Dear Editor:
It is with great disgust that I read (“Defeating the Developers”
December 2006). I would believe that many of your readers are developers, and it
should be noted that this is a legal and honorable profession. Today, property
owners do not so much want to have rights imposed on their land as to impose
conditions through stakeholder meetings, rallies and lawsuits on land that
belongs to others. Perhaps a family farm that people have been paying taxes on
for generations is now subject to conditions that limit its value; owners cannot
expect as much for their land, and they have been overtaxed. These controlling
zealots may not even live or vote within any proximity of the subject land.
 Opponents of sprawl waive market conditions
and limit free market forces in certain areas. I recognize that these forces
exist and simply leapfrog the opponents, thus creating even more sprawl. This is
what happened in Atlanta: When small, contiguous towns with varying zoning
ordinances proved to be too harsh, the business simply went outside zoning
jurisdictions into the next welcoming town. Remember the formula: Employment
begets population begets demand.
Perhaps a more balanced and insightful
article would actually provoke mutually beneficial conversations and serve
readers better.
Thomas Mussoni, Commercial Property Advisors, Charlotte,
N.C.
Enduring Performers
Dear Editor:
You are to be congratulated on what is
an excellent article featuring Brough Superior motorcycles (“Superior Performance” June 2006). There are, however, a few misconceptions
concerning Brough motorcycles in the story that I would like to correct for your
readers.
In regard to the 3,000 Brough Superiors that were built between 1923
and 1939, you state that “few more than 1,000 survive today.” On the contrary,
these bikes (and 39 Brough Superior cars) still exist, primarily in the United
Kingdom with significant numbers in the United States, Canada, Australia,
Austria, Germany and elsewhere.
Our most serious criticism is of the
statement that “most Brough Superiors in the UK are museum bikes.” Here are a
few statistics provided by our club’s machine registrar, Mike Leatherdale, to
clarify:
• About 600 Broughs in the United Kingdom are privately owned—in
recent years, many have been sold overseas.
• About 50 Broughs are thought to
reside in museums open to the public worldwide, including the National
Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, England.
• Around 300 Broughs are thought to
be roadworthy, insured and ridden regularly. At organized club events, 60 or
more Broughs are ridden.
• The highest annual mileage by one of our members
is in excess of 5,500 miles, and most of our active members clock up 1,000 or
more miles per year. A few members clock considerably more.
• A rally to
Ireland held in 2006 saw 30 Broughs manufactured from 1927 through 1939 on the
road. The riders spent two weeks traveling through Connemara and West Cork
along Irish roads. For those riding from home, this involved traveling more than
1,000 miles. Every year, the club organizes an overseas rally traveling through
countries including Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Naturally, these rides
attract a great deal of attention wherever they pass through.
Through an
associated organization, the club runs an excellent spare parts scheme that is
available to its members. The officers of the club include a technical advisor
who is available to assist in restoration and repair projects. More information
can be found at the club’s website, broughsuperiorclub.com.
I hope that any
of your readers interested in learning more about our unique machines will
contact me at t.hobden@pop3.hiway.co.uk.
Terry
Hobden, Brough Superior Club, Upton Grey, Hampshire. UK
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