Dear fellow members of GCC and the GCC board,
1.) The Gainesville Cycling Club is a registered 501(c)(4) organization. Because of this designation, we are capable of endorsing, and have chosen in the past to endorse, candidates in local elections. We have an advocacy director who servers on our board. GCC co-sponsors candidate forums. GCC board members politically trade on the GCC name when speaking out on local cycling issues.Â
2.) If we ride our bicycles on anything but private property, we all directly and profoundly benefit from the political activism of GCC and other bike groups, as well as the hard, but nearly invisible work of cycling advocates. Bike trails, bike lanes, and laws that benefit cyclists don’t create themselves. A small minority of cyclists choose to work hard to insure that we all have bike infrastructure to enjoy and laws to keep us safe. If we all can't join them in that fight for the benefit of something we all share, then we should consider being grateful for their completely volunteer work.
3.) GCC members have received many emails about the National Bike Challenge, probably without complaint or challenge. What is the point of GCC being heavily involved in a national bike challenge, if not to increase cycling awareness in Gainesville for our own benefit?Â
4.) Not every aspect of GCC is for all members. We must all realize this. Not everyone agrees with some of the choices of the GCC board or members, nor want all the emails. For example, the weekly emails selling bikes and gear. The majority of the club does not choose to participate in the National Bike Challenge but we all receive those emails. I delete 90% of the GCC emails I receive. However, I know that I benefit as a cyclist simply by others choosing to ride a bike and being enthusiastic about their own specific bike interests. I applaud these individual cycling interests.
5.) We have the power of choice. I ask that you choose to advance the one thing we all have in common - cycling - by entering the voting booth tomorrow with the knowledge needed to make decisions about the future of bikes in Alachua County. Emails about political advocacy are infrequent for this club. Everyone may also exercise their power of choice by ignoring or deleting these infrequent emails. If individuals feel that they must choose to reply to this email, I ask that they please direct those replies to me (
youngkn@me.com), our advocacy director, James Thompson (
jtexconsult@gmail.com), or the GCC board (
contactboard@gccfla.org) and not the entire list.
Keep biking and keep smiling!
Kristen Young
GCC member
GCAT director
GCAT regional trail committee chair
Ken Cornell and Harvey Ward voter