If I might suggest: call your local Congressional office.  Tell them you
have information relating to the Labs and an urgent argument for their
being maintained.  Ask the staffer how best to get a letter to them.  They
will suggest that you fax it or, as in the case here in Oregon, say they
are receiving surface mail.  You get a double: phone and mail.  Email is
then another shot at getting the message through.  At the least, it's
probable three different staffers will see the message.  One of them may
understand its urgency and take up the cause.

During the phone conversation ask who on the committee your Congressman is
close to and how best to get the message into the committee.  If you hint
that you're afraid the anthrax scare will keep your message out of the
right hands, you may get some help there too.

Ms Jones: I looked at the bill last night. It appeared that research money
was increased and a search did not find mention of any of the labs.  Where
should I have been looking?  The marketing loans were continued at $.60
.

On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, Lillian Jones wrote:

> The 2003 budget closes the USDA Honeybee research labs in Beltsville, MD,
> Tuscon, AZ & Baton Rouge, LA.  on October 1, 2002.  This leaves the Weslaco
> lab.
>
> This is not yet a done deal.  The House Agricultural Appropriation
> committee meets on Feb. 28, and the Senate Ag. Committee meets on March 14.

---------------
Richard Yarnell, SHAMBLES WORKSHOPS | No gimmick we try, no "scientific"
Beavercreek, OR. Makers of fine     | fix we attempt, will save our planet
Wooden Canoes, The Stack(R) urban   | until we reduce the population. Let's
composter, Raw Honey                | leave our kids a decent place to live.