Liberty
Matters News Service
November 13, 2003
Veteran's Day, 2003
Tuesday, November 11, 2003, marked the 50th anniversary of the day chosen to
honor the millions of men and women who have served their country to protect
their fellow Americans. The day was originally called Armistice Day, proclaimed
by President Warren G. Harding, in 1921, to commemorate the end of WWI. In
1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to
Veterans' Day, to recognize all who serve in the Armed Forces in defense of the
United States of America. It is fitting that we also remember the brave souls
of the Continental Army who fought that first war in the wee small hours of our
country's beginning. Their dedication to liberty and freedom so long ago made
it possible for generations of Americans to enjoy the immense bounty and
prosperity that only a free people can experience. God Bless America and her
brave defenders.
Tax Breaks For Big Land Trusts
House Republicans are
threatening a revolt if tax breaks for big land trust organizations are
included in the conference committee compromise of the President's Faith Based
Initiative proposal. Twenty-seven House Republicans sent a letter to House
Majority Leader Roy Blunt, (R-MO) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill
Thomas (R-CA), saying that if a provision to grant a 25% capital gains
reduction to landowners who sell to big land trusts (The Nature Conservancy) or
to federal agencies is left in the final version, they will not vote for the
bill. The congressmen wrote that [the provision] "gives an unfair advantage to
conservation groups…and creates an 'alarming incentive' to transfer
private land and water rights to the federal government. It defies reason that
Congress would make it easier for the government and radical environmentalists
to lock away even more land. …[T]his provision is exactly contrary to the
purpose of the bill itself, namely to benefit nonprofit faith-based groups like
schools and charities," said Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA). The House earlier passed
H.R. 7 the Charitable Giving Act, that does not contain the objectionable
language and the Congressmen are concerned that the Senate version will have
the effect of taking valuable land off the tax roles, thereby increasing the
tax burden for remaining property owners, as well as, placing the land into the
hands of non-farm entities. The Republicans noted they largely support many
provisions of the charity bill, but they re-iterated; "we would have to
reconsider our support for the bill if this unnecessary, expensive and damaging
proposal is included in the conference report." At present, Senate Democrats
are blocking the bill from being sent to conference committee.
Republicans Reject Faith-Based Bill with
Tax Break
HR 7, S476 (Land Trust
Tax Scam)
Wisconsin Wolves Eat a Lot of Prime Beef
he
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is scrambling to come up with
enough money to pay farmers for the loss of wolf-killed livestock. Depredations
are running far above the $36,000 DNR sets aside each year to reimburse
stockmen whose animals become wolf bait. Last fiscal year the price tag was
$75,668. The year before that was $62,560. You could say the wolves eat pretty
high on the hog. The previous years' shortfalls were covered with tax dollars
shifted from other DNR programs and officials admit they are going to have to
find long-term funding to pay for the increased slaughter of domestic livestock
and pets. As usual, farmers and ranchers are expected to foot the bill for
environmentalists' follies. "You cannot raise livestock with wolves in the same
area," said Eric Koens, director of the Wisconsin Cattlemen's Association. To
date, there are 94 identified wolf packs that are attacking and injuring five
times more domestic animals than they actually kill. This translates into a
tremendous cost to the taxpayers. The Wildlife Services division of USDA
expects to spend $400,000 this year, investigating wolf attacks and trapping
and killing problem wolves. The Wisconsin DNR has held hearings on proposals to
remove the wolves from the threatened list, but until the tightfisted U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service agrees the move is meaningless.
DNR to Run Out of Money to Pay for Animals
PETA Criticizes Alaska Girl Scouts
Alaska Girl Scouts are taking
part in a state flood-management program that has given PETA the vapors. The
girls of Troop 34 in Fairbanks are learning to trap and skin beavers as part of
a program to curtail flooding caused by the large rodents. Troop 34 accepted
the invitation of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to participate in the
state-run "Take a Kid Trapping" program aimed at controlling floods and other
damage caused by an oversupply of beavers along the lower Chena River in
Fairbanks. Last spring the kids and their families learned to locate the
beavers' dens and successfully trapped two of them. The troop had the pelts
tanned and now has plans to make mittens and hats once they catch about a
dozen. PETA spokeswoman Stephanie Boyles expressed shock over the procedure and
said Girl Scouts should not take part in such barbarous activities. She said
the Girl Scouts should teach children to become "stewards of wildlife, not
abusers." A spokeswoman at the Girl Scouts headquarters in New York wrote to
PETA that although the organization does not promote hunting or trapping, "It
is understandable why the troop responded positively when approached by a state
authority to conduct an activity that is commonplace in that area of the
country."
Girl Scouts Hunt Beavers and Fur
Flies