League of Humane Voters-California Chapter
Legislative Alert
The California State Assembly's next Big Target?
What we need to do!
In plain language, if we don’t take the time to call, fax and write letters to the members of the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee and let them know that the people of California will not accept this “special interest legislation”, the gentle kangaroos are doomed.
10 or 15 minutes action today versus knowing, every day for the rest of your life, kangaroos are fleeing in terror from hunters guns because you didn’t have the time .
There can be few demonstrations of our effectiveness as humane advocates than the success or failure of a piece of legislation like this. It was the sacrifices of others, years ago, that created this ban.
Now, if you delete this message and move on to other things, ... those efforts were wasted.
For us it is a matter of time allocation, for the Kangaroos it is
Life OR DEATH.
Appeal to the humanity of the only people who can save the kangaroos.
Chair Lois Wolk (916) 319-2008
Anna Caballero (916) 319-2028
Jared Huffman (916) 319-2006
Ted Lieu (916) 319-2053
Gene Mullin (916) 319-2019
Pedro Nava (916) 319-2035
Mary Salas (916) 319-2079
Letters and faxes should be addressed to:
The Honorable first and last name
p.o. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249
Greeting:
Dear Assemblymember last name:
Opening Line:
“this letter is to express my opposition to SB 880”.
Reasons:
1. Your own!
2. Others:
A. SB 880 seeks legislative relief for the sport shoe maker Adiddas who is currently being prosecuted for ignoring the 35 year old ban on the selling of Kangaroo body parts in California. The California Supreme Court is considering oral arguments this month. This bill is premature and an attempt to make an “end run” around the judicial process. If Adiddas is judged to have broken the law, this bill would reward them for doing so and violate the spirit of the separation of powers.
B. California has no way of enforcing the limitations of the Steinberg amendment. Commercial pressures have the potential to devastate the entire population of Kangaroos in Australia long after local protections are introduced.
C. The destruction of the California salmon fishery is an example that quotas as a system of species protection, when there are economic interests involved, does not prevent a population crash. The cost of attempted recovery of a species that has been sent to the threatened or endangered species’ list, is much more expensive than preventing this outcome in the first place.
D. Any species that becomes a commercial entity has tremendous pressures to be “farmed”. Humane predation and the farming of wildlife leads to biological deterioration and the loss of the species ability to remain viable as a wild species.
E. This bill will not be popular with California voters and there will be blow back in marginally controlled districts if it is passed ( ie. demonstrations and letter writing campaigns in schools). If passed it will be a easy target for future political organization and recruitment.
If you don’t have the time, they get the gun!
What do David Beckham, the new Los Angeles soccer team LA Galaxy/Chivas USA and the Australian Chamber of Commerce all have in Common?
They want to legalize the sale of dead Kangaroo parts in California for the 1st time in 35 years.
As I am sure you know, it gets even uglier.
60,000 Kangaroos a year are killed in Australia to make way for sheep farms, you know slaughtered lambs for lamb chops, lamb skins for fleeced lined jackets, more hormones, pesticides and “greenhouse gases”
35 years ago, long before there was a movement to protect animals here, the people of California voted to protect certain wildlife species against commercial exploitation.Elephants, whales and kangaroos were on that list.
In spite of that law, ADIDDAS the sport shoe manufacturer, wishing to capitalize on the flexible qualities of kangaroo leather (in spite of the existence of better alternatives) chose to sell shoes and soccer balls made of Kangaroo leather in defiance of the ban.
Enter professional soccer and superstar David Beckham. The new soccer team LA Galaxy and their Hispanic counterpart Chivas (Goats) USA have chosen to stimulate lagging sales by purchasing David Beckham and promoting Adiddas shoes made from Kangaroo leather as “the new fur”. ( Kill ‘em for fashion.)
In 2003, Kangaroo advocates took ADIDDAS to court for breaking the law for 35 years. Even though the issue is before the California Supreme Court today, ADIDDAS is afraid they will be found a lawless enterprise. Every year since the law suit they have contributed to the campaigns of California legislators hoping to find one that would repeal the ban and relieve them of the embarrassment of a adverse court decision. Last year Senators Darrell Steinberg and Ron Calderon “ took the money” Now this year Calderon introduces the bill and Steinberg sweeps it through his committee.
Frankly, with all that’s going on, animal advocates have been “a sleep at the wheel” on this one. Now it is headed for a showdown in the assembly and we need everyones help to stop it. It is not going to be easy.
Players:
13 Committee members. 9 Democrats and 4 Republicans (We doubt that the pro-business Republicans will stop this bill so it comes down to the Democrats).
1 Democrat Charles Calderon is the brother of Ron Calderon, the author of SB 880…. No help there.
1 Democrat, Nicole Parra sponsored this same bill last year….no help there.
The bill needs 7 votes to pass. We think it currently has six. Every other democrat needs to vote no or we lose.
So there it is in black and white, a mammoth undertaking… only a few days to react.
Strategy:
1. If you have children or are a teacher tell your students about the California legislators “war” on helpless Kangaroos and ask them to call and write to the legislators.
2. Contact the LA Galaxy organization Address: 18400 Avalon Blvd. Suite 200, Carson, CA 90746 (1-877-342-5299, Fax 310-630-2250) and tell them that the killing of kangaroos does not reflect well on the sport and that they need to withdraw this piece of legislation or become targets of protest themselves. Contact Chivas USA Address: 18400 Avalon Blvd. Suite 500 Carson, CA 90746 (1-877-244-8271, Fax (310) 630-4551) Let them know that California is a culture with great respect for the lives an suffering of other living things.
3. Using the information in this post, call, fax or write (e-mails are less helpful) the legislators listed below who will decide the Kangaroos fate.
4. Call the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee (916) 319-2096. Ask to speak with the staff person in charge of SB 880. Tell them or leave a message expressing your opposition to SB 880.
Remember the names of our powerful Opposition:
1. LA Galaxy/Chivas USA
2. adiddas
3. Australian Chamber ofCommerce
4. Senator Ron Calderon
5. Senator Steinberg
6. David Beckham
Rudy the “Roo” says:
“Please mate, help me save me family!”
“That means you Dollie!”
ADL-LA Disclaimer: Nothing contained in this publication is intended to encourage or incite illegal acts. Many of the reports contained in our Action Alerts and on our web site at www.StopTheKilling.net have been received anonymously and the Campaign cannot make any guarantees for the accuracy of these reports. Any views or comments stated in reports, Action Alerts or on the web site are not necessarily the views of STK or ADL-LA.
