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Let's get the Anti-Discrimination Clause back in our Bill!

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There is strength in numbers and we are asking each and every one of you to write a letter and send it thru the U.S. Postal Service to our bill sponsor, Rep. Charles Dean. Be sure to tell him who you are and where you're from when you ask him to restore the "anti-discrimination" clause.

I spoke with Gatorstick and Swampjet on their way back from Tallahassee last night. While the emails and calls have served their purpose, now is the time to put our views in writing and on the table . Rep. Dean needs to physically have in hand (piled up on his desk) the response from the airboat community regarding the removal of our anti-discrimination clause. Be heard!

Send your letter/statement to:
Representative Charles S. Dean, Sr.
223, The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

Below is a copy of what I will mail out to him this morning. Time is of the essence, mail your letter now (feel free to use this one and add your personal view) so he will get it by the first of next week!

Dear Representative Dean;

As a member of the airboating community, I have worked hard to promote safe, and sensible boating statewide. I'm writing to ask that you please restore the "anti-discrimination clause" to our proposed airboat legislation. This clause will lay the foundation for uniform boating guidelines throughout the state. The current county by county "piece-mealing" is confusing at best and unfair to the thousands of airboaters who support family values and use their boats both to recreate and in service to their communities.

In a society based on non-discrimination principles, I as a responsible airboater, am requesting fair, unbiased, and uniform regulations under which to operate my boat. Please restore the "anti-discrimination" clause to the bill and make this possible. Thank you for your re-consideration.

Lauren K. Brown, RN
1188 Eugenia Blvd.
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
(386) 871-8945
 
If someone in the Melbourne - Palm Bay area is willing to print this and add my mane and address and mail it I will treat you to a lunch at Sonny's BBQ in April :) PM me for my mailing address.

Scotty
 
Does anyone know why he took it out of there in the first place ?? This info would be helpful to know and address in our response to him. Without knowing why it was removed it looks like we have just been sold out. It was my impression that this guy was an airboater and was trying to help us and the way it looks right now is he just wants to add another thing we can get fined for.

I need more information before I can write anything to anyone, the time for blindly asking for things is over, we need our lobbyist to keep us informed and then we can act accordingly. We need to know why things are added or taken out and then quickly plan a course of action and seek support for the plan. If we don't know what is going on then we look stupid in the eyes of the ones we hope to impress with our responsibility.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON ?? if so LET US KNOW THE FACTS then we can act accordingly.
 
Rep Dean is an airboater. THere is a strategy we are working on with this bill. I'm calling this "equal protection" language rather than "anti discrimination" language.

Rep Dean was concerned because of how the original langauge was written. He didn't feel we had time to work out the technicalities of the language before the first committee hearing.

He wanted to get the bill out of its first committee so the Senate would put it up in their first committee and the bill would be moving. A "moving" bill is better than a "stalled" bill.

That has happened. The bill has been heard and voted on in the Senate committee and the House committee. Now is the time to work on getting the langauge back into the bill. Which I am doing.

If you are writing Rep. Dean, the please include specifics about places where you have been banned or had your opportunities to ride taken away.

If you know of counties which have either an outright ban or have adopted a sound level or other restrictions that really act like a ban--let him know that as well. He needs specific examples of how you are being treated in cities and counties in order to overcome the antis.

PLEASE DO NOT THREATEN REP> DEAN. Please tell him why you need the equal protection language in the bill. He is our friend - not our enemy. Please treat him like a friend.

I"ve been up here doing this for 27 years. YOu have hired me to represent you. I will not let you down. Timing is everything and i'm working to get "equal protection" language back into the bill. I"ll keep you updated, but I need you to trust me and let me lead you...I will not lead you astray.

Please, when you write Rep. Dean, also send this information to me at: capital.ideas@att.net

I'd suggest using his email address:
charles.dean@myfloridahouse.gov

bondo
 
Thank you bondo for the much needed info that sheds a differant light on the subject .
 
Now whitebear remember the Sonny's BarBQue thing because I am going to print that out and add your name. :lol:
 
Ok now we are getting somewhere. Thank you for the input it makes more sense now. I will reply to Mr. dean and I had no intentions of threatening anyone I just wasn't gonna respond until I knew what I was responding about THANK YOU

Ps. I will wait for your go ahead before I do anything so dont forget to tell us when to do it.
 
Bonnie,

Thanks for the responses and your time.

Folks, Please consider the time Bonnie takes posting info is time that could be used to influence a legislator or attend a meeting. She may not be able to answer everyone's questions/concerns. Please understand her comments here will be limited due to the time sensitive nature of our bills and postings for the world to see.

For those with a deep interest, call me for updates at 813-968-6154. I'll talk if time permits.

Please keep your interest & involvement high as we need support and your elected officials need to hear from all of you.
So far, our opponents have lost credibility at their own hand while our supporters have communicated worthy concerns while appearing as solid, rational, caring citizens. Please continue.........

PW
 
When the person whom is in charge of this legislative initiative announces that the time for contact is now then we will order all hands on deck for the battle. That person has asked us to stand down until they give the order so I anxiously await instruction from the proper source as to how to proceed. The person in charge as near as I can tell at this point is BONNIE so BONNIE ask & ye shall receive our support once the bill is worth supporting again and I have faith in you that it will be again. You asked for trust and I will trust so you let us know.
 
Country,

I have read and re-read Bondo's response, and in no place did I see or read it implied for us to "stand-down". It has been a long day, so maybe I just missed it. I think she is asking for us to tell our representative what we know.

Our responses should be courteous, respectful, and informative. With all the places you ride, surely you are aware of the various restrictions placed upon the airboating community county by county.

Relay this to the sponsor of our bill, and please don't delay. Timing is everything.

Lauren
 
Okay,

I just saw it in the other thread, Orange Flags. Well we must honor her request and give her the time. Thanks for responding.

LB
 
Good evening folks;
I have several meetings tomorrow on our issue.

It would be helpful to me to know where you have been either banned from riding or your access has been severely restricted. (nightime hours/days of the week/months of the year/ areas of a water body/only launch at one ramp/ etc.)
PLACE (body of water/area)
COUNTY
CITY if it is appropriate
WHAT IS THE RESTRICTION?

I"ll take these with me to my meetings.

After the meetings, I"ll let you know who to write and when.

If you live in Citrus County, please let me know.

Thanks for your patience.
Bondo
 
Here's mine, emailed & sent by USPS:

22 March 2006

Representative Charles S. Dean, Sr.
223, The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300

Rep. Dean,

I had the great pleasure to meet you in person last year at the Florida Airboat Association meeting at Skeeters in Hernando. You honor us with your willingness to sponsor legislation that will assure equal and consistent representation under Florida law for airboats and airboaters.

It has come to my attention that language which would have provided just such equal representation under Florida law has currently been removed from your / our bill.

I implore you to reinstate language that will afford airboats and airboater families equal representation under laws governing motor vessels in Florida.

Airboats are an important part of my family's life. We use our airboat to recreate, to perform numerous public and governmental service projects, to teach residents and visitors alike of the incredible value of our marshlands and we use our family airboat to enjoy Florida the we our Creator designed it.

We have supported reasonable requirements for all airboats to be muffled, we have supported the Airboaters Code of Ethical Operation, we participate all the time in efforts to remove all types of unnatural debris from our marshlands and we offer our airboat to public service for all manner of common good causes.

We only ask that our chosen water vessel be afforded the same representation that all other motor vessels in Florida currently enjoy. I ask you personally and with all due respect to reinstate language in this proposed legislation that will accomplish this.

Capt. Dave Markett
President
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Sportfishing Guide Services, Inc.
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14913 Warman Street
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813-927-3474 cell
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Dave,
thank you for your letter.

Right now, one letter is enough.

Not trying to step on toes, but you're paying me to be your quaterback
I have a game plan -- I need a couple of days to let it work
THEN, i'll need letters like this one.

If you guys can focus on telling me where airboats are being restricted or banned it will help the cause.
Someone has started a new thread for this -- please forgive me but this is the first of these "forums" I have ever been involved in so I don't know about stuff like that...

I need:

type of restriction on your use of airboats (hours of operation/certain days you can't ride/distance from shoreline/ramps not available to airboats/anything like this)

where you are experiencing this (city/county/waterbody) So I know which Legislator to contact.

other areas you know where bans are in effect (cities/counties/state property)


Thanks
Bondo
 
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