Posted on 11/08/2001 5:44:09 AM PST by brityank
NRA: Heroes and Zeroes
By Mike Hardiman - American Land Rights Association
11.08.01The National Rifle Association's Board of Directors met on November 3 and placed new restrictions and qualifications on its support for the "CARA" Land Grab bill. Below is what various Board Directors and others had to say about CARA.
CARA is HR 701, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act. But our nickname for it is CARA - the Condemnation and Relocation Act, since it provides over one billion dollars per year for state and federal government agents to condemn private property.
IMPORTANT: The NRA Board serves staggered three year terms. One-third of the board is up for election each year. If you are an NRA member, the next time you vote for the Board of Directors, consider who favored the CARA Land Grab versus who supported gun rights and property rights.
Next Board election, ASK the NRA Directors - where do you stand on CARA???
How did you vote on the Land Grab? See below who led the fight both for and against.
Here are a few of the "Heroes and Zeroes" among the NRA Board of Directors. THANK the Heroes and SPANK the Zeroes!!! Remember them next time they are up for reelection to the NRA Board!
THANK the following NRA Directors for leading the charge against CARA and for gun rights and property rights:
HEROES:
U S Senator and NRA Director Larry Craig of Idaho - Led the charge on Thursday and Friday, when CARA was debated in committees.
U S Representative and NRA Director Barbara Cubin of Wyoming - had a commitment in Wyoming and could not attend, but sent word that she was opposed to CARA and was quoted by Directors during debate.
Director John Cushman of New York - pointed out that the words "sportsmen" and "hunting" are not even mentioned in CARA, and questioned it's benefit to gun owners.
NRA Second Vice President Sandra Froman of Arizona - was unable to attend, but called in and made it clear that CARA has massive grassroots opposition among the broad base of NRA members.
Director Susan Howard of Texas - spoke at length against CARA, stating "Texas is nearly all private property, and thank goodness for that!"
Director Dave Keene of Virginia - CHAMPION. With Wayne Ross, he proposed striking out the resolution language that claimed CARA actually helped property owners. Keene and Ross carried the day by a vote of 35 to 10.
U S Senator Don Nickles of Oklahoma - is not a Board member and did not attend the meeting. However, he was cited as a prominent opponent. Nickles has given the best response of all when asked about CARA's claims to having "property rights protections." He said they were "a head fake!"
Director Grover Norquist of Washington, DC - Norquist pointed out that most conservative organizations are strongly opposed to CARA, and that the NRA is even becoming isolated among gun owner and hunting groups. Several of the NRA's own state affiliates have come out against the Land Grab.
Director Ted Nugent of Michigan - was not present, but made his opposition to the Land Grab known publicly ahead of the meeting. In his own words, the Motor City Madman and rock and roll legend simply said, "CARA SUX!"
Director Jay Printz of Montana - announced ahead of meeting that he did not support CARA, and helped to organize opposition.
NRA First Vice President Kayne Robinson of Iowa - chaired the meeting on Saturday ( NRA President Charleton Heston was not present ). He was fair and even handed, but made it clear that he does not support the CARA Land Grab.
Director Wayne Ross of Alaska - CHAMPION. Led the charge for freedom at the full Board meeting on Saturday, delivering a lengthy speech against the NRA's involvement in a massive, unprecedented land acquisition buying spree like CARA. Worked with Director Dave Keene to strip out pro-CARA language from the resolution.
Director Bruce Stern of Connecticut - Quote of the Day: Stern said that the resolution endorsing CARA was "semi-congealed pudding." He added that Directors should not "sign a document before it is filled in" because CARA keeps changing and adding more pork as it moves through the legislative process.
Director Harry Thomas of Ohio - asked several times about CARA's fire hose of guaranteed billions to condemn private land.
ZEROES - supported CARA, the Pork Barrel Land Grab - over one billion dollars per year to condemn private property (in alphabetical order):
Director Thomas Arvas of New Mexico - Chairman of the Wildlife Committee, spoke in favor of a strong endorsement for CARA.
NRA Institute for Legislative Action Chief Lobbyist Jim Baker - demonstrated nothing but contempt for CARA opponents. The NRA's top lobbyist is definitely out of touch with grassroots membership.
Director Mike Lee of Maine - suggested that members should "have trust and confidence in the staff." Let's see now, that's the same staff that got NRA into this CARA mess in the first place! No way!
Director Jim Nicholson - is fortunate to live in Texas, which is 98% private land. It will not be 98% private for much longer if CARA is approved - careful! You may get what you ask for!
Director James Porter - thinks CARA is great, but also said "this issue is screwed up - we have got to find a way out of this."
NRA staff member Susan Lamson - authored several letters to Congressmen and Senators over the past three years in support of the CARA Land Grab, and testified in person as well.
***The Worst*** Director Harold Volkmer of Missouri - was the Number One CARA supporter on Saturday, speaking in favor of it several times. Volkmer was a Congressman for nearly twenty years, and eventually gained a reputation for being out of touch with constituents. He was finally booted out of office in 1996 by Missouri constituents who had had enough. Perhaps it is time for NRA members to do the same, and send Volkmer packing!
Director J D Williams of Texas - claimed repeatedly that CARA will not lead to condemnation of private property, said it would all be "willing sellers." Sure, Mr. Williams! "Willing sellers" after endangered species devalue your land, government agencies threaten your access, and environmental extremists slap you with lawsuits!!! WAKE UP !
U S Representative and NRA Director Don Young of Alaska - the congressional sponsor of CARA. Young did not anticipate that there would be a floor fight on Saturday, and so left the NRA Board meeting a day early, on Friday. He was sure surprised upon discovering that his resolution had been sliced and diced!
Saturday's Board resolution, which scaled back but did not yet eliminate NRA's misguided support for CARA, is another small victory for the forces of freedom - thank those who were with us, educate the rest, and keep fighting.
That's the only reason I continue my life membership. They're not getting another dime out of me until the leadership changes.
I didn't see LaPierre's name on the Zeroes list for CARA.
He's a zero, nonetheless. A major-league zero at that.
And neither one of them have the power of the NRA. If you want your 2nd amendment rights protected donate to JPFO, GOA, but remember, the NRA is the strongest voice for those rights.
I do not disagree that there have been instances where I personally didn't think the NRA should have backed down, but their success to date in working to protect my 2nd amendment rights is second to none, and I for one will continue to support them.
Just how has membership done under the current leadership?
The most telling thing though is the reps from out west. The more moderates out west(overall compared to the Butch Otters and Helen Chenoweths(run for senate, please), both of whom I back 100% BTW). Craig and Cubin don't back this, and it hits their area. That tells me something as well.
I'm still backing the NRA, remember that the board is ELECTED by the membership. Don't be a quitter. They are still the best though.
GOA fought us in Michigan, so I'll back them about as much as I'll back the VPC. They also were caught lying on CCW here as well.
JPFO however is a good group. If you back the hardliners, please back them. They are excellent historians as well.
I agree that CARA SUCKS. I won't quit the NRA though.
It is a very effective political entity, and I think it is a fundamental law of the universe that any political entity has at least a minimum number of morons in it.
As a Life Member, I vote against those I find are not supporting the true aims of the Second Amendment.
Freedom at work.
NRA's main backing and thrust has always been the rural and hunting folk;
And it likely always will be, but to continue to be successfull, that base must be expanded. A prime example of that is the counties won by Bush versus the counties wone by gore. On the map, a landslide, by the votes way too close for comfort. The "new" supporters of the 2nd amendment will eventually need to arise out if the commonly democratic strongholds of the metropolitan areas by some means, or I am afraid that eventualy, an organization such as the NRA will lose it's effectiveness.
it was not until after Dodd's GCA68 that the ILA was formed, and the NRA really started to support the Second, because up until that time there was no real opposition like the myriad gun control freaks we have today. And those freaks can never be allowed to win.
Slow typing from a second time dad bouncing his ~2 week old boy at 12:30 at night. Of course, my hunting and self defense guns are in house, no special license needed, (in a nice safe to keep the 2-year old out of) but if I want to carry CCW I need to convince the county Sherif that I have some special need, and one of his campaign platforms, was reducing the number of those.
I can't think of a better reason to be able protect me and mine anywhere than than this new guy and his big sister. But I must be some kind of a threat.
I suggested that a couple of years ago; they don't have or want the hassle of creating that availability. Personally, I believe they are afraid of any open discussion. They do, however, respond to both email and snailmail; just not as quickly or forthrightly as I would like.
Keep drumming up members; help 'fire' the quislings.
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