No one is more aware of the confusion that I when talking about the various groups, websites and reporting process.
It is why I got involved. The original STS Foundation website was a complete disaster for many reasons with the only way forward being dumping the internet provider and creating a complete new website with a new service provider. That took time and is now done with more documents and new images posted that ever before. The big change is when you land on the home page you get news right in your face, not hunting for it on other pages. Any breaking news will be posted here first.
I still need to read the website thoroughly and correct deficiencies. It is work in progress, but at least now we CAN make changes easily.
The Utah Alliance (UA) website is almost totally the work of Roger Lessman, who first taught himself HOW to build a website and then just did it. The idea for the UA website was to initially to share the VOLUMES of material and images that a few of us had collected trying to figure out how Bonneville got into the sorry state of affairs that it is in.
We also wanted to post updates on our work and we also recognize that we can state things quicker and with more bite that the STS Foundation. Further, the Coalition that must be mindful of not only its contributing patrons, but also member (AMA, ACCUS, FIA et al) reputations.
Absolutely essential to the implementation of ANY restorative actions is establishing relationships with political allies educating them about the situation as well as developing a science based engineering plan that we (STS and UA) that we will be asking them to endorse.
This all takes an enormous amount of time. And it may not happen according to the timetable you believe it should. NONE of us are doing this full time or are being paid. Some days are fruitful and highly productive, other days are frustrating wheel-spinners that make me walk away for a couple days.
As to the closed door meeting on the 14th - it was critical to ensure the main players sat down and TALKED to each other WITHOUT angry people in the room. Understand that was the first time that Intrepid, BLM, STS, elected officials and other agency reps gathered together to hear the RACER point of view. Just becasue you showed up did not mean you got a seat at the table we had spent more than a month setting up.
The result? Open lines of communication were established on federal, state and local levels - public and private. Intrepid is actually contributing to solution options that an Salt Lake engineering firm is sorting out for a realistic position statement that will lead the discussion of what action to take in the short and long term. Keep in mind, this is federal land governed by federal law and policy which must be adhered to at all times. One agenda item can take 3 to 4 weeks to sort out.
The Utah Alliance has led a charge that has accomplished more in 3 months than STS and Coalition has done in three years. Both are needed and necesaary. We believe they have been invigorated. The STS Foundation the board of directors were stagnated. This is being corrected. Announcements are coming.
In a nutshell, here is how this is working: the STS Foundation is the original racer formed group that has the 501c3 status. The STS Coalition's main function is to support the STS Foundation with guidance at the federal and state level. SEMA donates staff time to the cause that amounts to about $20,000 to $30,000 in staff time per year and includes a booth at the SEMA Show. Three SEMA staff showed up on the 14th on the salt - thank you SEMA. The Utah Alliance was formed because some racers were frustrated with the lack of action by STS or the STS Coalition. We figured we could do better and we have, but we do not wish to throw anybody under the bus, we simply want the salt restored and are marching onward to that goal. Frankly, if things keep going along as they are now, the Utah Alliance might revert to working on a local, "in the trenches" position in the future.
But we will not slow down now, not until the position statement is verified by the engineer and action plans get approved.
I am DONE talking about the past unless it has a clear reason to add to the future path forward. And to those mean-spirited people who enjoy personal attacks: please also enjoy being ignored.
I have to earn a living. This pro bono work has, since early August, gobbled up more than 300 unbillable hours . . ., and counting. I have spent a couple thousand dollars out of my savings account to get things done and attend meetings.
And for what? I don't have a car, truck or motorcycle hungry for a record. I have never earned a time slip on the salt, let alone a bright colored hat. I do this becasue I am adamant that a great American motorsport heritage is not squandered for lack of attention and mismanagement. Land speed racing, in my opinion, is where one finds a phenomenal American "can do" spirit that attracts the whole wide world. To lose it would be tragic.
Jinx and Rick Vesco, Roger Lessman and Dennis Sullivan have all contributed much the same. There are plenty of others with lesser devotions, but without them we'd not so far along.
I'll end with asking: Have you contacted your Congressional leaders with at least a phone call, and follow-up letter voicing your anger about the state of the salt flats?
If not, get your butt in gear, we need every one of you to do this. Every single one.
There will be plenty of news by the SEMA Show. Stand by.
