crotalusadamanteus
Brother Infidel
I'll have to look at it later on. My phone is retarded about some things,PDF is one of them.
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Responding to email notices you receive.
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In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.
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IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed
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Posted 08/15/2025
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Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.
Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."
Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....
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Addendum: 01/10/2026
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Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....
USARK & Reptile Nation Save 5 of 9 species from FWS Constrictor Rule!
- Thread starter USARK.Jonathan.Brady
- Start date
Ain't "getting at" nothing but the obvious
WHERE IS USARK? . . . . . . playing GI-Joe! rather then addressing those they seek
funding from.
WHERE IS USARK? . . . . . . playing GI-Joe! rather then addressing those they seek
funding from.
mxracer4life
"Daniel Boone"
Still human. We can't expect him not to have a personal life, sleep, eat etc. Gonna monitor his lunch breaks are we?
SPJ
Well-known member
Not entirely true.
I have stopped breeding and sold all of my BP's except for 1 and have never owned one of the animals that is affected by this rule change but have been doing as much as I can to make people aware of this and get them to sign the petition and try to help fight this.
I am actually doing a presentation for the local 4H on exotics this Saturday and will try to get the 4H people to sign the petition (this is the one time I wish I did own a burm).
Maybe some people don't care since it doesn't directly affect them but not all of us feel that way.
mxracer4life
"Daniel Boone"
I expected this reply from you and I'll leave you with it
My reply was a little more sarcastic then I meant it to be. What I should of said is that we are all putting a lot of pressure on them but we should still remember they are just like us. They gotta get away from it at some point.
Lair of Dragons
New member
He has time to play GI-Joe today
Big deal I am sure he has a life as we all do....heck I was playing Black Ops last night and replying to post....Whats next a pic of him sitting on the can.....
Travis
Lair of Dragons
GREGORY J HALL
Active member
If you ever listened to Wyatt on RR he seems like the type of person with a strong will & forword personality & not get into a pissy match on the net, USARK is what we got who else is gonna do it???? any volenteers?? not me I have to provide a living for my family & work if they take everything they do ! I did my part thats it? thats really all we can do play our small part I cabnt tell 15K people to sign a petition which Is really gonna change what?? all the reptile hobbiest out their it should of had 25K in a few days nobody seems to care about it.
mxracer4life
"Daniel Boone"
That is hilarious! :laugh:
waiting for their big announcement...
nothing yet.
Today I mailed out my letter to my Senators, Congressman and the President. Hopefully at least one staffer will take the time to actually read it and pass the message along...
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298785
Like I mentioned there, if anyone wants to use the letter or parts of it and send out letters themselves, please feel free. The more they hear from us, the better...
Does he not have obligations ?
Those that carry the USARK Director label,just what is it they direct?
They cant speak publicly regarding the stall in communication,any biscuit is better then
nothing
Those that carry the USARK Director label,just what is it they direct?
They cant speak publicly regarding the stall in communication,any biscuit is better then
nothing
HerpVenue
New member
This is from Herp Nation
Lair of Dragons
New member
I am sure they know obligations...let me ask you a question...how much did you donate...what level of membership...dont you think that before they come out with a plan that it has to be ran through all the major sponsors and high dollar members...I would rather they take their time and attempt to get it right instead of pulling a General Custer response.
IMO they know we are waiting and they know not everyone is going to like what they say and that some will be happy and some won't...remember you cant please everyone.
Unless you have something better in mind a different force or a lawyer on retainer I dont think if I was you I would be trying to call them out by advertising what they had for lunch. They are not going to respond...
Just my opinion and I could be wrong.....
Travis
Lair of Dragons
IMO they know we are waiting and they know not everyone is going to like what they say and that some will be happy and some won't...remember you cant please everyone.
Unless you have something better in mind a different force or a lawyer on retainer I dont think if I was you I would be trying to call them out by advertising what they had for lunch. They are not going to respond...
Just my opinion and I could be wrong.....
Travis
Lair of Dragons
HerpVenue
New member
I guess it must have been postponed or something.
Skiploder
New member
Fair question.
Two things.
I agree with you in that I'm not sure about USARK but I am also not sure how effective PIJAC is. As I stated in earlier posts, we get quick blasts from USARK, some news laced heavily with propaganda and then nothing. No direction, no game plan. So, like you and others, I'm cautious about writing them a check.
I send regular e-mails to my congressional representatives about national legislation. I'll send one every six to eight weeks. During seasonal work when I'm working at night, I also try to at least meet with an aide and chat a couple of times a year.
No, probably not very effective. but during these chats I've found out that the Reptile Nation doesn't really make a lot of noise...........
Second, I've been sending correspondence to companies like Doctor Fosters Smith, That Pet Place, along with both the Fresh and Saltwater Aquarium communities, etc. letting them know what's going on with legislation on our end. First they came for the Jews, then, well, you know the rest............
California recently faced some pet-related legislation that would have affected most of the exotic pet communities. It was show of force from the aquatic, avian communities and other exotic pet groups that beat the bill back. The Reptile Community was again, pretty much unrepresented - no word from USARK, no call to arms from USARK - but we did see what happens when ALL exotic pet owners band together for a cause.
Also, probably won't make a bit of difference.
Richard, I'm critical of the petition not to be critical, but because it really won't do anything - and that's something we all pretty much agree on. Heck, they have petition on there to petition the White House to readt the petitions.
A number of years ago, USARK kinda wrested the crown away from PIJAC and proclaimed themselves our champions.
Well, here we are, still smarting from this move by the USFWS and they have told us two things (1) send us money and (2) the petition won't do a bit of good.
I think there are positive things that can be done. I think uniting all of the exotic pet communities and the people who make coin off of us is the first. The second is showing up on the forums, on the radio, etc. and letting US know what the game plan is. We need a game plan. We need a work program. We need assignments. We need to work as a unified group on something proactive. We need to link up with other groups that could be threatened and recruit them to fight.
In the absence of that sort of direction, why should any of believe that USARK has any master plan? Have you seen one? I haven't.
crotalusadamanteus
Brother Infidel
Can anyone of you tell me what exactly "lobbyist fees" are? Sounds sorta broad spectrum to me, considering it is by far the largest expenditure they list, including "Admin Payroll".
Still at work, but found a wifi connection to check out that PDF on my laptop.
Still at work, but found a wifi connection to check out that PDF on my laptop.
Lair of Dragons
New member
Lobbyist fees:
Typically, lobbyists' fees go into a state's general fund. In 10 states, the fees lobbyists pay are directed to the cost of administering and enforcing the laws regulating lobbying firms and lobbyists. Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin (90%) dedicate the fees for this purpose. In Maine, half the fees go to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices and half to the General Fund. Registration fees in Ohio are credited to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee and the Office of the Legislative Inspector General for the purchase of data storage and computerization facilities.
Arizona's Citizens Clean Elections Act, enacted in a 1998 ballot initiative, included the $100 annual fee for each registered lobbyist representing businesses and trade associations of for-profit entities. These fees are deposited in the Clean Elections Fund that pays for the public funding of election campaigns for political candidates who voluntarily limit their campaign spending.
Vermont's tax on lobbyists' expenditures, not the registration fee, has been found unconstitutional (see below). It was to have been one of the sources of funding for the public campaign finance program.
Travis
Typically, lobbyists' fees go into a state's general fund. In 10 states, the fees lobbyists pay are directed to the cost of administering and enforcing the laws regulating lobbying firms and lobbyists. Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin (90%) dedicate the fees for this purpose. In Maine, half the fees go to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices and half to the General Fund. Registration fees in Ohio are credited to the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee and the Office of the Legislative Inspector General for the purchase of data storage and computerization facilities.
Arizona's Citizens Clean Elections Act, enacted in a 1998 ballot initiative, included the $100 annual fee for each registered lobbyist representing businesses and trade associations of for-profit entities. These fees are deposited in the Clean Elections Fund that pays for the public funding of election campaigns for political candidates who voluntarily limit their campaign spending.
Vermont's tax on lobbyists' expenditures, not the registration fee, has been found unconstitutional (see below). It was to have been one of the sources of funding for the public campaign finance program.
Travis
Lair of Dragons
New member
Heres more:
How much do lobbyists cost?
The #1 question I am currently getting asked is: How much do lobbyists get paid? There’s 2 sides to this question:
1.How much does it cost to hire a lobbyist?
2.How much income do individual lobbists earn?
This page deals with the first question – what it will cost you to hire a lobbyist. And unfortunately, the answer to this isn’t clear-cut.
Every lobbying firm has different pricing, and the pricing will almost always depend on the type of project, amount of work involved, size of the client (that’s you – the size of your company or organization), and expertise of the lobbying firm in the specific areas you need help with.
And I’ve never met a lobbying firm that wasn’t open to negotiation on price.
In general, for a specific and fairly well-defined project, I’ve received quotes from $5,000/month to $25,000/month. In general, the size of the quote increased as the size of the lobbying firm increased – the highest quote was from a firm with over 70 lobbyists; the lowest quote was from an individual lobbyist running his own shop.
It’s important to know that these prices assumed a contract of at least 1 year. They will tell you that most of the work in any project is in the first few months – and they’re being honest. What you’re really paying is a yearly fee, with payments spread out in monthly increments.
It’s also important to that you should expect to pay a premium for a really good firm. They may be willing to spread the costs out over 2 or 3 years to reduce your monthly fees, but they’ll usually expect to get paid well. This can be 2 to 3 times the price for a “normal” firm of the same size.
And in this case, if you’re really confident that the lobbyist is good, it’s probably worth the extra. It’s kind of like choosing a lawyer to defend you against a murder charge, or a brain surgeon to operate on a life-threatening condition – yes, you can get someone less expensive, but is paying less money really worth it if they don’t get results? If possible, invest in a good lobbyist; once you get results, you’ll be glad you did.
A few important notes here:
•Size of Your Organization: Most lobbyists recognize that smaller companies and organizations can’t afford as much as larger ones, and they’ll charge accordingly; some even do pro-bono work for charitable organizations or causes. But be aware that if you’re paying alot less than most of their other clients, you may not get as much of their attention on your issues.
•Commissions: It’s against the law for lobbyists to get paid on commission. Don’t think of them like sales reps – they’re not. Instead, think of them more like attorneys – you pay them for their services, and if you have the right firm on the right case, they’ll get results. But if they don’t get results, you still have to pay them.
•Bonuses: It’s against the law for lobbyists to get paid bonuses. However, there’s still a way to pay them incentives for performance, in the form of promises for continued business. It can be tricky to do this in a way that doesn’t run afoul of lobbying laws, so make sure your lobbyist knows what they’re doing when they set up the contract, and if you can, get it reviewed by an attorney familiar with lobbying ethics laws. It’s only fair that you should want your lobbyist to be rewarded for your success, so they have incentive to do a good job for you; but the lobbying rules can make this challenging. Be careful.
Travis
Lair of Dragons
How much do lobbyists cost?
The #1 question I am currently getting asked is: How much do lobbyists get paid? There’s 2 sides to this question:
1.How much does it cost to hire a lobbyist?
2.How much income do individual lobbists earn?
This page deals with the first question – what it will cost you to hire a lobbyist. And unfortunately, the answer to this isn’t clear-cut.
Every lobbying firm has different pricing, and the pricing will almost always depend on the type of project, amount of work involved, size of the client (that’s you – the size of your company or organization), and expertise of the lobbying firm in the specific areas you need help with.
And I’ve never met a lobbying firm that wasn’t open to negotiation on price.
In general, for a specific and fairly well-defined project, I’ve received quotes from $5,000/month to $25,000/month. In general, the size of the quote increased as the size of the lobbying firm increased – the highest quote was from a firm with over 70 lobbyists; the lowest quote was from an individual lobbyist running his own shop.
It’s important to know that these prices assumed a contract of at least 1 year. They will tell you that most of the work in any project is in the first few months – and they’re being honest. What you’re really paying is a yearly fee, with payments spread out in monthly increments.
It’s also important to that you should expect to pay a premium for a really good firm. They may be willing to spread the costs out over 2 or 3 years to reduce your monthly fees, but they’ll usually expect to get paid well. This can be 2 to 3 times the price for a “normal” firm of the same size.
And in this case, if you’re really confident that the lobbyist is good, it’s probably worth the extra. It’s kind of like choosing a lawyer to defend you against a murder charge, or a brain surgeon to operate on a life-threatening condition – yes, you can get someone less expensive, but is paying less money really worth it if they don’t get results? If possible, invest in a good lobbyist; once you get results, you’ll be glad you did.
A few important notes here:
•Size of Your Organization: Most lobbyists recognize that smaller companies and organizations can’t afford as much as larger ones, and they’ll charge accordingly; some even do pro-bono work for charitable organizations or causes. But be aware that if you’re paying alot less than most of their other clients, you may not get as much of their attention on your issues.
•Commissions: It’s against the law for lobbyists to get paid on commission. Don’t think of them like sales reps – they’re not. Instead, think of them more like attorneys – you pay them for their services, and if you have the right firm on the right case, they’ll get results. But if they don’t get results, you still have to pay them.
•Bonuses: It’s against the law for lobbyists to get paid bonuses. However, there’s still a way to pay them incentives for performance, in the form of promises for continued business. It can be tricky to do this in a way that doesn’t run afoul of lobbying laws, so make sure your lobbyist knows what they’re doing when they set up the contract, and if you can, get it reviewed by an attorney familiar with lobbying ethics laws. It’s only fair that you should want your lobbyist to be rewarded for your success, so they have incentive to do a good job for you; but the lobbying rules can make this challenging. Be careful.
Travis
Lair of Dragons
crotalusadamanteus
Brother Infidel
I understand there are expenses for everything, so I won't even touch on most of them, since they're what might be considered reasonable. But there are a couple that I do wonder about.
2009, ½ of all donations to a consultant? When in the following year it was 1/8 that amount, while collecting almost twice as much in donations? I wouldn't even question a consultant fee, except for it eating ½ the total donations for that year.
Hotel fees for 2011 were pretty high IMO. Enough to stay in a $65 dollar a night room for the whole yr. Sept 2011 alone was enough to stay in a $150 a night room for the entire month. Just seems a bit high unless they're ordering some whores with the rooms or something.
Admin Payroll, OK, they deserve something for their time and effort, no worries. But right below that another expenditure for Admin payroll tax? What, was their income taxed like everyone else, so they took that back from the donations? I don't get that one myself.
Except for those few things, and the lobbying fees. (um, don't them guys on the hill already live off of us that work and pay taxes? Now they tax us again?)
2009, ½ of all donations to a consultant? When in the following year it was 1/8 that amount, while collecting almost twice as much in donations? I wouldn't even question a consultant fee, except for it eating ½ the total donations for that year.
Hotel fees for 2011 were pretty high IMO. Enough to stay in a $65 dollar a night room for the whole yr. Sept 2011 alone was enough to stay in a $150 a night room for the entire month. Just seems a bit high unless they're ordering some whores with the rooms or something.
Admin Payroll, OK, they deserve something for their time and effort, no worries. But right below that another expenditure for Admin payroll tax? What, was their income taxed like everyone else, so they took that back from the donations? I don't get that one myself.
Except for those few things, and the lobbying fees. (um, don't them guys on the hill already live off of us that work and pay taxes? Now they tax us again?)