I've continued sending letters and rants opposing the MLPA to all my local politicians without much in the way of replies. My local OC rep Mimi Walters has been completely silent on the issue and has never acknowledged any of my emails or letters to her office. Ditto for all the primary candidates that I sent emails to.
One notable exception has been Senator Robert Dutton of Senate District 31 (Riverside and San Bernardino counties). Although I'm not in his district, I sent him a brief message thanking him for opposing the MLPA and for looking into some of the conflicts of interest involved in the process.
I was pleasantly surprised by the following quick response from his office even though I'm not a constituent of his!
Quote
From: Senator.Dutton@senate.ca.gov
To: mcnamara4@hotmail.com
Subject: From the office of Senator Robert Dutton
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:23:18 -0700
Mr. McNamara,
Thank you for contacting Senator Dutton with your words of encouragement. He appreciates your support!
As an avid sportsman and hunter, Senator Dutton understands the balance between protecting wildlife and providing access to citizens. He is a true outdoorsman, and he believes in preserving our wild lands, streams and oceans both for posterity and for the benefit of our natural world.
If you would like to join the effort to oppose the MLPA, you may send a letter of support to Senator Dutton. The leg team in Sacramento will be keeping a file of support letters, and will also occasionally call on supporters to testify before committee or in hearings. If you would like to do so, you may send a letter to our Capitol office:
Senator Bob Dutton
State Capitol, Room 5094
Sacramento, CA 95814
ATTN: Sean Wallentine
All the letter needs to contain is your personal experience with the fishing grounds in your area, and how the actions of the MLPA would adversely affect you and your community. Be sure to include your contact information if you are open to being contacted by the Senator or his staff.
I hope you find this helpful. Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions.
Have a great day,
Jennifer Seablom
(909) 466-4180
Unquote
As requested, I've sent a letter to Senator Dutton's office detailing my personal experiences in LJ, OC and Point Dume.
If Senator Dutton ever decides to run for statewide offiice he can count on my vote and support!