[Mpls] Re: Personal responsibility

[Michael Atherton]

> I had written:

> >As far as I understand, injuries to the driver of the motorcycles 
> >are not covered by their liability insurance, they're covered by 
> >health insurance.

Tim Bonham responded:

> Only if they have health insurance.  (Which is dropping 
> toward only a 50-50 chance, nowadays.)
> 
> We have an entire state hospital wing devoted to cyclists without 
> insurance, riding without helmets.  All paid for by our tax 
> money.  It's officially called the TBI (Tramatic Brain Injury) ward, 
> but the nickname used within the hospital is the Harley-Davidson ward, 
> since the great majority of the patients here came via cycle accidents.

I've given this matter a lot of thought having had ridden
motorcycles for a long time and lived in CA when they
instituted a helmet requirement.  A helmet once saved me
from the Harley-Davidson ward.  My opinion is that if you 
want to ride without a helmet, that's your foolhardy
decision, but you should be required to pay higher insurance
rates.  As to all the brain dead still living who never had
insurance, I think that their expenses should be coved by
licensing fees.  People should be free to indulge their
midlife crisis, but the government should not be responsible
for financing them.  

Can the city ban motorcycle riding or require helmets? 
I actually support public health care as being part of
the government's responsibility of providing for the
General Welfare. 

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park