
Fred Clements, Executive Director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association
Pat Cunnane, President of Advanced Sports
Ian Dewar (alternate), USA Partnerships Manager of Specilaized
Steve Flagg, CEO of Quality Bicycle Products
Mike Greehan, CEO of Green Light Media
Chris Kegel, Owner of Wheel & Sprocket
Chris Lambiase, Publisher of Bicycling Magazine
Jeff McGuane, President of Cycling Sports Group, North America
Phil Morlock, Director of Environmental Affairs for Shimano American Corporation
Patrick Seidler, CEO of WTB
Mike Sinyard, CEO of Specialized
Andy Tompkins, Interbike
Elysa Walk, General Manager of Giant
If that's not enough, check out their members.
I didn't think the trip was ok when just because it was a non-profit that was paying for the trip as the city attorney originally said. (He since changed his mind and came up with another reason. Seems as tho he needs to read further.) Take a look, many of the lobbyists registered with the city are non-profits. But, I was a little surprised to find this non-profit is really a trade association for biking companies, similar to what the Realtors or DMI or Chamber or Apartment Association is. If any of the aforementioned groups were paying for the trip, you'd raise an eyebrow wouldn't you? So is it ok when it is a national biking group instead?
Are they a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4)?
ReplyDeleteIt's OK with me. I think bicycle transport has gotten a raw deal for decades.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't as lame as "clean coal" or the ag-businesses promoting ethanol. If Bikes Belong can schmooze Dave and Co. enough to keep bike lanes in our road plans that would be a huge help.
Lately bike lane requirements have been ignored.
TJ - 501(c)(3).
ReplyDeleteWill, should we change our lobbying/ethics laws to allow non-profits to pay for politicians trips if they are doing "good" for the community?
The description of Bikes Belong doesn't sound like a group that should qualify for 501(c)(3) status.* I think a complaint to the IRS is in order.
ReplyDelete* http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html
Nope.
ReplyDeleteIt is no different than all the car companies and their dealers forming a non-profit lobbying group to lobby congress for lower tariffs on cheap steel and took a bunch to a resort in Arizona.
There are just some rules that are put in place to make sure there is no impropriety. This trip is inappropriate.
Their website is a bit unclear, but they are a 501(c)(6) and a 501(c)(3) and it looks like both groups make grants. We'll have to see when the mayor reports which one paid.
ReplyDelete990s are here - thanks to TJ for sending them to me.
http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/391/391946697/391946697_200812_990O.pdf
http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/990.php?ein=204306888&yr=200812&rt=990&t9=A
The press release has the logo for the Bikes Belong Coalition, not the Bikes Belong Foundation.
ReplyDeleteBut, it mostly talks about Saris. It doesn't say much about Bikes Belong, but it has this to say about Saris.
About Saris Cycling Group
Saris Cycling Group, Inc. brings the power of cycling to life and is located in Madison, WI. Saris Cycling Group is an industry leader, manufacturing Saris Car Racks, Saris Parking and Storage Solutions, CycleOps PowerTap, and CycleOps Trainers
There is no accompanying language that is "About Bikes Belong" the coalition or the foundation.
"...should we change our lobbying/ethics laws to allow non-profits to pay for politicians trips if they are doing "good" for the community?"
ReplyDeleteI know I'd be unhappy with Dave and Co. if this boondoggle was sponsored by a realtor group or the American Asphalt Assoc. I'm sick to death of the logic of supporting_the_tax_base with crummy development.
Will TREK or Saris make more $$$ if Dave and Co. decide that Mineral Point Road needs a real bike corridor... I don't think so. Does somebody have to flatter certain politicians to get it done? Who knows? Probably. Can we trust TREK and Saris to behave differently? That's my question on this issue.
But to answer your question... Yes, I'll accept less strident ethics to facilitate bicycle transport.
Bikes Belong Coalition, the group who's logo is on the press release and on the website http://20-by-2020.com/ is a 501(c)(6), defined by the IRS as follows:
ReplyDeleteBusiness Leagues
Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code provides for the exemption of business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, boards of trade, and professional football leagues, which are not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual.
A business league is an association of persons having some common business interest, the purpose of which is to promote such common interest and not to engage in a regular business of a kind ordinarily carried on for profit. Trade associations and professional associations are business leagues. To be exempt, a business league's activities must be devoted to improving business conditions of one or more lines of business as distinguished from performing particular services for individual persons. No part of a business league's net earnings may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual and it may not be organized for profit to engage in an activity ordinarily carried on for profit (even if the business is operated on a cooperative basis or produces only enough income to be self-sustaining). The term line of business generally refers either to an entire industry or to all components of an industry within a geographic area. It does not include a group composed of businesses that market a particular brand within an industry.
Chambers of commerce and boards of trade are organizations of the same general type as business leagues. They direct their efforts at promoting the common economic interests of all commercial enterprises in a trade or community, however.
++++
They are permitted to lobby to their heart's content, but might have to report it to their members. Unlike 501(c)(3)'s they can engage in political activity, but it can be taxed.
The Bikes Belong Coalition is a business trade group just like Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is a 501(c)(6) business association.
ReplyDeleteThe Bikes Belong Coalition is a group of bicycle manufacturing companies whose website* says - "We work to make bicycling better in America by: Working with the federal government to maximize federal funding for bicycling."
So the mayor and county exec go on an European junket with local developer lobbyists, including an Edgewater lobbyist, while their trip is paid for by a bicycle manufacturers association that exists to get government funding for bicycling. Icky.
*http://www.bikesbelong.org/whybikesbelong
"We work to make bicycling better in America by: Working with the federal government to maximize federal funding for bicycling."
ReplyDeleteNothing icky about it. The feds spend 99.9% of our road money facilitating cars.
As much as Mayor Dave has disappointed me this year (including this boondoogle trip), if Bikes Belong shows him how to get bike lane $$$ or funds for crossing tunnels and bridges, we're better off. Admittedly, I can't make the connection between touring Europe and chasing 2- wheel grant money.
But that said... We're still at least 30 years away from needing to worry about the ALL_POWERFUL_BIKE_LOBBY.
Will - I understand that the bicyclist lobby isn't the most feared lobbyist group in the world and that for most people, they are likely not much of a threat. But, the ethics laws don't make a distinction between good lobbyists and bad lobbyists. And even it if did, how would you separate the "good" lobbyists from the "bad" lobbyists? It's a slippery slope problem. It's ok for bike companies to take the mayor on a trip - what's next and who will determine if it is ok or not?
ReplyDeleteBikes Belong can show the mayor how to get $$$ for a bike lane without buying him a junket to Europe. It's not the beginning of a slippery slope. It's just plain wrong.
ReplyDeleteNow, I've got to get on my old Sekai and ride to work.
Brenda,
ReplyDeleteWe're probably on (or close to) the same page here. I do not think it's OK for this bicycle lobby to take Dave and Friends to Europe. I think that smacks of BAU. And lobbying BAU is bad.
I do think it's immensely useful if they fund professional staff to investigate resources and help municipalities find Federal/State funds to build cycling infrastructure. This is what I hope Bikes Belong evolves to.
:) You're more optimistic than I. But yes, biking good. This situation looks bad.
ReplyDelete