VOTE YES ON 109 in AZ talk it up!!

Boskee

Long Time Member
Messages
4,859
We are coming down to crunch time on this and we need TO TALK THIS UP ALL WEEK AND GARNER SUPPORT! The elections Nov. 2 2010. If you have family in AZ please call them and tell them to vote YES!!

Tell everyone that likes to fish, hunt shoot or boat or ride ATV's they need to support this bill. A win will protect everyones right to hunt and fish in AZ in the future!!

We need every single vote we can get to pass this bill!

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT !!!

...VOTE YES ON 109....VOTE YES ON 109....VOTE YES ON 109.....
 
Done....My wife and I mailed in our ballots this weekend. I'm sure getting sick of the against adds on TV...Anti hunting groups posing as Sportsmen and Women asking the public to vote against this bill........Even worse here's the list of groups "supporting" this proposition and I've not see one add in rebuttal...... Take a close look at SFW AZ's mission statement.... Where are you????

Who Supports Prop 109

* Governor Jan Brewer, the Governor of Arizona

* Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife, an organization dedicated to advocacy on behalf of wildlife and sportsmen

* Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation , an organization dedicated to educating the public on issues of importance to wildlife and funding enhancement of wildlife habitat projects

* National Rifle Association , an organization dedicated to preserving our right to bear arms, hunt and fish

* Representative Jerry Weiers and 36 other members of the Arizona House of Representatives who voted for Prop 109

* Senator John Nelson and 17 other members of the Arizona Senate who voted for Prop 109

* Arizona Game and Fish Commission, the body responsible for regulation and enforcement of Arizona?s wildlife statutes

* Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, an organization dedicated to maintenance and enhancement of Arizona?s desert sheep populations

* Arizona Deer Association, an organization dedicated to conservation and enhancement of Arizona?s deer populations

* Arizona Antelope Foundation, an organization dedicated to the conservation of Arizona?s pronghorn antelope herds

* Arizona Elk Society, an organization dedicated to ensuring that Arizona?s elk populations are maintained and flourish

* Arizona Chapter of National Wild Turkey Federation, with several chapters throughout the state the NWTF is dedicated to reintroduction and conservation of Arizona?s various species of turkeys

* Anglers United , an organization that promotes kids fishing opportunities and the development of fishing habitat throughout the state

* Arizona Flycasters Club, an organization known for its many conservation projects including reintroduction of the Apache Trout

* Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club, an organization dedicated to stewardship of the land and promotion of wildlife, wildlife habitat and the traditions that accompany it.

* Arizona Wildlife Federation, an organization founded to take politics out of wildlife and habitat management and to promote the management of Arizona resources on a scientific basis

* Mohave Sportsmen?s Association, a family-oriented organization that promotes all shooting sports, youth marksmanship programs and hunter education classes

* Southeastern Arizona Sportsmen?s Club, an organization dedicated to conservation of wildlife habitat and natural resources, defending the Second Amendment and educating the public on important issues concerning wildlife

* Safari Club International, Phoenix and Arizona Chapters, organizations dedicated to making a contribution to Arizona?s wildlife conservation effort, provide outdoor experience for youth, educate the public and protect hunting and fishing

* Arizona Trappers Association, an organization dedicated to the use of ethical and humane methods of take for managing wildlife populations

* Arizona Bowhunters Association, an organization whose mission is to foster, perpetuate and expand bowhunting and bowhunting ethics in Arizona

* Outdoor Experience 4 All , an organization dedicated to providing outdoor experiences for kids of all ages, especially those who have a life threatening illness

* Former Game & Fish Commissioner W. Hays Gilstrap, the former commissioner largely responsible for securing one of the few additional sources of funding ( the wildlife conservation fund) for game and fish as part of the Indian Gaming Initiative

* Todd Rathner, board member of the National Rifle Association

* Mogollon Sporting Association, an organization whose mission is to enhance wildlife, environment, education and our economy in the Mogollon Rim Country by supporting local quality game management and our local businesses.
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-25-10 AT 11:42PM (MST)[p]"Even worse here's the list of groups "supporting" this proposition and I've not see one add in rebuttal...... Take a close look at SFW AZ's mission statement.... Where are you????"
The bigger question you should be asking is "Sportsmen and women of Arizona, where are you?

Most of the groups you posted have information on their websites about supporting Prop 109. Most of the groups you mentioned have donated thousands of dollars to the Commissioners Yes on 109 campaign. We have asked for help putting out signs, manning tables, we've asked for donations to advertise a yes vote for 109
and there are still only a handful of active sportsmen doing the work.
All told the AZ wildlife orgs have raised about $70,000. Enough to send out a couple of million emails, print handouts, print vote yes postcards and mail them out to almost 200,000 registered voters and a few more grass roots things.
The Antis have raised over $500,000, most from out of state groups that have agendas to "do away with sport hunting as you know it today".
Read the info on the websites of the groups. Use the links to get the information on this prop and what it means to Az. Help get the word out. Be part of the solution to retaining the heritage of hunting and fishing in AZ.
www.outdoorheritagearizona.com
www.commissionersyeson109.com
Check out the many Yes on 109 facebook sites set up with info, including media press conferences last week where John McCain and Trent Franks voiced their support of prop 109. Then think back on how you never heard about the yes on prop 109 supporters. We don't have the money and influence to get our voice heard in the media.
Maybe you missed the full page ad from the NRA in the newspaper, maybe you haven't seen the TV ads by SCI in support of prop 109.
SO TAKE SOME TIME AND READ ALL THE INFO THAT THE GROUPS HAVE TRIED TO GET OUT. Then talk to your neighbors and friends about supporting 109. All the info you need is out there.
It's too bad that there are soooo many sportsmen that sit behind their computers and ask why there isn't someone doing something, then when the call goes out for help needed, nobody comes forward. I realize that there are many guys that help out individually, but think of the impact if we would try and band together to do good things.
Steve
 
Steve... Honestly I have not seen any TV ads in favor but the against ones are on 3 times an hour during prime time, you can't miss them.... I stopped subscribing to the rebublic years ago and I am a life member of two of the groups touted as supporting this bill and have not received even an e-mail or snail mail from them let alone a phone call..... Maybe it's time for the AZ groups to get their act together and get a better public education campaign organized.... If you're not reaching even your own group membership something is way wrong..... And for the record I have been on many work projects and have been very active for my causes over the last 20 years..... I'm afraid the ball has been fumbled on this one and even though my wife and I have voted for this already and are spreading the word as much as we can I believe this fight has been lost and we will come out of this beaten and battered without even dishing out a scratch.....Paint it however you want this is pathetic..... Terry
 
Terry, it's the same old story! The hunting community in general has an immense issue with getting people involved and massive issues with lack of funds. This whole effort wasn't coordinated nearly as well as it needed to be and I can tell you that the few involved have been working their tails off!

SCI was running some TV spots on the Nascar race and hunting channel and they have stepped up to help. The NRA was doing phone messages to a rather large base & mailings and press conferences ( that recieved little air time ) and have spent some major $$ but the majority of work has been done at the grass roots level using older less effective techniques than TV. In todays world TV is the medium that gets the message across. Websites work but only if you go and look and most people won't make that effort. Then we have the issue with deceptive ads to deal with and a major issue with the statewide papers and tv stations using censorship and supporting the other side to push their agenda. Then we have retailers that sell guns and fishing rods and hunting licenses yet won't allow us to put a sign in their stores because that's their company policy. Then we have major manufacturers of hunting and fishing products within our state that don't feel compelled to step up and make a contribution to stay in business. Yep we've got an issue you hit the nail squarely on the head!
 
Boskee.... I understand,10% of the people always wind up doing 90% of the work. I want our AZ conservation groups to be as successful in these efforts as both you and Steve do. There are some things they currently do very well.

1.) Organization of fund raising Banquets ( I always get mailed notifications of upcoming banquets even from organizations I am not a member of). Can we tap into this organizational network in the future for issues such as this?

2.) Putting the dollars from the fund raising efforts to work on conservation projects, Watercatchments, Barbed wire Fence removal and modification, land improvements.

We , as a group, are definitely behind the curve and not near as sophisticated as the anti's are, but we need to get up to their level. It's probably to late for this issue but this is not the last fight we are going to have on our hands.

Terry
 
Terry
Just a little history of Prop 109:
Two years ago the Citizens Defense league brought this bill up. It was dropped the first year because of vague language. This year the NRA took the ball and with a lot of wordsmithing with the G&F Commission and Legislators came up with the current language. The NRA was the major force behind this bill. The groups were followers and the NRA had verbally committed to supporting this issue. The groups waited way to long to get the ball rolling, while trying to find out what the NRA was going to do and commit to this issue. We, the groups, are VERY restricted as to what we can do and donate to political issues by the IRS so we were relying on the NRA to take their ball and run with it. I think the NRA was caught off guard by the reaction of the antis in this issue and didn't commit enough money and haven't mustered the needed battle strategy to support their side of the vote. By the time the groups became aware that the NRA was not going to put much resources in this issue we were already behind the gun. The groups stepped up with financing, that we could legally, but the sportsmen have done nothing, or very little to support this issue.

We, the groups are doing all we can, within the law, and within our groups as volunteers with jobs for this issue. Yes, there are some groups that need to do better communicating, but again the lists and communication tools we have a limited by the sportsmen that don't take the time to make sure they are on the list and there info is correct. Sportsmen need to take time to get on the email lists since they are opt in lists, sportsmen need to check on websites of groups and facebook pages that deal with issues that need their input. The groups can't do it all by themselves.

The issue here is not the groups it is sportsmen apathy. The groups are the only ones working hard on this issue. Some do a good job some don't.
There are many restrictions on the groups that the public isn't aware of.
1. We are volunteers and have full time jobs. The antis hire people to do the work.
2. 501c3 organizations are VERY limited as to what they can donate and do on issues related to politics.
3. The groups are only effective as their membership wants to be when asking for help. Many stand back and have the do it for me attitude.
The AES has sent out over 10,000 emails on this issue and less than 3000 people took the time to open the email. Politics is not important to many people. Politics, initiatives, lawsuits and such has been the tools of the anti hunters because hunters and sportsmen refuse to get involved. We don't band together.
Blaming the groups when the groups are struggling to retain members is not the answer.
 
Hey guys, I just got an email from the National Shooting Sports Foundation with a link to expenditures on the AZ propositions... (By the way, I have received so many emails from NSSF, NRA, AZSFW, AAF, and ADA all supporting PROP 109 that I can't remember them all!)

http://www.azsos.gov/election/2010/General/ballotmeasurenotificationsPage2.htm

(You might need to copy and paste the link.)


Here's a quick summary:

No on Prop 109 expenditures:
Media Strategies and Research = $350,000 (D.C. area company that makes media buys)
HSUS = $263,684.75
The Fund for Animals = $100,000
TOTAL = $713,684.75

YES ON PROP 109:
There are quite a few different contributors to both the YES on 109 campaign as well as COMMISSIONERS YES ON 109.COM.
NRA = $233761.53
ADBSS = $30,000
AES = $30,000
Others = $142325.87
TOTAL = $436087.40


We are still being outspent by over 60%, not counting all the "free" advertising they get from the media outlets.

It's just that much more important to contact as many people as you can...

Thanks to all who are voting YES ON PROP 109 and specifically you gentlemen who have already posted and are clearly passionate and supportive of the measure! (I'm sure I know most of you, but I don't recognize your screen names...)

FYI: I am on the Board of AZSFW, I spoke as the Proponent at the Secretary of State Town Hall Meetings in both Prescott and Chino Valley, and have been putting up signs in the Quad-City area, in addition to as much word-of-mouth contact as I can.


-----
Trent Swanson
Western Hunter Magazine
www.westernhuntermagazine.net
Outdoorsmans
www.outdoorsmans.com
Wilderness Athlete
www.wildernessathlete.com
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-27-10 AT 11:40PM (MST)[p]Trent I sure hope all those guys in northern, eastern and central AZ go vote. They are so important on these types of issues and truth be known they ultimately make the difference!! I look forward to meeting you in the future! CA


VOTE YES ON 109
 
I just hope we're not "too little/too late." Living in the more rural part of the state, it's always hard to overcome the influence of Phoenix and Tucson, but hopefully the rural voters are smart enough not to get swayed by the HSUS!

Thanks for all you have done to get the word out. I commend your efforts and look forward to meeting you in person, too!

VOTE YES ON PROP 109!

-----
Trent Swanson
Western Hunter Magazine
www.westernhuntermagazine.net
Outdoorsmans
www.outdoorsmans.com
Wilderness Athlete
www.wildernessathlete.com
 
I just got another email from AZSFW...



SPORTSMEN'S ACTION NETWORK

Newsletter October 28, 2010

______________________________________________________

OUR MISSION: To make Arizona sportsmen an effective force in determining political, legislative, educational and administrative issues that promote wildlife, wildlife habitat, and continuation of our hunting and fishing traditions.
Vote Yes on Prop 109, the Right to Hunt and Fish

Vote Yes on Prop 109, the Right to Hunt and Fish

Don't believe what the opponents to Prop 109 are telling you. The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter (SCGCC), Humane Society of the U. S. (HSUS) and Animal Defense League of Arizona (ADLA) are lying to the voters about what Prop 109 actually does and does not do.

First, they say it is a power grab by the legislature. It is not! The Legislature currently has the power to make all legislation including laws related to wildlife. The power is and always has been vested with the Legislature in Article 4 of the Arizona Constitution. Look it up for yourself. Prop 109 does not change the authority of the legislature to legislate. They have the authority today. The Legislature put Prop 109 on the ballot because sportsmen and wildlife conservation organizations asked them to do so.

Second, they say it removes power from the Game and Fish Commission.
This is another misrepresentation of fact. The Arizona Game & Fish Commission helped draft the language contained in Prop 109 and voted 4-1 to support the bill as it was going through the Legislature. The Commission also voted 5-0 to endorse the "Yes on Prop 109" ballot argument it placed in the Secretary of State voter election pamphlet. The Commission would not have voted in favor of something that created its own demise or otherwise limited its power.

The Legislature, of its own free will, delegated power to the Arizona Game & Fish Commission in 1929 and still does so today. Sportsmen and wildlife conservation groups, including those in support of Prop 109, have fought tenaciously over the years to protect the Commission and we will continue to do so.

Third, the opposition says sound science will be replaced by politics. All you have to do is read the plain language contained in Prop 109. In paragraph B, it says that laws and rules authorized under this section shall have the "purpose of wildlife conservation and management" while "preserving the future of hunting and fishing".

Fourth, they say Prop 109 is not needed; Arizonans already have the right to hunt and fish. If this is the case, why is HSUS spending $250,000 to try and defeat Prop 109? Answer - because it will make it more difficult for them to eliminate the ability to hunt and fish using the emotionally-charged voter initiative process like they did in California to ban mountain lion hunting!

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS is on record himself saying, "We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States...We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state." If Prop 109 passes they will have to obtain more signatures to manage wildlife one species at a time at the ballot box and that will make it more difficult for them to use emotion to fool the voters. Don't let Arizona go the way of California.

See who supports Prop 109. Please go to www.commissionersyeson109.com to see the list of supporters. Ask yourself, who do I trust? The current Arizona Game & Fish Commission, former commissioners, retired game and fish personnel who have spent their lives conserving and managing wildlife, wildlife conservation groups, Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife, the National Rifle Association and other like-minded groups who have spent millions of dollars and millions of man-hours conserving wildlife or organizations like the Sierra Club, HSUS and ADLA. The answer should be a no-brainer. Support Prop 109!

Records indicate voters are holding onto their early ballots rather than mailing them back promptly. If you still have an early ballot, please mail it in today in order to get your vote acknowledged on Election night. Early Ballots received late in the mail are not likely to get counted until a couple of weeks after the election.

Suzanne Gilstrap
Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife




VOTE YES ON PROP 109!!


-----
Trent Swanson
Western Hunter Magazine
www.westernhuntermagazine.net
Outdoorsmans
www.outdoorsmans.com
Wilderness Athlete
www.wildernessathlete.com
 
I know quite a few sportsman that have already mailed in their ballots and they voted no!! Asked why, they said that they agreed with what was being said on the ads on tv. I asked them if they actually did any research themselves on the prop or even asked other sportsman what they thought about it and they said no, they though the ads on tv gave them a good enough reason to vote no. So this is the kind of stuff we are battling. I have been talking it up to everyone on come in contact with, with as much information I can give them to vote yes.


Brian
 
Nice job Brian!!! It's too bad we can't even educate our own. Anyone who claims to be a sportsman and votes no on Prop 109 shouldn't be considered a sportsman at all. Ignorance is not bliss!

I just pulled up the websites for ADA, AAF, AES, ADBSS, and AZSFW - all of them have prominent VOTE YES on 109 information posted on their homepages. Heck, there's even a link on the homepage of the AZGFD that takes you to an article explaining why the Commission supports 109!!



By the way, for any of you who have not been receiving any emails, here's another one I just got from the NRA:





Anti-Hunting Extremists Spending Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars on a Campaign of Lies Against Arizona?s Right to Hunt and Fish

Vote Yes on Prop. 109 and Tell Them to Spread Their Lies Elsewhere!



Last week, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Representative Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) announced their support of Arizona's Proposition 109 ? the Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment. Joining them at a press conference in the Arizona State Capitol was former NRA president Sandy Froman. Arizona is among four states with a Right to Hunt and Fish Constitutional Amendment appearing on the November ballot.



If adopted, Prop. 109 will protect Arizona's generations-old hunting and fishing heritage and critical wildlife management practices against the kinds of emotion-driven bans that have been imposed in other states.



The extremists at Fund for Animals just put $100,000 into the pot to fight Prop. 109. The most powerful anti-hunting group, the Humane Society if the United States (HSUS), has already contributed more than $250,000 to the effort to defeat Prop. 109. The radicals are actively engaged because they know the measure would protect hunting and fishing for future generations. Prop. 109 defends the citizens and wildlife of Arizona from the deception and extremism of the misguided anti-hunting crowd.



The Amendment specifies that all laws and rules pertaining to hunting and fishing "shall have the purpose of wildlife conservation and management and preserving the future of hunting and fishing." The language requires sound scientific reasoning, not emotion, as the basis for rules and regulations. Prop. 109 guarantees that hunting and fishing will continue to be regulated in a scientific manner in order to benefit wildlife populations.



The opponents have resorted to telling lies in order to persuade voters to oppose Prop 109. One of the most obvious is the claim that the Legislature is attempting to take power from the Game and Fish Commission. The opposition has even named its campaign committee Arizonans Against the Power Grab. The truth is that nothing in the proposition changes the relationship between the Legislature and Commission. The Legislature has always had control over the Commission. After all, the Legislature gave birth to the Commission in Title 17 of the state statutes. Under the plain language of the amendment, the Legislature will continue to delegate its regulatory powers to the Commission.



In a rare moment of objectivity by the media, the Cronkite News Service attempted to make this point when it wrote ?Jennifer Martin, chairwoman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, said that critics of Proposition 109 are overreacting. ?Anyone labeling this as a power grab is simply misinterpreting the language,? Martin said. ?What seems to be lost here is that this really won't represent any change to the status quo.??



The Right to Hunt and Fish, Proposition 109, is essential to protecting conservation as well as Arizona?s great hunting and fishing heritage. Be sure to vote YES on Prop 109! Please tell all of your friends, family and fellow sportsmen to do the same. Every vote counts. For more information on Prop 109 please go to:



www.nraila.org/yeson109 or http://www.facebook.com/Yeson109.






VOTE YES ON PROP 109!


-----
Trent Swanson
Western Hunter Magazine
www.westernhuntermagazine.net
Outdoorsmans
www.outdoorsmans.com
Wilderness Athlete
www.wildernessathlete.com
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-28-10 AT 11:54PM (MST)[p]Trent... When all is said and done the thing that is going to have the biggest impact on most people are the TV ads.....The anti hunters are getting their spin from their groups and are voting no regardless.... The active proponents of hunting are doing the same in favor of this proposition. Where we missed the boat is in reaching those on the fence who are not hunters or anti's. I honestly feel most of them consider antihunters to be extremists and would side with us had the message got out. Unfortunately what they are going to remember when they go to cast their vote are the faux sportsmen and women in the TV ad talking about the "biggest power grab in AZ history". $436087.40
is a lot of money and I can only wonder how many TV ads it could have paid for. I think the best thing we are going to get out of this is a lesson learned and if we're smart we will be better prepared next time.

Thanks for all you guys do. I know the commitment and dedication each of you brings to our sport. This is a new age and we are under attack and dealing with a sophisticated, politically savvy advesary. We need to learn and adapt quickly if we are going to win this fight.

Terry
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-01-10 AT 09:30AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Nov-01-10 AT 09:09?AM (MST)
Guys we have a lot of misinformation out there especially on fishing sites, and if you can cut and paste this post on any site that has the same issues it may help, thank you!
When you have so many outdoormens & conservation organizations supporting a piece of legislation to PROTECT HUNTING & FISHING why would anyone hesitate to support it?

When any opponent on an issue is outright lying by telling people they may lose their vote, their taxes may go up when it's not part of the proposition it's deceptive. Then they tell them that the legislature may gain control over game management that they already have control over, you need to point that out to show their true intent is to trick people. VOTES AND TAXES are scare tactics and when you resort to that, how could THEY really be truthful about why THEY oppose the prop.

Then tell them about how a greedy little outfitter in NM George Taulman from US Outfitters stopped the AZ draw because he wanted more NONRESIDENT opportunity and a judge found in his favor because AZ was in violation of supporting interstate commerce because they limited NR tags. HORNS AND HIDES can be sold and we were restricting NR from making a profit!

Then Mr Taulman proceeded to file suits against NV, KS, Iowa and one other state for the same thing because he wanted more clients. SEN. Harry Reid listened to sportsmen and got the congress and senate to support a little statement tacked onto a bill that said" the states have the right to allocte their tags" and MR Taulmans suits suddenly didn't have any basis and he had to drop them and the states controlled their tags again!

That right there is the reason why you want protective legislation in place for hunting and fishing to keep things like that from happening. The legislation makes it much more difficult to get things changed and for them to take away dove season, fishing on the colorado river, etc. Then you have those same organizations that say NO to this getting a court order to oppose building water catchments in the KOFA's to make life easier for all wildlife in an arid desert unit somethings wrong. Those same organizations lost in court when the US Sportmens alliance and other groups fought them and they lost. Only then could we resume building water catchments for our wildlife to help them find water! They also have fought the departments attempts to reduce lion populations in the KOFA's because they are hurting our sheep numbers based on the fact it is a wilderness area! You guys put those sheep there and they're fighting us from protecting & managing them!

That right there is why you need protection boys and these are just a few examples need I say more!

...VOTE YES ON 109...VOTE YES ON 109...VOTE YES ON 109

Think they want your boats on our lakes polluting our water with their exhaust, think they want your atv's in our forests even on the roads......

Think their "NATURAL-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT" includes hunting and fishing? Sorry boys but hunting and fishing aren't part of that PLAN because with their plan NATURE manages itself on land and in the water and that means we won't be stocking any trout for you or the kids to catch because in reality in many waters in our state they're not a native specie and need to be eliminated...because that's not the way nature intended things to be! Still think you shouldn't vote YES......... that's the suckers bet boys don't take the bait or they'll take yours in the end!

...VOTE YES ON 109...VOTE YES ON 109...VOTE YES ON 109


Thanks to all of you for your support and together we can protect our rights to hunt and fish!
 

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