‘Helmets are for wussies!’
While the Argus Leader allowed council candidate Kiley to tout his government experience today;
Kiley, 60, is retired from teaching high school biology and now works as director of the South Dakota Safety Council’s motorcycle rider education program.
He’s served on a number of community boards, including the city’s Falls Community Health board, the Sioux Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Interstate 229 corridor study. He’s also vice chairman of the National Association of Motorcycle Safety Administrators and served on the governor’s task force on impaired driving and roadway safety.
One has to wonder how successful he has been in those roles and may explain why he isn’t very good at answering questions saying he likes to base his decisions on ‘facts’. Sitting on several safety boards, he must know where the state sits on safety standards;
Worst States
The red rating indicates that the following states are dangerously behind in the adoption of Advocates’ optimal laws. States receive a red rating if they have fewer than 7 laws, without both primary enforcement front and rear seat belt laws.
(1) SOUTH DAKOTA Only 2 laws. Missing front and rear primary enforcement seat belt law, all-rider motorcycle helmet law, booster seat law, 6 of the 7 teen driving provisions, an ignition interlock law, a child endangerment law and an
all-driver text messagingrestriction.
It would seem to me, that while Mr. Kiley would like to tout all his government experience on safety councils and boards, he should probably hope that no one looks at the state’s record on traffic safety, because those ‘facts’ reveal that Mr. Kiley hasn’t been doing much except keeping a seat warm, because he surely isn’t helping us to be much safer.
At city council forum he gave few if any opinions on any current issues asked by voters, just would base his opinions on fact?
One would think he would have had an opinion on at least some of the issues presented: pro or con.
I doubt he said “helmets are for wussies.” I am defending him here because I know how much you like to take things out of context. He has taught drivers ed for numerous years so I am sure he he is aware of drivers safety. Don’t bash him because you think Bonita is better looking then he is. The helmet law has remained in place largely due to the sturgis rally. The others are due to the large amount of rural area we have and they do not want these laws in place either. I bet if he would have voted to put these laws in place you would have called him out on violation of rights or something.
He didn’t answer the forum questions because he has little or no understanding of local issues.
This would be true of several others who are running for Council seats.
Derby, that was sarcasm, in case you haven’t noticed, I use it here quite a bit.
My point is that if Kiley wants to tout his Safety Council service, great, but tell us what you have done on the council? Certainly not lobby for more traffic safety. We are dead last.
As for Sturgis, we risk the safety of all South Dakotans for a tourist event?
The state has decided to leave it up to choice, which I am fine with as it only hurts the person who decides not to wear the helmet. I am all on board for helmets, but I have no problem leaving it up to choice on that one. Sorry for the jab there too, I too like to use sarcasm.
I was actually in one of this guy’s biology classes back in high school.
He has me asking the same question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNcM4YjzgHY
I wonder if there would be a Sturgis bike rally if we also had a helmet law. Every year we read about increased numbers of ralliers dying on our SD roads. People are less safe so we can sell more beer and t-shirts. Way to go safety guy.
I love the fact you only use such “sarcasm” on the candidates you don’t support.
Bonita brags about working as an assistant to the Governor of Iowa and you just take her word for it that she was responsible for influencing policy decisions. Why don’t you ask her what her ACTUAL duties were? Would it disappoint you to find out she managed his calendar and brought him coffee and was not involved in any policy decisions on any level aside from offering her opinions during normal workplace interactions?
How about her volunteer efforts at her children’s schools… what does she do there exactly? Has she improved education? Why are South Dakotan teachers still paid so little when we have dedicated volunteers like Bonita doing their part to make a difference?
Sarcasm right?
I know Kiley hasn’t stroked your ego nearly as much as Schwan and he might not share your same anti-Walmart viewpoint, but if you would take twelve minutes out of your life to speak with him perhaps you might find he is the exact type of candidate you seem to want on our Council. He is a regular person, who doesn’t have some hidden agenda nor is he one of the ‘specials’ you seem to call out on a regular basis.
You might not agree with him on all the issues – and he might not be as well versed on some of the issues you care about, but rather than making assumptions perhaps you should do a candidate profile and see what makes him tick. I don’t know if he is qualified and I don’t know him personally – but that is why I want to learn. I’m not going to vote for someone based upon one issue nor am I going to vote for someone just because they look good in a big hat.
In prior elections you suggested if any candidate wanted to post something about themselves you would allow it. Have you reached out to these canidates and offered them a chance, or is that a privledge just afforded to a select few?
Safety is often overkill. I don’t wear a helmet when I bicycle but I would on a motorcycle. Either should be voluntary. I go into mining & power generation sites. It’s half a day sleeping through safety movies. You must have a hard hat, vest, & steel toe boots. For mines, there’s twice a day to go in or out. It’s when the mammoth dump trucks aren’t moving. I only need an hour on site. It’s 2 days safety bull for me to go in one hour. For some mines I’ve found a back way in several miles via 4WD. At one we charter a helicopter and dust – off in & out. Safety gives people jobs. People who can’t be productive otherwise. Kinda like politicians. Safety & career politicians are people we don’t need.
Of course we risk the safety for tourism. Just like Hobby Lobby has no problems buying from a country with forced sterlization but doesn’t want their employees to be on the pill.
Craig, he can’t give a straight answer to a straight question. Does he realize he will have to make actual decisions on the council? I saw all I need to.
Derby, actually people who get injured because they are not wearing helmets does put the rest of us at risk. How would you feel if you accidentally ran into a cyclist and they wrecked and cracked their head open? It does affect non-cyclists.
Still not sure how that affects me…yes, I would feel badly for the person and pray for them, but it was that person’s decision to not wear a helmet. Like I said, I am all for wearing a helmet, I make my kids wear them all the time. We can offer the education, but it is still up to the person to make the choice. If you ask Rick, I am sure he would say he advocates for helmets. I am with Craig too as far as you reaching out to the candidates and asking them about what they stand for. I feel Rick is truly wanting to give back to his community by making well informed decisions that will benefit the whole community not just his ‘group” or neighborhood.
Derby says,
I am with Craig too as far as you reaching out to the candidates and asking them about what they stand for.
Derby, this is exactly why the League of Women Voters sponsors a candidate forum each election cycle.
Mr. Kiley was asked his views on many local issues, each time he declined to answer.
If he does not understand local issues in at least some depth, he is NOT qualified to be on the Council.
Just because he does not have a burning favor on each side of the ballot questions doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand them. It is clear he knows this is a public vote and his input is irrelevant at this time. The public should vote for what they want, not what some electoral candidate wants. He made it clear that he will make well informed decisions based off of facts and not personal agendas. I am not sold Bonita will do that.
He made it clear that he will make well informed decisions based off of facts and not personal agendas
That’s what scares me about this guy. Based on his track record, I’m steering clear. He’s had plenty of time to do something about cycle safety and accomplished nothing.
Under much of his watch as a cycle safety guy, from 1994 to 2012, 141 cyclist lost their lives in Sturgis related accidents. Over 105 of those were not wearing helmets. The guy near as I can tell serves the interests of people like diamond jim, and will be nothing more than a rubber stamp for the diamond jims of the world.
If I’d have known that not having an opinion makes for a good candidate, I’d have run myself.
I am not sure how you can bash a guy based off of stats he has no control over. He has helped educate numerous people in our state on motorcycle safety and has advocated for motorcycle safety for years. It is not his decision to make on helmet safety. Like I said before, you can offer the education then it is up to the individual to make the right choice.
Good thing I read this. I thought his name was Riley 🙂
Derby, you have to realize there are some people here that don’t care if he advocates for helmet usage all day long – they are just trying to toss mud because he is running against their chosen hero.
Nevermind that he has never been a legislator or senator who might actually have the power to propose a helmet law. Nevermind that not a one of them have bothered to ask Kiley what his personal position is on helmet usage, and nevermind that the South Dakota Safety Council isn’t a government agency and has no power to regulate law.
In fact the South Dakota Safety Council is a private, non-profit organization. They have a contract to offer rider safety courses but they don’t have anything to do with establishing or enforceing law. If anyone bothered to actually learn something before spouting ignorance, they would also realize that their organization requires a helmet to even take one of their classes or that they have advocated for seatbelt usage as well as helmet usage both for motorcycles and bicycles in the past.
Some people don’t care about facts – they just like to make accusations and point fingers.