ALERT - S 3711 - Lame Duck Land Grab!

Land Rights Network
American Land Rights Association

PO Box 400, Battle Ground, WA 98604
(360) 687-3087 – Fax: (360) 687-2973
alra@governance.net

Web Address: http://www.landrights.org
Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE - Washington, DC 20003 landrightsnet@yahoo.com -- (202) 329-3574

The "Lame Duck" Congress is returning to session next week.
HIT THE ALARM BELLS – private property will be under attack!

This is NOT the newly elected members who just won on November 7, they will be sworn into office in a few weeks, in early January.

These are the final days of the current Congress, the one that was elected two years ago and is now finishing up a few issues.

It is called a "Lame Duck" session because many of these Congressmen and Senators have retired or been defeated, and will be out of office in just a few weeks. Also, since the next election is two years away, many members feel that their constituents are not looking, not paying attention.

!!! DANGER ALERT !!!

Lame Duck sessions are notorious for passing truly terrible legislation in the dark of night. This is true now also because of Senate bill number S 3711, the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. This proposes a trust fund – GUARANTEED MONEY EVERY YEAR – to seize private land.

THIS THREAT to private property rights remains at large in this upcoming Lame Duck session. "S 3711" the Land Acquisition Trust Fund proposes to create a new trust fund. It will hand over millions of taxpayer dollars to state governments and leftwing environmental outfits to grab private land EVERY YEAR – GUARANTEED. That’s why it is called a trust fund.

S 3711 is a sneaky bill that starts small, then will eventually build up to a monster. It proposes to hold aside for land grabs "ONLY" about ten or fifteen million dollars per year. However, once the trust fund is created, supporters then hope to change other laws to feed more and more money into the Land Acquisition Trust Fund every year.

If S 3711 is approved, it will start off at about ten million dollars per year, but will build up to about $450 million dollars per year. This is the stated goal of the Land Grab’s main sponsors (see below).

S 3711 is supported by the Land Grab Media, Land Grab Congress, and even a leading Land Grab presidential candidate!

The New York Times, which proudly boasts its support for leftwing extremist environmental projects, endorsed S 3711 on October 23. United States Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who needs support from enviros to win the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, voted for S 3711 on August 1. And Senator "Liberal Lamar" Alexander, who consistently attacks private property rights and seeks taxpayer financing for his preservationist allies, is the primary advocate for S 3711.

MAXIMUM DANGER:

S 3711 has passed the Senate, and now sits in the House of Representatives. It might be scheduled for a vote at any time. Lame Duck sessions are unpredictable and chaotic, anything can happen.

The first two weeks of December, from approximately Monday December 4 to Friday December 15 will be the final days of the current, soon to end session of Congress, called the 109th Congress. This is the danger zone when S3711 might be brought up for a vote.

*****ACTION ITEMS:

BELOW are the key members of the Lame Duck session who will have a say on S 3711. Remember, this is the member of congress you have had for the past two or more years, not anyone new who might have just been elected.

S 3711, the Land Acquisition Trust Fund, passed the Senate a few months ago. The action is now in the House of Representatives. It is in the House that this ripoff of the American taxpayer and land grab will be decided.

Please contact ALL of these House members listed below, in particular if you live in their state.

PLEASE tell them NO TO S 3711. Ask for a commitment, ask them to vote NO on S 3711.

Here are a few reasons:

There should not be a special fund set aside for land grabs! With a huge budget deficit, it is crazy to set aside guaranteed money for land acquisition! Grabbing land should not have a higher priority than education, health care and national defense!

Government agencies already own nearly 40% of America! How much is enough???

Environmental groups should not have their own guaranteed annual honeypot of money, they should have to compete with all the other needs that the federal government has.

Trust funds never seem to get smaller, only bigger.

The time for action is NOW. Decisions are being made NOW, as you read this, on what to do with S 3711.

HERE are the House members who will decide the fate of S 3711, whether to bring it up for a vote or bury it. Whether to vote yes or no.

Please tell them you DO NOT support guaranteed free handouts to environmentalists and to VOTE NO on S 3711. Contact ALL of them, ESPECIALLY if you live in their district or ANYWHERE in their home state.

You can call any one of them at the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.

Rep. Hastert (Illinois), Speaker of the House
Rep. Boehner (Ohio), Majority Leader of the House
Rep. Pelosi (Calif), Minority Leader of the House (remember, the Democrats don’t take the majority until January, it is still the old Republican leadership)
Rep. Blunt (Missouri), Majority Whip of the House
Rep. Hoyer (Maryland), Minority Whip
Rep. Barton (Texas), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Rep. Dingell (Michigan), ranking member of the committee
Rep. Pombo (Calif), Chairman of the Resources Committee
Rep. Rahall (W.V.), ranking member of the committee

Also, your own member of Congress, regardless of who it is. This is a controversial bill and ANY member might be convinced to vote either way if they hear from enough people and especially constituents.

ALSO, these key members:

Rep. Duncan (Tenn.)
Rep. Calvert (Calif.)
Rep. Cubin (Wyo)
Rep. Radanovich (Calif)
Rep. Cannon (Utah)
Rep. Walden (Oregon)
Rep. Flake (Ariz)
Rep. Pearce (N.M.)
Rep. Pallone (N.J.)
Rep. Miller (Calif.)
Rep. Markey (Mass.)


Please make sure to forward this message as widely as possible.