Hello FMLers, Everyone can help our efforts here by spreading the word about House Resolution 37 and Jan Goldsmith's photo drive. Many of you have newsletters that reach Californians, others may have friends, family or business contacts here in California. It would really help our efforts if you would write or call your California contacts and ask them to please write or call their State ASSEMBLY Representative. If they don't know who that is, they can call their county registrar of voters and ask. When the Massachusettes bill was up, I asked Sharon Burbine for a list of the Committee members and sat down and wrote every Massachusettes contact I had and asked them to contact the Committee Chair and Vice Chair. Please do the same for us in California. We need a WIN to be able to send a strong message to the Fish and Game Commission--LEGALIZE FERRETS NOW! Send a short letter to everyone you know in California and ask them to write their own Assembly Representative IN ADDITION TO these two Committeemembers (the letters need to urge them to pass HR 37, the ferret resolution and should include the usual great arguments, i.e. ferrets are domesticated pets, legal in 48 states and virtually the rest of the world, are considered private property by our State Constitution, are safer to people than dogs and safer to wildlife than cats, etc.): Dominic Cortese (Chair, Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee) 100 Paseo de San Antonio #300 San Jose, CA 95113 Tel: (408) 269-6500 Bob Margett (Vice Chair, Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee) 208 N. First Ave. Arcadia, CA 91006 Tel: (818) 446-3134 PHOTO DRIVE: Californians, please take pictures of your pets and put their names on the backs of the photos and mail them with a short letter including anectdotes about your ferrets to Jan's Capitol office. He's looking for a "Miracle on 34th Street"--you remember, where Santa's existence was proven via the mail delivery at the courthouse. Well, Jan's contention is that "ferrets ARE normally domesticated in this state" by the thousands, and he needs the photographs to prove it. Don't be concerned about confiscation. Just INCLUDE YOUR FIRST NAME AND CITY ONLY. No other information is required-- I suppose if you are really shy, you could use a different first name-- but in any case, PLEASE send your photos his way. If you are from out of state, please put this information in your newsletters, or make your phone calls to California ferret owners-- the month of April is photo month! Don't assume someone has already heard about it. Finally, Jan wants district meetings in each of the 80 Districts. He also wants an important packet of information to go in with constituents at these meetings. This packet is our ammunition against the misinformation put out by the opposition-- Jan wants it hand delivered. If you live in California, and will set up a district meeting, please contact me and let me know who your Assebmly Representative is and where I should send the packet. If I already have someone in your district planning a meeting, I'll put you in contact with them to go together. CALIFORNIA CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE THIS LEGISLATIVE VOTE SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL OF YOU OFFERING TO HELP, TO GET INVOLVED. OUR RESOLUTION SHOULD BE HEARD IN COMMITTEE IN EARLY MAY! Jeanne Carley Legislative Director, CDFA 410 Mountain Home Road Woodside, CA 94062 (415) 851-3750 [Posted in FML issue 1532]