From: alra@governance.net Subject: Two Pronged ATTACK on Property Rights!!! Land Rights Network American Land Rights Association PO Box 400 – Battle Ground, WA. 98604 Phone: 360-687-3087 – Fax: 360-687-2973 – E-mail: alra@landrights.org Web Address: http://www.landrights.org Legislative Office: 507 Seward Square SE- Washington, DC 20003 Phone: 202-210-2357 – Fax: 202-543-7126 – E-mail: landrightsnet@aol.com Two Pronged ATTACK on Property Rights!!! Congress is moving ahead FAST with two major attacks against private property rights. BOTH of the bills listed below will be moving through Congress over the next two weeks. YOUR HELP is needed to counteract the greedy land trusts and greedy congressmen whose top interests are fleecing the taxpayer and taking your land. FIRST PRONG OF THE ATTACK: Tax Favoritism for the Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy and the other multi-billion dollar land trusts are licking their chops at the TAX FAVORITISM that was inserted into legislation for them. S. 476 -- NOTE: NEW BILL NUMBER -- S. 476 -- S. 476 S.476, Sections 106 and 107! The bill number was changed when it was approved in committee - it is now S. 476. ***** This bill could move to the Senate floor for a vote by the full Senate at ANY TIME in the next two weeks!!!! ***** It was approved by the Senate Finance Committee in February. It is a 25% tax cut on capital gains of land sales - but only if the land is sold to an environmental group or to a government agency! Private parties, or non-environmentalist charities such as churches, orphanages, private schools and social service centers are left in the dust! AND it includes sales of WATER RIGHTS! S. 476 is the "Faith Based Initiative" and is supposed to help religious-based organizations to help people - but Sections 106 and 107 work AGAINST charities for the benefit of multi-billion dollar land trusts! It will take more land off the tax rolls, damaging the tax base of rural communities in public lands dominated regions of the country. And this proposed tax advantage does not apply to churches, orphanages, private schools, social service centers or other non-profit charities when purchasing land! ONLY land trusts and government agencies! WORST OF ALL - even though it is technically a tax break for the SELLER of the land, all it will benefit is the BUYER! HERE is why: the land trusts can and will reduce their offers for land purchase. They will have up to a 25% advantage when bidding versus private parties, because of the tax benefit to the seller. So the seller will get a smaller sale price, reducing his tax benefit, while the land trust spends less money. AND that is assuming that there is even a private bidder, once the Big Green Machine has worked over the landowner with threats from the Endangered Species Act and other laws. ACTION ITEM: - SHINE THE LIGHT on this attack on private property rights AND water rights. The entire bill deals with a variety of tax deductions not related to land. It is just Sections 106 and 107 of S. 476 which has the free hand- out for the Nature Conservancy. TELL your Senator and Congressmen to take out Sections 106 and 107 from S.476! Defend private property rights - land trusts should not get special tax breaks that churches, orphanages, private schools and social service centers DO NOT get in the "Faith Based Initiative!" SECOND PRONG OF THE ATTACK: The "Energy Bill" is a disaster!!!!!! INCREDIBLY, the "CARA" (Condemnation and Relocation Act) legislation is rearing its ugly head once again! CARA is a massive, unprecedented land acquisition and condemnation trust fund, which also includes billions in grant money to leftwing environmental and animal rights groups. First introduced in 1998, it was defeated in the 105th Congress (1997-98), 106th (1999-2000) and 107th (2001-2002) Congresses due to exceptional efforts from grassroots property rights and taxpayer advocacy organizations. And, once again it is Congressman Willy Tauzin of Louisiana who is sponsoring the CARA Land Grab. Tauzin is leading the attack against fiscal responsibility and property rights. He is cutting a deal with the environmentalists, so he can funnel a load of your tax dollars back to his political cronies in Louisiana. HERE IT IS: The enviros get their money to condemn land and taxpayer grants to run their organizations. And Tauzin gets cash shoveled into Louisiana. Tauzin is Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, and is the most important single person in putting together the "Energy Bill," which is supposed to promote more oil and gas exploration, help promote nuclear energy, and do other good things. However, Tauzin plans on hijacking the bill for his own interests. Tauzin will not introduce CARA as a separate bill. No public debate, no hearings, no separate votes on CARA - forget it - he knows that he will be buried under an avalanche of opposition. He plans to attach it as an amendment to the Energy Bill behind closed doors as it moves through Congress. This is completely irresponsible! America is under attack from terrorists and needs to increase domestic energy production to make us less dependent on foreign oil. For example, the millions of barrels of oil underneath the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) should be made available for environmentally responsible extraction. But Rep. Tauzin's main concern is lining the pockets of his cronies in Louisiana with cash. American energy independence? More oil, gas, and nuclear power production? Forget about it - it all takes a back seat to GREED. Tauzin is willing to put America's energy future at risk. He is attempting to cut a deal with the environmentalists so that they get bought off with cash in exchange for a special pot of money - up to $300 million PER YEAR - for Louisiana. He is risking defeat of the entire energy bill - and American energy independence - for GREED. ACTION ITEM: Tell your Congressman and your Senators - stay the course - keep the energy in the energy bill - more oil, gas and other energy production for America. DO NOT let the energy bill get hijacked with Congressman Tauzin's CARA Land Grab! -----1. Call both your Senators and your Congressman immediately. You may call any Senator or Representative at the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. YOU CAN USE TWO TEMPORARY TOLL FREE NUMBERS. THEY ARE: (800) 648-3516 or (877) 762-8762. When the switchboard answers, ask for your Senator or Representative’s office. Then ask for the staff person who covers S.476 (Faith Based Initiative), tax issues or natural resource issues . . . or each of them. Ask also for the staff person who is handling the Energy Bill. There is no number yet for the Energy Bill. We have copies of the draft. -----2. Send a fax objecting to this special secret deal for the Nature Conservancy to both your Senators plus your Representative. If you do not have their fax number, call the toll free number above to get it from your Senator or Representative. -----3. Send a fax objecting to including any CARA type land acquisition funding in the Energy Bill. -----4. Send a letter to them at the following addresses: (Keep in mind that for urgent issues such as these, letters will not get there for more than a week Fax is your quickest option. E-mail is good but it won’t be read quickly either because of the volume. ) Honorable _________ US Senate, Washington, DC 20510. Honorable _________ US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 10515 ----4. Tell your local newspaper about this special interest secret attack on private property. PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE!! -- To unsubscribe from this mailing list; please visit http://governance.net and enter your email address.