Ed Klim, ISMA August 26, 2004 - (Haslett, MI) This year's national election, being held on November 2, 2004, will be an important election for all Americans and our allies. Obviously we have a presidential election that will determine who our Commander-in-Chief will be. In addition to the task of Commander-in-Chief, the president appoints key administrators to lead the many bureaucracies headquartered in Washington DC. The Department of Agriculture, the US Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, and the National Park Service are a few of the agencies where decisions are made as to when, where, and how we will recreate on our Public Land. These high level Agency Leaders serve the President and are chosen because they share his views on recreation and Public Land management. A clear understanding of where Mr. Kerry and President Bush stand on Public Land Management is important. I recommend that you visit Mr. Kerry's web site and review his vision paper related to Public Land management. Mr. Bush's record serves as his position statement and it is clear that he supports responsible Public Land recreational access. A current survey of outdoor recreationists uncovers the fact that over 75% of all registered voters do not know the voting record of their elected officials. I have considerable experience working with elected Federal Representatives and I guarantee you that elected officials will often tell you what you want to hear. The only way to determine if an elected individual supports your philosophy is to spend the time to see how that individual voted on an issue of importance to you and your family. We have the right to voice our opinion on important issues but only a very few have the opportunity to vote in D. C. Those individuals who actually vote are your US Congressmen and your US Senators. Like it or not, they have a privilege we do not have - the privilege to vote on important national legislation. Their votes are a matter of public record and can be viewed by visiting the web site http://www.rollcallvotes.com/. Your elected representatives vote often, and three key votes related to snowmobiling are the Healthy Forest Initiative and the two Holt Amendments to close Yellowstone National Park to snowmobilers. The Healthy Forest Initiative allows good, sound management by the US Forest Service to manage our forests. A "Yes" vote supported that position while a "No" vote supports the position of the fringe environmental community who wish to manage the National Forests from offices located in Washington DC. The fringe enviro's are still calling for a return of our forests to pre-European Settlement Conditions. Their preferred central command management system disallowed the thinning of forests and forced the closing of fire breaks and roads used by fire fighters and their equipment. The Healthy Forest Initiative, which allows for the thinning of our forests and active local management, was overwhelmingly supported by the House in a vote in early 2003. Following the horrible Forest Fires in San Diego and L.A., the Senate approved the legislation on October 30, 2003. The voting record on this issue for the House and Senate is attached. A "Yes" vote, supporting Congressman Holt's two motions were votes to close Yellowstone to snowmobiles. "No" votes supported the National Park Service's position and the continuation of snowmobiling with proper management and the use of good science. Both efforts by Mr. Holt failed. Attached is the voting record on the Holt Amendments regarding Yellowstone. These two recorded votes highlight how elected individuals view the world and if they support proper management and responsible enjoyment of our Public Lands. Some politicians have published vision and position papers highlighting their positions. I encourage all of us to do our homework and visit http://www.rollcallvotes.com/ to determine if your elected politicians vote the way they talk and if their votes coincide with your beliefs. I encourage you to visit the web sites of your politicians to review any position papers. Finally, I invite you to visit one of my favorite new web sites http://www.opensecrets.org/. The site lists what groups support candidates and more. # # # Ed Klim President, ISMA 1640 Haslett Road, Suite 170 Haslett, MI 48840 (517) 339-7788 phone (517) 339-7798 fax www.snowmobile.org |