Dark-of-Night Land
Grab (S. 990) Defeated!
-From the American Land
Rights Association
Senate Bill #990, which
was a massive expansion of the Endangered Species Act combined with hundreds of
millions in new land acquisition, was exposed to the light of day for the first
time this week.
And thousands of grassroots
activists across the country said NO WAY!
And the United States
Senate heard you LOUD AND CLEAR!!!!!!!!
S. 990 could not stand
up to public scrutiny this week and was NOT brought up for a vote in the Senate.
The Senate just concluded its session for the year, and S.990 is right where it
belongs…in the dustbin!!!
YOU MADE THE DIFFERENCE!!!!
The Endangered Species
Act certainly needs changes. But there should be input from the public, debate
and discussion should occur in the light of day, and there should be a record
of who is for and against various proposals.
NONE of that occurred
with S.990. This was a dark-of-night land grab promoted in the back rooms of Washington,
DC, by powerful environmental organizations seeking to:
- greatly expand their
favorite law, the Endangered Species Act,
- convert more lands from
private property to government ownership, and
- line their pockets with
more, more and more grant money from taxpayers.
S. 990 and other ideas
to change the Endangered Species Act may be considered in Congress next year.
But it should be done out in the open.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR
calls, YOUR faxes, YOUR emails made the difference in demanding consideration
for private property rights, multiple use of federal lands, and OPEN GOVERNMENT
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take a look at the legislative
history of S.990:
***S. 990 was first approved
by the United States Senate just before Christmas in 2001. It was after the last
roll call vote of the year, Nearly MIDNIGHT, with no debate, and voted through
by "unanimous consent" - when only three Senators were present, everyone
else having gone home to their home states!
***S. 990 then languished
in the House of Representatives Resources Committee for ELEVEN MONTHS. Property
rights activists, having been caught unprepared by the Senate's sneak action,
wanted an open discussion about the Endangered Species Act in the light of day.
But there were NO hearings, NO debate, NO votes, NO action on the bill for eleven
months.
***Then, late in November
2002, Resources Committee Chairma James V. Hansen of Utah, who is retiring from
Congress, got into "Legacy Mode." He decided to create a legacy for
himself at taxpayer expense. He stuffed S.990 with pork projects for Utah. These
included the James V. Hansen Shoshone Trail, which cost $2 million, and construction
of a visitor center at the Bear River Bird Refuge for $11 million, which upon
completion would be named after - you guessed it - James V. Hansen!
***In the wee hours of
Friday morning, November 15, 2002, the second sneak attack was launched. Hansen
brought S.990 to the House floor and gained approval by "unanimous consent"
- after nearly every congressman had gone home, at 2:35am!
HOWEVER - because it was
changed in the House, the revised version of S.990 now had to be given final approval
in the Senate.
Property rights activists
had been burned twice, and would not be caught again!
********
GRASSROOTS UPRISING !!!!!!!! ********
The "Big Green"
enviro-machine had only three days to get S.990 through the Senate, which was
already packed with a full agenda of other legislation.
They could not risk an
open debate, which would expose S.990's flaws. They would need one more dark-of-nite
"unanimous consent" sneak attack in order to slide S.990 through.
But it was not to be.
Property owners large
and small, cabin owners, inholders, farmers, foresters, ranchers, miners, four-wheelers,
anyone who wants to make reasonable use of their private property, or who makes
recreational or commercial use of federal lands, rose up and spoke out!
For the past three days,
Senate offices were swamped with calls, faxes and emails DEMANDING open discussion
of changes to the Endangered Species Act!
Many Senators listened
to their constituents and placed a "hold" on S.990.
A "hold" places
a temporary delay on legislation. With only three days in session, Monday through
Wednesday, November 18 to 20, it would be enough to stop the Endangered Species
Land Grab.
The Big Green enviro's
point man on S.990 is leftwing Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Reid worked desperately
to convince Senators to remove their "holds" and allow S.990 to slip
through without a vote or debate. But with the grassroots tide rising and the
light of day shining on S.990, there was no way.
ACTION ITEM - Pat yourself
on the back. YOU DID IT
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