Advocacy Center
Trestles Update
The LA Times reported that the Transportation Corridor Agencies have requested that the Secretary of Commerce deny the public a hearing regarding the appeal of the Coastal Commission's recent denial of the Foothill-South toll road. Click here
In their letter to the NOAA, the TCA states that the Coastal Commission had a "circus atmosphere" and that if a hearing is granted with the Commerce Department our "objective is to drown out any objective and dispassionate consideration of the serious national interest issues with intimidation and political rhetoric."
However, in a recent TCA meeting Director Bill Campbell remarked that we were not unruly and on how nice we were. And since when is the public not allowed to speak out regarding how their public lands are used?
The TCA also states that the hearing was unfair because not all of the project's supporters received a chance to speak at the hearing. However, they are not the only ones who did not get to speak. Many people, both for and against the project, did not get to speak in order to control the length of the meeting.
The TCA also took exception to the location hearing, stating the "location [was] calculated to maximize attendance by Project opponents." However, the TCA agreed to the hearing location. How can they now say the hearing was unfair? Furthermore, TCA never explains why the Del Mar location was more conducive to project opponents versus supporters.
Finally, in the LA Times article Lance Maclean states "The TCA is not opposed to a public hearing, as long as it's held in Orange County, where the project is located, and as long as it's conducted in a business-like format." However, no where in the letter does it say the TCA would agree to a hearing as long as it is in Orange County. It specifically asks that the Commerce Department deny the Coastal Commission's request for a public hearing.
Don't let the TCA quash your voice! Please write a letter to the editor setting the record straight! Send your letters to letters@latimes.com. Please include your full contact information including your name, address, phone number and e-mail. Also, please keep your letters to under 150 words.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION AND WRITE THE COMMERCE SECRETARY, EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE SO OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
The window of time for the public to weigh in is coming to a close on May 28. Go to www.savetrestles.org, or www.surfrider.org and you will find how easy it is to make your voice be heard. Click here to take action or click here to ask the Secretary of Commerce to uphold the Coastal Commision's Decision. From: Jill Bennett I am sending this to everyone who cares about Greg, in hopes that you will find the time to help raise Congressional awareness about an unprecedented funding initiative for pancreatic cancer research. It’s easy to help. During the 2008 Pancreatic Cancer Advocacy Day last week, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network supporters asked their U.S. Representatives to sign the Eshoo-Platts-Cummings letter and asked their Senators to sign the Feinstein-Smith letter in support of the National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research and at least a 9.5% increase for the National Cancer Institute in the FY09. Hopefully we can find a cure soon. Thanks so much. Love, Wrightsville Beach Access 33 has been permanently saved! The Town of Wrightsville Beach, Murchison/Gornto family, and the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation have worked out an agreement that provides a permanent easement at the beach access. We would like to thank everyone for the support that you have provided during this campaign. Most surfers like to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than themselves. Most surfers also know the hassle of getting to the beach and realizing they’ve got their board and their leash, but are missing the little string that connects the two. The FCS strings for charity are a high quality functional leash string of which 100% of FCS profits go to SurfAid International. The strings are bright blue as a symbol of your support to SurfAid. Buy a leash string now and join the team of surfers supporting SurfAid. Buy a spare one to keep handy to ensure you are never stuck without one again. About SurfAid International Congress yesterday approved the first increase in the federal minimum wage in nearly a decade, voting to boost wages for America's lowest-paid workers from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over the next two years. Democrats contend the measures approved yesterday will lift the incomes of about 13 million workers -- 5.6 million who earn less than $7.25 an hour and 7.4 million people who earn slightly more but are likely to see their wages increase. Workers would get their first raise, to $5.85 an hour, 60 days after the measure is signed by Bush. A year later, the minimum wage would rise to $6.55 an hour, and it would hit $7.25 a year after that.
1. Because of heightened security, please send a fax. Join the Coastal Campaign as they spread the Clean Water message. Fax letters in support of clean water to the following representatives in Washington:
Sen. Barbara Boxer Sen. Diane Feinstein Rep. Susan Davis Rep. Bob Filner
Why is the TCA trying to quiet public opinion? Perhaps they are worried that the public can defeat them. The TCA is trying to quiet public opinion by asking the Secretary of Commerce to deny us a public hearing. Click here
SAVE SAN ONOFRE STATE PARK and SAVE TRESTLES.
Help A Friend of the Industry Fighting Pancreatic Cancer
Greg Bennett of Birthday Suits Needs You To Write Your Congressional Representatives
B.Suits,Inc. dba Birthday Suits
Make sure your Members of Congress
support the National Plan to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research!
You can check if you Representative signed the letter by clicking here and if your Senators signed the letter by clicking here (please note that these lists will be updated as new signers are added).
If your Members of Congress signed the letter, we need you to THANK THEM for their support! If they haven’t yet signed it, we need you to ASK THEM to sign the letter. Use the links below to get connected to our email system that will automatically generate a “thank you” letter for you if your Member(s) have signed the letter and a “please sign” letter if they have not yet done so. Responding to this Action Alert will only take a few minutes, but will make a significant impact on our ability to make the pancreatic cancer community heard.
To write your Senators, please click here
To write your Representative, please click here
Jill Bennett
Access 33 SAVED - Wrightsville Beach, NC
As part of the agreement, the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation has committed to contributing $15,000 to the purchase of the access. The chapter will incur a substantial cost in paying the fee for Access 33, which will negate years of fundraising and saving. If we wish to continue to provide educational opportunities to our local elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and university students, to continue with storm drain marking programs, to create scholarship opportunities for local and actively involved students, to advocate for fair access to our marine environments and to conserve the pristine nature of our water quality, then we need your help raising funds for Access 33. This is your chance to have a part in providing precious access to our ocean for countless people.
We are asking for any contributions that you can make to this campaign. Every little bit helps chip away at our large financial commitment toward maintaining a public beach access.
Please help us meet our financial commitment by donating $33 for 33.
Strings for Charity
Pricing
Wholesale $100 per jar or $150 per jar if you wish to donate your margin to SurfAid
Strings retail for $1 each ($150 per jar)
The mission of SurfAid International, a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization, is to
improve the health of people living in isolated regions connected to us through surfing. The Mentawai people, off Indonesia’s West Sumatran coast, face an overwhelming burden of illness on a day-to-day basis. In the worst affected villages, one quarter of children die before reaching the age of 12 years from preventable and treatable diseases including acute respiratory infection, diarrhea, bad or unclean birthing, malaria, measles and tetanus. By fostering community participation, SurfAid’s
goal is to decrease the rate of deaths by empowering people and providing community based health and development programs to control malaria and improve nutrition and hygiene. The programs encourage local communities to continue to make their own improvements in health and quality of life and are designed to work with local government and non-governmental organizations to bring about permanent change.
For more information on SurfAid: www.surfaidinternational.org
Congress Approves Minimum Wage Hike
How to Write a Member of Congress
2. State your purpose in the first paragraph. Make it short and to the point.
3. Explain why you feel as you do. Use facts.
4. If you are writing in opposition to something - say so.
5. Keep your letter to one page. Make it legible.
6. Be sure to include your name and complete address
7. Follow this format:
The Honorable _____________
United Sates (Senate or House of Representatives)
Washington, DC 20515
8. Include an original signature if possible.
Join the Fight for Clean Water
112 Hart Senate Office Building 331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0505 Washington, DC 20510
Fax (202) 228-2382 Fax (202) 228-3954
To email click here
To email click here
1224 Longworth House Office Building
2428 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Washington, DC 20515
Fax (202) 225-2948
Fax (202) 225-9073
To email click here To email click here
