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The duck is, in real life, Sierra Club lobbyist’s Mike Murphy’s son, Kris Murphy. And, Kris, being the helpful kind of a guy he is, decided
to pay a visit down at the legislative plaza in a really effective, and noticeable way . . .
Presto, Mr. Duck!
All this took place during a recent effort to raise awareness of the need to keep money in the wetlands, land acquisition, local Parks and soil/water conservation funds. This lobbying effort involved two goals: to keep some money in the fund (The "land acquisition" fund was almost wiped out whereas other funds lost only 9% of their revenues), and to limit the diversion of the source of land acquisition funds, the Recordation Tax, to the general fund after two years, a Sunset clause.
The amendment to the budget bill to Sunset the diversion of the Recordation Tax to the general fund after two years failed by a very close Senate vote, 17 to 16. The fund lost about 80% of its reserves and we "won" a four year Sunset on the
Recordation Tax diversion.
Top Left - Mr. Duck meets a bear, or Randy Rinks aka "BEAR" - House Rep, Chairman of the Democratic Caucus
Second Right - Bill Bruce, Lobbyist, shares happy moments with Mr. Duck
Bottom Left - Mr. Duck see a goose, that is, Tom Hensley, Liquor Lobbyist, Board of TWRA and aka "The Goose"
Bottom Right - Left to right: Bertha Walker, Aid to Speaker Naffy; Estie Harris, Lobbyist; Betty Anderson, Speaker Naffy’s wife. All are happy to have Mr. Duck take them under his wings for a friendly pose.
All Photos by Jennifer Murphy
Never Give Up !
By Gary Bowers
Chapter Conservation Chair
These are troubling times, and sometimes we are overwhelmed by the seemingly endless Bush Administration attack on what many of hold dear, our values and the environment. At the July ExCom meeting I shared my communication with a friend of mine that I previously worked with. The Excom ask that I share this with the members of the TN Chapter via the TenneSierran.
So here it is. My friend Amie sent me the email below regarding the pending war in Iraq.
"…What I want to know is WHO are the 88 percent supporting this Bush administration? I do not know one single person - family, friend or co-worker (including friends and colleagues in the UK and friends in the military reserves who have been called away from their full-time jobs to assist) who supports Bush or the war effort. Perhaps I'm fortunate to associate in such circles? Or is this further propaganda?
I have done the things I can think of - (initially campaigning and voting for Gore), writing our political leaders, writing UN leaders - to voice my opinion of our proposed war against Iraq. The whole thing is absolutely, positively, gut wrenchingly, crazy and insane. It's almost surreal to me. I fear that the intro paragraph to John le Carré's article is all TOO TRUE!
'America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War.'
Why are some of us getting it, and others are so DUPED???? I feel helpless and powerless against the machine." -- Amie
My response to her, which is applicable whether it refers to the war effort or the multitude of environmental attacks by the Bush Administration, was
"Amie-Never give up! To give up is to be a quitter. Quitters lose more than just face. They lose their souls as well. It does not matter if we lose (we activists). Of course it is much, much better to win. However to know that we have done the right thing is somehow comforting even in the face of loss. Losing and quitting are two entirely different things.
I trust that people will wake up. If they are to do so, there have to be those of us who present them with the ideas and opportunities to use their reasoning and good judgment. Please continue to be one of those people!
To stop doing so is to own that the Dark Side has won."
I trust that you, too, will not give up! Please continue to be one of those people who present other ideas, opportunities, and alternatives. The national leadership of the Sierra Club has stated that the most important thing that we can do at this time in history is to talk to our friends and neighbors about what is happening that we do not believe is in the best interest of the country.
With this in mind, I ask you three questions (all of which may be answered by the time you read this):
1. Where is Osama?
2. Where is Saddam?
3. Where are the weapons of mass destruction?
