Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Stop by the USARK Booth at the Texas Reptiles Show in San Antonio, Texas. That's right USARK is coming back to Texas. Randal & Bonnie Berry put on some great reptile shows! This will be the BIGGEST and BEST Hot Show in the Lone Star State! Thank Randal & Bonnie for all they do to support USARK and the Reptile Nation!!!

***PLEASE SIGN KILL HR51 1 Letters at USARK Booth!!!***

Texas Reptiles San Antonio Show

When: March 5 & 6, 2011

Where: LIVE OAK CIVIC CENTER
8101 Pat Booker @ Hwy. 1604
San Antonio, TX 78233

Time: Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

www.texasreptiles.com/schedule/sanantonio/index.html

USARK & Texas Reptiles will hold an After Party and fund raising auction immediately following the show on Saturday evening 5:30pm-???. FREE FOOD & DRINK will be provided for all who attend. The auction is open to the public and proceeds will support USARK. These auctions are a great social mixer and tons of fun! They have been growing in popularity across the country and are a GUARANTEED GOOD TIME! USARK would appreciate any donations for the auctions or any other help you have to offer. Andrew Wyatt is the Auctioneer and is always entertaining. There will be some awesome deals! Come party with USARK in San Antonio and support the Reptile Nation.

***We need Volunteers for the Show! We need 2 volunteers for each day. Saturday & Sunday. If you live in the area please consider volunteering to help USARK man our booth. Good organizational and sales skills preferred, but honesty and serious desire to help are the main qualifications. If you are interested in volunteering please email president@usark.org. Please include a photo of yourself and brief biography. Food, drinks and USARK gift pack will be awarded chosen volunteers. We need you. Please help!

-----
USARK

USARK in Texas? Stay home.

I have no desire to help you claim victory, announce the sky is falling and demand donations.

Sorry Andy.

What are you talking about?
jsc
-----
"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Perhaps his screen name is testament to that fact, Jscrick...

or... perhaps like The Boy Named Sue, I was blessed with an unfortunate name.

You can make innuendo or call me what you like. After decades with this name my skin is pretty thick, just like some bald skulls around here.

I'm terribly sorry Hugh. I honestly thought that was an intentional play on words on your part. No disrespect intended.
jsc
-----
"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

We cool. I get that all the time.

Have you noticed with the advent of USARK that the boa/python markets have totally crashed?

I think the massive onslaught of new restrictive laws pertaining to the ownership of large constrictors is a much bigger factor than USARK. Obviously USARK increases awareness of these laws, which probably does affect the market, but the fact is people would have become aware of the laws sooner or later anyways.

People would have eventually seen the trend anyway via a massive onslaught of "fire sales" taking place in one place after another as these restrictive laws went into effect unopposed.

In the long run USARK helps the market much more than it hurts it. At least USARK gives people some hope that restrictive laws can be fought.

Anyways, it's not just laws and bans that are affecting the market. Morphs especially have always had crashes. That's just what captive breeding does, it increases supply and ultimately decreases prices.
-----
www.hcu-tx.org/

"I think the massive onslaught of new restrictive laws pertaining to the ownership of large constrictors is a much bigger factor than USARK."

I find it hard to believe anyone could think otherwise. Are you really not worried about our rights to keep these animals? I know I worry constantly that my legal rights to my property (these animals) which were sound one day may be, due to some politicians whim, be removed the next, making my pets (who are by default my investments) contraband overnight.

I know many people personally who have passed over large constrictor projects, or even single animals as pets, and went for things like Ball Pythons, not because of groups like USARK, but rather because they are expecting the other animals to be illegal to sell or transport interstate in the near future.

"but the fact is people would have become aware of the laws sooner or later anyways."

Call me whatever you will, but I for one think that EVERY SINGLE HERP KEEPER out there should be aware of these laws, and fight them. I personally don't have any affiliations with USARK outside of supporting their vigilance & efforts to work against these vile laws and regulations that strip us of our animals, nor do I really care who or what group is getting the word out, but I fear that we are in grave danger as exotic keepers if no one does.

No, I have noticed that the economy sucks right now so the market for most things that are not a necessity in life have crashed. I make most of my current income playing bars and even that business sucks right now.
Things will eventually get better they always do (unless the 2012 is true and then were all just screwed anyway) and when they do sales will pick up.
As far as the law end of it is concerned with large snakes, I don't think they matter if people really want a large snake they will go where they can get one and buy regardless of what the laws are. I think most people just don't want large snakes and once there are hoops in place they have to jump through to get them, they just go out and buy a ball python instead of a burm.
You see the same trend towards smaller pets with dogs as well little rat dogs that do not require as much attention as larger breeds sell much better than large breeds do. It is much easier to get a smaller dog or a small snake or lizard for a pet if you are renting instead of owning which is a growing trend in the current housing market.
These are factors that an organization like USARK (who bring attention to reptile legislation in order to try and change it,) have nothing to do with nor any control of.
Rather than throwing little insults at them as I have seen in some of your posts you should applaud them for their efforts it is much harder and costly (both monetarily and personally.) to stand up and fight legislation than to go underground as a number of hobbyists here in Fl. have.
USARK and some of the other Texas based organizations have done an excellent job of handling some of the regulations that have been enacted there. I would sell my house here in fl. tomorrow if I thought I could and start moving back to Jim Wells county on Sunday if I could afford it. In spite of the issues with native herps there you have it good with exotics.

Yeah, the econ sucks. So does an un-educated bald guy screaming the sky is falling an a daily basis. It is my feeling that the market crashed farther than it had to, solely due to the efforts of USARK. All the buyers heard the python ban this and the boa ban that. Anybody in their right mind will avoid the buy in that climate.

Plus his mantra is the same every time. We claim victory for ______, the sky is falling in __________ and we need money, send it here. Use our link.

Lastly, here is some food for thought.

#1) USARK is a "for profit" entity. How many of you thought your donations were tax deductable? They ain't.

#2) Andy's paycheck is $48,253 for 2010. Seems reasonable, except for the fact he has a $3500 in meals paid for, $110 a month for gasoline, plus $11,000 in travel expenses so he can visit his various girlfriends nationwide, errr I mean go to shows. Dude... that chick in Vegas at the Mirage was hott! Great job Andy! Too bad the show was a total bomb.

#3) USARK spent over $300,000 in 2010 and the only reason Andy gets to claim "victory" for the federal boa/python bill is it expired. Great work!

#4) USARK will likely spend $300,000 again this year. Why? So we can see his press releases? More claims of "victory"...

From where I sit, Andy has a cushy job, a nice paycheck for someone living in Mayberry, NC and a terrific travel schedule. All he has to do is hunt problems, claim the sky is falling, ask for donations, then claim victory. There is the business plan. Now you all can do it. Of course, it wont hurt to have Bag handing you $100K a year, either.

Q1)Is USARK paying the girlfriends airfare too?

Hey, I'm just sayin'!

Seems that there are a lot of parallels with H$U$. Just sayin'.

"All the buyers heard the python ban this and the boa ban that."

If you have any alternative suggestions on how to raise legislative awareness to USARK's, I am sure we all would be interested in hearing them.

It is my sincere opinion that PIJAC this website is a far more effective vector for legislative involvement. The folks at PIJAC come with a 40 years legislative history, lawyers on staff and contacts within the various agencies nationwide.

It was PIJAC that accomplished the break on a proposed ban on turtles and frogs in California a couple years ago. Andy was there, but his input came after it was exposed PIJAC had seized the day. If memory serves Andy claimed victory nonetheless.

Add to PIJAC credentials this website's ability to communicate to the entire herp industry and we have a major league machine.

[comparison of USARK redacted by HJ]

Disclaimer: Hugh_Jass is in no way affiliated with PIJAC, with the possible exception of a normal membership.

From here back to my last post, still don't understand? Seems like you just don't like USARK. I disagree. I'm familiar with PJAC. What I may consider PIJAC's shortcomings and weaknesses don't seem appropriate for discussion. Divisiveness and fault finding among stakeholders is counterproductive and has no place. Your comments seem personal and irrelevant to me. In short, you do not know what you're talking about.

jsc
-----
"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

That's cool. JSC you don't know me, nor I you. If you feel comfortable judging someone you have never met, so be it.

I presented facts. Nobody disputed them. I was asked my opinion. I gave it. The only response is from you. No attack on the facts. No debate about strategy. Just a personal attack, on me, from you. Dude you gotta imagine my skin is pretty thick. The Jass family is not prone to wilting under pressure.

I am aware others are reading. Based on the number of supporting emails I received, and zero negative, I am quite comfortable with my position.

Many people in this biz are very frightened we have Andy representing the industry. He has so little education and experience, yet he is speaking to Senator's and flying all over making speeches to legislator's in states he does not reside and knows little about.

Spend your money where you want. The facts are on the table.

Lastly, I for one, would be happy with a different USARK. One with a lawyer at the helm. One who understands procedures and legislative etiquette. One who may actually know somebody in the right offices. Just like PIJAC.

Speaking of personal attacks, "Hugh", you seem to be making quite a few yourself against Andrew. Just saying...

"Lastly, I for one, would be happy with a different USARK. One with a lawyer at the helm. One who understands procedures and legislative etiquette. One who may actually know somebody in the right offices. Just like PIJAC."

My issue with PIJAC is that it only seems to address issues that affect the organized pet trade hierarchy-retailers, wholesalers, jobbers, mfg, importers, etc, and ignores the private breeder/owner.
Here in WI, its legal for pet stores to display and sell animals that are illegal to own in their own municipality, and they are not required to inform unsuspecting buyers that these animals are illegal to own. As a result, private owners are victimized by LE for illegal animal ownership, and are charged and fined.
The massive onslaught of restrictive animal laws at all levels of government during the last 50 years is evidence enough that PIJAC will not help us.
The proof is in the pudding. PIJAC is just the H$U$ of the pet industry-cons you into sending money and doesn't live up to its promises to help. Just Sayin'

You are exactly right wireptile! The behemoth PIJAC would never have gotten off its hands if USARK hadn't appeared. Hugh doesn't know what the...he's talking about.

I gotta say that all those big bucks I've sent to Andy over the years is some of the best money I've ever spent. Wish I had more to send.

Hugh seems to have just appeared. His stake in all this is not known. His contributions are unknown. It's obvious he does not know the subject.

Hugh, you can claim all the victories you want. People with any sense know better.

jsc
-----
"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

You guys can't see the forest because of the trees.

Had you all given $300,000 to PIJAC, then we would have become bar none their highest priority. Period. My money went to PIJAC. I have seen action since the 70's. Donate money and time to PIJAC and you get tremendous action.

Until recently, the herp community has been very laid back and was not aware of when PIJAC was #winning battles on our behalf. When the need arose somehow Andy convinced Bag to stake $100,000 a year and used that to multiply it to over $300K (great work Andy). Had those same funds been given to PIJAC we would have had lawyers with decades of experience, decades of contacts and many more years of schooling than Andy. In short, folks who are far better positioned to help. They have a network that extends already in 50 states. Surely, every battle is not acted upon as a crisis. Nor do they apply pressure on legislators in ways that will alienate them. That has definitely happened the last few years with USARK.

Vote with your money. Give to the inexperienced guy who screams the sky is falling or send it where the work actually gets done.

Your call.

Over and out.

Sounds like a lot of jealousy to me....

Just sayin'

I also have the feeling that Hugh is not who he makes himself out to be. I get these vibes.....

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Hugh_Jass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ9d7SWF7Z0

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hugh%20jass

-----
"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Hugh Jass at zabasearch

You can obfuscate and redirect all you want. Until you refute my facts you have nothing but attacks on me. People are listening. All you are doing is denying truth that is in the public's eye.

You simply cannot deny that Andy is living high on the North Carolina hog with money that can be better spent. Either with someone who has more experience or with snake breeders.

When you start off name calling (baldy), you lose a great deal of credibility to a lot of people. If you don't like what Andrew is doing, start your own organization. Show us results of what YOUR organization can produce. And remember that not everything posted on this board by USARK is written by Andrew.

I would say "put up or shut up", but that would not be nice. I'll just say that it's far easier to throw shots at an existing organization than by starting your own. Try working WITH someone rather than against them. Maybe it's just possible that you could get more accomplished that way. USARK has done much for the reptile community in the last couple years. What have you done to help? They may not be perfect, but no one is.
PIJAC is not the cure-all, either.