Comments on: Trailer Bills are Loophole Goldmine for Legislators Pet Projects, Like ‘Thieves in the Night,’ says Gold Pan California

By: semperfish

semperfish — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 02:54:47 +0000

This article is a perfect example how to create an unstable and unpredictable business climate in the former golden state. Make people feel their representatives are able to be manipulated by last minute influence by a privileged few.

By: chuck dunn

chuck dunn — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:42:19 +0000

CALL HIS OFFICE..HUFFMAN S OFFICE DECLINES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRAILER BILL.
I HAVE CALLED AND FAXED HIS OFFICE TO NO AVAIL.. 916-319-2096 AND
707-773-0606

We need John and Ken from KFI am radio to help..

CALL EVERYONE ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE..

By: birdwatcher

birdwatcher — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:25:36 +0000

Calif will continue to lose business and the tax base with tactics like this.

Or in other words go broke

By: InspectorTom

InspectorTom — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:20:33 +0000

Trailer Bill??? Absolute BS and I don’t mean Barb Streisand!
I don’t understand how our elected legislators can get away with these dirty politic tactics? It seems a blatant disregard for the oath they took when entering office. I suggest having our state legislature meet only every other year, that’s how Texas does it…They would then be forced to get REAL jobs like the rest of us and be subject to the laws they pass like the rest of us!

By: Mike Phillips

Mike Phillips — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:01:50 +0000

I am totally appalded that tax payers are not being told about these bills and that news stations are not covering this topic on how our legislators are taking American rights away from them without their knowledge. Looking back at history the Native American had their right and lands taken from them by American Government. Now the American people are reliving the life of the Native american losing their rights and land by that same government. What happened to the land of the free and the american dream. California is in such a deficite now, legislator Huffman is just making it worst with this bill for the tax payers of California by creating law suits and spending tax payers money that the state could use where it is needed the most. If the Karuk indians are for protecting their fisheries, why aren’t they lobbing to deal with the preditor that man and the native american had been a huge part in the population control of the sea lions that are now protected and over populated at the mouths of our rivers and streams consuming massive amounts of salmon each year before they can even make it up the rivers to spawn? These groups are missing out on a great resource, if miners and environmentalist would work together. The miners could continue mining for gold besides removing the toxic mercury and lead from the waterways and at the same time be used to open up water flows to allow fish to get up stream. The money spent on these court battles and law suits could even fund stream restoration projects, Fish hatcheries, improve local economy and most of all help with the states budget. There is always a correct way to handle a problem and thats working together on a commond goal and fighting there is really no winners just distruction. This is what made America strong that we came together to over come a problem, worked out the issues and made it work for all.
Mike Phillips, (Kitfox) California Chumash Indian, Wildlife Specialist, Environmental Health Department.

By: Riverrunner

Riverrunner — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 05:55:42 +0000

This whole trailer bill thing is a crock. I’ve been helping a friend out contacting legislators about trying to turn around a trailer bill which arbitrarily outlaws gold suction dredging (which contributes over $100M yearly to CA’s economy). The opponents to suction dredging forced the state to complete an supplemental EIR and when they found out that the EIR wasn’t enough to shut down dredging, they did it legislatively.

What an exercise in futility. This bill appeared from nowhere, no one knows who the author is; for the last month it has had no name, no number or any other form of identification. I called every representative in the state and NO ONE knew anything about it. Hello? Someone must know something, as they voted on it in late May.

My main question is if this is being done to destroy the suction dredge industry, what other “surprises” are there in the rest of the trailer bills which also appear to be orphans too?

One legislative analyst I talked to said that since the public passed the simple majority vote law (instead of 2/3′s) the Majority party just needs to depend on their representatives voting along party lines and EVERYTHING they want gets passed. He was a Republican aid and he was pretty upset about it.

So what can be done to stop the back-door lawmaking via trailer bills?