Wilsons Sandbox

----- Original Message ----- From: Will HisleBeard To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 9:06 AM Subject: MRA fw w/contacts: # CRISIS! # ALERT! # Congress - Land Grab! American Land Rights Association - Land Rights Network PO Box 400 - Battle Ground WA 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 - Fax: 360-687-2973 - Email: - http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington DC 20003 Phone: 202-210-2357 - Fax: 202-543-7126 - Email: landrightsnet@... # CRISIS! # ALERT! # Congress - Land Grab! ### PLEASE! ### IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!!!!!!! ******* TOTAL MOBILIZATION!!!!!!!!! ******* HERE IT IS: Bill number S. 990 - Over a BILLION dollars for grants to environmental and animal rights outfits, land acquisition, and making the Endangered Species Act EVEN WORSE!!! JUST WHEN you thought it was over ------ The politicians in Washington, DC, at 2:35am, approved a massive new program with NO debate, NO hearings, and NO recorded vote in the House of Representatives. It was approved by "unanimous consent" with only a handful of members present, on the final day the House was in session for the year. HOWEVER - there is one more step S. 990 must take. The United States Senate will vote Tuesday Nov. 19 or Wednesday Nov. 20 on whether to give final approval to S. 990. Due to the short time available, if only a few Senators object by placing a "hold" on S. 990, then it will not move and will not be considered. BOTTOM LINE - About five or six Senators are needed to place a "hold" on S.990, and that will stop it. WHY is this bill S. 990 so bad??? Let's count the ways: FIRST: It will make the Endangered Species Act EVEN WORSE by adding a new category called "species at risk" (Section 102, page 5) in addition to the current threatened species and endangered species categories. It hands out up to $150 million per year to "environmental organizations," (Section 102, page 4) with NO prohibition on animal rights outfits receiving funds, to enforce this new endangered species category. SECOND: It hands out up to $50 million per year to states for something called cooperative conservation plans that include "property acquisition" (Section 201, page 17) with no restrictions on eminent domain power. THIRD: It hands out up to $50 million per year for land grabs of shrubland and grassland, with "environmental organizations" (Section 301, page 21) again eligible to feed at the taxpayer trough. The term "conservation" includes "any project" that deals with any endangered, threatened, or at risk species (Section 301, page 20) - and that can include more land acquisition. Here's the sneaky part - grass and shrubs are defined as, well, grass and shrubs - AND - areas "historically dominated" (page 21) by grass and shrubs - AND - areas that "if restored to natural grassland or shrubland, would have the potential to serve as habitat for endangered species, threatened species, or species at risk (page 22)." In other words, just about every inch of America one way or another is threatened! FOURTH: There is $25 million for enviro groups to seize property in foreign countries (Section 1203, page 59). Don't we have a huge budget deficit here in the United States - what is going on here??? We couldn't make this stuff up, folks! FIFTH: The self-glorification of one of the politicians sponsoring this mess, Representative Jim Hansen of Utah. Jim Hansen is attempting to blow a total of THIRTEEN million dollars of taxpayer funds to glorify himself! First there is two million dollars for the James V. Hansen Shoshone Trail (page 49, Section 804). Then there is eleven million dollars for construction of the Bear River Visitor Center (page 52, Section 904) to be named after - you guessed it - James V. Hansen !!!!!!!! *** ACTION ITEMS *** ACTION ITEMS *** ACTION ITEMS *** PLEASE call AND Fax AND email both your Senators so their offices are deluged with messages beginning Monday. This is not a time you can depend on someone else. YOU must do it. You can use the reasons listed above - the bad parts of the bill are referenced above, so there is NO EXCUSE for a Senate staffer to say he or she doesn't see where it is in the bill. TELL your Senator to put a "hold" on S 990. Ask his staff person for a commitment that his or her boss will do it. Follow up to make sure they did it. Then you must keep up the pressure to make sure the hold is not taken off. Because it is the last few days the Senate is in session, a few Senators putting a "hold" on any bill will effectively kill it, since it will delay it till next year. ANY Senator can stop S. 990 by simply putting what is called a "hold" on the bill. That will delay it until next year. WHOEVER your Senator is, PLEASE contact them. The "conservatives" may not like it because of the land grabs and wasted tax funds, and the "liberals" and Democrats may not like it because it is a big payoff to a couple of retiring Republicans. Both shouldn't like it because it never received ANY debate in either the House or the Senate. It was snuck through both houses at the last minute. NOW THE SENATE MUST VOTE ON S.990 AGAIN. YOUR SENATOR CAN CAN MAKE THINGS RIGHT. It must go back to the Senate because the House made some changes. Demand that it have a hold placed by your Senator until a full debate has taken place. No short cuts, no midnight sneak attacks. They must debate this bill in the light of day. But a "hold" is not that simple, because the Senate is an old boys club and Senators will not want to stop the good-bye presents they are giving themselves. The biggest gravy train is the taxpayer financed cash that Nevada Senator Harry Reid is giving to his environmentalist allies. You MUST make sure the hold gets put on and stays on. Don't assume that because the staff person tells you the hold is on, that it is on. Keep calling. You must call your friends and get them to demand a hold. The Senate is an old boys club and they try to get along by going along. Also, its very late. It is a lame duck session. Many Senators are not paying attention. They just want to get out of town. ACTION NOW: -----1. Write a fax immediately and fax it to your Senator. If you don't have his or her fax, call and get it. INSIST that he or she put a hold on S. 990. USE the reasons listed above. -----2. Call both your Senators TODAY. Every Senator may be called at (202) 224-3121 or use the temporary FREE NUMBERS: (800) 648-3516 or (877) 762-8762. Don't take your Senator for granted. -----3. Send your Senator an E-mail. But don't just send an e-mail. The FAX and phone will be answered much more quickly and are far more effective in a short notice deadline situation like this. -----4. Call at least three times on Monday and again on Tuesday . A vote could come anytime from Tuesday to Thursday of this week, and the sooner that Senators place "holds" on the bill the better. Once a few "holds" go on, it will be too many for Senator Smith, Congressman Hansen and the enviros to switch and take off in such a short time. -----5. Call your friends and neighbors. This is for all the marbles. YOUR SENATORS PLUS THESE SENATORS HOLD THE KEY TO YOUR FUTURE. Call and FAX your own Senators plus any of the others listed below. Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) - Phone: (202) 224-2644 - FAX: (202) 224-8594 - E-mail: conrad_burns@... Be aware there is an underscore between conrad and burns. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) - Phone: (202) 224-2752 - FAX: (202) 228-1067 - E-mail: larry_craig@... There is an underscore between larry and craig. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) - Phone: (202) 224-6142 - FAX: None Listed - E-mail: Use his website to send e-mail: www.crapo.senate.gov Senator Crapo is afraid to hear from you in Washington, DC. Here's the fax number of his Boise, Idaho office: FAX: (208) 334-9044. Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) - Phone: (2020 224-6621 - FAX: (202) 228-0900 - E-mail: senator_domenici@... Put an underscore between senator and domenici. Senator Mike Enzi R-WY) - Phone: (202) 224-3424 - FAX: (202) 228-0359 - E-mail: Senator@... Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) - Phone: (202) 224-2934 - FAX: (202) 228-2856 - E-mail: phil_gramm@... Put an underscore between phil and gramm. Senator Jon Kyle (R-AZ) - Phone: (202) 224-4521 - FAX: (202) 224-2207 - E-mail: info@... Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) - Phone: (202) 224-5754 - FAX (202) 224-6008 - E-mail: senator@... Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY) - Phone: (202) 224-6441 - FAX (202) 224-1724 - E-mail: craig@... THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED YOU MUST DEMAND RESPECT FROM YOUR SENATOR ALL HE OR SHE MUST DO IS PLACE A HOLD ON S.990 IT IS AN EASY THING TO DO. ALL YOU WANT IS A HOLD UNTIL THERE IS A FULL DEBATE. ALL YOU WANT IS FAIR PLAY. YOU WANT YOUR SENATOR TO SHOW HE OR SHE WILL STAND UP FOR YOU. NO HOLD ON S.990 MEANS YOUR SENATOR SUPPORTS SNEAK ATTACKS. THIS MUST BE A GRASSROOTS UPRISING!!! CALL YOUR FRIENDS. CALL YOUR NEIGHBORS. PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!!!! FORWARD THIS MESSAGE AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE. Please call (toll free1-800-648-3516 or 1-877-762-8762) or email the appropriate elected and appointed representatives: U.S. Senators Gordon Smith 359 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3753 Fax: 202-228-3997 E-mail: oregon@... 1175 E. Main St. Security Plaza, Suite 2-D Medford, OR 97504 Phone: (541) 608-9102 Fax: 541-608-9104 Ron Wyden 516 Hart Senate Office Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510-3703 Phone: 202-224-5244 Fax: 202-228-2717 E-mail: Senator@... The Federal Courthouse 310 W Sixth St., Room 118 Medford, OR 97501 Phone: (541) 858-5122 Fax: 541-858-5126 ************************************* This email is protected by Norton AntiVirus, and is courtesy the Motorcycle Riders Association. For more information visit us at www.motorcycleridersassoc.org or please email us with any comments to mrapres@... Thank you! 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