US Congressman Frank LoBiondo
and NJOA Chairman Anthony Mauro
discuss the negative impact of bills A3275 and S2041
Grassroots is defined as the
involvement of common citizens in an issue or campaign.
Recently a New Jersey state senator stressed to me that
most elected officials would prefer the backing
of grassroots organizations to those that only
offer campaign funding. The reason is that there is a
direct correlation between grassroots efforts and VOTES;
the correlation is not as direct between money and votes.
In 2007, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen proved the senator
correct. We united and voted Senator Karcher and
Assemblyman Panter out of office. These two animal rights
activists sponsored hostile legislation that might have
ended freshwater fishing, hunting and trapping in NJ. Our
unification sent a powerful and costly message to
politicians who spent nearly $6 million on the
Karcher/Panter campaign but lost to opponents spending only
$1 million. The 6 to 1 spending deficit was
overcome by the power of grassroots voters.
The ability of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen to influence
Trenton lies within each of us. There are 600,000 anglers,
hunters and trappers in New Jersey and as a voting bloc,
our numbers are three times greater than that of
one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the
state - the New Jersey Education Association.
Our success in advancing our interests is as simple as each
of us making a one-minute phone call to a legislator or
sending an email. You can imagine the leverage that 600,000
involved constituents would have with a legislator.
The NJOA will continue to be the voice of outdoor-minded
individuals. We now have 30 representatives personally
introducing the NJOA to 120 legislators. We have a council
of 15 accomplished sportsmen, sportswomen and
conservationists. We also have plans to increase our
presence in Trenton.
The first step toward your involvement in the political
process is to help us with much needed financial support. A
$25.00 sponsor receives a
“grassroots” decal like
the one on this page. Display it prominently to let others
know of your involvement in the political process and the
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. You may find more information
about our decal at
http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html.
A final note, please be mindful that the
most important thing we can do to protect our
outdoor freedoms is to exercise our right to vote.
May we all be forever vigilant,
Thank you.
Anthony P. Mauro, Sr
Chairman, NJOA