With the GOP Primaries in full swing, we thought it important for readers of
The 4X4 WEB PAGE to have access to information to help them make an informed
decision at the voting box. We contacted Del Albright, our "track the
political BS" correspondent in California, and asked him to help us out, in
the most non-partisan way possible, while understanding the kind of issues that
4-wheelers and owners of any recreational vehicles are concerned about. Here's
what he found out for us, and you: Several folks have asked about places on the internet to find out about
political candidates and their views on issues dealing with motorized recreation
and related topics (public land access, road closures, private property rights,
etc.). I have found a few key places to check out that might help you decide who
deserves our vote. 1. League of Conservation Voters (LCV): This is part of the econet and gives
a scorecard on every member of the House and Senate. In my case, California, my
two Senators (Feinstein and Boxer) score very high with LCV; thus they don't get
my vote. On the other hand, my Congressman, John Doolittle, flunks out with the
LCV (he believes in motorized recreation; public land being available to the
public; and private property rights); thus he does get my vote.
http://www.lcv.org
2. League of Private Property Voters (LPPV): This is just the opposite of LCV.
They give a very detailed report of congressional votes (by bill by member of
the House or Senate). For example the Calif. Desert Protection Act and the
Federal Grazing Program votes are detailed in the 1993-94 pamphlet that I
reviewed. The vote of each member is given on each bill. You can see exactly
what he/she votes for.
I did not find them on the net yet. Write: League of Private Property Voters,
POB 423, Battle Ground, WA, 98604 or call (206) 687-2973 3. Campaign 96. A *non partisan* web site that gives a run down on current
elections and candidates. It seems to be a respectable presentation of the
candidates and the issues. You can also research speeches, newspaper articles,
and opinion columns on several of the candidates (especially presidential). http://politicsusa.com/politicsusa/campaign96/ 4. Home Pages: This one surprised me. Just do a web search and type in the
name of the person you want to know more about (e.g. Bob Dole; Steve Forbes; Pat
Buchanan). You'll find home pages of the candidates; articles, speeches, issues,
etc. It was fascinating, albeit somewhat self serving. It was not easy to sort
out their stands on things like road closures and public land access. I had to
dig a little; and even then it wasn't complete. 5. People for the West: Again, these folks are not on the net yet (that I
could find), but definitely a source of thorough information on issues relating
to public lands and private property rights. Actually, the are the National
Coalition for Public Lands and Natural Resources. Their slogan is *Environmental
Protection and Economic Growth.* They are staunch supporters of private property
rights and access to public lands. Their newspaper covers such topics as the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil Exploration; the Calif. Desert Protection
Act; Mining Law Reform bills; and Road Rights of Way (RS 2477). Write 301 N. Main, Pueblo, CO 81003 or call 1 800/339-9450. Hope this helps. If anyone has more spots to offer up, please do so. Thanks, Del DEL ALBRIGHT (jeepndel@goldrush.com) CA4WDC; Tread Lightly; United 4WD Association; California Desert Coalition;
High Desert Mulitple Use Coalition; Motherlode Rockcrawlers Club; Death Valley
Natural History Assoc.; Ducks Unlimited; Historic Access Recovery Project;
Friends of Death Valley | 
