S. 373 Emergency Action Required!

[Tom]

Everyone needs to read this NOW!!!

Here is a link that Kevin from NERD posted on Kingsnake. Please read it and do what he asked. I have already sent my e-mail. Now it's your turn to send yours. Make sure you let her know what your financial losses will be if this bill S 373 is passed. Kingsnake.com - Herpforum - Say Goodbye to your Boas!@

Thank you
Tom

[morti]

Here is the text of Kevin's post:

Let them KNOW what kind of impact S 373 would have on you or your business! They are now learning a bit on how big our industry is and they need to understand what kind of harm such a bill would have on us! Congress seems to think that this bill has little negative impact on the American People? If this bill created more than 139 million dollars per year in losses to the industry they would have to slow down and reconsider this ban.

This means everyone involved that keeps large constrictors. This means pet stores that sell them, this means suppliers such as Zoo Med and Vision Cages to name a fraction! This means rodent suppliers, rodent food manufacturers, UPS, FEDEX and a plethera of other businesses that are interwoven into our industry!

NERD would fail and I would go out of business. My two companies employee 16 people, they would no longer have jobs. I would no longer add to the economy. The more I think about it the worse it seems!

If this bill passes just you wait til you see the next one! It's coming and you are not going to like what is on it!

I have a contact that tallies numbers and works for Congress on this bill. She needs these numbers fast, Congress wants them from her by the end of the week!



Please email marin.randall@cbo.gov and tell her what kind of financial losses you will suffer! She needs to know what kind of financial damage will occur to you!

Remember, crossing a state border with one of these snakes will be a Federal crime! Kind of like being a drug dealer! A Lacey Act Violation! Imagine the search warrants! Just imagine the PAIN and suffering that this bill really means!

Kevin NERD

[morti]

By the way...

Marin Randall is from the Congressional Budget Office... not the IRS, DEA, FDA, or any other Evil Entity bound on taking your money or critters away.

[snakefreex]

Does it matter if I'm just a small time owner, not a breeder or any type of supplier at all ?

[morti]

Originally Posted by snakefreex

Does it matter if I'm just a small time owner, not a breeder or any type of supplier at all ?

Doesn't matter. If you plan on spending a dime on any animal from the list, send your email with how much you plan to spend.

[morti]

Bump

[PaganMommy]

BUMP!!!

Here's what I wrote... tell me if I did good, cause I really did start crying while I was typeing this.

I am writing to oppose S373. Not only will this bill bankrupt thousands of people, by creating more than 139 million dollars per year in losses to the industry, but it will make people like me criminals.
I completely understand that there are some stupid, and ignorant people out there that don't know the first thing about large constrictors. But the reptile community is trying to put an end to it, by educating the uneducated. And for the people that got more then they wanted out of a snake, there are rescue centers in every state. And if the said snake owner cannot get to the rescue center, I assure you the people that I know would drive several hundred miles to make sure that the snake ends up in better hands. So instead of banning an animal that millions of people have a passion for, we should let the country know that these rescue centers exist. Some being just a reptile loving family that takes in unwanted snakes (like the family that I got my snake from). And other people have more of an SPCA like business.
I know that I'm just another concerned citizen, and probably no one will even take the time of day to read this, but it breaks my heart that my passion, and the animals that I deeply love will be ripped from my arms, and from the homes of they're families. I know that it's a touchy subject, but there's an over population of cats, and we're not banning them from cat loving homes. Strays are roaming the street, but I don't see a bill saying that the problem has caused a bill to form.

From the bottom of my little snakey's heart...
I oppose S373

Sincerely,

Carly P. Curry
Tulia, Tx
79088

[morti]

The only thing that was missing is "I plan to spend $X.xx per year in snakes listed in S373 or supplies related to snakes listed in S373"

[PaganMommy]

Well darn I already sent it...

[morti]

Originally Posted by PaganMommy

Well darn I already sent it...

Send another.

[PaganMommy]

will do!

[RayRay]

I sent my e-mail earlier this morning.

This affects everyone. Collectively, I'd estimate that my two Boas and their caging would cost me $2000, easily. Add a retic to that if I get one, and that's probably another $1000-2000.

Frozen rodents for my current 5 animals run me a $2-300 a year (more or less), and if I were to ever need to see a vet I could see just a full workup being anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand at the vet I use.

I am planning to breed my boas in the future and I see most of the inquiries coming from out of state. I would have a worthless breeding pair.

[Sakara]

subscribing so I can do this when I get to a real computer

[RayRay]

Here is mine, if you'd like to see it.

Hello, I have invested a few thousand dollars in my boa constrictors and their care. My breeding pair would be worth $1000 and their caging is worth around $2000.
If s373 passes, I would not be able to breed this pair as I have inquiries out of state. I live 15 minutes away from the Kansas State line, it would be illegal for me to take one of these animals to a specialist over there, and I would potentially loosing a valuable animal to illness.
I also spend around $3-400 dollars every year to feed my constrictors and smaller snakes the frozen rodents they eat. If I need vet care it can easily equate to $1000 or more.
S373 would be difficult to enforce, and would also cost taxpayers. This bill has no merit financially, and will only destroy small businessess and pet owners, and future breeders like myself.
Inserted Address Here

I exaggerated a little on the cost of the boas but I'll take a gander a full grown breeding pair would cost as much.

[morti]

I wanted to clarify something for everybody...

This request is all about money. In addition to your narrative e-mail, include something to the effect of:

"The current asset value of my animals listed in S. 373 is $X.xx. I anticipate $X.xx in sales from those species next year. I further anticipate spending $X.xx on more animals and $X.xx on supplies related to these animals on an annual basis."

[Sakara]

good idea morti. I actually valued up the price of my snakes if I were to have to buy all of them. totalled up to around $16-17k depending in market prices. lol. not to mention the number of babies the big females could have. not to mention those het retics from Harry lol.....

[RayRay]

I made generalizations, but there are still numbers in there. I hope that works too.

[ChadRamsey]

i am not that good at writting letters of this nature, but here is mine that i sent to help with giving you ideas



Hello Mrs. Randall,

My name is Chad Ramsey. I am a firefighter in the state of Georgia. I am married and have two children. As a government employee I earn a modest living. To help provide for my family and to see that ends are met in my household, and additional to me working 56 hours a week at the fire department, I substitute teach and raise reptiles. Not only do I raise them but I work with The Department of Natural Resources doing rescue work and raising public awareness through education programs. I utilize my vast collection of reptiles by taking them to schools and day-cares centers in my area and putting on these educational programs free of charge.

I have kept reptiles as pets for nearly 25 years of my life. I keep animals of all sizes and species. To help relieve the stress of importation on reptiles as a whole, I breed a small number of species in my home. My ability to ship the offspring to others across the country to assist in deferring the cost of the upkeep of my collection is crucial. If my right to do so is taken away from me, I would be forced to relinquish animals that I cared for and loved, some of them for over a decade. Even more heart wrenching for me, is that a couple of these animals that S 373 encompasses, are under the loving care of my children. I have a nine year old son and a fifteen year old daughter that would be loosing, in their eyes, a part of their family.

If S 373 is passed, my ability to acquire new animals into my collection will be all but impossible. My educational outreach efforts will be minimal. And my love and passion for these beautiful creatures that I have pasted down to my children, their friends and to the public, will all be for nothing.

My collections is valued at approximately $10,000. If I am forced to relinquish some of my pets, I will have no need to possibly purchase a $1000 in new caging this year. I will not be purchasing $400 in supplies and feeders every four months. And will not be able to buy $2000 in new animals for my educational programs in the near future. Though the ripple effect on the economy from just me would be minimal, think of the thousands of others like me, and MANY more on a larger scale like career breeders, that will be be forced to do the same. The $3,000,000,000 a year industry would be severely crippled.


I humbly as for your help in preserving my rights,

Chad Ramsey

[_Sam_]

Sent.

[RayRay]

That's a very good letter, Chad!