Author: Tim Mooney

May 13, 2021

Best of Pedalshift 139: Dealing with Loose Dogs on Tour

What’s the most controversial subject in bike touring? No not bike helmets… no, not earbuds… it’s how to deal with loose dogs on bike tour! On this episode, I give my two cents on how to deal with an angry canine that interrupts your pedaling.

Originally podcast October 18, 2018.

Best of Pedalshift 139: Dealing with Loose Dogs on Tour

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May 6, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 242: Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

We are live baby live for the first live show of 2021… an update on the LACROSSE! plus summer touring and ask me anything!

The Pedalshift Project 242: Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

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“Pedalshift was filmed before a live studio audience”

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this spring’s DC to Cincinnatti bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Harry Telgadas
Chris Barron
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Mr. T
Nathan Poulton
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Cody Floerchinger
Tom Benenati
Greg Braithwaite
Sandy Pizzio
Jeff Muster
Seth Pollack
Joseph Quinn
Drue Porter
Byron Paterson
Joachim Raber
Ray Jackson
Jeff Frey
Kenny Mikey
Lisa Hart
John Denkler
Steve Hankel
Miguel Quinones
Alejandro Avilés-Reyes
Keith Spangler
Greg Towner
Dan Gebhart, RIP
Jody Dzuranin
Lucas Barwick
Michael Baker
Brian Bechtol
Reinhart Bigl
Greg Middlemis
Connie Moore
William Gothmann
Brian Benton
Joan Churchill
Mike Bender
Rick Weinberg
Billy Crafton
Gary Matushak
Greg L’Etoile-Lopes
James Sloan
Jonathan Dillard
John Funk
Tom Bilcze
Ronald Piroli
Dave Roll
Brian Hafner
Misha LeBlanc
Ari Messinger
David Gratke
Todd Groesbeck
Wally Estrella
Sue Reinert
John Leko
Stephen Granata
Phillip Mueller
Robert Lackey
Dominic Carol
Jacqi McCulloch
John Hickman
Carl Presseault
David Neves
Patty Louise
Terry Fitzgerald
Peter Steinmetz
Timothy Fitzpatrick
Michael Liszewski
Hank O’Donnell
David Zanoni
David Weil
Matthew Sponseller
Chad Reno
Spartan Dale
Carolyn Ferguson

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields has a new album available NOW, AND Jason has a new solo album coming this year, AND his first solo album is now streaming on Spotify, including America, the Pedalshift theme. Go listen!

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May 5, 2021

State Registration Rules

On this episode, we’ll discuss how state law may impact your nonprofit’s efforts to impact public policy and lobby for legislation. In past episodes, we’ve focused largely on the tax code: how it permits lobbying for nonprofits and how nonprofits can measure their lobbying limits. But today, we will examine how state-level sunshine laws may require you (or your nonprofit) to register and report as a lobbyist or to report your ballot measure advocacy activities.

Our Attorneys:

Natalie

Quyen

Leslie

Registering as a lobbyist

How these laws work in practice

TX
CA
Other states

Ballot Initiatives Sometimes Have to Register Like PACs

Resources

All our state law resources are found here on this page: https://bolderadvocacy.org/subject/state-law-resources/

CA Ballot Measures

California Campaign Finance and Ballot Measure Guide

Ballot Measure Activities Exempt from California Disclosure Laws

Supporting or Opposing Ballot Measures in California: What Do You Need to Disclose?

From the Fair Political Practices Commission:

Campaign Disclosure Manual 3: Information for Ballot Measure Committees

CA Lobbying Disclosures

Shaping the Future: A Compliance Guide for Nonprofits Influencing Public Policy in California

California Lobbying Disclosure Thresholds When an Organization Needs to File

California City, County, School and Special District Local Lobbying Ordinances

From the Fair Political Practices Commission:

Lobbying Disclosure Manual: Information for Lobbyists, Lobbyist Employers, & Lobbying Firms

Texas Advocacy Toolkit

Texas Campaign Finance and Ballot Measure Guide

April 29, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 241: The Microcamper Project – Part 2

Can a person (me) who is barely competent with tools build out a very strangely shaped 4-door sedan (“it’s not a sedan… it’s a LACROSSE!!”) into a comfortable sleeping pod slash microcamper? Join me on a journey into good intentions, lack of patience, mostly level and somewhat square woodworking , and the birth of a micorcamper built for bike touring. Probably. Maybe.

The Pedalshift Project 241: The Microcamper Project - Part 2

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 241: The Microcamper Project – Part 2 (mp3).

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The Pedalshift Microcamper Project

Check out Pedalshift 240 for the reason for all of this
I promised pics… sorry/you’re welcome:

And oh hey… Live show! 4/30 fri 9pm ET! Topics and more TBA but I’m sure a segment will be on the microcamper as touring enhancer. Click here for the details. Programming note, this live show will be rebroadcast as the pod on May 6th, which will knock the best of out of its usual first Thursday perch to the second Thursday in May which is May 13th.
SAVE THE DATE… Pedalshift Live Friday April 30, 9pm ET, 6pm PT

Music

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April 22, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 240: The Microcamper Project – Part 1

Needs (really, wants) meet opportunity for a new project that scratches an itch and might have bike touring utility: welcome to the Pedalshift microcamper build! On this episode, I cover the background on the project, how it relates to bike touring, and more.

The Pedalshift Project 240: The Microcamper Project - Part 1

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 240: The Microcamper Project – Part 1 (mp3).

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The Pedalshift Microcamper Project

What prompted this?

Vaxxed
Made a list of things I want to do
Several items got ticked off if I could:
- visit family and friends on the west coast
- do it with Kimberly and the dogs (the latter can’t fly easily and we’ve determined we can’t travel together, but without them)
- avoid taking all of that as vacation time (I want to save that for another thing on the list… a longer tour this year)
Leveraging remote work one more grand time
All of this need met the opportunity: my folks bought a new car and offered this one to me for an unrelated reason that is, for the moment, postponed.
The car is… a source of humor. It’s not a great fit for me. Or anyone. It has an enormous blind spot that is part of its odd design. It should not normally be parallel parked. But it has, on second look, a LOT of positives. Like enormous trunk space.
Lightbulb…. this can be made into a microcamper

Ok, ok so back up here… how is this being used again?

The near term: we’re going on a big work/play adventure to the west coast.
Work remotely by day, visit family and friends by nights and weekends
The vehicle maxes its value in allowing us to get places by driving in shifts and as a glamping option for mid-trip
We will not be staying in it more than a handful of days (we got great Airbnbs – remember we are remote working!) but it will facilitate the entire venture
Allows us to travel as a unit and enjoy everything along the way

So, um bike touring angle?

Bike is coming with and there will absolutely be touring-adjacent adventures
This is (as I mentioned earlier) a beta test for whether something like this can be useful for remote touring/bikepacking loops.

What’s the plan?

I’m not going to share the specifics of our travel on the pod, but I will note a few things
Pod will continue during the trip, so some of the adventures will end up on it
One major destination is Burlington Campground on the Avenue of the Giants. No remote work will be happening there!
This will be a full month plus.

How the hell is this going to work?

I’ll be sharing more details on this aspect in the next episode, but here’s the plan
This is not a high-end buildout. It’s more function over form… remember this is a beta test.
That said, there are some needs we have: comfort is top of the list, but we also need power, privacy and storage.
I’ve already removed the rear seats and much of the trim
I’ll sound dampen the bare metal
I’ll run some 12V and USB lines for charging devices, fans and lighting
The biggest hurdle is building a level platform that is sturdy and the lowest possible profile over the transition between the rear cabin and the trunk. The more vertical room there, the better likelihood two side-sleepers can call this a win.
Some back of the napkin measurements show I can repurpose a perfectly fine, but on-my-list-to replace memory foam mattress. It will need to be cut to a very odd shape, but if it works it will be plenty of space.
Beneath the platform and mattress is a fair amount of storage. We’ll also have two roller suitcases that will be in the trunk section while driving and in the front seats when sleeping.
I’m also going to make blackout shades for all windows, giving us privacy and stealth. I also got a magnetic bug screen for the moonroof that will be perfect for facilitating airflow on the less-than-cool nights. We’ll also have USB fans to circulate air.

I have ideas and you are doing this wrong!

Cool. So, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in watching van builds it’s that everyone has an opinion and there’s always a way to improve on things. This is a beta and I expect to learn a TON.

What’s up with next episode?

I’m going to document the build Tour Journals style.
I might not finish by then… so if this is interesting to you, I can extend to a third episode in May. If you want to go back to more directly related to bike touring topics… happy to do that. Email me your thoughts on that!

Music

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April 21, 2021

Voting Rights

On this episode, we’ll be talking about nonprofit advocacy to ensure all eligible people can exercise their right to vote and the fight against new legislation—with a decidedly partisan aroma—that aims to restrict those rights.

Attorney Co-hosts 

Tim

Quyen

Ronnie

Record turnout in November

Americans voted in record numbers in last year’s presidential election, casting over 158 million ballots.

More than six-in-ten people of voting age and nearly two-thirds of estimated eligible voters,

Source: Pew Research Center

False claims of voter fraud

Brennan Center: “Politicians at all levels of government have repeatedly, and falsely, claimed the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections were marred by large numbers of people voting illegally. However, extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare, voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent, and many instances of alleged fraud are, in fact, mistakes by voters or administrators. The same is true for mail ballots, which are secure and essential to holding a safe election amid the coronavirus pandemic.”

The fallacy of the “election integrity” movement

False claims of election problems in 2020

Led directly to the Capitol Insurrection in 2021

No proof to any of the claims (over 50 lawsuits, all dismissed on the substance)

New arguments: people think the election was fraudulent, so laws need to change to reflect that

Efforts to oppose the bills across the country

Georgia

On March 25, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed in to law a bill that will make it more difficult for voters to make their voices heard at the polls.  The  legislation contains several troubling provisions, including those that limit the amount of time available to voters to request absentee ballots, impose strict new ID requirements for some voters, and effectively ban the use of mobile voting centers. The signing of the law prompted swift legal challenges and opposition from corporate interests. (Source: Bolder Advocacy)

Texas

Senate Bill 7, which would limit extended early voting hours, prohibit drive-thru voting and make it illegal for local election officials to proactively send applications to vote by mail to voters, even if they qualify. (Source: Texas Tribune)

Federal legislation being considered to combat this?

Litigation challenging the laws.

What we can do

Offer Public Testimony (rules: may be lobbying)
Write an Op-Ed: (rules: unlikely to be lobbying unless it has call to action)
Engage in Corporate Advocacy (rules: may be lobbying – it depends)
Team Up (rules: coalitions, may be lobbying)
None of this is prohibited election intervention (all (c)(3)-friendly but take care with how your efforts are characterized)

Resources

When voting rights are under attack, what should nonprofits do? by Natalie Ossenfort

The States Where Efforts To Restrict Voting Are Escalating, fivethirtyeight

How GOP-backed voting measures could create hurdles for tens of millions of voters, Washington Post

Voting Laws Roundup, Brennan Center

State Voting Bills Tracker 2021, Brennan Center

Being a Player – lobbying rules

The Connection – coalition rules

Coalition Checklist – coalition rules

April 15, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 239: Paw Paw Tunnel Bypass – Part 3

Part three on my two day trip from Hancock, MD to Paw Paw, WV and back focuses on the return trip and the little surprise that started it off.

The Pedalshift Project 239: Paw Paw Tunnel Bypass - Part 3

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 239: Paw Paw Tunnel Bypass – Part 3 (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
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Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Pedalshift Tour Journals: Paw Paw Tunnel Bypass – Part 3

A little background… the NPS is closing the tunnel… for real this time… to complete a massive descaling project on the downstream side of the Paw Paw tunnel. That means when it’s closed, the only way to continue on the towpath is to go up and over the mountain the tunnel goes through.

I had never done it. Until this trip.

Part 3 focuses on the return trip and the little surprise that started it off.

Housekeeping

Reminder… new music!

Brock Dittus – Most Important Thing

Sunfields new album Late Bloomers available now

Gonna do something a little different for the next two eps… building out a micro camper from a hand me down sedan that I’m going to (hypothetically) use for bike touring adventures. This is the beta version. The test. And oh are we gonna test it. More in a week!

SAVE THE DATE… Pedalshift Live Friday April 30, 9pm ET, 6pm PT

Music

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April 13, 2021

501(c)(3)s and California recall elections

I recently excavated an old piece from an archived hard drive that is suddenly relevant again… whether public charities can engage in activity around a recall election in California. This piece was published by Center for Nonprofit Management in their publication Nonprofit Prism on August 27, 2003. Since it’s not available online anymore, I’m republishing it here in its entirety. 2021 Tim would take a blue pen to this, but 2003 Tim was good with it.

Best Supporting Actors: Public Charities’ Important Role in the California Gubernatorial Recall

In the past, summers of odd-numbered years were more focused on vacations and sunshine than major elections. California’s summer of 2003 has turned conventional wisdom on its head as Governor Gray Davis faces an unprecedented recall election. Proponents championed a successful petition drive in July that has produced an October 7^th election when voters will decide whether to remove the governor from office and, if so, elect his replacement. Because of the colorful participants, the campaign’s short time frame, and the power shift at stake, public charities are particularly positioned to play critical roles during the recall vote campaign.

Charities limited, but important

Tax law strictly prohibits charities from supporting or opposing candidates for public office. The outcome of the recall ballot will determine who will be governor for the remainder of the term, so charities cannot campaign substantively on either question. The bottom line is that they may never implicitly or explicitly give an opinion on the recall or any particular candidate.

Despite this limitation, charities can play an important role between now and October by taking on nonpartisan activities. With political groups focusing limited time and resources on the outcome of the election, charities can fill a vacuum in voter registration, nonpartisan voter education, and get-out-the-vote drives.

Voter registration

California’s favorable election laws allow residents who are U.S. citizens over the age of 18 to register to vote as close as 15 days before the election. This gives charities a unique opportunity to capitalize on the increased interest in the election. It is also a good time to remind people to register for an absentee ballot, which is available to all voters, whether or not they will be out of town, from early September to seven days before the election. Regardless of the type voter registration, charities may not support or oppose any candidate or otherwise suggest a position on the recall vote.

Educating the voters

Rather than shrink away from the law’s electioneering ban charities should embrace what it allows, taking on the role of providing nonpartisan candidate information. The IRS looks at all factors when deciding if voter education is nonpartisan, including the timing of the event or publication, and how it fits in with candidate speeches and advertisements. It is also critical that the presentation is non-biased and covers a broad array of issues to avoid showing single-issue favoritism for one candidate over another. Some possible voter education activities include:

Setting up practice voting stations prior to Election Day to allow nervous first-timers a dry run;
Producing nonpartisan voter guides that print candidates’ answers to a nonbiased questionnaire on a broad set of issues facing the state;
Hosting nonpartisan candidate debates.

Although the campaign season is dramatically shorter than most, there is time for charities to plan these permissible activities if they act quickly.

Getting out the vote

The IRS approves of charities encouraging or helping people to vote, so long as they do not support or oppose any candidates. Charities may provide services to disadvantaged voters, such as rides to the polling places for people with disabilities, seniors or people without adequate transportation. They can also put out public service advertisements that generally encourage people to vote.

Role of a lifetime

Charitable organizations are uniquely qualified as community leaders to provide voters with important information and services for the recall election. This high profile election provides an exceptional opportunity for charities to serve the public interest. Like an actor in a film, charities may not take on a starring role in the recall election, but their important presence can make a substantial difference in their community and the election process.

April 12, 2021

SCOTUS Settles Robocaller Debate

On April 1, the Supreme Court settled a technical dispute between two camps in the federal Circuit Court of Appeals over what constitutes an automatic telephone dialing system, more commonly referred to as a robocaller.

In Facebook v.Duguid, the Court ruled that a device or software that only stores telephone numbers but does not also have “a random or sequential number generator” as part of its functionality is not an autodialer. Therefore, the numbers dialed don’t require the consent of the receiving party under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

The Pedalshift Project 238: Paw Paw Tunnel Bypass – Part 2

Part two on my two day trip from Hancock, MD to Paw Paw, WV and back focuses on how I handled the frigid night at camp and then the bypass trail itself, plus a fun discovery on the other side.