i have a recommendation for usark. if usark is willing to hear other peoples opinoins. not sure if andrews head has become so big from being full of hes own ideas that he can take in someone elses, but here we go
i recommend removing gary bagnall from usark. he bought his way into the organization with his $100,000 donation and i believe he is looking to protect himself in all this. it is rumored that he is for the big snake ban. i believe his stand on the matter is that big snakes are a pariah in the industry. and i think that a guy that makes a living selling the all important hot rocks and gecko cages would have little to lose if big snakes are ban. like todays news, it will affect him little.
ive said before that i believe that usark is a special interest lobbying group masquerading as an organization representing the whole industry and with someone like gary so heavily involved i think it corroborates my opinion.
a lot of people have told me that attacking usark the way i am is counter productive. but something else that is even more counter productive is blind faith. and blind faith is what people have had in usark. they have supported you without question. even when you tell them you wrote legislation for their states they still didnt question you, but i did.
they believe you when you say model legislation is the way to go to avoid an out right ban. its the way to go to keep your animals and keep the government out of your life. how many people will believe that after today? and i know how you will try to spin it. you will try to tell everyone that this happened because we didnt already have your model legislation in place, and how will people be able to argue that. they cant prove one way or another when it comes to what if's and what mite have been.
usark stated that it will file lawsuits if out right ban are passed. but i dont know if i believe that usark will really fight this that hard, and heres why.
1 you have people like gary bagnall as your largest contributor working on your board and we know hes not pro big snakes.
2 your willingness to compromise. your willing to compromise when it comes to state regulations and your willingness to compromise with the big snake ban that just passed.
usark, you are acting like it was a victory. right heres the link to your facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/USARK-...rs/93475517723
and heres the head line.
USARK SAVES 5 of 9 species of Constrictor! Retics, Boas, and 3 anacondas will NOT be listed!!! FWS had to lie and cheat to get Burms, africans and yellow anaconda!
i really hope usark proves me wrong on this and gos put an fights this.
after today the blind faith people had in usark ,for the most part, is gone.
usark will have to answer to the industry more now then it ever did before.
if usark wants people to really believe in them they will have to stop sending out so many email telling you what reptile show andrew will be parading around at ( all on usark supporters dime) asking for money and free animals to auction off and start sending out informative emails letting people know what the real issues are and what usark is doing about it.
and by the way stop writing model legislation for other peoples states without first consulting the people the legislation will affect.