Some Success with The SCOPE Albany Trip
· Senator Nozzolio to submit a bill to cancel CoBIS program in face of NYS budget deficit.
· Assemblyman Steve Hawley called me to today to say he would follow through on my request that he submit companion legislation in the assembly to support this effort.
· Keith Kapple (Yates co.) currently working on his assemblyperson(s) as well.
· Most common response when I asked Albany legislators to read our letter: "Oh, I've seen this!"
·I know this is a small achievement considering the onslaught of anti-2A bills we currently face, and the bill has not yet reached the floor for a vote, but this would be a nice feather in SCOPE's cap.
Senator Nozzolio did not mention that any other 2A group was involved on this issue (does not mean that we acted alone, but perhaps so).
Thanks to Keith Keppel for the original letter and campaign and B.P.Bill for getting it published,I enjoyed working with you on this. Maybe we did some good.
We will continue the letter writing campaign to increase pressure Albany.
Christopher Lane
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
SCOPEny.org Orleans County reports
Orleans County report (by Paul Rusin):
Tinker wanted all to know that we, once again, did our food drive
for the poor, and elderly, the weekend before Christmas. Most are very
appreciative. We sent out approximately 25 boxes of food.
Tink says thanks go out to all who helped: Paul Rusin, Bob Rowe (Vice Chair),Ann Clark (Treasurer), Mary Ellen Hamill (Secretary), her significant
other Dick Swan, Dick Bruning, and Roy Lane for helping put the boxes
together and deliver them.
GREAT work folks~ BPB
Tinker wanted all to know that we, once again, did our food drive
for the poor, and elderly, the weekend before Christmas. Most are very
appreciative. We sent out approximately 25 boxes of food.
Tink says thanks go out to all who helped: Paul Rusin, Bob Rowe (Vice Chair),Ann Clark (Treasurer), Mary Ellen Hamill (Secretary), her significant
other Dick Swan, Dick Bruning, and Roy Lane for helping put the boxes
together and deliver them.
GREAT work folks~ BPB
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Antis running NY DEC? BPB was right !
This is going to be a looong read. So get your coffee and toss another log in the fire.
==========================
Read this 1st~
http://www.thedailymail.org/articles/2009/01/17/sports/sports1.txt Sportsmen have something to cackle about
By Dick Nelson Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
There’s been a lot of back slapping and high-fives going around the Internet since Gov. David Paterson sent out a directive to halt the closure of the Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca (Tompkins County). Andrightly so. I can’t remember another issue that galvanized sportsmenas much as Paterson’s decision to close the farm and discontinue the pheasant program.Sportsmen have been up in arms since the directive to close the farmwas issued in mid-December, but the fact of the matter is, Paterson would have never reversed his decision if he and state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commission Alexander “Pete” Grannis hadn’t been served with a temporary restraining order (TRO).Initiated by the Conservation Alliance of New York (CANY), and the NewYork State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA), the TRO, signed byAlbany County Supreme Court Judge Eugene Devine on Friday, placed aninjunction on the closing of Reynolds Game Farm, as well as the removalor destruction of the birds from the facility.That was the same day Paterson, or should I say Judith Enck - hisDeputy Secretary for the Environment, and the woman who instigated theclosing - had a change of heart.Coincidence? I think not.
Right up until Tuesday Enck and company had been firm in their decision to close the farm, telling New York State Conservation Council president Harold Palmer that the pheasants will be disposed of and there will be no talks about the purchase of birds, either day-old chicks or adults,to be released.At the time, the 8,000 or so remaining breeder birds had been scheduled to be processed and distributed to food banks in Central New York.Oddly enough, Enck’s husband, Mark Dunlea, is the Executive Directorof the Hunger Action Network of New York State - a statewide anti-hunger coalition. He is also a co-founder of New York Public Interest ResearchGroup, an environmental organization that has close ties to the HumaneSociety of the United States (HSUS) and where Enck worked as a Senior Environmental Associate before going to work for Eliot Spitzer as his environmental policy advisor when the disgraced governor was the stateAttorney General.Another coincidence? You be the judge. I just hope that her $159,984salary isn’t paid out of the Conservation Fund.And this just may be just another coincidence, but I found it extremely strange that the letter HSUS sent to Commissioner Grannis congratulating him on the closing of the pheasant farm was dated and received prior tothe official announcement.
It’s been obvious since the Democrats took over the governorship that Enck is running the DEC, and Grannis - as much as he would like to thinkotherwise - is only a figurehead. That is a shame, because despite allof the controversy surrounding his appointment, he’s gained somerespect. However, the only way sportsmen can ever be certain that the fish and wildlife programs that have been with us since the days of the old Conservation Department will be there for future generations is to rallyfor a separate Department of Natural Resources.
Then, if there is a need for special stamps to support our programs, wewill at least know it is justified. Right now we don’t know how ourmoney is being spent, and trying to get the information from either the DEC or the Division of Budget is like trying to catch fish without bait.In fact you’d probably have a better chance of getting Judy Enck to go pheasant hunting. The numbers they provide the Conservation Fund Advisory Board are neverup to date, which doesn’t give this watch dog group much to go on.
Just about every other state in the country has a Department of NaturalResources or a Natural Resource Commission, and while many of them arestruggling financially, they, unlike New York, don’t haveenvironmentalists making decisions that affect their programs.
In Friday’s announcement the governor requested that DEC develop afee structure that will generate new revenues to the Conservation Fund -one that would fully offset the operational and capital costs of thefacility.
This may or may not have been pre determined, inasmuch as the NYSCCboard of directors has suggested a $20 pheasant stamp, which makes mewonder if this whole pheasant fiasco wasn’t a ruse to get additional money from us, and the NYSCC board of directors fell for it hook, line and pheasant tail.
BPB comment on the last paragraph~ Or maybe some of those strutting around today as big heros should have listened to me in the 90's & in 2004 about the antis & the DEC. Nah that's right they were not intrested in animal rights. LMAO
Then again Grannis did tells us the farm was gone in September and no one picked up on it~
So when ya'll gonna get on the wagon with the other cuts and increases?
==========================
The most interesting thing about this for me is the fact that the attorney that filed this action, Robert Firriolo, is the same attorney the NRA has no faith in regarding the Nassau Co. Gun Ban legal action. Seems to me that someone at the NRA speaks with forked tongue!
Ken
==========================
LMAO it gets deeper yet!
Oddly enough, Enck's husband, Mark Dunlea, is the Executive Director
of the Hunger Action Network of New York State - a statewide anti-
hunger coalition. He is also a co-founder of New York Public Interest Research Group, an environmental organization that has close ties to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and where Enck worked as a Senior Environmental Associate before going to work for Eliot Spitzer as his environmental policy advisor when the disgraced governor was the state Attorney General.
My comments~
LMAO ~ NYPRIG was Obie’s 1st job ~ Senator Obama’s Role as a NYPIRG Project Coordinator. As mentioned in his autobiography, Dreams for My Father, Senator Obama was hired in his first job as an organizer as a “Project Coordinator” in February 1985 to run NYPIRG’s office at the City College of New York. Till his classes finished 3 months later.
As far as Mark Dunlea’s connection to the food bank he has been feeding the hungry for many years. * Helping others is an honorable thing to do. Naturally a nice paycheck makes you feel better as well.
However, his wife should have known better than to just donate state property as is implied in the article and in Internet chatter.
Oddly enough this brings a serious question I have to ask a friend.
He also may want to know that the direction the antis have taken are similar to another topic we discussed last week.
I’ve found the HSUS & animal ties at this link and once you look at the 1st page I dare anyone to tell me they were on top of NY politics, especially those who stuffed it in my face a few years ago as being the heartbeat of the pulse in NY’s sportsmen’s causes.
The single mindedness, a few of us tired to expose were shot down by arrogant self-centered people. If they arrogants would have spent their time looking at who was who in NY we might have had a heads up as to who these people were and their cross ties.
I tried in vain to do as much cross-reference & research as possible but never found this connection till this news article. If I would have had my question, (which was what is Enck’s husband’s name); answered when it was 1st mentioned that Enck’s husband was to obtain the pheasants I would have published the ties I found tonight weeks ago.
Damm I may be out in space with my thoughts here but “DANG” anyone care to tell me different? Doesn’t it look it like a gathering of every “text book” example of environmental loonies to you guys?
Yea we save a game farm all right and what else is in store for us anyone care to answer?
Here is the link to http://wetlands-preserve.org/?page=links
Some of the side bar links are here
Visit these Wetlands Activism Collective Websites:
Foodnotfur.org
FurFreeNYC.org
Freegan.info
FreeTradeKillsAnimals.org
StopPeruFTA.org
1. Activism Center at Wetlands-Preserve
Humane Society of the United States http://www.hsus.org/ace/352 .... New York Public Interest Interest Research Group http://www.nypirg.org/ ...
wetlands-preserve.org/?page=links - 54k - Cached - Similar pages -
###
Until my spaceship lands in friendlier territory Over & Out
BPB
==========================
Read this 1st~
http://www.thedailymail.org/articles/2009/01/17/sports/sports1.txt Sportsmen have something to cackle about
By Dick Nelson Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
There’s been a lot of back slapping and high-fives going around the Internet since Gov. David Paterson sent out a directive to halt the closure of the Reynolds Game Farm in Ithaca (Tompkins County). Andrightly so. I can’t remember another issue that galvanized sportsmenas much as Paterson’s decision to close the farm and discontinue the pheasant program.Sportsmen have been up in arms since the directive to close the farmwas issued in mid-December, but the fact of the matter is, Paterson would have never reversed his decision if he and state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commission Alexander “Pete” Grannis hadn’t been served with a temporary restraining order (TRO).Initiated by the Conservation Alliance of New York (CANY), and the NewYork State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA), the TRO, signed byAlbany County Supreme Court Judge Eugene Devine on Friday, placed aninjunction on the closing of Reynolds Game Farm, as well as the removalor destruction of the birds from the facility.That was the same day Paterson, or should I say Judith Enck - hisDeputy Secretary for the Environment, and the woman who instigated theclosing - had a change of heart.Coincidence? I think not.
Right up until Tuesday Enck and company had been firm in their decision to close the farm, telling New York State Conservation Council president Harold Palmer that the pheasants will be disposed of and there will be no talks about the purchase of birds, either day-old chicks or adults,to be released.At the time, the 8,000 or so remaining breeder birds had been scheduled to be processed and distributed to food banks in Central New York.Oddly enough, Enck’s husband, Mark Dunlea, is the Executive Directorof the Hunger Action Network of New York State - a statewide anti-hunger coalition. He is also a co-founder of New York Public Interest ResearchGroup, an environmental organization that has close ties to the HumaneSociety of the United States (HSUS) and where Enck worked as a Senior Environmental Associate before going to work for Eliot Spitzer as his environmental policy advisor when the disgraced governor was the stateAttorney General.Another coincidence? You be the judge. I just hope that her $159,984salary isn’t paid out of the Conservation Fund.And this just may be just another coincidence, but I found it extremely strange that the letter HSUS sent to Commissioner Grannis congratulating him on the closing of the pheasant farm was dated and received prior tothe official announcement.
It’s been obvious since the Democrats took over the governorship that Enck is running the DEC, and Grannis - as much as he would like to thinkotherwise - is only a figurehead. That is a shame, because despite allof the controversy surrounding his appointment, he’s gained somerespect. However, the only way sportsmen can ever be certain that the fish and wildlife programs that have been with us since the days of the old Conservation Department will be there for future generations is to rallyfor a separate Department of Natural Resources.
Then, if there is a need for special stamps to support our programs, wewill at least know it is justified. Right now we don’t know how ourmoney is being spent, and trying to get the information from either the DEC or the Division of Budget is like trying to catch fish without bait.In fact you’d probably have a better chance of getting Judy Enck to go pheasant hunting. The numbers they provide the Conservation Fund Advisory Board are neverup to date, which doesn’t give this watch dog group much to go on.
Just about every other state in the country has a Department of NaturalResources or a Natural Resource Commission, and while many of them arestruggling financially, they, unlike New York, don’t haveenvironmentalists making decisions that affect their programs.
In Friday’s announcement the governor requested that DEC develop afee structure that will generate new revenues to the Conservation Fund -one that would fully offset the operational and capital costs of thefacility.
This may or may not have been pre determined, inasmuch as the NYSCCboard of directors has suggested a $20 pheasant stamp, which makes mewonder if this whole pheasant fiasco wasn’t a ruse to get additional money from us, and the NYSCC board of directors fell for it hook, line and pheasant tail.
BPB comment on the last paragraph~ Or maybe some of those strutting around today as big heros should have listened to me in the 90's & in 2004 about the antis & the DEC. Nah that's right they were not intrested in animal rights. LMAO
Then again Grannis did tells us the farm was gone in September and no one picked up on it~
So when ya'll gonna get on the wagon with the other cuts and increases?
==========================
The most interesting thing about this for me is the fact that the attorney that filed this action, Robert Firriolo, is the same attorney the NRA has no faith in regarding the Nassau Co. Gun Ban legal action. Seems to me that someone at the NRA speaks with forked tongue!
Ken
==========================
LMAO it gets deeper yet!
Oddly enough, Enck's husband, Mark Dunlea, is the Executive Director
of the Hunger Action Network of New York State - a statewide anti-
hunger coalition. He is also a co-founder of New York Public Interest Research Group, an environmental organization that has close ties to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and where Enck worked as a Senior Environmental Associate before going to work for Eliot Spitzer as his environmental policy advisor when the disgraced governor was the state Attorney General.
My comments~
LMAO ~ NYPRIG was Obie’s 1st job ~ Senator Obama’s Role as a NYPIRG Project Coordinator. As mentioned in his autobiography, Dreams for My Father, Senator Obama was hired in his first job as an organizer as a “Project Coordinator” in February 1985 to run NYPIRG’s office at the City College of New York. Till his classes finished 3 months later.
As far as Mark Dunlea’s connection to the food bank he has been feeding the hungry for many years. * Helping others is an honorable thing to do. Naturally a nice paycheck makes you feel better as well.
However, his wife should have known better than to just donate state property as is implied in the article and in Internet chatter.
Oddly enough this brings a serious question I have to ask a friend.
He also may want to know that the direction the antis have taken are similar to another topic we discussed last week.
I’ve found the HSUS & animal ties at this link and once you look at the 1st page I dare anyone to tell me they were on top of NY politics, especially those who stuffed it in my face a few years ago as being the heartbeat of the pulse in NY’s sportsmen’s causes.
The single mindedness, a few of us tired to expose were shot down by arrogant self-centered people. If they arrogants would have spent their time looking at who was who in NY we might have had a heads up as to who these people were and their cross ties.
I tried in vain to do as much cross-reference & research as possible but never found this connection till this news article. If I would have had my question, (which was what is Enck’s husband’s name); answered when it was 1st mentioned that Enck’s husband was to obtain the pheasants I would have published the ties I found tonight weeks ago.
Damm I may be out in space with my thoughts here but “DANG” anyone care to tell me different? Doesn’t it look it like a gathering of every “text book” example of environmental loonies to you guys?
Yea we save a game farm all right and what else is in store for us anyone care to answer?
Here is the link to http://wetlands-preserve.org/?page=links
Some of the side bar links are here
Visit these Wetlands Activism Collective Websites:
Foodnotfur.org
FurFreeNYC.org
Freegan.info
FreeTradeKillsAnimals.org
StopPeruFTA.org
1. Activism Center at Wetlands-Preserve
Humane Society of the United States http://www.hsus.org/ace/352 .... New York Public Interest Interest Research Group http://www.nypirg.org/ ...
wetlands-preserve.org/?page=links - 54k - Cached - Similar pages -
###
Until my spaceship lands in friendlier territory Over & Out
BPB
Sunday, January 18, 2009
HSUS in court over AR Videos
If animal fighting and animal cruelty so called "crush" videos, magazines and the like can not be sold. Then how does PeTA & the HSUS get away with making and distrubuting their propoganda that feature the very thing they fought to outlaw?
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000048----000-.html
Good question Bill & one I've asked in the past. Well it looks like I wasn't the only person asking. It seems that very question is sitting in the courts. According to a story appearing in the New York Times this week, the U.S. Supreme Court may soon hear an unusual First Amendment case that could put some high-profile animal rights groups out of business. And they don't even seem to see it coming.
The case surrounds a 1999 federal law that criminalized the creation, sale, or possession of videos and photos depicting animal cruelty for commercial gain. The law has since been struck down, but now the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is rallying support to restore it because it made distributing dogfighting videos and (truly bizarre) animal "crush" videos illegal. We have just one question: Is fundraising to foot the bill for six-figure activist salaries considered "commercial gain"?
The article continues on
HSUS and its lesser sibling, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), routinely use videos of animal cruelty to disgust donors into opening their wallets.
Every year, the two animal rights organizations use the shock value of undercover slaughterhouse footage and seal-hunting videos (to name just a few categories) in order to raise their $165 million in combined budgets. That's where the six-figure salaries come in -- HSUS president Wayne Pacelle, for instance, makes $234,000 in salary and benefits.
Fair is fair.
If the Supreme Court wants to ban the distribution of some profitable depictions of animal cruelty, it's also appropriate for HSUS and PETA to cease their own macabre fundraising blitzes. Should the contested law be resurrected, much of what the groups peddle on their websites could be illegal.
Consider, on the one hand, a dogfighting film or a sexually prurient video of furry animals being crushed to death. On the other, footage showing an uncommon slaughterhouse worker illegally abusing livestock animals. These activities are all illegal.
The law can't -- and shouldn't -- allow anyone to claim that one is objectionable while another is "motivating" or "eye-opening."
Animal rights leaders should be careful what they wish for. If HSUS and PETA truly want these images kept out of the public eye, they should start by cleaning up their own offensive propaganda films first.
"What's good for the goose," the saying goes.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000048----000-.html
Good question Bill & one I've asked in the past. Well it looks like I wasn't the only person asking. It seems that very question is sitting in the courts. According to a story appearing in the New York Times this week, the U.S. Supreme Court may soon hear an unusual First Amendment case that could put some high-profile animal rights groups out of business. And they don't even seem to see it coming.
The case surrounds a 1999 federal law that criminalized the creation, sale, or possession of videos and photos depicting animal cruelty for commercial gain. The law has since been struck down, but now the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is rallying support to restore it because it made distributing dogfighting videos and (truly bizarre) animal "crush" videos illegal. We have just one question: Is fundraising to foot the bill for six-figure activist salaries considered "commercial gain"?
The article continues on
HSUS and its lesser sibling, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), routinely use videos of animal cruelty to disgust donors into opening their wallets.
Every year, the two animal rights organizations use the shock value of undercover slaughterhouse footage and seal-hunting videos (to name just a few categories) in order to raise their $165 million in combined budgets. That's where the six-figure salaries come in -- HSUS president Wayne Pacelle, for instance, makes $234,000 in salary and benefits.
Fair is fair.
If the Supreme Court wants to ban the distribution of some profitable depictions of animal cruelty, it's also appropriate for HSUS and PETA to cease their own macabre fundraising blitzes. Should the contested law be resurrected, much of what the groups peddle on their websites could be illegal.
Consider, on the one hand, a dogfighting film or a sexually prurient video of furry animals being crushed to death. On the other, footage showing an uncommon slaughterhouse worker illegally abusing livestock animals. These activities are all illegal.
The law can't -- and shouldn't -- allow anyone to claim that one is objectionable while another is "motivating" or "eye-opening."
Animal rights leaders should be careful what they wish for. If HSUS and PETA truly want these images kept out of the public eye, they should start by cleaning up their own offensive propaganda films first.
"What's good for the goose," the saying goes.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
SCOPEny.org Legislative report
The SCOPE Legislative Report has been updated and is available at
http://scopeny. org/ARCHIVES/ SCOPE_Legislativ e_Report. pdf
New information is in red and bills that will most likely advance are highlighted in yellow.
Ken Mathison, President
SCOPE, Inc.
FYI: This report is updated weekly or more as needed. The link stays the same so check it often.
bpb
http://scopeny. org/ARCHIVES/ SCOPE_Legislativ e_Report. pdf
New information is in red and bills that will most likely advance are highlighted in yellow.
Ken Mathison, President
SCOPE, Inc.
FYI: This report is updated weekly or more as needed. The link stays the same so check it often.
bpb
Friday, January 16, 2009
Primitive Biathlon Article in ADK Outdoors
NYSMLA.org Primitive Biathlon article in ADK outdoors
Very nice article!
http://adksports.com/currentIssueFB3.html
bpb
Very nice article!
http://adksports.com/currentIssueFB3.html
bpb
Pheasent farm will not close!
Pheasant farm will not be closed
Hello Concerned Conservationists.
This morning I received a call from Commissioner Grannis. He said the Governor got my message and the pheasant farm will not be closed and the birds will remain. Commissioner Grannis asked that I work with the department on funding for all programs.At this time hold off on the letters, faxes and calls to the Governors office, I will be in touch.
Yours in Conservation
Harold L. Palmer President
New York State Conservation Council, Inc.
Hello Concerned Conservationists.
This morning I received a call from Commissioner Grannis. He said the Governor got my message and the pheasant farm will not be closed and the birds will remain. Commissioner Grannis asked that I work with the department on funding for all programs.At this time hold off on the letters, faxes and calls to the Governors office, I will be in touch.
Yours in Conservation
Harold L. Palmer President
New York State Conservation Council, Inc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)