Posted on 02/29/2012 10:05:01 AM PST by SmithL
Dan Richards, who chairs the California Fish and Game Commission, is under fire in the Capitol because he killed a mountain lion in Idaho and posed with his trophy for a picture that was later published on a hunting publication website.
Forty Democratic legislators signed a letter to Richards saying he should resign. "Your actions raise serious questions about whether you respect the laws of the people of California and whether you are fit to adequately enforce those laws," the lawmakers told Richards. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom later joined the chorus.
So let's get this straight....
Mountain lion hunting is illegal in California, thanks to a ballot measure approved by voters in 1990. It is, however, not illegal for mountain lions to hunt human beings, as several attacks attest.
Nor is it illegal to hunt mountain lions in Idaho, and Richards' trophy was perfectly legal. "I'm glad it's legal in Idaho," he told the Western Outdoor News website.
So Richards appears to be guilty only of offending the sensibilities of the Legislature, whatever they may be.
This is the same Legislature that offends the sensibilities of most Californians, according to a recent Field Poll, because lawmakers habitually ignore important issues, carry bills of self-serving trivia, help special interests, and manipulate their schedules to maximize their incomes.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Either Richards is a very small man or that is one big pussy.
Maybe this is clearer than the other article.
Liberalism:
If you do not agree with us, you cannot be part of the ruling class.
This is typical of California. I used to feel sorry for Californians. But as my wife pointed out, “They voted the clowns in. If they don’t like the way their neighbors vote, they can move. That’s what we did.”
That’s right. We left the SF Bay area in 2000 because the insanity starts to make a person stupid. You can’t spend too much time out there or you end up just like them.
Here is what all this is about.
“Escalating a battle between hunters and animal welfare groups — a conflict that could result in major changes to California’s endangered species and hunting policies — 40 Democratic state Assembly members Friday sent a letter to Dan Richards, president of the California Fish and Game Commission, demanding that he resign.”
(snip)
The controversy has prompted an outpouring of support for Richards from hunting and fishing groups, many of which see Richards as the most reliable vote for their issues.
(snip)
The stakes are high. The five-member commission not only decides which species to list as endangered, it also sets policies on everything from hunting to California’s new system of “marine protected areas,” which ban fishing in areas off the coast.
If Richards, who was appointed to the five-member commission by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, resigns or is removed from the panel, his replacement would be named by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown. And that’s a move that for the first time could give the commission a majority of members who tend to support the priorities of environmental groups.
(snip)
“There’s a lot at stake,” said Jennifer Fearing, state director of the Humane Society of the United States.
Gaines, the hunting advocate, agreed.
“We’re very well aware that this is a key seat, as are the animal rights groups,” he said. “There’s only five votes, so if you get three, you win.”
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_20041625?source=pkg
I’m guessing that the guy under attack is a non-leftist, appointed by Arnold Taxenhiker, and “thus” (to leftists) already was going to be attacked on ANY slight pretext.
To leftists like the letter-signers, fish and game are to be looked at from afar, never fished or hunted. No matter what.
S, S, S.
What is crazy is that cops kill mountain lions in California. Every once in a while, these cats come out of the hills into suburban neighborhoods. The cops come out and shoot and kill them. This has happened frequently on the San Francisco peninsula. People wonder why they can’t be tranquilized but the cops say they’re a danger. So it’s okay for cops to hunt them in California, but not regular folks. This commission president did nothing wrong.
“Cat’s just resting...pinin’ for the fjords...”
I don't really see the point in hunting mountain lions. I can understand shooting predators on your property and I understanding culling. I am just not a fan of killing animals for reasons other than for food.
On the other hand, I think that any family that is poor enough to receive food stamps should be given open, year-round hunting and fishing licenses. Perhaps a reasonable limit such as a daily bag limit for birds and fish and maybe 6 deer per year per household.
We moved after CA (with some Fed $$$) spent $900 Million to forcibly purchase a red wood logging company's land to save the trees the company had cultivated and processed for 200 years. In 1999, following the purchase, CA had a referendum on the ballots that would raise taxes ($1 Billion) for education. I told the wife to pack her crap, we're leaving. PS - That was following the MTBE scam and the "gross polluters" tax for out of state vehicle registrations.
I’m sure you’re right, but it’s only a matter of time. Arnold was probably the very last Republican Governor of California. And although he was a terrible disappointment, he was better than Gray Davis, Cruz Bustamante, or Jerry Brown.
There are no Republicans in any statewide office, and by the next election, Democrats may well have their 2/3 majority in both the Assembly and State Senate. Once that happens, there will be no restraints whatsoever on the liberal lunacy.
I can’t speak for others, but leaving the so-called Golden State was the right choice for me.
I moved out of California in 1979, and never looked back.
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