Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1) Since we have Gallego (apparently) on our side (a no vote) I don't think letters to other representatives citing dollars lost to businesses in Gallego's district are going to carry much weight

2) to the general, urban Representative (you know, the one who's idea of "roughing it" is a night spent in a bed-and-breakfast) the convincing will be based on "commercialization=bad" . . . I think this is where we have to emphasize the contributions of hobbyists to the body of knowledge, anecdotes about kids catching lizards (if you don't have kids, anecdotes about how your fond family memories are about herping, etc), etc. Screaming "my rights are being taken away" makes us look selfish (even though they are being taken away - government these days is all about controlling people - so what?)

3) For Freer (Ryan Guillen) and Sweetwater (Susan King) focus on the round-up angle

4) I think that "bombarding" Isett's office (or the offices of the committee for Culture, Recreation, and Tourism) with emails/phone calls/etc beyond what they've already been sent is counter-productive - makes us look like tin-foil-hat wearing loonies. Folks, I'm fairly confident that ship has sailed. Please focus your efforts on more productive correspondence with other representatives. Every minute spent contacting Isett's office is a minute spent that could have been spent convincing someone else to counter Isett's vote!

5) Representatives listen most to their own constituency - if you know people from Houston, contact them to make sure that they've contacted their own representatives. If you know some one from Texarkana, Texline, or Tehuacana, contact them to make sure that they've contacted their own representatives. Go ye therefore teaching the word to all legislative districts . . .

Troy

Pan into a family of four stopping by a roadside table to enjoy a break from driving or a picnic. Suddenly, the little boy Jonny (that's a good Texas name) who is eleven asks his dad, "Dad, can I have a Chameleon for pet?". The dad says, "sure son, go pick one out from those bushes." Jonny gets really excited and runs over to the bushes where the Chameleons are (I know they're anoles, but they don't). He looks a long time and finally finds one that's suitable to his liking, a great big pretty male. He grabs it from inside the bush, and as he pulls his arm out, his wrist is handcuffed by a Game Warden who suddenly jumps out from behind the bush. The Game Warden speaks into his radio which is clipped to his shoulder, "Got another one". At the same time, two, maybe three TPW vehicles pull up and stop (tires screeching), with red lights and sound....

Pan to a Trans-Pecos road cut at dusk. Show the highway. Show the distance from the highway. Show the car parked in the right of way next to the cut. Show the distance of the car from the highway. Show two hunters and what they do. Show the distance of the hunters from the highway. Now, pan to a close-up of the hunters. One is Troy. The other is a legislator that Troy has invited to be his guest to experience the special moments we all stand to lose....

Sorry, I can't stop myself

R

You need to add a scene...

Kindly old lady pulls safely off the road, uses her cane to walk over to a box turtle in the middle of the road. She reaches down to pick it up (capture it) and move it off the road. Game wardens arrive just in time to stop her. As they write her a ticket, a truck hits and kills the turtle.

The turtle lives and the truck takes the game wardens out...

R

Troy, correct me if iam wrong, but it seems that this is beginning to exclude the nonresidents, i have contacted as many senators and reps as i possibly could including Mr. Gallego, with no response. I applaud REP. David Farabee. Clark

As much as I hate to say it, it seems like non-resident assistance is fruitless. At least in the way of contacting reps. They just don't care about you if you are not a local voter. Financial backing, however, would not be so fruitless, so if ever along the way a lobbyist is secured, we can certainly all help to fund him/her.

That being said, I still plan to send out letters.

Unfortunately a politician is going to pay more attention to his or her own constituents, anybody outside of that circle may have something important to say. But the fact is you are not somebody who can vote them in or out office. If your point of view is not supported by the local constituents then it will likely not get much consideration.

I think we need everybody who comes here to let them know that this is also a potential loss of tourism for the state.

Lance

And I never meant for it to sound like we should not contribute in the way of letters and such. I'm just agreeing with the original poster that it seems non-resident aren't much of a concern to them.

1) if you know anyone in Texas, anywhere, whether or not they have a personal stake in this, ask them to contact their representatives. Your mother's cousins brother's ex-wife lives in Orange, ask them to contact their rep. You correspond with a deer hunter in South Texas who thinks that the "only good snake is a dead snake" ask them to contact their representative.

2) Write your letters to as many as possible. Make it a general letter. State how there are other ways to handle this problem (commercialization, the stated reason behind this) rather than closing highways to hobbyists. Describe how your state handles this issue. Go ahead and stress the loss of revenue from tourism. Be vague about the region you're interested in herping if its a representative from an urban area. Be specific to those you actually intend to visit (like SoTX or W TX)

3) If you have ever contributed to "citizen science" by road-cruising, describe how this knowledge has been used, and how by closing this off in TX (no road-cruising), TX is limiting its potential ability to gather knowledge.

Troy

This is from jpenny's post, an excert from TPWD's letter:

" This bill makes the offense for hunting any wild animal or wild bird on a public road or rights of way a Parks and Wildlife Code Class C misdemeanor. Game wardens would have the discretion to file a lesser charge, if conditions warranted (e.g., juvenile or first time offender.)"

The game warden(s) behind this are pointing out that they will have descresion to file a lesser charge, maybe even just a warning. Just my opinion here but I think conjuring up images of children being hauled away for first time offenses is over-dramatizing. I think it would be better to focus on this being an activitiy that families engage in.

Aaron,

If you're referring to my post, IT WAS an over-dramatization. I wasn't serious. C'mon baby, you know me...I'm Mr. EvenKeel. However, IMO, over-dramatizations that are first impressions (followed later with explanations) can be very effective in political campaigns. The thing I don't like about discretion in the hands of Game Wardens is not all Game Wardens are created equal. There are many variables that have the potential to seep into the charging decision that have nothing to do with the offense, like attitude, race, or whether the Warden has had some nookie-nookie lately. See you in Fort Davis - I hope.

Robert

Ok cool. And yes I should be there this year, June or August or maybe both. Depends on my work situation.

Just a heads up. Last year, you stayed at the Stone Village Motel. I stayed at the Stone Village Motel because I got a good rate: $50 a night-single room. I believe I got the 13th night free as well. It was a length of stay discount. Well, those days may be gone forever. The Stone Village Motel is under new ownership, the rooms have been newly renovated to accomodate double occupancy and the new owner wants $89 a night. At present, it looks like it's goodbye Stone Village, hello Motor Inn.

R

Stay at whatever hotel will agree to lobby their reps in our behalf! Let them know how much money they stand to lose if they don't support our cause.

Of course, its easy (and free) for me to suggest where your hard earned dollars should be spent. LOL.

Enjoy your stay and happy herping!

Thanks. I will keep that in mind. Does Motor Inn have rooms or is it just camping and RV's?

Both. Google Fort Davis, TX Motels. You'd be able to zero in on the motel's precise location if you didn't spend all your time on Hwy 118

Aaron,

that's what I was getting at, not them getting tickets.

Troy

.

I think you might end up elected in charge of this online movement.

But I cannot thing of a better qualified individual here either.

Lance

Reply to Troy,

1. Wouldn't the local politicians and community leaders be VERY concerned about the lost tourism dollars? I say we send letters to them outlining all the reasons why this bill is bad for them.

2. All reasons why this is bad for local politicians would be best. It would be okay to mention rights (maybe some gun toting Repubs might get it)but as Troy says no "attacks" about rights. We want them on our side.

3. Good idea.

4. Although, I agree with you I think at some point he may fold and all the pressure we can apply against him might help. Also the committee members passed this w/o any opposition had they known the facts this might not be the case. Further, they will have to vote on this themselves so I think pressure against everyone is called for but concentrate on your Reps and the other Reps.

5. I agree. I want to build our list of "no" vote Reps.

Mike Welker
El Paso, TX

"1. Wouldn't the local politicians and community leaders be VERY concerned about the lost tourism dollars? I say we send letters to them outlining all the reasons why this bill is bad for them. "

Although the perception is that TX is a rural state, look at the list of representatives from Dallas, Harris, Travis, Bexar, and Tarrant Counties. I don't think that these guys are going to be swayed (at least not much) by loss of tourism dollars to places like Hebronville and Sanderson. These representatives will vote yes/no based on the higher ground ethical and/or conservation issues.

At least that's how I see it.

Troy

The committee bill was sent to the Local and Consent Calendar committee on April 12, 2007, to calendar it in for House consideration. I assume that's how it works. Don't know how many days your House is in session each month, whether it's the first half or last half of the month, or perhaps something else. Do you know much time is left?

Robert

And I don't know how much this may matter. Contact each of the State Political party offices (both Republican & Democrat) and explain to them the reasons why this bill shouldn't be supported.

TX Republicans
www.texasgop.org/

TX Democrats
www.txdemocrats.org/

Again, please emphasize the points I've listed. Try to stay in "rational though mode" not in "crazed fanatic attack mode".

Troy

Troy has offered up five very strong strategies, especially his 5th one. The letters to all of them are good.....but the truth of the matter is that all of these people are politicians. If a constituent from their home district writes, calls or emails them, most of them will at least take an interest and hear what their own constituent from back home has to say. After all it is the local people from their home districts who voted them into office. They will listen and pay attention to these people from their districts but if they get a letter, email or fax from someone outside of their own district or from out of state, they are much less likely going to pay any attention to it because these are not people who represent potential votes for them. We would be much more effective if we could find a person or a delegation of people who live in each of these representative's home districts who would be willing to contact their local representative(s) to make our points to him/her/them.

I also agree that it is mostly wasted energy to put a lot of effort into contacting the representative who introduced this bill or the committee members who blessed it. They have already taken a stance on the issue. What we need now is enough votes to keep their bill from passing.
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Gerald Keown
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research