Well I posted on this thread last week about not being able to read the link posted about the bill... Needless to say, that post was deleted for some reason and then the new copy was posted here. I'm not only talking about updating on status, I'm talkin keeping people in the loop as in having other people and organizations help throw in some input as to what goes and doesn't go in the bill, who exactly needs to be called, seeing if other people can get other outside sources/ connections/ professional opinions. For example, I noticed that there is nothing in the newly revised bill about transportation of working dogs and if I remember correctly there was recently a post about someone getting a ticket for dogs being in a dog box. Another example- outside sources- a law school friend of mine who I'm introducing to hog dogging says that this bill is "only part of a bill" which will make it hard to pass, it's also strictly an "exemption bill" which will make it hard to Pass, he also stated that next session (since he is 100% sure it won't pass this session) we need to get quite a bit of money together for things like "a well known lobbyist" and "campaign contributions to the right people" and get "as many organization on board as possible" power in numbers basically.
Another thought I had, a suggestion to the mods, is two years from now during the next session y'all should put the laws and bills board at the top or the boards so when you click on forum it's the first thing you see. Myself, and I'm sure many others, log on and first thing we see is all the cool stuff. Then as the stories are read and the post are made I forget to look in this section. I just noticed that these threads don't get a whole lot of hits compared to the others and I think that might help.
Myself and everyone else appreciates lswd associations hard work and effort in working on this bill. Still have my fingers crossed that we can make it happen this year. But if not this year we can do it bigger and better two years from now and hopefully get it passed then.
I'll do my best to keep this polite and as unbiased as I can....
TColt,
You make some very good points about getting people and other organizations involved with HB2833. In the beginning, Lance Falzone, the author of HB2833 tried to do just that. He was a member of both LSWDA and TDHA and contacted both looking for assistance and ideas. In addition to those two groups, there were several other groups contacted in the following fields. Search and Rescue, blood trailing, herding dogs, RPOA, coon hunting clubs, etc. Some organizations expressed an interest and had dialogue, others had there own items they were concentrating on, and basically stated that they were behind the bill, but could not devote the time needed to "push" the bill. Others that have been fighting along with LSWDA are
Delta Waterfowl, Lone Star Bow Hunters, TOPs, US Sportsman's Aliiance, National Lacy Dog Association, Gonzales County Coon Hunters, Texas Black & Tan, Australian Sheperd Club of America,.... You can bet, that in the event HB2833 does not make it in this session, there will be a larger coalition of groups actively promoting this bill in the future.
As for a "well known lobbyist", LSWDA has just that. You may not know him, and your law school student buddy may not know him, but Austin, Tx does know him, and they know him well. He's been at the Capitol since 1968.... and he has been busting his butt working on getting hb2833 pushed through. There have been some hiccups, and there was a rewrite that took up some time. It's the nature of the beast... It's real easy to stand on the sidelines and throw stones, it's much more difficult to actually study and write a bill, get it sponsored, and through the house. I am just thankful that Lance took the initiative.
"TColt"
I have talked to several tdha members who don't know what's going on with the bill because they have been out of the loop. It's hard to keep up and help out when everything hits a private board that I'm not a member of.
The easiest way to stay in the loop is to friend LSWDA on Facebook. If you and your friends are anything like most of us, you check a couple of sites/forums on the web daily, and don't really have time to go to dozens of sites daily just to stay in the loop. Facebook seems to be the best tool for keeping people updated. Heck, LSWDA and TDHA are even friends on Facebook
I don't have the facts to back this up, but I believe that there is more information posted on Fb these days than all of the message boards combined. I know that most hunts posted on ETHD on Monday morning, have been posted "real time" on FB during the weekends they occur.
Guys and gals yall need to put your personal vendetas behind you and help get this passed. Fighting amongst our selves is doing nothing good for our sport and dog hunters in general. We are all working in the same direction to keep our sport alive.
Purebreed,
You are absolutely correct, and you are not the first to mention this. Here is an excerpt from a pm sent to me by a member of ETHD back in March, who to my knowledge is not a member of TDHA or LSWDA....
I'm about fed up with the TDHA vs. LSDWA BS. It's high time that personal differences are put aside for the common goal. If they all want to bicker and argue about who did this, whose idea was this, or this ways better than that then it needs to be done at a later time, when current issues aren't in a time crunch. Pauls post yesterday really struck me wrong, and I typed out two replys and deleted both without posting. Enough is enough...
There are some who just don't play well with others. I figured out a while back that I cannot get along with certain personalities, and as such, I no longer involve myself in their business, or post on their message board.
Since it's inception LSWDA has maintained that it is not competing with TDHA, that they are two separate organizations with the same goal, just different ideas on how to achieve said goals. There has been a perceived competition from some, and as a result there has been a benefit to dog owners, and I have to give credit where it's due. While I don't agree with how Paul T has handled HB2833, he has done a great job of informing the hunting public about various legislative items being proposed. He has done more on that front in this session than I have ever seen from TDHA before. I may not be a TDHA member, but as an owner of working dogs, I appreciate the effort he has put forth thus far. It has worked out well, as LSWDA has been a bit bogged down with HB2833 and the planning of its first annual AKC World Qualifier Coon Hunt, Dog Show, Weigh Pulling and Herding dog demo/ instinct testing
I have to agree with what others have already mentioned, it's time to move forward.
I'll end this post with a quote that I have to remind myself of often.
"You never get ahead, trying to get even"
