HACKED BY CYBER-ATTACK - ALPERENBTN

[putawaywet]

http://www.gulfsurfer.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/016977.html

No word from CCA yet.Hoping to muster some members.
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"If you love something let it go.If it comes back to you gaff it and throw it in the icechest."

"Many men go fishing all they're lives without knowing it is not fish they are after."-Henry David Thoreu

[FlakMan]

I wrote and mailed this letter to my local and Austin offices of my State Senator and Rep. Please do the same, NOW!

March 3, 2005

Rep. Gene Seaman

Dear Sir,

I'm contacting you to oppose H.B. 1603 / S.B. 740.

I find these bills to be completely against the Texas Open Beaches Act. I feel that this bill is false attempt by a small group of beach house owners and developers to stabilize a beachfront. These homes should have never built. These homes were built directly next to a major erosive natural pass. San Louis Pass on the west side of Galveston Island has major current flow similar to Aransas Pass in our area. The shoreline is constantly changing. Man has no place putting structures here. One Class 3 Hurricane and these homes will be history and the beach somewhere else.

For more information please review the information at this web site:

http://www.surfrider.org/texas/issues/2005-Leg/index.html

Please vote against this bill and any future bills that would allow future development on our Texas barrier islands. Barrier islands are nature’s hurricane buffers not places for homes and condos. That is why I live in Portland, Texas - 32-ft above sea level!

I am a voter in Nueces County and live at the following address:
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Ahh sand between my toes!

[mastergunner]

flakman, when I got out of the army a couple of years ago I moved here straight from Germany. The 32 feet above the bay is one of the reasons I bought in Portland also, no tidal flooding from a hurricane.
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Hardheads should be the state fish of Texas

[jl7]

Does anyone know the status on these bills? I have called both my senator and representative. Both offices acted like they had not heard of the bills. I live in the bluff. I would assume sense both of them represent districts that have beachfront they would be flooded with calls. Any information would be appreciated.

[FlakMan]

Summary from TOBA's message Board:

it's not over yet - some hope for us non-supporters of this bill.

You still need to contact your representatives. State House and Senate

Check TOBA link for news:


http://www.tobaforum.org/forumdisplay.php?f=3
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Ahh sand between my toes!

[putawaywet]

posted 05-14-2005 07:26 AM
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Dennis Bonnen really wants to gut the Open Beaches Act. Big money must have him in their pocket.
Dennis.Bonnen@house.state.tx.us
Austin 512-463-0564
Angleton 979-848-1770
The bill is based on the lie that this will save the bridge and road. No doubt about it Bonnen is lying.


Treasure Island bill still alive in Senate
By Michael Wright
The Facts

Published May 14, 2005
A bill that would create an exception to the Open Beaches Act was killed by the Texas House on a technicality, but the Senate version could come to the House floor next week.
House Bill 1603 and Senate Bill 740 would allow the state to build a bulkhead along 4,500 feet of Treasure Island, near the San Luis Pass bridge, to stop erosion.
State Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, who wrote the Senate version, said the bill is needed to save the bridge and the Bluewater Highway, which he said is endangered by erosion.
Opponents say the bridge and road are in no danger from erosion on the island and the bill only benefits a few homeowners.
Ellis Pickett, a spokesman for the Surfrider Foundation, which lobbies for beach access, has urged Janek to pull his bill and work to find other ideas that won’t close the beach.
“We want it to go away because it’s the wrong thing,” Pickett said. “It’s based on a faulty premise that this bill will save the bridge that doesn’t need to be saved.”
Janek said he’s willing to listen to other solutions, but not to pull the bill.
“My answer is let’s pass the bill and if there’s something to talk about I can get the General Land Office to hold off,” said Janek, whose district includes the western and southern parts of Brazoria County and the coastal areas of Galveston, Chambers and Jefferson counties. “There seems to be some disagreement on whether the bridge and road are in effect threatened.”
Norm Wigington, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transport-ation, said Friday he wasn’t aware of any problems with the bridge, which the department inspects every two years.
Galveston County officials charged with maintaining the bridge could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, the author of the House version, did not return calls seeking comment.
It was Bonnen’s bill that was killed Thursday by a point of order on the House floor.
Janek said that doesn’t mean the idea is dead, though.
“Dennis has managed to resurrect it,” Janek said.
Janek’s bill has been reported favorably out of the House Land and Resource Management committee and could come up for a vote next week. If it passes, the Senate will have to sign off on amendments before it would go the governor for his signature or veto.
Michael Wright covers politics for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 849-8581.
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"If you love something let it go.If it comes back to you gaff it and throw it in the icechest."

"Many men go fishing all they're lives without knowing it is not fish they are after."-Henry David Thoreu

[FlakMan]

Access threatened
That sprawling natural pass that cuts lower West Galveston Island and Follett's Island (Freeport side) is one of the great natural fishing venues on the Texas coast; however, a bill in the Calendars Committee of the 79th Texas Legislature would threaten public access to a portion of that area.

Senate Bill 740, authored by State Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, and sponsored by State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, would allow the construction of a bulkhead along 4,500 feet of beach at the Treasure Island subdivision on the pass' Follett's Island side.

The companion HB 1603 was killed by a point of order on the House floor last week.

Protecting property sounds reasonable enough, but beachfront homes are built at risk, and the bill would establish a legal precedent exempting them from the provisions of the Texas Open Beaches Act.

It would move the public beach boundary from the vegetation line in the primary dunes to the Gulf side of the shore-protection structures placed to protect the subdivision. As a big issue, due to storm erosion in the area, the effective barrier must be situated below the tide line. In short, the entire beach backed by this bill becomes private, and public access is prohibited.

With respects to property owners facing encroachment by the Gulf, this bill is not in the best interests of the citizens of Texas — especially those
who depend on open beaches as a vital source of recreation.

Joe Doggett covers outdoors for the Chronicle. joe.doggett@chron.com
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Ahh sand between my toes!

[FlakMan]

SG 740 : On 05-24-05 was Placed on Major State Calendar

This means it will be put up for a vote!

Call your Texas Sate House Rep NOW!!!!
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Ahh sand between my toes!

[putawaywet]

From Ellis Picket-

"House rules required the "second House reading" of all Senate bills by midnight last night.


SB740 is DEAD. Rep. Bonnen and Sen. Janek did not have their way with our coast.

Thanks to all who took time to learn about Texas law and coastal science and made the phone calls that helped kill HB1603 and SB740.

Celebrate a major victory....

Thanks again. Go fish/surf."
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"If you love something let it go.If it comes back to you gaff it and throw it in the icechest."

"Many men go fishing all they're lives without knowing it is not fish they are after."-Henry David Thoreu

[Big John at work]

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

[FlakMan]

Congrats to ALL that called and wrote to their Reps. My Rep told me that they were able to put it so far back on the Calender that it had no chance to getting up to the floor. Be sure to watch next session to see if it comes back!
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Ahh sand between my toes!

[Big John at work]

By next session, the nature may take of the problem for us, taking down those homes that were built in an improper place to begin with!

[SALTYDOG]

That may not be a good thing. It would bring national attention to the area and how the home owners were not able to protect their property. then the question would come up of why the Bills were not passed. There would not be any coment about the homes being there illegaly. No discussion about the Open Beaches Act and how the beach is reserved for the public.

Just another thought

Cliff
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SALTYDOG AKA Cliff McKay
(the surveyor)
#1 Fishing Partner is Lorna
My Betterhalf for 25 years

[Big John at work]

I think there would be discussion as to those homes being built in violation of the Texas Open Beaches Act, as long as we make sure to get our voices heard when the issues arise!

Good job everyone for speaking out on this!