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  • #1

    Political disconnect

    I wrote to my two Senators and one Representative concerning USF&W's recent move to ban imports of Elephant from Zimbabwe and Tanzania. The info about this ban is in other threads on this forum so I won't repeat that. Look at the disconnect difference of the three replies....



    Senator Begich

    Dear Friend,

    Your message has been received.

    Thank you for writing,

    Senator Mark Begich

    Senator Murkowski

    Dear James:

    Thank you for contacting me about wildlife trafficking. I appreciate hearing from you and having the opportunity to respond.

    I respect and enjoy the outdoors and nature and believe we must be responsible for protecting our wildlife as well as our pets. There is no doubt that protecting the rights of animals is extremely important, and Congress must continue to work toward that goal.

    Should the Senate consider legislation regarding this issue, I will keep your comments in mind. Again, thank you for contacting me.



    United States Senator
    Lisa Murkowski



    Representative Don Young


    Dear Mr. Wojciehowski,

    Thank you for contacting me regarding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) restrictions on all sport-hunted elephant importations from Tanzania and Zimbabwe. I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with me.

    On March 4, 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that all sport-hunted elephant importations from Tanzania and Zimbabwe would be suspended in 2014. This decision took many by surprise, and is troubling for many reasons. First, the FWS does not have a scientific basis for this decision, and they cite "anecdotal evidence" in their release announcing the decision. Also, this decision will affect the livelihoods of many Africans and could also severely damage anti-poaching efforts in these countries.

    Similarly to the U.S., hunters in Africa are the primary financial backers of wildlife management through the myriad of fees paid to hunt these animals. For example, in Zimbabwe alone, the user fees of hunters contribute up to 90% of the revenue that funds the Zimbabwean Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management. If U.S hunters are unable to import their trophies, there is no incentive for these hunters to travel to these nations and the support they provide the economy and wildlife management will go unrealized.

    In the coming months, I will continue to pressure the FWS to rescind this decision and I will work with my colleagues on the House Natural Resources Committee to find out where this decision originated and why it was made.

    Once again, thank you for expressing your views on this issue. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to sign up for my e-newsletter at http://donyoung.house.gov/Forms/EmailSignup/and my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/RepDonYoung. Doing so will allow me to provide you with updates on this and other important issues. If I can be of any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
    Sincerely,

    DON YOUNG
    Congressman for All Alaska
    If it pays, it stays
    Tags: None
  • #2
    That is cool.

    Joe Barton, John Cornyn, and Ted Cruz don't even bother to respond.

    When I was in Michael Burgess' district, he always responded.
    Colonel Vogel : What does the diary tell you that it doesn't tell us?

    Professor Henry Jones : It tells me, that goose-stepping morons like yourself should try *reading* books instead of *burning* them!

    Comment

    • #3
      Originally posted by Billy Jingo View Post
      That is cool.

      Joe Barton, John Cornyn, and Ted Cruz don't even bother to respond.

      When I was in Michael Burgess' district, he always responded.
      Begich's response is worthless and hopefully he will be gone in this next election. Murkowski's response (undoubtedly an "animal rights"boiler plate) probably sent by an aid has convinced me she must go next cycle as well.

      I give Representative Young (or his staff) credit for understanding the issue and articulating a position I consider to be correct.
      If it pays, it stays

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Frostbit View Post
        Begich's response is worthless and hopefully he will be gone in this next election. Murkowski's response (undoubtedly an "animal rights"boiler plate) probably sent by an aid has convinced me she must go next cycle as well.

        I give Representative Young (or his staff) credit for understanding the issue and articulating a position I consider to be correct.
        The first is probably automated. I would assume there is a followup. Especially in his election year.

        I agree on the second. It looked boilerplate (and awkward considering the subject ... pets?).

        The last guy was on point. Does he have a primary challenger?
        Colonel Vogel : What does the diary tell you that it doesn't tell us?

        Professor Henry Jones : It tells me, that goose-stepping morons like yourself should try *reading* books instead of *burning* them!

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by Billy Jingo View Post
          The first is probably automated. I would assume there is a followup. Especially in his election year.

          I agree on the second. It looked boilerplate (and awkward considering the subject ... pets?).

          The last guy was on point. Does he have a primary challenger?
          Agreed that the Begich response is automated since I got the reply about 30 seconds after sending it. That was 21 days ago. The Murkowski "boiler plate" came in about 5 days after the initial message I sent.

          Don Young's well thought out reply came in today. He has no opposition in his own party so the primary is a shoe in. His main Democratic opposition is a good friend of mine, that I ironically shoot with. He does not stand a chance of unseating Young.
          If it pays, it stays

          Comment

          • #6
            Very good response there.

            I once wrote to a local candidate with a couple of concerns I had over something and he asked me if i had time to meet him for a few minutes at a local coffee shop.

            I damn near died out of sheer astonishment. We met and had a pretty good short talk. He later modified his views on one point. I don't think my scintillating logic did that but I do think he heard from a number of people, talked with some, and reconsidered his position.
            "Alexa, slaughter the fatted calf."

            Comment

            • #7
              Young's response probably was composed by a staffer rather than Young himself, but it's definitely clear that someone bothered to take the time to read what you had to say rather than just putting you in a pile of "yes" or "no" responses (which is what most of the people inside the Beltway do). Says a lot for Young that he makes sure people with relatively obscure issues actually get addressed. After all, that's what a Representative is supposed to do.
              It's been ten years since that lonely day I left you
              In the morning rain, smoking gun in hand
              Ten lonely years but how my heart, it still remembers
              Pray for me, momma, I'm a gypsy now

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by Adam View Post
                Young's response probably was composed by a staffer rather than Young himself, but it's definitely clear that someone bothered to take the time to read what you had to say rather than just putting you in a pile of "yes" or "no" responses (which is what most of the people inside the Beltway do). Says a lot for Young that he makes sure people with relatively obscure issues actually get addressed. After all, that's what a Representative is supposed to do.
                13,000 pounds and about $37,000 of obscure.

                I've met with Young personally in the past on health and Alaska Native issues (he was married to an Athabascan). He still wouldn't know me from Adam (bad pun) but he has hunted Africa and by putting boots on the ground has realized that hunter dollars are crucial to the inevitable eventual demise of the majority of wildlife on the continent as a result of human encroachment and poaching.

                I believe he likely wrote that response, not a staffer.
                If it pays, it stays

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by Frostbit View Post
                  13,000 pounds and about $37,000 of obscure.

                  I've met with Young personally in the past on health and Alaska Native issues (he was married to an Athabascan). He still wouldn't know me from Adam (bad pun) but he has hunted Africa and by putting boots on the ground has realized that hunter dollars are crucial to the inevitable eventual demise of the majority of wildlife on the continent as a result of human encroachment and poaching.

                  I believe he likely wrote that response, not a staffer.
                  Relatively obscure. "Obscure" in the sense that it's not something most Americans deal with routinely. There just aren't a whole lot of Americans who go and hunt in Africa and subsequently bring home the fruits of that effort.

                  I'm not belittling the issue. I'm just pointing out that it's not something most politicians get asked about on a typical day. They're going to get a lot more letters about "can you please do something about the potholes in my neighborhood" than they are about "can you please find out why a relatively minor alphabet agency is shitting on people who single-handedly support conservation efforts in Africa."
                  It's been ten years since that lonely day I left you
                  In the morning rain, smoking gun in hand
                  Ten lonely years but how my heart, it still remembers
                  Pray for me, momma, I'm a gypsy now

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Adam View Post
                    Relatively obscure. "Obscure" in the sense that it's not something most Americans deal with routinely. There just aren't a whole lot of Americans who go and hunt in Africa and subsequently bring home the fruits of that effort.

                    I'm not belittling the issue. I'm just pointing out that it's not something most politicians get asked about on a typical day. They're going to get a lot more letters about "can you please do something about the potholes in my neighborhood" than they are about "can you please find out why a relatively minor alphabet agency is shitting on people who single-handedly support conservation efforts in Africa."
                    My friend, I recommend you start looking at the recent actions of the USF&W service over the last 15 years. Do you own any ivory gripped guns that perhaps your grandfather passed down? If you do, you are now in violation of the law thanks to "said agency" and the Obama administration.

                    I've got ivory curio's I bought in the early 80's while on vacation in St. Thomas. Same problem now.

                    Same agency that violated Alaska "wanton waste" laws by killing the Reindeer on Hagemeister Island and leaving the vast majority to rot. By Alaskan Game laws the State Troopers could have arrested the Federal Agents and seized all the equipment including boats, planes, and helicopters.

                    LINK
                    If it pays, it stays

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Just wondering, is this hunting issue particularly of import to Alaskans? I understand Adam's point about "relatively obscure"...were it not for you I would know absolutely nothing about this issue. Your congressman is clearly on top of the issue, but I was wondering if a large portion of Alaskans do African hunts. I presume a large percentage of Alaskans hunt in general and I'm wondering if they likewise go out of country as you do.
                      Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live...
                      Robert Southwell, S.J.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by phillygirl View Post
                        Just wondering, is this hunting issue particularly of import to Alaskans? I understand Adam's point about "relatively obscure"...were it not for you I would know absolutely nothing about this issue. Your congressman is clearly on top of the issue, but I was wondering if a large portion of Alaskans do African hunts. I presume a large percentage of Alaskans hunt in general and I'm wondering if they likewise go out of country as you do.
                        USF&W is a Federal agency so their "import ban" affects all Americans not just Alaskans. I could not address what percentage of Alaskan hunters go abroad to hunt. I suspect proportion wise it's fairly average across the country.
                        If it pays, it stays

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Frostbit View Post
                          USF&W is a Federal agency so their "import ban" affects all Americans not just Alaskans. I could not address what percentage of Alaskan hunters go abroad to hunt. I suspect proportion wise it's fairly average across the country.
                          I realize it affects people nationwide. I was just wondering if you've come across a lot if international Hunters up there.
                          Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live...
                          Robert Southwell, S.J.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by phillygirl View Post
                            I realize it affects people nationwide. I was just wondering if you've come across a lot if international Hunters up there.
                            Not sure what "a lot" is but I know at least a dozen with African taxidermy in their house. Many more with Sheep from through out the US and Asia. But that said, I bet you know more lawyers than me. Meaning hunters tend to share stories and stories lead to "Have you seen so & so's trophy room".

                            If you really want to know how common the pursuit is check out SCI's convention.
                            If it pays, it stays

                            Comment

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