URGENT Texas Health Freedom Alert - Say “No” to the Dietitians!

[Guest guest]

>>>Colleagues and Friends of Texas Health Freedom,

>>> Every Texas legislative session since 1999, the Texas

dietitians have introduced a bill to license the practice of

nutritional counseling to only them and medical doctors. We now

know that this will occur in 2007 as well. Once again, the Texas

dietitians are trying to monopolize and censor the information

consumers receive about nutrition and dietary supplements.

>>>

>>> We have received reliable information, via a forwarded e-

mail, that the dietitians will be introducing a licensing bill as

early as this week. On Feb. 20th, they will hold a " legislative

day, " and busloads of dietitians will descend on Austin and lobby

the legislature to pass their bill.

>>>

>>> If passed, the bill will legally prohibit nutritionists,

naturopaths, homeopaths, sports trainers, natural products

retailers/distributors and any other unlicensed Texas practitioners

from providing nutritional information to consumers. Experience in

other states shows that, if their bill is passed, the dietitians

will ruthlessly enforce it. In Florida, a naturopath/health food

store owner was handcuffed and jailed for " practicing nutritional

counseling without a license. " In Ohio, a Ph.D. nutritionist and a

health food store owner were each subjected to intrusive, lengthy,

hostile investigations and forced to spend tens of thousands of

dollars in legal fees. At the very least, we can expect the Texas

dietitians' bill to contain stiff fines (up to $1,000 per day)

for " practicing nutritional counseling without a license. "

>>>

>>> Each time the dietitians have previously attempted to pass

their bill in Texas, their efforts have been foiled by grass roots

groups, the many health organizations that protect consumer freedom

of choice, and professional groups. During the 2005 legislative

session, our Coalition mustered a powerful response of over 350,000

inputs to the legislature to thwart the dietitians. That time has

come again.

>>>

>>> Fortunately, you have at your disposal a powerful, easy-to-

use means to make your voice heard and help us say `NO' to the

dietitians. We are mounting a massive fax campaign to let the

legislature know how the citizens of Texas feel about this bill.

Why a fax? Experience has shown that faxes sent to a legislator's

office make the most impact. However, if you don't have a fax

capability, you will be able to easily send an e-mail and still let

your voice be heard. Here's how to do it:

>>>

>>>1. Log onto our web site, www.texashealthfreedom.com.

>>>2. In the upper left corner of the Home page, click on the

link " Who's My Rep? " You will be taken to a screen to enter your

address information. The screen will then show you the contact

information (not including fax numbers and e-mails) for ALL your

state senators and representatives. Please copy ALL their names

(except members of the US Congress). You will need to contact all

of them.

>>>3. Return to www.texashealthfreedom.com. In the Recent Items

List on the left side of the Home page, you will find the Senate and

House Contact Lists (two separate files) with the complete contact

information for all the Texas legislators, including fax number and

e-mail address. Please copy the fax number for each of your

legislators. If none is listed for a legislator, copy their e-mail

address.

>>>4. Now click on the section " Urgent: Health Freedom Alert. "

Below the article you will find two fax forms (click on the green

arrows), titled " No Nutritional Monopoly, " to fill out and send to

your legislators in the House and Senate, respectively. Please

download them, and print out and complete as many copies of each as

you need. If you are using e-mail, please copy and paste the fax

text into the body of the e-mail, enter the legislator's e-mail

address, contact information and your personal information, and send

it that way. Please use the e-mail title " Say NO to the

Dietitians. "

>>>5. Send a fax or e-mail to EACH state senator and representative

on your list.

>>>6. If you are a health professional or natural products

retailer/distributor, please make multiple copies of each fax form,

and ask every one of your patients/clients/customers to fill out one

each of the forms (Senate and House). Fax them at the end of each

business day to YOUR senators and representatives.

>>>

>>>That's all there is to it! PLEASE fax or email your

representatives and senators ASAP. The more of these faxes and e-

mails the legislature receives before Feb. 20th, the dietitians'

legislative day, the better chance we have of " cutting them off at

the pass " and preventing the bill from coming to a hearing. If you

receive this message after Feb. 20th, send your faxes or e-mails

anyway. Let your voice be heard!

>>>

>>>PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO ALL TEXANS ON YOUR E-MAIL LIST.

TIME IS VERY SHORT! (If you are the leader of an organization

supporting our effort, please feel free to substitute your own

salutation and signature at the beginning and end of this message

when you forward it.)

>>>

>>>Protect YOUR health freedom. Say NO to the Dietitians!!!

>>>

>>>Thank you for your help and support,

>>>

>>>Peter McCarthy, ND

>>>Chair, TX Health Freedom Steering Committee

>>>Member Organization, TX Health Freedom Coalition

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