Paul Schlagel
06-04-2010, 10:42 PM
The 2010 omnibus Game and Fish bill contained legislation that would damage our pike and muskie fisheries. It also would have caused the DNR to lose some of the money from fishing license fees. The bill also would have introduced a new license that would allow fishing with two lines which would have created added pressure for all game fish. It would have shifted fishing license revenue into a hunting access program, it would've allowed spearing of pike on Cass Lake with an amnesty provision for 'accidentally' speared musky (this would have basically legalized musky spearing), and a lot of other bad ideas the governor opposed. To top things off, there was some last-minute, shifty manuevering by Satveer Chaudhary (DFL-Fridley, chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee) to add special walleye regulations for the lake on which Chaudhary owns a cabin.
This Bill was a perfect example of politicians crafting legislation to make a few constituents happy, at the cost of our shared natural resources. Politicians shouldn't be in the business of micro-managing and legislating the DNR, only to get some votes. The DNR folks trained in biology and natural resources management should be the ones to manage our natural resources based on science, not politics. Pawlenty called it "legislative overreach"
Satveer Chaudhary is now facing an ethics inquiry to determine if his actions constituted conflict of interest. He's also at risk of losing the DFL endorsement and will have tough time getting re-electeed, as he's already facing stiff opposition from DFL and IR opponents. I hope he'll be gone after the last election. If he's the chair of the committee that crafted that bill, then I say, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Satveer."
In the 6/2/10 edition of the Star Tribune, Dennis Anderson wrote an article, "Muskie Supporters Take Note." Anderson points out that it was only the veto of the governor that stopped this thing from becoming law. The law could have been the first step in a slippery slope that would have dramatically changed Minnesota's world-best musky resource. Anyone who wasn't following what going on has to pay better attention. Anyonw who know what was going on and didn't contact their legislators have to get off their butts next time and make sure their view point is heard. It's not too late. Contact the legislators of that committee and your local legislators to let them know that you opposed the Omnibus Game Bill of 2010, and you're glad it died on Pawlenty's desk. Check some earlier posts on this issued to find out who to contact and how to do it.
If we're ever to protect the musky resource from the pike harpooners and stupid politicians, we have to do better.
This Bill was a perfect example of politicians crafting legislation to make a few constituents happy, at the cost of our shared natural resources. Politicians shouldn't be in the business of micro-managing and legislating the DNR, only to get some votes. The DNR folks trained in biology and natural resources management should be the ones to manage our natural resources based on science, not politics. Pawlenty called it "legislative overreach"
Satveer Chaudhary is now facing an ethics inquiry to determine if his actions constituted conflict of interest. He's also at risk of losing the DFL endorsement and will have tough time getting re-electeed, as he's already facing stiff opposition from DFL and IR opponents. I hope he'll be gone after the last election. If he's the chair of the committee that crafted that bill, then I say, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Satveer."
In the 6/2/10 edition of the Star Tribune, Dennis Anderson wrote an article, "Muskie Supporters Take Note." Anderson points out that it was only the veto of the governor that stopped this thing from becoming law. The law could have been the first step in a slippery slope that would have dramatically changed Minnesota's world-best musky resource. Anyone who wasn't following what going on has to pay better attention. Anyonw who know what was going on and didn't contact their legislators have to get off their butts next time and make sure their view point is heard. It's not too late. Contact the legislators of that committee and your local legislators to let them know that you opposed the Omnibus Game Bill of 2010, and you're glad it died on Pawlenty's desk. Check some earlier posts on this issued to find out who to contact and how to do it.
If we're ever to protect the musky resource from the pike harpooners and stupid politicians, we have to do better.