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PLEASE REMOVE THIS HEADER BEFORE FORWARDING:
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Dear BAA Member:
CREATE-21 IS AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE! We need YOUR help BEFORE April 6!
The Action Alert that follows can be used to activate your internal and external networks in support of CREATE-21.
We know that each state and/or institution is different in organizing outreach efforts and that many institutions have strict guidelines governing contact with congressional offices. Therefore, you should redistribute this "Call to Action" in accordance with your own institution's procedures.
Please use this note or other messages/mechanisms to garner congressional contacts from scientists, educators, students, and stakeholders. Congress must hear our voices if we are to be successful. Inaction will result in the status quo.
Whether you use the text below or your own words, we urge you to keep the message simple. While our deliberations within the system resulted in a significant amount of detail, we have been told repeatedly that our external message must be focused and succinct.
Thank you for your support and assistance.
Sincerely, The CREATE-21 Co-Chairs:
Jeffrey D. Armstrong [email protected]
Robert D. Steele [email protected]
L. Washington Lyons [email protected]
PS: We plan to send this message to various email distribution lists within 24 hours.
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ACTION ALERT!!
CREATE-21 IS AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE! We need YOUR help BEFORE April 6!
Dear Friend,
As you may know, the land-grant system and its partners have coalesced behind a proposal to improve, update, and expand the food, agriculture, and natural resource research, education, and extension programs managed by and funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This proposal, CREATE-21, has two essential elements:
1. It will greatly improve the efficiency of USDA's research, teaching, and outreach programs by integrating four USDA units -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), Economic Research Service (ERS), and Forest Service R&D -- into a SINGLE, COHESIVE, organization.
2. It will DOUBLE the budget over a seven-year period (from $2.7 billion per year to $5.4 billion per year), thus helping the whole system: ARS, ERS, Forest Service R&D, Experiment Stations, Cooperative Extension, Academic Programs, International, 1890s, 1994s, small 1862s, Insular Area Land-Grants, AASCARR, etc.
IF YOU SUPPORT CREATE-21, THEN YOU MUST ACT, AND YOU MUST ACT NOW!
WE NEED YOU TO DO TWO THINGS:
FIRST, your U.S. senators and representatives MUST hear from you! Call, write, fax, or email their offices! Tell them that you support CREATE-21 and ask them to support it too! (See the sample script, below.)
SECOND, we need you to contact others within your organization/institution and get them to contact their senators and representatives on our behalf. (NOTE: We are well aware that some institutions have strict guidelines governing contact with congressional offices and you should redistribute this message WITHIN those guidelines.)
If you agree that the status quo is neither sustainable nor acceptable, then you must act:
SPEAK UP! HELP US HELP YOU!
Sincerely,
The CREATE-21 Co-Chairs: Jeffrey D. Armstrong Robert D. Steele L. Washington Lyons
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SAMPLE SCRIPT:
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* My name is ________, I am one of your constituents, and I am affiliated with _______.
* I want Sen. (or Rep.) ______ to support CREATE-21.
* CREATE-21 will greatly improve the integration and efficiency of USDA's science programs.
* CREATE-21 will dramatically increase funding for university-based research, education, and extension activities and USDA's in-house research facilities and programs.
* This increase is critically needed to address pressing national issues such as __________ (fill in the blank with something you're passionate about) ___________!
* CREATE-21 will benefit our state (district) because _______, and must become part of the 2007 Farm Bill.
* Thanks for your consideration.
* If you have questions or want to contact us: create-21.org
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GUIDANCE AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
DEADLINE: We are trying to complete the initial outreach to House and Senate offices by Friday, April 6.
MESSAGE DELIVERY:
Telephone calls and letters faxed to offices are preferred. Email and regular letters are less effective due to email overload and regular mail delivery delays.
CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE INFORMATION:
House and Senate telephone and fax numbers are available here: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
CUSTOMIZATION OF MESSAGES:
Identically worded messages are less effective than customized messages. Nonetheless, generally follow the script we have provided.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
* Seven Reasons to Support CREATE-21 (attached): create-21.org/documents/PDF/Print/Reasons_to_Support_C21.pdf
* CREATE-21 (A two page explanation):
create-21.org/documents/PDF/Print/CREATE-21.pdf
* What our proposal will and will not do:
create-21.org/documents/PDF/Print/Will_And_Will_Not_Do.pdf
* Myths and Facts (about CREATE-21):
create-21.org/documents/PDF/Myths-Facts.pdf
* CREATE-21 Compared to Other Proposals:
create-21.org/documents/PDF/Comparison.pdf
* CREATE-21 website: create-21.org
* House of Representatives website: www.house.gov * U.S. Senate website: www.senate.gov |