The Governor needs to hear from us about supporting the Bottle Bill and
expansion of the Bottle Bill.  John Norris is out on leave now during the
campaign, so direct your letters and e-mails to the Governor himself.

If you would like petitions to gather signatures, let me know.

Thanks,
Jane Clark
[log in to unmask]
----------
> From: jrclark <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Call To Action! -- Support and Update The Bottle Bill -- Act
Today!
> Date: October 27, 2000 7:56 PM
>
> From Garth Frable of the Beautiful Land Coalition, forwarded by Jane
Clark
> at [log in to unmask]
> Iowa Sierra Club is a part of the broad coalition supporting expansion of
> the Bottle Bill.
>
> (1) The majority of Iowans support the Bottle Bill and support expanding
> it.
> (2) The bottle bill achieves its goals and has numerous side benefits.
> (3) More than 25,000 Iowans have already signed a petition to expand it.
> (4) The Governor's Environmental Enterprise Team recommended the four
> points of the expansion.
> (5) The State Agency Directors recommended the expansion as one of the
top
> 40  priorities out of 300 for the Governor to pursue.
> (6) The Governor's Environmental Issues Team recommended expansion as a
> priority.
> (7) The DNR and DOT both support expansion.
> (8) The Iowa Recycling Association and the Iowa Society of Solid Waste
> Operations both believe expansion of the Bottle Bill will help not hurt
> recycling efforts statewide.
> (9) Numerous social, environmental, and governmental organizations
support
> expansion.  These groups easily represent more than 10,000 Iowans.
>
> But.......
> With all this evidence, the Governor has decided to completely remove
> expansion from the administration's priority list and to direct the DNR
and
 other state agencies to no longer participate in efforts to support
> expansion.  (at this point you should be getting mad!!)
>
> The Bottle Bill is an indicator -- the outcome of the Bottle Bill effort
> during the next legislative session will be an indication of whether
> environmental policy in Iowa is determined by people or by dollars; by
facts or financial contributions; for the interests of the citizens of Iowa
or
for special interests.  By their admission, the group to repeal the Bottle
Bill
is committing $200,000  -- Is Iowa's environmental policy now for sale?
>
> The Governor has indicated that he has not heard from Iowans on this
issue,
yet his correspondence coordinator indicates they are swamped with letters
> asking for expansion.  Is Iowa's environmental policy now for sale?
>
> I Ask That You Stay Involved To Save And Update The Bottle Bill!
>
> Contact Policy Makers.  Email, write, and call your legislators and
> candidates for office in your area. Attend candidate meetings, coffees,
and
debates and ask if they support the Bottle Bill and its expansion.  Email,
call, and write the following people in the Governor's Office (please do
this today).  Encourage your members to do so today.
>
> Mailing address is State Capitol; Des Moines, IA  50319.
>
> Name            Title           Email                           Phone
> Tom Vilsack Governor        [log in to unmask]    (515)
281-5211
> John Norris     Chief of Staff  [log in to unmask]   (515)
> 281-0159
> John Cacciatore Policy Director [log in to unmask](515)
> 281-0150
> Dusky Terry Policy Advisor  [log in to unmask]    (515)
281-0141
>
> Thanks,  Garth Frable
>
> Sample email/letter:
> In the subject line of the email, please use "Support And Update The
Bottle
>
> Bill!"
>
> Dear ________:
>
> I am writing to strongly express my support for protecting and updating
> Iowa's Container Redemption Law, better know as the Bottle Bill.  For
more
> than 20 years,  the bottle and can deposit has reduced litter on
roadways,
> streams, lakes, trails and communities, increased recycling, created jobs

> including meaningful employment in sheltered workshops, and fostered
pride
> in
> Iowa.  To make a good thing better, I support expanding Iowa's Bottle
Bill
> in
> the following ways:
>
> (1)  Place the 5-cent deposit on bottles and cans used for tea, water,
> fruit
> and vegetable juices & drinks, sports drinks, and other noncarbonated
> beverages excluding milk.
> (2)  Increase the per container handling fee paid to grocery stores and
> redemption centers from 1 to 2 cents and establish a schedule for future
> increases.  (this would not increase the deposit)
> (3)  Create the Robert D. Ray Beautiful Land Fund to support local and
> state
> litter and recycling initiatives.
> (4)  Require all beverage containers sold in Iowa to be made of recycled
> material equal to a minimum post-consumer recycled content of 25% by
> weight.
>
> The bottle bill helps empower all Iowans to protect the environment and
> take
> pride in our state.  I support the bottle bill and the efforts to make
this
>
> effective, popular law better.  Please feel free to contact me if you
have
> any comments or questions.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> _________________
> name
>
> _________________
> address
>
>
>

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