Calif Seeks $9 million to Dredge Rivers

[Hoser John]

Calif Seeks $9million to dredge rivers

by Hoser John on Sat Jun 23, 2012 2:17 am



Subject: "Calif Seeks $9 million to Dredge Rivers" First topic | Next topic

Hoser John Sat Jun-23-12 02:14 AM
Member since May 06th 1995
4306 posts

#15596, "Calif Seeks $9 million to Dredge Rivers"

THE FILTHY DOGS SPENT MILLIONS TO THROW US OUT TO GET THEIR FRIGGN' CRONIES TO BE PAID TO DREDGE FOR MERCURY AND GOLD-HAHAHAHA-John

 

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[Gravel Hog]

Trailer Bills are Loophole Goldmine for Legislators Pet Projects

I think Hoser meant this and it is important. Final vote in both houses in the next few days and then off it goes to Moonbeam's desk next week.

CONCORD, Calif., June 21, 2012 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Gold Pan California (Gold Pan California), a gold prospecting supply shop located in the Bay Area, is shining light on a California State Budget loophole which is being exploited by Legislators to enact last minute laws on pet projects and further increase California's budget deficit.
"Californian's have no idea how much their local Legislators are really costing the State," says Mike Dunn, owner of Gold Pan California. "Through secret use of budget trailer bills, Legislators are feverishly creating last minute laws with no bill numbers and no accountability or fiscal responsibility for these new laws."
In this instance, Jared Huffman (D) San Rafael is in the glare of Dunn's spotlight.
Budget Trailer Bills are intended for the implementation of fiscal decisions, and statutory changes to implement those decisions are constitutionally due to the Legislature by February 1, five months before the budget deadline of June 15th.
Yet, three weeks ago Huffman inserted four paragraphs of new "language" i.e., statutory changes, into a 100-page resources folder, which will be given a trailer bill number and presented to the Governor shortly. Governor Brown does not have line-item veto authority in this scenario.
Last Minute Legislation Circumvents Public Participation

This last minute legislation-by-default totally circumvents participation by the public. Equally wrong, it absolves the Legislator from any financial consequences or accountability for the legislation, since his name isn't on it. Numerous calls to Huffman's office have gone unanswered this week.
The practice of stuffing trailer bills is familiar among gold prospectors. Huffman also used the tactic during the 2011 budget countdown.
Modern day gold prospecting is conducted by suction dredging underwater. Huffman's 2011 trailer bill legislation caused a temporary moratorium on suction dredging for gold until 2016. His current trailer bill language would essentially ban the practice forever.
Suction dredging for gold is touted as being environmentally harmful by the Karuk tribe and environmentalists. Curiously, the same anti-mining foes are seeking $9 million from California taxpayers to dredge for mercury in the State waterways. Dredging is legal in virtually every waterway, year round for numerous purposes - unless, that is, you're dredging for gold. That's outlawed in the Golden State.
The news gets worse for California taxpayers if the new language becomes law. The State is involved in seven lawsuits between gold prospectors and anti-mining foes. Those lawsuits have been active since 2005, and if Huffman's trailer bill language is schlepped over to the Governor, the State will be committed to spending untold amounts on future litigation, before the current multi-million dollar lawsuits are settled.
There are 56,000 gold claims in California, with just 6 being in Huffman's district. The title of Huffman's four paragraphs is "Suction dredge cleanup language."
"If I were one of his local constituents," states Dunn, "I would be quite interested in seeing what else was being crammed in un-named envelopes during the late-night budget negotiations."
With seven lawsuits already underway and deep budget cuts on the imminent horizon, hopefully Huffman will pull his four paragraphs out of the budget trailer bill to save the few million dollars for badly needed social services or education.
http://abgt.assembly.ca.gov/sites/a...ay 23-Resources-Transportation May Revise.pdf

 

[kuger]

Wow!
Yea,and lets ban bear hunting with hounds so they can turn around and pay me to do it with dogs(the Gov. has paid me for years).......same thing with wild hogs that are causing epic destruction,instead of having hunters pay to hunt them the Gov. has writtin several several million dollar contracts with private individuals to attemt to eraticate them....makes so much sense!

 

[Oakview2]

Reprehensible, but totally predictable for the ,leadership PS, if its Brown, flush it...

 

[Hoser John]

Like that saying--if it's brown flush it--most aprapoe in light of current conditions-thanx for the first laugh of my day-John

 

[Oakview2]

John


This is reprinted from a post on a local club board. On Tuesday the budget will be passed and dredging could be gone for good in this state. This at least gives the recreational miners, one last chance to let these self righteous a holes in the state capital how we feel. If you can, send a fax, or email



East Bay Prospectors Communications Director

Dear EBP Membership,

I spent over 4 hours compiling the links and fax #’s below and am asking you spend 10 minutes to compose a short comment and “copy” and “paste” to the listed politicians websites using their “contact us” option. Don’t have a fax? Email me your personal letter and I will fax it for you. I tested the 5 #’s listed below with my own letter(s) of protest today.

Most of you have at least heard of the sneaky trailer bill that will essentially ban dredging forever tacked onto to the budget that the Governor must sign by or before Tues. June 26th. If you know what’s happening, skip down to the TAKE ACTION section below or forever hold your peace. Even if you don’t dredge! Don’t wait until it’s your hobby or occupation that is under attack.

We need your help, and we need it now. With three lawsuits under way we don’t need additional language coming out of the assembly to ban dredging. Assembly member Jared Huffman, a self-avowed radical environmentalist and the author of AB 120 which banned dredging has under the cover of darkness crafted yet another “trailer bill” to deny us our rights of due process.

Mr. Huffman’s new language seeks to remove the five year sunset clause and instead make the ban on dredging permanent. He also adds language that includes no dredging may be allowed until the Department of Fish and Game:

Completes an environmental review as ordered in the case of Karuk Tribe of California vs. California Dept of Fish & Game

The new regulations described by AB120 are operative

The new regulations described by AB120 “FULLY MITIGATE’ (which by the way is an impossible event as nothing can be 100% mitigated, including Nuclear Power Plants) all the identified significant environmental impacts.

A fee structure is in place that will fully cover all costs to the department related to the administration of the program (which only occurs when a bill is passed describing such process).

And it will add the following paragraph:

The Department shall consult with other agencies as necessary, including but not necessarily limited to, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Public Health, and the Native American Heritage commission, and report back to the Legislature with recommendations as to any additional statutory changes or authorities that may be necessary to develop suction dredge regulations that would meet all the requirements of 5653.1(b), including mitigation of all identified significant environmental impacts and a fee structure that will fully cover all program costs.

The interpretation of this paragraph is that a permit and approval from just about every group, Indian tribe and state agency would be required to allow dredging again.

After two years and over $2 million spent on an Environmental Impact Report that couldn’t document a single case of harm; the environmentalists have turned to their manipulation of certain members of the legislature to stop us – again. It only takes the manipulation of one member of the budget committee to do this and the radical environmentalists have found a friend who will write whatever language they ask him to.

Personally I have never dredged in my life. But to me it's about dirty politics like the process that severely limits where I can go fishing in the ocean. If we do nothing we have nothing to complain about if it goes through.

Make me proud and get this done!

Thanks,

Dale


TAKE ACTION NOW:

Send, in your own words, a message urging a NO vote on the Resources trailer bill four paragraphs titled “Suction dredge cleanup language” submitted by Assemblyman Huffman.

Focus on the dirty tricks, denying of public input, denying of due process, economic impact, etc. The Western Mining Assoc website http://westernminingalliance.org/ has talking points about dredging being harmless but this is backdoor politics at its finest so a focus on procedure will give a different angle of attack. Radical environmentalists have slipped a budget trailer into a larger bill denying the mining community the right to beheard and due process.

At a minimum fax or message, via the website “contact us”, the Chairs and Vice Chairs of thebudget Committee:

Senate Budget Chairs:

Chair Mark Leno Fax: 916-445-4722 http://sd03.senate.ca.gov/contact

Vice Chair Robert Huff Fax:916-324-0922 http://cssrc.us/web/29/

Assembly Budget Chairs:

Chair Bob Blumenfield Fax:916-319-2140 http://asmdc.org/members/a40/

Vice Chair Jim Nielsen Fax:916-319-2102 http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/2/

And let Mr.Huffman know you disapprove! He is running for US Congress in November and we would expect better from him.

Assemblymember Jared Huffman Represents The 6th Assembly District. ... Fax: (916) 319-2106. Marin County: 3501 Civic Center Drive Suite412. San Rafael

Post your protests on Huffman’s FACEBOOK page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jared-Huffman/174429005962554



If time allows, look up your local reps and contact them or at least the ones on the budget committee listed below.

Senate: California State Senate Members Websites &Contact Info

http://senate.ca.gov/senators

Map of Senate Districts

http://senate.ca.gov/senatedistricts

Assembly: Members Websites & Contact Info

http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/districts/assemblydistricts_bayarea.html



Map of Assembly Districts

http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers

Below are theLegislators on the Senate Budget Committee to email or fax:

Chair Mark Leno / Vice Chair Robert Huff

Dems: Alquist, DeSaulnier, Evans, Hanlittle pee pee, Liu, A. Lowenthal, Rubio, Simitian, Wolk, Wright

Reps: Anderson,Emmerson, Fuller, LaMalfa

Below are theLegislators on the Assembly Budget Committee to email or fax:

Chair Bob Blumenfield / Vice Chair Jim Nielsen

Dems: Alejo, Allen, Bonnila, Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Cedillo, Chesbro, little pee peeenson, Feuer, Gordon, Huffman, Mitchell, Manning, Swanson

Reps: B. Berryhill, Harkey, Jeffries, Jones, Logue, Mansoor, Morrell, Nestande, Valadao, Wagner