Posted on 11/17/2002 10:56:31 AM PST by Sparta
Land Grab Act Comes Back In Congress At 2:30 AM By David Palmquist Editor - AllSouthwest News Service 11-16-2
S. 990 - The "Son of CARA" - a version of CARA - the Condemnation and relocation Act - is on the fast track and moving through Congress! This discredited land grab bill had not moved for eleven months, until the dark of nite in the wee hours of Friday morning.
ONCE AGAIN, selected members of Congress have moved legislation - S. 990 - in the dead of night that will
1) make the Endangered Species Act EVEN WORSE,
2) permit SEIZURE of private property, and
3) hand out cash to environmental extremists and animal rights outfits!!!
Oh yes, and 4) it hands out up to $25 million to foreign countries for land acquisition. We couldn't make this up, folks!
You may recall at the end of 2001, just four days before Christmas, the Senate approved S. 990 - the "Son of CARA" land grab bill. It was 11:45pm, with only three Senators present, NO debate, NO hearings, NO vote - just "unanimous consent" on their last night in session for the year, after nearly all Senators had left the Capitol.
THEY DID IT AGAIN !!!
This time it was the House of Representatives. It was the last day the House was in session for the year, November 15, 2:35am!!! That's right, two thirty-five in the morning!!!!
Nearly all congressmen had gone home, NO debate, NO hearings, NO vote, just "unanimous consent" and a BILLION dollar enviro pork barrel land grabbing disaster - S. 990, the "Son of CARA" - was approved.
HOWEVER - the Senate last year, and the House this year, approved DIFFERENT versions of S. 990.
The House is now out of session for the rest of 2002. However, the Senate is in session for one more week, from November 18 to 21.
*** The Senate must vote on what the House just passed in order to give final congressional approval to S. 990. ***
******* ACTION ITEM BELOW !!! *******
******* TELL YOUR SENATOR ******* NO on S. 990 *******
WHY?? WHY?? WHY??
WHY are REPUBLICAN Senator Bob Smith of New Hampshire and REPUBLICAN Congressman Jim Hansen of Utah joining together and attempting to push this disaster through at the last minute??
ANSWER: BOTH are leaving Congress this year, and BOTH are in "Legacy Mode." BOTH have buried provisions in S. 990 to give a name for themselves, at the expense of private property and fiscal responsibility.
####### HERE is the item snuck in for New Hampshire by Senator Bob Smith. Page 19, "Grants to the State of New Hampshire." A NINE million dollar payoff handed over to the Trust for Public Land, to buy property that will only cost SEVEN million dollars!!! A two million dollar profit for a "non-profit" land trust!!!!!!!
####### UTAH: Jim Hansen is attempting to blow a total of THIRTEEN million dollars of taxpayer funds to glorify himself! On page 49 is two million dollars for the James V. Hansen Shoshone Trail. On page 52 is eleven million dollars for the Bear River Visitor Center to be named after you guessed it - James V. Hansen!!!!!!!!
This self glorification is bad enough. But here are the FOUR problems for everyone in the entire country with S. 990:
FIRST: It will make the Endangered Species Act EVEN WORSE by adding a new category called "species at risk" in addition to the current "threatened species" and "endangered species." It hands out up to $150 million per year to "environmental organizations," with no prohibition on animal rights outfits receiving funds, to enforce this new category.
SECOND: It hands out $50 million per year to states for "cooperative conservation" plans that include "property acquisition" with no prohibition on condemnation power.
THIRD: hands out up to $50 million per year for "shrubland and grassland" conservation, with "environmental organizations" again eligible to feed at the taxpayer trough. EVEN WORSE - grass and shrubs are defined as, well, grass and shrubs - AND - areas "historically dominated" 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." In other words, just about every inch of America outside the Mojave Desert!!!
*** ACTION ITEM ***
You must call AND Fax both your Senators so their offices are deluged with messages beginning Monday morning. This is not a time you can depend on someone else. YOU must do it.
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.
Any Senator can stop S 990 by simply putting a hold on the bill. That will delay it until next year. But 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.
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.
-----1. Write a fax immediately and fax it to your Senator. If you don't have his or her fax, call Monday morning early and get it. Insist that he or she put a hold on S 990.
-----2. Early Monday morning call both your Senators. Every Senator may be called at (202) 224-3121 or the temporary FREE NUMBER: (800) 648-3516. Don't take your Senator for granted.
-----3. Call at least three times on Monday. A vote is likely late in the day. It could be delayed until Tuesday so keep calling Tuesday.
-----4. Call your friends, neighbors, associations and anyone else you can to get them to call and fax. This is a big deal. And you can win.
David Palmquist Editor, AllSouthwest News Service http://www.allsouthwest.com
Never will learn will you?
Thanks Sparta for the heads up.
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