Currently they are fighting several battles on the federal level. They are not only concerned with reptiles but all pets. One of the battles they are waging concerns breeding birds and RATS and MICE. You think this one doesn't involve us herpers? What happens when this passes and we can't even breed our own snake food without federal certification of our "facility"? We won't even be able to buy herp feeders. This is a FEDERAL issue not just one state.
When the breeders affected join PIJAC and make additional donations concerning the animals they breed, then the issues involving those members become very important. If you want to get them involved in more herp related matters then you have to pony up the moola and get your voice heard. Whining without participation in the process will have no impact. None of this lobbying comes cheaply, it's more the lawyers salaries than the greedy orginazation.
Some of the federal legislation they have blocked recently involved transportation of animals via common carriers and airlines. If this passed none of you breeders would be shipping doodly squat. This was originally worded so that every dead feeder guppy and every dead cricket would have to be reported and accounted for. The regulation had the airlines all ready to refuse to accept any animals for shipment. PIJAC got this stopped.
Dog and cat breeding, while I know you all have little interest in this, PIJAC is the PET Industry Joint Advisory Council. When they're up against the likes of the Doris Day Animal League, a bunch of bleeding heart, well to do ladies with more money than good sense donating to the DDAL to stop dog and cat breeding. Unscrupulous legislators who attach this legislation onto very popular Farm Bills, then requires a lot of PIJAC's resources to stop these actions. Meanwhile the monetary support for PIJAC to do this comes from the dog and cat breeders NOT herpers.
PIJAC was instrumental on something that did involve herpers, they stopped the legislation going on in Chicago last year that would have prevented anyone in Chicago from owning herps of any kind.
With that said, it's been shown that online petitions have little effect on legislative matters. They need real signatures on real paper. They need real letters to legislators from real people to help have an impact. It's also most effective when the letters are from the constituents of the state the legislator represents. You didn't vote for me so go eat [bleep]e sort of thing. But when that legislator's office is inundated with real letters it does help get their attention. When it's an online petition or e-mail they have some low paid intern sitting at a computer hit the check mark and delete them to internet oblivion.
As a PIJAC member I receive a monthly newsletter outling the federal legislation they are involved in. Sometime more than outlines and very detailed info. In all newsletters they have info regarding what is happening on state levels as well, most of these involve approximately 30 states/month. Yes, many of these issues don't involve herps but some do.
While I agree with earlier postings concerning a central "registry" of sorts for herp societies/clubs to keep us all informed of legislation regarding herp issues, that will take some time and a lot of work to organize. Then once informed of these issues we all have to sit and type/write to these legislators and make it so they can't even get into their office because of the piles of mail regarding these issues. Activism means action not whining on some forum about the lack of action about an orginazation you won't join and support. Meanwhile PIJAC is already doing something. Is it worth a few minutes of your time to actually write a letter and mail it or can you only afford a few seconds to sign some meaningless online petition? If 1000 herpers coughed up the $50.00 annual dues that would be $50,000.00 PIJAC could put to fighting anti-herp legislation. When 10,000 dog and cat breeders ante up the 50 bucks just whose legislative matters do you think they find most important and affordable to fight? PIJAC can only fight so many battles and they pick their fights according to where the monetary support comes from.
Sorry this is so long and I don't mean it to be inflammatory so forgive me if it comes off that way, it's 6:30 AM and I'm still drinking my coffee. Seriously it was meant to be informative and to impress upon you all how important your involvement is. I'm not trolling and I'm not looking for an argument here, if you feel the need, then "flame on" or you can be more constructive and do as I have and send of a real letter to NYS and get involved.
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Hope this helps.
BigT
