TAX BREAK MONEY TO GO TO EQUINE RETIREMENT

In view of the Pro-Slaughterers' arguments that there are too many "unwanted" horses and that slaughter is needed to dispose of them, we respectfully submit to Congress this alternative to the Industry Created artifical & un-necessary "need" for horse slaughter, 

a

PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE FARM BILL & ECONOMIC STIMULUS ACT  TO (a) GIVE A PORTION OF EQUINE INDUSTRY TAX-BREAK MONEY BACK TO THE HORSES BY CREATING A NATIONAL REGISTERED AMERICAN EQUINE ATHELTE REHOMING & RETIRMENT FUND AND (b) FOR TAKING AWAY BREEDING INCENTIVES AND REPLACING THEM WITH BREEDING DIS-INCENTIVES  

We think that the proposals in this petition are a VERY GOOD idea. The proposals DO NOT call for any TAKING but a WITHHOLDING of the new tax breaks and incentives. The proposals ask only a small portion of the millions of taxpayer dollars that have been granted to the industry. These "withholdings" woud apply ONLY to the "greatest producers," "the greatest offenders" who are the BIG TOP TEN. They are the largest commercial producers (and promoters) of breed specific breeding. These are the ones upon which the new tax breaks should be withheld and put towards a National (or state level) Registered American Equine Atheletes Rehoming & Retirement Fund.  We feel it is VERY important to hold these "puppy millers" of the equine world (and those who PROMOTE & SUPPORT them) accountable for CAUSING and PROMOTING the so-called "over-population" of "unwanted" horses in America today, and for CREATING an "artificial" so-called "need" for equine slaughter, and for promoting a lie to the public that horse slaughter is a "necessary evil." Intelligent people who have EDUCATED themselves and HAVE THEIR FACTS STRAIGHT know better:  There IS NO need for equine slaughter, ever. Its all about a quick and easy way to make a fast buck off of the industrys un-wanted horses.  Its about the almighty dollar....and nothing more. Why do some people find that so hard to believe? Surley they must not have all the facts. Education is the key.

There is NO WAY that you can really be "all for the horses" and not support the amendments proposed in this  petition.
Loss of "industry benefits" for the affected few would be the only grounds for any objection .  Can YOU think of any reason why  any REAL horse lover would NOT support these proposals? ....Neither can we.

The WHEAT from the CHAFFE will be seperated here! TRUE COLORS will come out! Fakers & Frauds & Charlitans Wont Support these  Proposals, while TRUE lovers of horses who dont care about "lost benefits" MOST certainly will.  Supporters of these proposals are "all about the horse" and NOT about the almighty dollar. The BUCK stops HERE! 
INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABILITY starts  NOW ! 

"If You Are NOT a Part of the Solution, YOU are a Part of the Problem."

 We urge all TRUE lovers of equines, no matter what your financial status, to support this proposal. With US, its ALL about the horses, not "whats good for "the industry" so much.  We think the best thing the industry could do for the horses is to put them first and be GOOD to them by NOT treating them like meat-cows and sending them off to senseless, needless slaughter. Right or wrong, slaughter is a horror reserved for food-animals ONLY and in this great country of ours, the horse IS NOT a food animal, and we hope it never will be.  Americans DO NOT eat horses. Most "Reasonable American Minds" consider it morally wrong. Still, America  is the WORLDS LARGEST exporter of horses for human consumption abroad, and its INDUSTRY HORSES who are slaughtered the most.

We are out to re-define "caring"  for The Industry." We will show them how to properly care for our Noble & Great American Equine Atheletes when they are through with them.  Not only will we show them how to care for them but we will help them to do it too! There is PLENTY of us "out there" that want to help in BIG ways,...like as in "lifes-work, PASSION, etc.!" Working together we can put an end to 95% of horse slaughter by reducing industry breeding and rehomeing and retiring the industrys "unwanted" horses.   Here is your alternative to slaughter.

PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE FARM BILL & THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS ACT

To: Representatives Conyers, Burton, Rahall, Jones, Moran, Chabot, Grijalva, Scott, Smith, Schakowsky, Wasserman Shultz, Nader & Sutton;

First of all, "Friends of Equines FOES of Equine Slaughter" would like to take this opportunity to extend to you our sincere thanks for authoring and/or co-sponsoring HR 6598 "The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2008,"  the law that would have ended  equine slaughter in this country and their exportation abroad for the same diabolical purpose.  We, the horse lovers of the world who say "NO" to equine slaughter, commend you for the hard work you all did in putting HR 6598 together. Your struggle to get this bill passed this year was heroic and we commend you for those efforts.  
We hope that you will continue to initiate and support future anti-horse slaughter legisation including those proposed in this petition, and never cease in your efforts to end horse slaugher and their exportation abroad for slaughter. 

Why you may ask is it so important to us, and we would respond to you "What is wrong with striving to make the world a kinder, more compassionate place?"  We think it starts with how we morally percieve and bear our responsibilites as human beings, and how we treat our animals is a good indicator of same. 

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals." - Ghandi

As you well know, the vast majority of Americans are against horse slaughter, and the anti-horse slaughter movement continues to gain ground everyday. The movement is growing in popularity, particularly  "on the hill" with our legislators such as yourselves. 
However and unfortunately, as you also very well know, there is a small but influential and effective pocket of pro-slaughter supporters & "pirate" politicians who consistantly and successfully lobby against us. These politicians & lobbiest represent the larger and more profitable equine industrys of today, the "puppy-mill" breeders of the equine world that contribute the most to the equine over-population problem in our country today. These are the same over-breeders such as the Racing Industry & The Breed Registries such as the AQHA, who claim a "need" for equine slaughter as a fast, easy, and profitable way of disposing of their industry undesirables & cast-offs.

As you also know, the USDAs own studies have shown that over half of all horses that go to slaughter are registered horses in their prime of their lives; servicable horses that are in no way in need of "humane euthansia" as the pro-slaughterers mistakedly call slaughter.  Obviously no one from the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) or the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) have ever been inside an equine slaughter house and, apparently havent even bothered to watch any of the dozens of videos about it on the internet these days, either. If they did they would see the absurdity of their claim. Slaughter is never humane. Its about about a "quick and easy" way to dispose of their industry cast-offs and make a little "blood money" off of their slaughter at the same time. 

We see by the report that you submitted in reply to the pro-slaugher propaganda that you dont buy the pro-slaughter arguments either! We are glad of that!  

See: Committee Sees Through Pro-Slaughter BS and Responds;

http://theanti-aqha-qhloversclub.blogspot.com/2008/10/httpthomaslocgovcgi-bincpquery.html

Isnt it time to hold these "horse loving pro-slaughter" industries  acountable for their production of all the so-called unwanted horses they are crying about and for their creating an artificial (greed-motivated) "need" for equine slaughter, and  for blocking our bills at every turn?  Isnt it time to give the industry a real incentive to find alternatives to the un-necessary evil of horse slaugher? Isnt it time we hit them where it hurts for a change? 

as you know, Congress has recently enacted laws beneficial to the equine industry. The Farm Bills "Equine Equity Act" alone provides over 400 million dollars in  tax breaks to breeders over the next 10 years , and the Economic Stimulus Act gives even more plus lucrative breeding incentives. 

FARM BILL PASSES - FAVORS EQUINE INDUSTRY - GIVES $444 MILLION iN TAX BREAKS

From the NTRA "Legislative Action Committe" (LAC) site;
http://ww3.keeneland.com/news/NewsPDFs/NTRA%20Legislative%20Overview.pdf

More gov't favor in the equine industry; 

EQUINE INDUSTRY TO BENEFIT FROM THE  ECONOMIC STIMLUS ACT

Act Passes and Creates MORE Breeding Incentives
Benefits in the Economic Stimulus Act for Horse Industry

Washington, DC -February 14, 2008 -

President Bush signed into law the Economic Stimulus Act on February 13. The bill is intended to provide a jump-start to the lagging U.S. economy. The new law includes two tax incentives that would allow a much bigger write-off for horses and other depreciable property purchased and placed in service during 2008, said Jay Hickey, President of the American Horse Council. This should provide an additional incentive for people to invest in more horses for racing, showing and breeding as part of their business activities.

"Friends of Equines" just says "Woahhh," to Mr Hickey and Congress and asks,.."What is wrong with this picture?? Something is definately not right here. What about the problem the INDUSTRY, INCLUDING the NTRA,  has been SCREAMING ABOUT in CONGRESS concerning overproduction and "so-many un-wanted" horses!? Do you really think the industry needs more breeding incentives? Do we really need or even want more breeding incentives, at least without a safety-net provision for the industry cast-offs?  Now our governemnt is in the "horse-breeding incentive" business also, without a care to the industry "unwanteds."  

Studies show that breeding incentives cause slaughter stats to rise accordingly; 

Breeding Incentives Cause Spike in Slaughter Stats 
 http://unnecessaryevils.blogspot.com/2008/09/breeding-incentives-cause-spike-in.html 

and even now, the AQHA is encouraging their members to take advantage of the new tax breaks and breeding incentives and is telling  their members to  "Breed Baby Breed!"  

AQHA Worries About Horse Shortages, Tells Members to "Breed Baby Breed."
 
http://theanti-aqha-qhloversclub.blogspot.com/2008/09/aqha-worries-about-horse-shortage-tells.html

We, "Friends of Equines believe that some or all of these tax break monies that were bestowed upon the Equine Industry be with-held from the TOP 10 PRODUCERS and set aside and used for deposit into a National "Registered American Equine Athletes Re-homing & Retirement Fund."  If the industry is to continue on in its mass-production of equines without a care for the problems over-production causes on the rest of the society, it would seem only right that they should contribute to a common "cost-of'care" fund for their discarded athletes. If the industry would just get breeding under control and take care of their own, there wouldnt be any "horse over-population" problem so you can see where the problem really lies. 

Signers please note: In addition to this petition we are engaging on a letter writing campain to our US Representatives all across the Country,...encouraging them to propose, write and  support amendments to the Farm Bill & Economic Stimulus Act that would withold tax-break money from the Equine Industrys TOP 10 PRODUCERS, monies that could be used to fund rehoming and retirement for Registered American Equines,... and to remove the breeding incentives and replace them with breeding dis-incentives. It is NOT enough to simply sign this petition. We need letters from YOU to your representatives asking for these amendments. If you are not sure who your US Representatives are, you can find out by clicking this link below;

https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

Congressmen, Representatives , we the undersigned implore you, TAKE BACK Industry Tax Breaks for the TOP 10 Wealthy Equine Industrialists / Breeders and put that money into equine retirment funds! Take away breeding incentives and create and reward breeding "dis-incentives." It is only the right thing to do.

There is the industrys' answer for what to do with "so many un-wanted" horses and who will care for them. 

Thanking you in advance for any consideration you may give this matter.

Friends of Equines FOES of Equine Slaughter
http://www.freewebs.com/friendsofequines
"Because We Care"