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| Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. http://fugitiverecovery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=11101 |
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| Author: | bailagent100 [ Sun 20 Jun 2010 20:14 ] |
| Post subject: | Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
You've all seen the big thread about Virginians for the Preservation of Bail by now. A man by the name of Mike Donovan (along with other very involved folks) was part of that valiant effort to stem the tide of PTRS in that state. Now, Mr. Donovan is working (and living) in Colorado to assist us with our fight against PTRS, here. I was with Mike Donovan, his team, and about 15 other bondsmen & women from around the state, on April 21st., at the Secretary of State's office in Denver. In conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General, a "Title Setting Board", which establishes whether submitted ballot initiatives will appear on the ballot and how such initiatives will be worded was convened. Obviously, how an initiative is worded can have a significant and substantial impact on whether the voters will agree with the intent of the initiative on election day. Mike Donovan testified in support of our initiative. The board approved the ballot initiative and adopted more favorable language than we could ever have hoped or asked for! Mr. Donovan states, "When Colorado voters go to the polls in November, they will be able to vote on whether criminal welfare programs should be allowed to release violent criminals, without any guarantee that they would come back to court. Through this initiative, we will stop the radical pretrial plan to add Colorado to the list of states that have eliminated commercial bail. We simply will not stand by while criminal welfare programs attack our agents and their businesses!" We, in Colorado, have an opportunity to make commercial bail stronger, healthier, more viable, and more relevant to the judicial system than ever. We have an opportunity to 'help' PTRS conform more closely to their original mandate, which (40 years ago) was to work with the indigent, those for whom commercial bail was out of reach. We have an opportunity to 'help' PTRS understand that Colorado voters don't want rapists and murderers released into pretrial programs at their (the taxpayer's) expense. We have an opportunity to teach the public that they can put the brakes on PTRS in Colorado. With very favorable language in our initiative, our next step is to obtain the required number of signatures to put the initiative on the ballot in November. This means that we have to collect at least 75,000 signatures, statewide. As of a couple weeks ago, we were tracking numbers well ahead of the anticipated schedule, in that regard. I've met Mike Donovan three times, now. I continue to be impressed with his knowledge of the legislative system. He and his team are extremely savvy. The 'favorable language' he speaks of, was in his words "nothing less than historic." Despite his experience and his knowledge of the system, I could see he was nearly shocked that we achieved what we did. The wording on the ballot is a small step but will be HUGE in the big picture shortly down the road. We have a fight ahead and it's going to require some of our time or money or both. The battle plans have been drawn and refined from recent experience in Virginia. We have an experienced team who believe in bail and in our fight. I and many others trust them implicitly. I'm asking you to do the same. (The following is taken from "Americans For The Preservation of Bail" website.) "The bail industry in the United States is under attack, and at risk is the integrity of our entire criminal justice system. The community of bail agents must be organized to protect and preserve bail across the country. Americans for the Preservation of Bail exists specifically for this purpose. A national membership organization, the predominate role of Americans for the Preservation of Bail will be to serve it's membership by engaging in various legislative and regulatory exercises to advance the interests of bail agents, their families, bail professionals and bail related surety companies. Your membership dues will work for you - by supporting a national structure that could be leveraged to advance bail in state legislature across the country. Active in Virginia, Colorado, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Kentucky, Americans for the Preservation of Bail stands ready to assis bail agents across the U.S. in fighting against dangerous pretrial release practices and in supporting legislation that strengthens the commercial bail industry. Won't you join us today?" www.preservebail.com I am unsure as to whether this site's COC allows the mentioning of other industry associations that are actively soliciting memberships and funds. If not, would a moderator please contact me and I'll delete the above mentioned site's statements and website info. I felt the issue was of such importance to our industry (both our industries...bail and bail enforcement) that it was worth bringing this info to the group. Professional regards. David Platt aka: Bailagent100 |
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| Author: | KARMA [ Sun 20 Jun 2010 20:32 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
Thank You David! So far nothing is being said here . . . unless of course it is behind closed doors |
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| Author: | Mdbtyhtr [ Mon 21 Jun 2010 05:43 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
Nice work David and best of luck in your fight. In Maryland, we have won every time we have been at the legislature. The way that we are being defeated is through the control of the District Courts, a court of "Limited Authority" per our state constitution. The Chief Judge is orchestrating control over the Bond Commissioners, which is in his control and authority, to ROR everyone, over rule bonds pre-set by a judge upon a failure to appear, and fire the commissioners who don't comply with his political philosophy. If they can't defeat you at the Capitol, watch your back door! Scott |
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| Author: | bailagent100 [ Tue 24 Aug 2010 13:05 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
Wanted to post an update for those who may have not heard... Early this month 170,000 signatures were submitted to the Secretary of State's office in support of our ballot initiative to restrict PTRS in who they can take into their criminal welfare programs. No other initiative in Colorado's history has had as many signatures and as much support. This, in and of itself is historic and amazing to consider. Currently, the Sec. of State's office is confirming/validating all the signatures and we have been assured (off the record) that the required minimum number of valid signatures (about 75,000) will be present within the total submitted. This virtually assures that the voters will have the opportunity to tell the State that they don't want their tax dollars being used in the justice 'avoidance' system called PTRS, and will as a result, help to keep defendants on the hook for their transgressions against the People and our businesses safe from those in PTRS who have openly called for the abolition of commercial bail, nationwide. Costs thus far incurred in organizing to get the petitions printed and distributed, among many other related tasks, has hit $156,000 with more expenses expected. Individual Colorado bail agents and a few surety companies have ponied up all of those funds and we will likely need to contribute again down the road. We are fighting for our livelyhoods here and, as a result, have been able to put competitive differences aside and work together in these efforts to save our industry and our jobs. I know this thread didn't generate much discussion the first time around...but it did get viewed many times. Please understand that as an industry we can and must come together if we want to be in this business next year or 5 years or 10 years from now. Don't wait until it's too late for if we don't all hang together, surely we will hang individually, to steal a phrase. Professional regards. David Platt aka: Bailagent100 |
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| Author: | Mdbtyhtr [ Tue 24 Aug 2010 15:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
David Is there an address or bank set up to take donations for the cause? I will donate $100.00 and challenge all other bondsman to match or exceed that amount and bail enforcement agents to contribute at least half of that amount. This battle will be going state to state and has the opportunity to gain momentum which should reduce overall costs exponentially, because we won't have to promote a hard sell in other states. This is absolutely representative of our livelihoods. Scott |
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| Author: | aequitasservices [ Tue 24 Aug 2010 19:48 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
Scott, There is a tab on their website, http://www.preservebail.com/ ,marked contribute where you can make a donation. I am matching your contribution of $100.00 and am challenging the guys I work with to meet or beat $100. |
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| Author: | bailagent100 [ Tue 24 Aug 2010 21:37 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Times are changin' & we have opportunities...if we act now. |
Exactly correct Luke. Americans for the Preservation of Bail is the place to send your contributions. Scott, you're also quite right in your assessment that this fight is nationwide. My surety company's president, Cheryl Burns (Bail USA/Seneca Insurance) has, I'm told, received calls for assistance from agents in no less than a dozen other states that are currently in the sights of PTRS. We cannot wait for our respective sureties to 'bail' us out. They will be much more receptive to our requests for assistance AFTER they see that we, in our own A.O.'s, put our competitive differences aside and unite at the grassroots level to get things moving forward first. We, in Colorado, believe that our efforts may, indeed, set a precedent to make things easier for the bail industry to take the fight nation-wide while at the same time saving our businesses here at home, of course. Anything you can contribute will be put to it's best possible use by Americans for the Preservation of Bail when and where it's needed most. Bail USA made it possible for us to withdraw funds from our B.U.F. accounts if we chose to do so, in order that we might contribute. You might consider soliciting your respective sureties to allow you to do the same. I know individual agents who withdrew from $1500 to $5000 to $10,000 from their B.U.F.'s in order to help fund the fight in Colorado. I am (if I may humbly add) part of that group, myself. Again, ANY amount you choose will be accepted and put toward saving commercial bail in these United States. Your contributions and challenges to your colleagues are terrific and I, along with many, appreciate your effort, no matter how big or small. It is vitally important that we all sacrifice a little to save a LOT...a lot of businesses and a lot of families and a lot of hopes & dreams for our families and a lot of employees and their families and their dreams, etc. If we work together and don't wait for someone else to do the legwork we can and we will be successful. Again, thanks for getting involved. We can and we will save this industry that has been so good to so many of us. It's time, now, to give some back. Professional regards. David Platt aka: Bailagent100 |
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