Legislative Rip-Off

[Jimmy Harris]

The following message was copied from a notice sent out to Trout Unlimited members:

Immediate Action Required to Protect Nongame Wildlife
> > Dear Friends and Associates:
> > Your immediate help is needed to prevent the resorption by the
> Georgia
> > General Assembly of the most successful nongame wildlife funding in
> the
> > history of our state. The money from the sale of the Georgia
> Wildlife
> > (Quail) auto tag now is dedicated by language contained in the
> original
> > authorizing legislation. That money now goes directly to the Nongame
> > Wildlife Program in the Department of Natural Resources.
> > House Bill 653 simply deletes the language that dedicates the monies
> from
> > the sale of the Georgia Wildlife (Quail) auto tags so that the money
> will
> > henceforth go directly back to the state treasury. It's very simple!
> It
> > just kills the funding for the Georgia Nongame Wildlife Program. To
> date
> > those sales have amounted to nearly $9 million for nongame wildlife
> > programs.
> > The sponsors of HB 653, Bob Hanner, Bob Lane, Ralph Twiggs, and
> Bobby
> > Parham are powerful Chairmen of committees. Representative Jay Shaw
> is
> > also
> > a sponsor. The fact that these powerful men are sponsors of a bill
> they
> > have introduced without one word to the public or to any interest
> groups
> > tells me they have wired the bill with the momentum to go through
> the
> > House
> > and Senate without debate. Immediate action is needed. Time is on
> the side
> > of the sponsors of the bill, so please take the following actions
> > immediately:
> > 1) Copy or rewrite this flyer and send it to everyone on your
> contact
> > list. Ask folks outside Georgia to contact their Georgia friends
> and
> > relatives
> > to oppose HB 653.
> > 2) Ask all your associates to write five short letters or post
> cards
> > in
> > opposition to HB 653. The message should be a very simple opposition
> to HB
> > 653 which destroys the funding for the Georgia Nongame Wildlife
> Program.
> > 3) The mail should go to the following persons:
> > a) Honorable Thomas B. Murphy
> > Speaker of the House
> > Room 332 CAP
> > State Capitol
> > Atlanta, Georgia 30334
> >
> > b) Honorable Mark Taylor
> > Office of the Lt. Governor
> > State Capitol
> > Atlanta, Georgia 30334
> > c) Honorable Roy E. Barnes
> > Office of the Governor
> > State Capitol
> > Atlanta, Georgia 30334
> > d) Representative Bob Hanner, Chairman
> > House Natural Resources Committee
> > Room 220 CAP
> > State Capitol
> > Atlanta, Georgia 30334
> > e) Representative Bob Lane, Chairman
> > House Game, Fish and Parks Committee
> > Room 220 CAP
> > State Capitol
> > Atlanta, Georgia 30334
> > 4) Georgia voters call your House and Senate member to voice your
> > opposition. Leave a message and be very clear about why you are
> > calling.
> > Your message weighs just as much!
> > Everybody call Chairmen Hanner and Lane at their office. They can be
> > reached at the same number (404-656-5912) to voice opposition.
> The
> > same
> > staff answers for both men.
> > 5) Call your local newspaper editor and radio news director and
> give
> > them
> > the story. This is a political rip-off and it will be welcomed.
> > 6) Get other wildlife enthusiasts to replicate this effort
> ASAP.
> > This is a wildlife issue that needs your immediate attention.
> > Jerry L. McCollum
> >
> >
> > (UUEncoded file named: HB 653 Action Plan.doc follows)
> > (Its format is: Lotus Manuscript 1.0 )
> >
> > <<HB 653 Action Plan.doc>> <<HB 653 Action Plan.doc>>

[Jeff Jones]

Well that FIGURES !!! Well, here's our chance to make a difference. Let's put our time,keyboards and phones " where our posts are "! It would prob. be helpful to contact anyone you know that's a resident whether they fish or have a Wildlife tag or whatever. How about an official response sent to the capital from NGTO ! Let's get going. If I can help anyone with anything about this , let me know. Heck I'll even write it for you if you need me to... NGTO-Let's GO !!!

[GregC]

What is it with Rep Ralph Twiggs? This is the same guy who introduced the bill last year to weaken the stream buffers on the state's trout streams. I'm calling my rep in the morning! The tag monies must go to the the wildlife fund.

[Windknot]

HB 653 (Georgia Wildlife Tags) is in the House Motor Vehicle Committee. Contact info follows (sorry about the format):

Motor Vehicles
Phone: (404) 656-5132
218 Capitol / Atlanta, GA 30334
Legislation Assigned to the Committee

Committee Members
Chairman
Parham, Bobby Eugene
SH 122-D
(404) 656-5132
(912) 452-5152
Milledgeville, GA
Baldwin
Vice-Chairman
Powell, Alan
SH 023-D
(404) 656-0287
(706) 376-4422
Hartwell, GA
Hart
Secretary
Teague, Sharon Beasley
SH 058-D
(404) 656-0188
(770) 994-2977
Red Oak, GA
Fulton
Member
Bulloch, Jr., John D.
SH 180-R
(404) 656-0254
(912) 683-3749
Ochlocknee, GA
Thomas
Member
Dixon, Harry D.
SH 168-D
(404) 656-7146
(912) 283-6527
Waycross, GA
Ware
Member
Rice, Tom
SH 079-R
(404) 656-0325
(770) 447-1438
Norcross, GA
Gwinnett
Member
Roberts, Lawrence R.
SH 162-D
(404) 656-0177
(912) 432-9510
Albany, GA
Dougherty
Member
Wiles, John
SH 034-R
(404) 656-0314
(770) 425-2490
Kennesaw, GA
Cobb
Member
Yates, John Phillip
SH 106-R
(404) 656-0126
(770) 227-1474
Griffin, GA
Spalding

[Windknot]

HB653 is dead in committee.

I called the office of Rep.s Lane and Hanner and was surprised to find myself speaking to Rep Lane.
He has been inundated with complaints, and he and the other principals are fielding calls to get the word out.

According to him, they (Lane and DNR Commissioner) latched onto Rep. Shaw's bill with the intent of revising it in Committee in a way to assist the Quail restoration in Georgia without fudging on the specific non-game funding of the Non-game - Endangered Wildlife fund. They are just a tad embarrassed, and stunned by the speed of opposition via phone calls and e-mail.

Thanks for making the system work, guys.

Windknot

[Tom]

As posted 653 is dead and it is the result of response by the public. But, Rep Twiggs is probably not through. The committee that was formed to study the 100' buffer zone on primary trout streams and report to the legislature it's reccomendations has yet to be heard from. If their report is unfavorable to the health of our trout streams, let's hope we can generate the type of response HB653 created. I have no doubt that Mr. Twiggs is behind this on behalf of his developer and banker supporters in his district. Need to keep tabs on this one.