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Show Are Congressmen Jim Hansen And Chris Cannon Turncoats? So why did Jim Hansen (Chairman of the Resource Committee) Com-mittee) and Chris Cannon, our own congressional representatives vote for CARA (Conservation and Reinvestment Act) but which I call the Condemnation And Relocation Act? Am I missing the boat somewhere? Let me point out what we will be saddled with if this Act passes the House and Senate: CARA attacks property rights: CARA would guarantee over one billion dollars a year to condemn private property. CARA damages economic development: de-velopment: CARA will vastly increase in-crease state and federal govern-ment land acquisition, taking private land out of the economy and eliminating economic use of the property. CARA provides FOR: no-access no-access wilderness areas, and FOR grant money for environmental outfits and United Nations land manage-ment agencies. CARA will burden the American taxpayer: Although the money will come from offshore drilling, that money previously went to the general treasury, meaning that CARA would deduct $3 billion from the national budget every year. And the taxpayer will have to contribute to the state-matching state-matching funds as well. Furthermore, Further-more, the acquisition of land will incur additional costs for maintenance mainte-nance and compensation that are not the focus of the legislation. CARA could trash some very precious and important resources: The bill calls for Land and Water-Conservation Water-Conservation Fund (LWCF) to (See LETTERS on page 3-A) LETTERS From Page 2-A target acquisition of private lands that are surrounded by federal lands. (Watch out Southern Utah!) Such private lands are often the best or only providers of supplies and campgrounds for visitors to national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. Thus, CARA penalizes sound private land management by taking that land from the people who have been managing it so well. CARA endangers that land, handing it over to those who cannot manage it: Last summer's forest fires tragically illuminated the U.S. Forest Service's inability to manage its land. The Forest Service rated over 60 percent pf national forest and other federal resource lands as "very unhealthy" or in "deteriorating health." The estimate for the maintenance backlog, the amount that would have to be spent to get federal land into a healthy condition, ranges from $5 billion to $15 billion. CARA would not help the backlog, but compound it. CARA could bring more restrictions re-strictions on firearms use: The uun Owners ot America oppose CARA because it will "encourage the condemnation of private property which is being used for firing ranges." CARA would guarantee $50 million per year to enforce the Endangered Species and list more species and more habitat areas. In a free society where the people peo-ple own the land, the government has to come to the people for its operating budget for tax dollars in order to operate. The government has to listen to what the people have to say. That is the essence of a free society. In a totalitarian society where the government owns the resources, they don't have to go to the people for funds to operate. Our government today owns over 40 percent of the resource base of the U.S. The corporate U.S. government govern-ment has come to have its own assets and is having to listen less and less to its citizens. And it is attempting to get more and more property under the guise of environmentalism. If you have read this far, you must have more than a casual interest in this proposed legislation. Since it has been voted out of committee to go now to the floor of the legislature. NOW is the time to call your congressmen and senators to get his schedule for the next month. It is vital that you do so. Make plans to see him personally when he is home for an event. Or ask for an appointment at his local office to discuss the CARA ACT. Every Congressman and Senator may be reached at the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121. There is a temporary FREE NUMBER of (800) 648-3516. That will also get you every Congressman. Here's all you need to make contact: Web Site: www.house.govhansen: http:www.house.govhansen E-mail: Contact Via 'Write Your Rep.' http:conpress.orgcongrcssorgin ' ail?id588&:tvpeCO Phone: (202) 225-0453 Fax: (202) 225-5857 Capitol Hill Address: 242 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4401 District Office: Ogden District Phone: (801) 393-8362 Web Site: www.house.govcannon http:www. house govcannon E-mail: cannon. ut03 mail house.gov Phone: (202) 225-7751 Fax: (202) 225-5629 Capitol Hill Address: 118 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-4403 District Office: Provo District Phone: (801) 379-2500 Write him. Here in part is what I wrote: "Mr. Congressman, would you be so kind to respond to this letter as to why you voted for CARA? That one vote is going to cost your dearly come election time my friend. Are you trying to become one of 'THE GOOD OLE' BOYS' in Washington D.C? I'm mad as hell about this and so are a lot of others of your constituency. Comment please." Larry Ripplinger Boulder |