John Donaldson is not the longest serving PWC government relations guy, but he’s close. He had been in the power sports industry for over a decade when his then employer decided his gift for gab and ability to write completely confusing letters were a perfect match for dealing with politicians and legislators. Since the course change in his work history, Donaldson has worked for two of the biggest PWC manufacturers as well as having a turn at running the Personal Watercraft Industry Association. Donaldson says that these government relations experiences have helped him understand that it sure isn’t the government one learns about in a text book. Further in Donaldson’s past was his service in the U.S. Coast Guard and a few years as owner of a major power sports dealership in Southern California. This diversity of government, manufacturer, and retail experience qualifies Donaldson to help keep AWA members and others informed on the latest activities of government impact on the use of PWC in the PWC Nation. Chris Manthos
Chris Manthos serves as executive director of the American Watercraft Association. When not riding, he dedicates his time to educating regulators and other officials on the realities of personal watercraft, in contrast to the fantasy world of the no-access crowd. He mows his own lawn, washes his own truck, served his country, pays his taxes, picks up trash on public roads, opens his own beer bottles, reads books, hunts, feeds his own dogs, doesn’t need government to tell him right from wrong, and deplores sanctimonious hypocrites, bullies, and know-it-alls, particularly the political kind. Wiley Russell Jr.
Wiley Russell Jr. is the dealer coordinator of the AWA and works closely with personal watercraft dealers nationwide, promoting PWC access for all enthusiasts, as well as promoting dealerships. He is a Virginia native and enjoys riding PWC as much as possible. | E=mc2 |
| Written by Chris Manthos |
| Sunday, 02 November 2008 11:52 |
 THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY here in the swamp are settling in nicely , so it must be summer in Washington. We even have more hot air not attributable tomomma nature; the never ending pandering of politicians and their insatiable addiction of making ambiguous claims and statements without ever considering the repercussions of their "say anything to get elected" words on We the Good People. Thankfully, football is starting soon.
It is not the AWA's place to suggest who to vote for, nor would we. Instead, we offer education and practical answers to questions of fairness and equality for the PWC Nation. We encourage you, the individual member, to dig a little deeper into the hyperbole of candidates at every level of government. If something doesn't sound quite right, it probably isn't. The shores of the Potomac are flush with snake oil salesmen and chicken littles. I often review the endless doom and gloom prognostications of these vagabonds as they plead for my money . The latest from a group claiming to be "conservationists" (a grand illusion) says that within four years, the world will be beyond help due to...you guessed it global warming. Boasts like this are a stretch, even by Washington standards, and required some good old-fashioned AWA research. The real story , according to candidate A's website, promises to tax every single one of us via the so-called "cap and trade" scheme. This in turn will allegedly achieve an 80 percent reduction somewhere around 2050 or roughly 42 years in the future. I hope China got the memo. Candidate B says roughly the same thing but puts the reduction at only 66 percent over the same time frame. Somehow, I just can't bring myself to drink the kool-aid. Get informed and never let anyone, particularly politicians, tell you the science is settled on this issue or on any issue for that matter. At the dawn of the last century , Lord Kelvin stated there was "nothing new to be discovered in physics." Fortunately for us, a lowly patent office clerk thought differently. He bucked the "everyone thinks it" crowd and shattered the absurd finality of Lord Kelvin. The resulting work of Albert Einstein forever changed our world, the way we understand the universe, and even the very way we view ourselves. Einstein was a real scientist and believed few things were final. He was , and still is , a symbol of independent thought and dynamic learning. Skepticism is good. Indeed, it's always smart money to question things in a land full of self anointed know-it-alls and desperate politicians. Political discourse aside, I'll wager that advances in technology in the next 42 years will surpass our wildest dreams and beyond. While others choose to dwell on yesterday , we look forward to a future wherein we are smarter, more independent; much freer; and out from under the endless pomposity of the "End of the World" lobby . With the stunning advance of tech- nology , we have long theorized what the future holds for personal watercraft design. We see infinite possibilities and visions of ingenious and astonishing craft. Think of "Heads-Up" displays built into in your eye protection, or a 3-D display projected onto the water in front of you. Compact, high speed sonar and radar systems for safety with built in Sat Comms and beacons for extreme off shore riding. Even more redundant systems to increase travel distances. And best yet, power plants fueled by the very water you ride. These examples exist already . You can look to the 2009 model year to showcase such emerging technologies, and to see the stunning difference between watercraft of just 10 years ago and those of today . Personal watercraft manufacturers have developmentally out- paced most other machines with remarkable advances to the boats we love. We expect nothing less than mind blowing advances in the next 42 years. Now is the perfect time to own a personal watercraft and the coming leaps in technology hold far greater validity for the advancement of these craft, and our world, than any politician's promise. Think Free. Live Free. Ride Free. |
