17 Jul 1996 “Terrible Twelve” Anti-Property Rights Congressmen Named

Environmental Policy Task Force News

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: July 17, 1996

Contact: David Ridenour at (202) 507-6398 or [email protected]

The National Center for Public Policy Research joins the League of Private Property Voters (LPPV) in naming the “Terrible Twelve” — twelve members of the House and Senate who pose the greatest threat to property owners. They are: Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), David Bonior (D-MI), George Brown (D-CA), Vic Fazio (D-CA), Elizabeth Furse (D-OR), Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), David Obey (D-WI), Chris Shays (R-CT), and Mike Ward (D-KY).

“This ‘Terrible Twelve’ have threatened property owners across the country by voting against compensation when land is taken by the government, fighting the balancing of costs and benefits in government regulations, opposing all reforms of the Endangered Species Act and shutting down public lands from public use,” said LPPV Director Chuck Cushman. “Each member of the ‘Terrible Twelve’ led the charge in the wrong direction on important land use and property rights issues.”

Among the “Terrible Twelve’s” worst offenses:

• George Brown sponsored a bill to limit timber harvest equipment to horse-drawn carts and ropes.
• Vic Fazio sponsored an amendment to shut down traditional uses of California’s East Mojave Desert, including recreation. It also would have cut off private property owners from their land by limiting access through public land.
• Elizabeth Furse proposed repealing salvage logging legislation — logging that allows common-sense management of timber lands. Oregon’s AFL-CIO President wrote to Furse, “I find your lead sponsorship of this measure to be counterproductive.”
• Maurice Hinchey hypocritically sponsored legislation to lock up nearly 6 million acres in Utah by designating it wilderness then opposed such designation for forest land near his congressional district fearing it would cost too many jobs.

“The ‘Terrible Twelve’ apparently believes that no burden on American families is too high to preserve America’s natural resources,” said David Ridenour, Vice President of The National Center for Public Policy Research, a LPPV member group. “They’ve apparently lost sight of the fact that the most precious natural resource we have is the American family.”

The LPPV is a coaliton of over 300 organizations from all 50 states. It represents family businesses, farmers, miners, ranchers and recreationists. ###