"Heritage" Zoning Approved! Heroes and Zeroes


This past week, the House of Representatives Resources Committee once again
approved legislation attacking private property rights. This time it was
HR
2388, the "Heritage Areas Act."

This is the bill sponsored by liberal Republican Congressman Joel Hefley of
Colorado, which superimposes federal control over local zoning in exchange
for grant money from Washington, DC.

Hefley insists that federal money will not lead to federal control, and
that
private property that falls within "Heritage Area" boundary lines will not
be negatively impacted. Hefley has apparently either just fallen off a
turnip truck, or has just plain been in Washington, DC for much too long.

Hefley was not willing to have his bill questioned or challenged during
hearings. He rejected all requests for bill opponents to testify, and
allowed only land-grabbing environmental groups and federal bureaucrats to
have a say.

In October of 2001, Hefley attacked the American Land Rights
Association (ALRA) by name for not working with him on the bill. Then just
two weeks later, he rejected ALRA's request to testify - for the third
time!!!

At the vote on the bill last week, ALRA attempted to distribute a press
release to reporters attending the committee meeting, and was immediately
stopped and threatened with ejection from the committee room. You see,
only
statements approved by the committee are allowed to be distributed, and
once
again Congressmen Hefley made it clear that he wanted anyone who disagreed
with him to be shut down. This is what passes for freedom of speech in
Congress - you either bow and scrape to the Lords and Masters or you are
kicked out!

Carol LaGrasse of the Property Rights Foundation of America also, among
many
others, asked to testify and was rejected. Here is part of the testimony
that Joel Hefley does not want you to hear - here is what Carol WOULD
have
said about HR 2388 - IF she had been permitted to testify:

"Heritage Areas require a contract between the state government regional
entity and the U.S. Secretary of Interior to manage the land-use of the
region for preservation. This means federal control of zoning, either
directly, by the terms of the "management compact," or indirectly, by the
use of funds dispensed by preservation agencies to influence zoning under a
seductive porkbarrel system.

"The iron-clad zoning is enforced locally, with home-rule seemingly
preserved, but private property owners' rights diminished and locally
generated land-use patterns foreclosed."

Here are "Hefley's Henchmen," the staffers who have enforced the Hefley
edict to shut out the voices of all opponents of the Heritage Area Land
Grab:

larry.hojo@mail.house.gov
rob.howarth@mail.house.gov

Believe it or not, things get even worse. After working closely with the
committee's most liberal Democrats, Hefley defeated an amendment to HR 2388
which would have required that land owners be notified when their property
falls within proposed Heritage Area.

So the secrecy continues - Hefley opposes even notifying property owners
when the feds are coming to your town!

Here is the vote on the key amendment to HR 2388. The amendment would
require that private property owners be notified when they fall within a
proposed Heritage Area. Pretty simple. Not really a radical idea, but
apparently too much for liberal land-grabber Hefley, who incidentally
claims
to be a Republican.

The amendment was proposed by Congressman Richard Pombo, a long-time
Champion in support of private property rights and multiple use of federal
lands. Pombo once again stood up to the land grabbers and fought for YOU
and ME!

The amendment was defeated by the very close vote of 19 in favor to 21
against.

Notice that Hefley joined with a handful of Republicans and nearly all the
Democrats to defeat Pombo's amendment, while our friends on the committee
like Barbara Cubin, Mac Thornberry and others voted with Pombo.

19 VOTING YES, in FAVOR of notification of property owners:

Republicans voting YES:

Gallegly
Duncan
Gilchrest
Calvert
McInnis
Pombo
Cubin
W. Jones
Thornberry
Cannon
Walden
Simpson
Tancredo
Otter
Osborne
Flake
Rehberg
Hayworth

Democrat voting YES in support of property owners:

Abercrombie

VOTING NO, AGAINST notification of property owners:

Republicans voting NO:

J. Hansen
Saxton
Hefley
Radanovich
Souder

Yes, you read that right. Committee Chairman Republican Jim Hansen voted
AGAINST informing you when the feds propose to control your land. Since
Hansen announced his retirement from Congress a few months ago, he has
sought out acceptance from the liberal media and government establishment
in
Washington, DC and has frequently supported liberal positions. Of course,
since he is retiring, the voters of Utah will never have the chance to have
a say on this new course of action. Yet another example of politicians
shutting out the people they claim to represent.

And George Radanovich, who also voted against telling you what is going on,
is actually a former Chairman of the Western Caucus. He resigned from that
position last year. Like Hansen, he has also decided it is more important
to seek acceptance from Washington, DC liberals than to represent the
people
who voted for him.

Democrats voting NO:

Rahall
Kildee
Ortiz
Underwood
A. Smith
Christiansen
Kind
Inslee
Napolitano
T. Udall
M. Udall
Holt
Acevedo
Solis
Carson
McCollum


FIRST ACTION ITEM:

THANK Congressman Richard Pombo for standing up for private property
rights, multiple use of federal lands - and for proposing that people be
notified and included in the decision making process, instead of shut out.
Richard Pombo (R-CA)---FAX: (202) 226-0861 rpombo@mail.house.gov
Phone - 202-225-1947.

If you have time, thank all of the 19 who voted YES in support of your
right to know.


SECOND ACTION ITEM:

CONTACT your congressman and say FORGET IT - NO LAND GRABS - NO
HR 2388 - local zoning is plenty enough, you don't need the feds
controlling every single inch of America!!! AND you would like to be
notified if the feds propose a land grab of your property!

HR 2388 is moving - Congressman Hefley will push hard for it to be voted
on by the full House of Representatives within the next month.

Here are four reasons to oppose HR 2388:

-----it is federal land use zoning;
-----it is run by the anti-property owner National Park Service;
-----it will damage economic development; and
-----it doesn't let people know what is going on, until it is too late!!!!!



PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.



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