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Re: Proposed Anti-Plant Legislation
Alysoun McLaughlin proposes that we:
1. Pick up the phone.
2. Find out if any state legislators have already spoken up against
banned plants lists, or for boater's fees, or whatever your specific
interest is, and contact them.
3. Talk to someone at your LFS.
4. Find out how the committee process works.
5. Whether you actually testify in front of a committee, or talk to the
Nursery Association or the EPA, or just write a letter, you will
probably be more effective if you:
a) Show that you're not alone
b) Research the issue.
c) Avoid threats, smears, exaggerations, or outright lies
I took the same civics courses you did Alysoun and know about the myth of
the
"citizen activist." In light of your list of proposed actions, I offer this
piece of Realpolitik, Tennessee Style:
In January of this year a bill was proposed which would have eliminated the
waiting period for buying handguns for all persons who have a valid state
permit for carrying a handgun--a small number of people. It went through
all the processes you describe. Citizen activists on both sides did their
research and had their say. In the last week of the session, the wording,
but not the caption, of the bill was surreptitiously changed. The new
wording was provided courtesy of the National Rifle Association. It
eliminated the waiting period for every person for every type of gun. It
passed unanimously and was signed by the governor.
After it became law everyone involved was shocked--shocked--to find how
he/she had been misled.
This is off-topic, and I apologize. But that anti-plant law has scapegoat
written all over it, and jumping through the civics books hoops only
legitimizes the process.