Wow! That's pretty specific.. Also, why does he hate roses???

Why does he want to prohibit RRD research? Is this supposed to be a big money-saver or something?

It's just one congress person who proposed the bill. My guess is that he doesn't know anything about RRD or roses and it's just funding that is the issue. You can go on one of the sites where you can post your opposition to the bill.

There is no rosette disease in AZ, so what, me worry?

Did anyone follow the link to vote against the bill?

I just did. And stated my opinion against it, if for no other reason than the government spends money on much less worthwhile funding. How DARE he pick on roses?

I went to the link and filled it in. But, the message never sends, just keeps in the send mode.

Hm. Did you get the confirmation email from them? Mine kind of did the same thing, but then I got a message saying to go click on the link to confirm you're a real person. My submission was acknowledged once I did that.

Just signed on to PopVox and added the following additional comments to the letter to my congressman.
I oppose H.R. 2943 To prohibit the Department of Agriculture from obligating or expending any funds for grants awarded for research on the prevention of rose rosette disease, and for other purposes...
my addition~ I have a young rose garden in Massachusetts and have invested about $2,000.00 in rose purchases so far thus promoting USA business either via mail order or mortise and brick. This disease spreads rapidly by way of a vector mite and once a rose is infected there is no saving it. I have spoken to several rose gardeners in several states who have lost 60-70% of their prized roses to this dreaded disease. There is also the possibility that this may at some point affect food crops such as strawberries, apples and others, plus many other ornamentals which share the same family and subfamily in scientific classification. Several economically important products come from the Rosaceae family, including many edible fruits (such as apples, pears, quinces, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, raspberries, loquats, and strawberries), and almonds. Should the US government risk several of our food crops to save 4.5 million dollars in research money to find a way to halt this decimating disease. What are all of these industries economies worth and how many Americans do they employ. Is it worth the risk of 100's of thousands losing their livelihood to save our government $4.5 million dollars? The apple industry produces over $3.1 billion worth of crops a year, almonds produce $7.4 billion in income a year, roses contribute another $400million. Is saving the US government $.4.5 million dollars worth the possible destruction of agricultural industry crops that produce incomes of well over 10 billion a year?

I will also be emailing my congressman directly with a similar letter.
What is odd is that no organization is offering opposition to this bill like ARS. I wonder if they are aware of it?
Sharon

The one supporting comment at PopVox is quite scary in its hate filled vitriol and doesn't even address the RRD proposal. There are some very scary people out there!

Still waiting for my confirmation email. Hmmm?

It worked this time. I had to wait for the confirmation email and respond to it.

enchanted, pretty much what I said, but much better done! nancy - good!

Thanks. I also direct emailed my congressman Richard Neal District 1. Hopefully this will never get out of committee, what an asinine proposal, especially in light of how much we spend on non necessary military expenses like the F35 fighter which will cost over 160M per plane!!! 4.5M is just a drop in the proverbial bucket.

And pointed metal spikes around the White House, that aren't going to stop anyone - including drones and people who walk in through open doors. Which is off-topic, I know. Sorry, Henry!

I was thinking the same thing, Luvsflowers. We've gotten a bit off topic. What is frustrating though is to see how few even posted at PopVox. As of yesterday there were only 14 comments and nothing from any rose growers or ARS. I don't know if anyone can contact ARS. I'm not a member but I'm sure some of us are. I'll send an email link to HR, Ru, Bailey's, Chamblee's etc. Maybe they don't even know about this. It's amazing that Henry found out!!
Sharon

Yes, maybe it needs spreading the word, as they say. It sounds as though you're off to a good start. Being new to roses, and outdoor plants in general, I don't know how I can help, but if you think of anything I can do, please tell me. I'm willing, if there is. And that goes for anyone who might read this! :)

Could you email your congressman? They all have contact info on their web sites. i already emailed Richard Neal. He usually votes for environmental issues so i think he will be on board if this ever gets out of committee. Fingers crossed that this goes to where all "good" bills go to die, haha!!

All very interesting. The one chappy supporting it on PopVox is clearly more exercised about the necessity of banning foreigners and 'immoral homosexual acts' than RRD research - so much so that he unfortunately neglects to include any reference to it at all in his spirited defence of the Bill, as jkellydallas wryly notes. I'm sure there must be an important, though subtle, connection (perhaps through that infamous rosarian-led, Obama-backed, world-wide, Islamist/ liberal/ black/ homosexual conspiracy against American Freedom?...) Sorry if I left anyone out.

That PopVox thing is pretty neat! I do hope everyone here will go straight on there and vote against this Bill. There were just 15 votes against when I looked + that single one in support. It doesn't look as though you have to write an explanation if you don't feel up to it. As an Australian/Brit I don't get to have a vote, not unreasonably, except that I'd rather not have RRD eventually spreading from the US to the rest of the world, obviously.

:¬)

Comtesse- Yes, that is one scary dude or dudette. And he didn't leave out a single conspiracy from gay marriage to chem trails. No mention of cantaloupe thighs though. :-) Unfortunately there are more like him out there in the good ole Us of A!! He probably writes to his congressman on a daily basis with more of his illogical, irrational, delusional rants.

You seem to be very well versed on Obama, although I had no idea that he is a homosexual rosarian ;-) although I did know that he is a Black Islamist. Thanks for letting me know!!

And it does seem like we are devolving. Scary that the whole world seems to be infected with this dangerous disease. Maybe we could get some research money for that!

Sharon

Cantaloupe thighs??!!... are they related to Cankles??!! Now there's a conspiracy, if ever I heard of one.

I re-edited my post several times, probably while you were writing your response, since I suddenly thought I might be going too ravingly off-topic, just like the cantaloupe guy. Maybe your 'devolving world' comment related to the edited-out middle paragraph about opium and cake. (Do try and keep up, everyone.)

It may interest you to know that I have irrefutable evidence that Mr Obama has been caught on more than one occasion, lurking in the White House Rose Garden, though whether for the immediate purposes of immoral relations, I couldn't say. However, did you hear that deeply sinister speech he gave at Rev Pinkney's funeral in Charleston the other day, about Grace, Love and Forgiveness? Clearly a coded call-to-arms for the Caliphate!

No, you really can't be too careful...

:¬0 :¬0 :¬0

Your comments are too funny and sadly you seem to know a lot more about Pres. Obama than many US citizens. I didn't catch the eulogy for Rev. Pickney but I will listen to it at some point. Trying to plant roses before the high summer temps hit ;-) and taking advantage of the sunny weather.
As for cantaloupe thighs, (actually cantaloupe calves: my mistake) that was a comment made by one of our "esteemed" Teaparty congressmen in reference to Mexican undocumented children. Straight from the horse's er...mouth "there's another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds -- and they've got
calves the size of cantaloupes because they've been hauling 75 pounds of
marijuana across the desert." Congressman Steve King.
Isn't America grand?

Thank you for alerting us. I have e-mailed my congressman. I also e-mailed Laura Seabaugh, the new executive director of the American Rose Society, copying Jolene Adams, president of ARS, and the president of my local rose society.

Enchanted - I did email him that same day, sorry I didn't say so specifically.

The American Rose Society is involved, see:

https://bos.etapestry.com/prod/viewEmailAsPage.do?personaRef=913.0.387812365&databaseId=AmericanRoseSociety&memberId=938155996&jobRef=322.0.159107883&mailingId=30247250&erRef=913.0.387812362&key=a19be16e356ec7af4662e553cc7496

Thank you, Henry Kuska!!

Thank you Henry!!