List:
I was one of those who was FOR writing in and confronting this head on, and I was against all this secrecy. Often, the Legislators themselves have not one single clue what they're voting for. The others are liars. A lot of them are just too negligent and wrapped up in stealing from us to bother. When the vote comes around, each of them has a legion of staffers who are hired to "read" every piece of legislation, and advise on how the legislator should vote. This has always been the case, and anyone who truly knows our system would be lying to you if he denied it. If you ask the congressmen who voted on any specific piece of legislation what it contained, and why they voted for it, you'll get a scowl and a growl and a very ambiguous answer, because they know damned well they didn't read the bill!
Don't forget that we're talking about the same group who has overtaxed us to the tune of several trillion bucks, and now all they can do is argue about how to spend it! How insensitve can you get? Obviously a balanced budget does NOT mean taking in what you just spend..it means spending what you take in! How do you spend it? What does that matter? Just spend it!
Don't believe that there is anyone in Congress who really cares if we get to keep our hobby or not. IT SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE. When the anti gun crowd voted in the legislation to put all those complex forms into the sale process, we cried and said it was an outrage. They told us just to cooperate and fill out the forms and that would prevent crime. No one needed to fear losing their guns. <giggle snort> Then, the same bums turn around and banned a lot of the very same guns after they forced us to comply with the law..we bought the guns legally according to their strict procedures, then they turn around and confiscate the same guns as contraband. Don't trust these guys..they want to do the same thing with our toys again! We will be told that we have nothing to fear from the laws they pass, "protecting" the country against rebels, terrorists, the boogeyman, etc...then when they KNOW where every truck is, and who owns them, can you say bye bye? Don't believe them again! Never bel!
ieve them!
I didn't take open issue with the suggestion to keep quiet and hold back, but I think it's absurd to do so, and I called everyone I could think of to voice my displeasure. I also take issue with the statement that "the MVPA spent alot of money on this deal...yada yada yada..." That "lot of money" belonged opriginally to me and my fellow MVPA members. So now am I supposed to be gratuitously thankful because for once someone spent my hard earned money properly? I have not yet spoken with Mr. Holland, but be assured that it is not long now...I do not care for the way this organization is being run from the inside. Years ago, when life was far less complicated, and the stakes were not so high, and the actions of our legislators were not so wantonly wasteful and final, perhaps the "good old boys" approach worked. Today, it's folly to hold any faith in a system where we get locked out of the big room and told to go wait in the hall for our sentence. Remember that no good deed go!
es unpunished!
I waited and let the ashes settle where they might, but now it's time to think about changing things, or soon there won't be any MV's to PA. The answer to getting things done in a democracy is never secrecy and subterfuge. As for the concept of "not alienating" the wrong guys, for fear of retaliation or an unfavorable vote, I can't think of a more infuriating state of affairs. these bums kiss our babies, shake our hands, serenade our grandmothers, promise us the moon, and then go down to Washington on OUR dollar, and we are then told we need to be careful how we address them and that we should fear them? To that, I respond that as long as I have a breath in my body, I'll put my pants on and go see any man on earth, and state my cause. Who the hell do these DC clowns think they are?
In fairness, I do think that Lee Holland did well on the end result, and I have no doubt that he spent much time at this, and for that he has my support....as long as I have some input and the right to make suggestions. After all, aren't all members stakeholders in the MVPA? Perhaps now that the leadership sees that the war has begun in earnest, things at the home office will begin to change of necessity. I hope so. Again, in fairness, I don't think anyone can assume an office like that of Mr. Holland and hit the ground running. No one was born knowing how to do this stuff, and there must be a learning curve. I also appreciate the fact that Lee seems to be available to the members who wish to call and discuss things in person. Perhaps as the organization grows, there will come a time when that's no longer practical, but for now, it's comforting. there's a point here...Congressmen were once also available in the same fashion. Now you get dumped on some student aide, or hung u!
p on. I'm just wondering how big
an organization has to get before we too will have to retain a lobbyist because our elected representative in the MVPA is way too busy to speak with us. Makes you think, eh? Now don't take me wrong..I'm NOT predestining the outcome, I'm just proposing an intersting thought. Is this how it all starts to get out of control??? What I would like to hear now is that they (the MVPA leadership) appreciate the vigilance of the membership, and perhaps we're not all a bunch of know-nothings. I'd like to hear that it was precisely because of the LOUD noises the mebership made that this issue got any attention at all. No one likes to get ganged up on, but if it had not been for the rumbling here and other places, I doubt the MVPA would have discovered this in time to do anything. And lets have no more talk about the members being incapable of approaching a legislator directly. After all, if I can be trusted to stand in a voting both and vote for a politician, it stands to reason that I !
MUST have some native interest i
n the process, yes? Isn't this exactly where the law making process got derailed? Lobbyists would not be needed if everything worked as it should. Lobbyists represent everything that's wrong with our system. IT may not be their fault, but they sure are a symptom of the sickness. THINK ABOUT IT!
I especially liked the statement by the lobbyist that "our efforts" made no difference. What a pile of dung! There was once a wolf who shadowed the sheep herd, licking his chops. The shepherd finally saw him one day and shot him in the backside. Later on, he ran into the same wolf and said "Ha, I showed you to fool with my sheep, didn't I?" The wolf answered "Your shot had nothing to do with it, I just wasn't that interested in sheep." hello.....so perhaps the wolf had a hobby, or an important date, or was offended by the smell of sheep, you believe what you must, but I was taught that wolves eat sheep, REGARDLESS of what they tell you. That's what wolves do!
In closing, I wish to solicit this group on two fronts: One is that Lee Holland's statement about getting to and maintaining a membership of 9200 makes a LOT of sense. Every member on this list has a vested interest in the outcome of this war. Therefore, I am appealing to everyone here to at least consider joining. Most of us lose more than the annual dues in the seat of our cars every year. Wouldn't it be swell to make the MVPA into a blockbuster of an organization that Congress had to respect? Why stop at 9200?
The second thing is that I know there will be a lot of folks who rationalize this issue and say that membership is not for them. Some people are just not joiners. I respect your freedom to say that. So, if that's your position, how about at least doing your part for the cause and kicking in five or ten bucks to the MVPA so that they can continue the fight? That's good insurance, at a much lower price than a door mounted spare tire carrier or a new injection pump. We members will take note of your special effort and we promise to give you preference in good parts trades, we'll let you read our back issues of the MVPA mags, and we'll even be glad to recommend you if you decide to join. Now where else are you gonna get a deal like this? How about it people??
If I gave offense with this missive, just tell me, and I'll go back to mixing my can of 24087, and try to choke back the tears. My hat off to Arthur, who has permitted the long debate on this issue. You sir are a true patriot!
Now, to all you other patriots, like the good Captain Kirk says, "Bust a move, dog!"
Jack
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 01 2000 - 21:37:38 PST