(Following is from Karen Maute)
Honorable Senator Hurt and Honorable Delegate Merricks,
"Is there anyone lobbying against this officially at the capital? "
This question arrived by e-mail this morning from a resident of Danville who has been trying to research information on easements re: the Coles Hill Uranium Deposit (CHUP). She is one of many citizens in the region around the CHUP who is desperately trying to separate fact from fiction regarding the well orchestrated assault by Virginia Uranium, Inc. (VUI.) It has been a frustrating few weeks for everyone. There are many unanswered questions and no open public forum in which to glean much needed information. The process in Richmond appears to be moving very quickly and in favor of mining the CHUP without allowing adequate address of citizen concerns.
Back to the question at hand. In my mind, you gentlemen are our lobbyists. I am grateful for any help you can offer to sway members of the General Assembly to continue the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia. The consequences of uranium mining will be devastating, not only for Chatham, Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties, but for the Commonwealth as a whole.
Thank you for your representation in Richmond and for taking time to listen to my concerns. I will hold you and the Commonwealth in prayer during 2008 General Assembly session.
Sincerely,
Karen B. Maute
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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1 comment:
In my mind, you gentlemen are our lobbyists.
With all due respect, legislators cannot be lobbyists. The legislators to whom you address your comments can vote for or against the issues at hand but they cannot serve as lobbyists. In some areas, former legislators have to wait a year or more before they are allowed to serve as lobbyists.
So...does SCC have any lobbyists? Yes, it has several unofficial, unregistered lobbyists...its members! It's those who oppose the mining legislation to gather irrefutable facts (not emotional stmts), compile them into a succinct, eye-catching form and send them to each and every legislator in Richmond. In fact, I'd make up several such fact sheets. And I'd send them as emails as well as through the USPS. The more ways those in the General Assembly are contacted, and asked to vote "NO" on the study bill, the better. I'd use yellow paper as well...everything else on their desks will be white and yellow can be associated with yellow cake.
If there are members of SCC who want to be formal, registered lobbyists, I'm sure there's a formal process for accomplishing this. There's also a fee per lobbyist and probably monthly paperwork to be completed and filed. I was an official lobbyist in the KY legislature for 2 long terms (we used to have a long session every other year). It's difficult work but it's rewarding. If you've never dealt with members of an active legislative session, it's somewhat intimidating but it's also educational and rewarding. There are some prominent members of SCC who would make excellent lobbyists if they have the time. It takes considerable time...and energy.
Nothing prevents private citizens from writing, calling, and/or emailing any and all members of the Assembly. I'd say SCC would be ahead of the game to get some general talking points on paper and start the onslaught. SB 525 is going to come up for a vote, most likely very soon. Coles' lobbyists have been working day and night, since long before the session began, to get Coles' message out. Unless SCC started on Jan 2 or 3 to get written materials before all of the assembly persons, then SCC is behind. There's still time but you need to work fast!
Please don't rely on the legislators to whom you've addressed your blog entry and/or letter to the editor to be your lobbyists. It's their responsibility to listen to their constituents (including SCC members) and vote accordingly. It's everyone else's responsibility to make your voices heard!
Best of luck!
Smidgen Barnes
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