Rehabbing a ‘Habitat for ABATE’
This old farmhouse will be the new home for the state ABATE office.
Change is afoot for ABATE of Colorado. The motorcycling advocacy and training organization will soon be moving into a new home and is also looking at significant changes in its financial structure.
First off, that run-down old farmhouse you see in the picture above will soon be the headquarters for the state organization. Owned by Larry Montgomery, resigning District 10 representative, it is being rehabbed in a couple of “barn-raising” weekends. With all the volunteer labor going into it, it is being referred to as “Habitat for ABATE,” a play on the Habitat for Humanity organization that builds homes for poor people. ABATE currently pays $2,500 a month for office space and Larry will be charging about $500 a month, with all the money ABATE puts into renovations counting toward rent. Thus, $6,000 put into renovation will cover the rent for a year.
ABATE is also considering cutting back publication of the “Spokesman,” its membership newsletter, to bi-monthly from monthly, saving about $1,500 for each of the six months not published by doing so.
Cost savings need no justification if they do not hinder an organization’s mission but in this case they are also needed. Membership has been declining and as of January 1, 2015, changes in the Colorado Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) program will have an additional impact on the group’s revenues. At that time the state intends to switch the way the program operates so that instead of paying money to the training organizations, MOST money will be rebated directly to students.
The MOST program was set up to use an extra fee tacked onto all motorcycle license renewals to help decrease the cost of rider training. The idea being that the more riders who receive training, the fewer accidents and fatalities. Significant recent changes in the way the MOST program is administered have not set well with the training organizations so the program that organizations such as ABATE were instrumental in creating is now falling more and more out of favor with these very organizations.
Meanwhile, according to ABATE State Coordinator Terry Howard, this latest change will mean that the price ABATE charges for its training courses will increase and with every increase she expects to see fewer numbers of students signing up. Specifically, it costs ABATE $253 per student to put on a Beginning Rider Course. ABATE currently charges $215 and MOST kicks in $35. After January 1, says Terry, ABATE will need to charge $253. The ultimate cost to the student will remain the same essentially but the higher up-front charge is expected to dissuade some percentage of potential sign-ups.
Biker Quote for Today
The 3-percent rule: If you want to go faster, ride with people who are 3-percent faster than you.
October 13th, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I recently heard that ABATE Colorado coordinator Terry Howard was caught embezzling from ABATE and is facing criminal charges!!!
Do you know anything about this???
Can you let us know what is happening?
ABATE was always such an awesome organization, although I must admit there definitely seemed to be a different vibe in the Colorado office the last few years.
Sickening.
October 16th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
Jackie, I’m looking into it. Something has definitely happened, though I am not sure what. ABATE has a statement they put together and I’m trying to get my hands on it. I’ll definitely do follow-up.
October 17th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Thanks Ken! I’d appreciate knowing what the heck is going on. Not too happy about the idea of my money going directly into Terry Howard’s pocket.
October 20th, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Three years ago, I filed a grievance against her because she was violating the ABATE policy manual on more than one count. My grievance was thrown out (by the Board) as being “groundless and without merit” so I think the problems with state coordinator, are just the tip of the iceberg. The Board is guilty of believing the word of a thief and a liar and not investigating or even hearing the other side of my, and a few other people’s, concerns. At a minimum, they haven’t been paying attention until now.