mike rossi

Petition is again extended, the senate still has not delivered the bill to the governor. Sign it and share it!

Our organization is apolitical, we don't get involved with elections. I know this however; the Oneida's recently helped in incumbent narrowly defeat a candidate in the US primary by dumping about $700,000 on local advertising. The advertising was not necessarily about special interest issues important to the Oneidas, but about issues important to a broad base of people. The homosexual community recently squashed another politician with the exact same tactic. Both the Oneida's and the homosexual community are aware that they are minorities and their special interests are not palatable to the public majority, so instead they focused their advertising campaign on issues that set the candidate they wish to defeat against the public majority. Such advertising can even be done without disclosing who is sponsoring it. Very shrewd indeed...

The NY (state) primaries are September 9, 2014. Some voters may not be aware of new candidates challenging incumbents until that date, allowing only about 8 weeks to "research" them before the general election (November 4, 2014 off course). To be informed to vote in the primary, if you start investigating the candidates today, you only have about 9 weeks. Here are some links to start with: http://ballotpedia.org/New_York_elections,_2014 http://new-york.state-election.info/ http://www.elections.ny.gov/

Kolb was one of only 25 lawmakers who recently voted PRO - DEC. Kolb also voted against the Safe Act. The following lawmakers, all in the assembly, recently voted Pro -DEC: Corwin; Oaks; Walter; Crouch; Goodell; Barclay; Palmesa; Hawley; Blanken; Borelli; DiPietri; Duprey; Finch; Mclaugh; Stec; Butler; Katz; Friend; Stirpe; Montesa; Tenney; Giglio; Kolb; Lalor; Nojay. Tenney is also leading an initiative to Repeal the Safe Act. She did run in the recent primary for Hanna's seat in congress, but was narrowly defeated. Despite the close election; I do not believe she is asking for a recount and therefore did not vacate her assembly seat in the 101 district, which is new Hartford, near Utica. Who all is being challenged? We are aware of the following: Brian Curran challenged by Friedman in the 21st Assembly District George Maziarz challenged by Gia Arnold in the 47th senate district Also, a guy by the name of "Denver Jones" is running for "senate". No info on if this is state senate or congress or what district, although he is said to live in Tioga county. Since we don't know what office or district, we don't know who is the incumbent he is challenging or whether it is vacant or what. Anybody know or will find out? Anyone know of any other incumbents who are being challenged next election? Post them up here!

Speaking of which, when are you going to sign?

She isn't trying to run against Chuck Schumer. Gia Arnold's Campaign is for NY State Senate Run in the 62nd District primary election against current incumbent George Maziarz. I heard Denver Jones is trying to run as well. He sounds like a lot of the guys on this forum, is he one of you? Here is a video of him speaking at a gun club and another of Assemblyman Nojay at the same rod and gun club. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2LS54OriOM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kdRQba8heA

But Blur, did you sign our mute swan petition which is active and open right now? Because it is about the same thing, only worse...

We did extend the petition, so please sign if you have not and continue to encourage others to also sign it. Also, note the bold above. I left out that this also is in direct contradiction to the idea that lawmakers should have TERM LIMITS! The sporting community wants lawmakers to have less time in office, not double the time between elections! We should be jumping on this as well....

You bet it certainly does help! The bill is not even delivered yet, so this buys us more time to gather signatures, so keep the line tight. Even if we only get as many as we have, we are still sending this to the governor. Even in the face of over-whelming opposition, a small level of support can influence the outcome. Though I am sure they have flat out lied to me on numerous occasions; I have been told by several lawmakers that on certain issues they have received many letters and petitions from anti-hunters / anti-DEC groups; yet received as few as ZERO contacts from our side! The antis have studied the issues over the years and they know what issues in certain states which are easy prey for them. The hunting community constantly warns about the slippery slope effect and the importance of sticking together; however some issues do not lend themselves at all to a slippery slope and hunters do not stick together. Ironically, this particular issue, which basically tells the DEC they don't make the decisions regarding wildlife, does in fact lend itself extremely well to a slippery slope effect, yet little action has been put in motion by the larger hunting organizations. FYI: The overwhelming support and swift action Tony Avella received from his fellow lawmakers in passing his mute swan proposal was likely a bipartisan political favor granted in return for his other bill: A bill which extends the term of lawmakers from two years to four years. As Avella is reported to be unbeatable in his district (*) therefore, unlike other lawmakers, he has little fear of voter retaliation, thus is the "hero" doing the self-serving dirty work of other lawmakers who are not as secure in their jobs. (*) Another source, however, has published that the democratic party is fed up with Avella, believes he is too extreme even for them, and desires a different candidate to replace him. So anyone who lives in his district and is a registered democrat can vote in the primary, (if) anyone challenges him for the democratic nomination. Anyone lives in Avella's district should watch this and keep us apprised. Or even run for office and challenge Avella for the democratic nomination!

Beaver ponds are generally considered as improvements to wild native trout habitats. I think some of the people who talk about tearing down dams, never saw one, indeed you are correct about the difficulty removing them. Furthermore, there seldom is one dam, usually a series of dams comprise a beaver impoundment. Beaver produce muskrats, a trapper who takes beaver is cutting his own throat. And muskrats are less work both trapping, handling, and storing, with 2 rats bringing the same dollar as one blanket beaver....

As of Friday evening, the senators still have not sent the bill to the governor, therefore it is very likely we will extend the closing date of this petition, or start a new one. If you have not signed, please do so and ask others to do the same. If we do launch a new petition, and you already have signed the first one, do not sign the new one because both will be forwarded to Albany. For those of you who are not familiar with the nature of this petition: The DEC is being prevented from addressing mute swan issues by legislation prompted by animal rights organizations that has already been approved by lawmakers in both houses. We are asking the governor to VETO the new law and allow the DEC to carryout its science-based management plan for mute swans. Once the lawmakers deliver the bill to the governor, he has up to 10 days to approve or reject it but he is not required to wait 10 days, so his decision can be immediate upon receiving the bill. As of today, lawmakers still have the bill. And, for those of you not familiar with the problem with mute swans, the following video provide a quick overview. Also, if you go to the petition, and click on the arrow you can view a different video which might convince those not convinced by this one: http://nydovehunting.weebly.com/mute-swans.html

Below is ANOTHER response written as if I agreed with their vote. Either these lawmakers are playing games with me or they are not reading my mail or they are hiring incompetent people to read their mail. The salary of lawmakers is how much, anyone know? Dear Friend: Thank you for writing regarding the protection of mute swans in New York. The State Senate shares your concerns for wildlife protection, which is why we passed legislation recently to prohibit the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s plan to eliminate mute swans. Two bills passed by both the Senate and Assembly would establish a moratorium on DEC’s plan to declare mute swans a prohibited invasive species, thereby preventing the eradication of the state’s swan population. The Republican Conference had serious concerns as wildlife experts and environmentalists debated the effect on the ecosystem of the planned extermination. Experts estimate the mute swan population to be about 2,200 in the state. The bills were also passed by the Assembly and now await the Governor’s final approval. Thank you for sharing your position on protecting the mute swans. Our Republican Conference agrees with your concerns and look forward to acting in a responsible manner as it relates to all wildlife in our great state. Please feel free to contact my office with any further questions. Sincerely, Dean G. Skelos Majority Coalition Leader New York State Senate

If you had read the first draft plan, you would have seen that in addition to eradicating the free-ranging (wild) mute swan population; the plan also called to declared them a "prohibited species". There was stipulations in the plan that grandfathered people who already had mute swans to keep them; provided they were to be pinioned, sterilized, and caged on private property. Under those proposed regulations, if a pet mute swan got shot, it would be because the owner was not in compliance with the law.

Jim, Invite me to your meetings, I will talk to them about it with you.

And that doesn't include the dollar value of our volunteer labor force when we get off our cans and do volunteer habitat work and bird banding.... Here is the link: http://www.ducks.org/texas/houston-chapter-makes-history

NY has 35,000 waterfowl hunters. And we raise a lot of money... Here are the records, but that is a miniscule percent of the money raised by every chapter. Ducks Unlimited's 75th Anniversary will be remembered by many as the year the single-event fundraising record was broken... four times! Last February, DU's New York City chapter kicked off the organization's 75th anniversary celebration at the historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Hosting a crowd of more than 600 attendees, chapter chairman Michael Witter and his committee secured $1.2 million and set the bar for what would be a historic year by surpassing the all-time fundraising record for a single DU event. Not long after, in March, DU's Blackhawk chapter in Danville, California, upped the ante with a $1.4 million event. This new record was, in turn, topped in July by DU's Downtown Chicago chapter, which, led by chairman John Schreiner, raised an astonishing $1.45 million (see sidebar). Indeed, the City of Big Shoulders came through big-time for the ducks! That record stood until October 25, when John Nau, a trustee for Wetlands America Trust and owner of Silver Eagle Budweiser of Houston, hosted nearly 600 guests at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. This Houston DU event raised a whopping $1.65 million for wetlands and waterfowl conservation, breaking the single-event fundraising record for the fourth time in one year! In preparing for the event, Houston chapter chairman David Koch (a former DU collegiate chapter chairman at Texas A&M University) and his committee stuck to a model that has driven their fundraising success for years. "DU Houston has a program we call the Wetlands Sponsor of the Year," Koch explained. "The concept was developed years ago to recognize and honor a conservationist and sportsman from the community through our event and allow their family, friends, and associates to join in the celebration." The Houston chapter's 2012 Wetlands Sponsor of the Year honoree was Jim Flores, a lifelong Gulf Coast resident, avid waterfowl hunter, and longtime supporter of wetlands conservation. In his comments, Flores energized the crowd by sharing his passion for conservation and DU's mission. Several DU board members and executive staff from across the country were also in attendance, including DU CEO Dale Hall, First Vice President George Dunklin Jr., Senior Vice President Paul Bonderson Jr., At-Large Board Member Rogers Hoyt Jr., and Texas DU State Chairman Rob Gokey. Like most DU events, the Houston chapter's fundraising activities included an extensive raffle of art, firearms, and outdoor items, as well as silent and live auctions. The live auction, which raised more than $500,000, is believed to be the most successful ever at a DU event. "The primary reason for our continued success is that we have a very large committee of passionate volunteers who want to be on a winning team," Koch noted. "We continually add new committee members and give them important jobs right away. Everyone on the committee has a direct influence on our success, and we approach our events with a true team attitude. We have fun all year long. It's more than a one-night party for us!"

How could you determine which farmers to exclude? The main premise against Sunday hunting by both farmers and outdoor recreationists is time-equity, yet with the exception of a few unprotected species, very little hunting occurs outside of the autumn. The farmer generally does not see hunters outside of the autumn and outdoor recreationists are not restricted to hunting seasons as hunters are. The outdoor recreationist might complain that the weather is not pleasant outside the autumn, but hunting is effected by the weather in more ways than comfort. For example rain can cancel a bow hunt. The wrong wind can cancel a waterfowl hunt, but the conditions on Sunday might be ideal... The list goes on and on. They really do not have a strong time-equity argument, we do. But even that being the case, I think hunters need to give up this idea they can twist the public's arm or the belief that we are such a powerful political influence and realize we need to work toward fostering public acceptance. I am not saying convert people into hunters, I am saying get them to accept hunting. Additionally, state wildlife agencies should launch educational outreach directed to outdoor recreationists. That outreach should address time-equity by explaining most hunting is restricted to "hunting seasons" and that weather has an array of effects on hunting. The problem with outreach is that state wildlife departments often implement it at the time a regulation change is proposed. The public should be "primed" ahead of time so that they are less likely to oppose new proposals.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/24/voters-head-to-the-polls-to-cast-ballots-in-long-island-primaries/ http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/24/rangel-espaillat-face-off-in-primary-election/

Larry, I believe it was you who previously mentioned the pejorative term 'Fud" before... You are entitled to your opinion, but nothing in that article is relevant to the outcome. Here is why: 1) Using the courts - the judge decided it was NOT a second amendment issue. 2) Using the legislature the fuds have not built broad-based public support among farmers and outdoor recreationists. Therefore: The Non-fuds don't play into either number 1 nor number 2. The non-fuds had no bearing in the outcome and their support would not have effected the outcome. Although I am active in second amendment rights, probably more than you and the author of that article put together. However, the contention that it is the fuds which don't help the non fuds is absurd, it is the other way around. These big organizations such as bearing arms are going to create another counterproductive myth. I am willing to bet that some members of the Sunday coalition have fought for the 2A; but not one in bearing arms has fought for Sunday hunting or a host of other important issues. A (productive) response would be: The PA Sunday Hunting Coalition needs to better foster BROAD public acceptance of Sunday hunting. When we are truly trying to help, we make productive comments. I actually was following this PA group, but got tired of their endless photos of deer heads , political slogans, and quasi-pornography. They indeed need some help, but they wont be getting it from me if I have to reinvent the wheel every day for them...

Mr. Rossi, This is Assemblyman Lalor’s chief of staff. Thank you for the email. This was obviously a complex issue, but ultimately Assemblyman Lalor was concerned about the broad environmental impact of an invasive species and felt a no vote was appropriate. I agree that the governor should consider a veto. Thanks for your support. Chris -- Chris Covucci Chief of Staff Office of Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor [email protected]

He needs to get the county extension office to test for compaction after some rain with a penetrometer. If the compaction is 1 inch or less no till is the best option, if the compaction is more use minimal surface tillage, not full till. Use a higher seeding rate and plant 1.5 to 1.75 inches deep.

If this is not enough for you guys, I give up here and will look elsewhere. Enough is enough! http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/dec-officers-charged-mute-swan-killing-spree-article-1.1838200

If the soil is compacted, it will inhibit root spread and size, but that can be dealt with. Breaking the ground (tilling) is one way, but I think there are other ways... Native plants are great food plots anyway, maybe don't plant anything, just mow native vegetation yearly or bi-yearly so it doesn't turn into woodland... Or graze it...

Not sure I understand your question. If you click on the word "Petition" you can read exactly what you are signing. If you click on the image you can view a video attached to the petition. The text beside the word "Overview" is just that - an overview. If you mean you have not heard about this, I will explain briefly. The DEC , as required by law, opened a public comment period for its mute swan management plan. The DEC had received many commends from people opposed to the plan and decided it would make some changes based on those comments. Before the DEC had a chance to make these revisions, two bills were passed that largely take management authority of mute swans away from the DEC. Those bills are in the hands of the senate and await delivery to the governor any day now. The recess period does NOT mean delivery of the bills will wait until sessions begin again - lawmakers and their staff are still in their offices and the bills can be sent to the governor any day. When the bills reach the governor he has 10 days to either sign or veto them. We are petitioning the governor to VETO these bills. Only the governor can stop these bills or enact them into law at this stage because they have passed both houses. If we stop this law we will be sending a strong message to the NY legislature because only 25 assembly members voted pro DEC. 105 assembly representatives voted anti DEC. NY has 63 senators and every single one of them voted anti DEC. If we can compel the governor to VETO this law we will be sending 168 anti DEC lawmakers a strong message. I spoke to the legislative affairs chief of NY Audubon. He assured me that the governor will indeed ask to the DEC for their side of the story. Our petition will resonate with what the DEC tells the governor. Public support in the form of petition signatures along with the DEC's testimony JUST MIGHT persuade the governor. If it does, we will have defeated the NY anti-hunting community and 168 lawmakers who are hostile toward the DEC and hunting. Please sign the petition and encourage others to also sing it!

I re-read what he posted, it does sound like sod. I would still try to drill the seed in rather than till. Did he edit the post or have I lost my mind, thought he said a layer of thatch... Oh well, time for a nap...