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[bassindude]

Great reply Fogy,  What is really needed is that those in congress/ Senate should only recieve benefits as long as they serve, instead of for life, and then only the average benefit, not some super health and retirement policy.

[brobutch]

 
Just got answer from Sen. Vitter. He says that Obama is trying an end around and if it goes through we won't even know that we don't have the rights until they are gone. He says he is gathering support and the uproar is tremendous the more people find out about what is going on. let's hope that they can stop another effort from the president to make us "equal with everyone else in the world" so we can all starve and have a one-world government run as a socialist state!!!

[hammy2337]

I heard about this yesterday and looked a little deeper and found out the article is all opinion.  No other media reported on this unless they got the info from this article.  If you go back and read it again they changed it a little.  All the committee is try to do is manage the ocean and great lakes for better use.

[gillrod2728]

Obama

Im there to!!!

[Dunham Fisher]

politics on a fishing site
gees, what is the world coming to?
 
lets all just go catch a couple fish and relax
 

With all due respect.  This isn't "politics", this is our way of life.  We can't be like frogs put in a pot of cool water, and have the heat slowly turned up untill it's too late.  Call, write, pester your representatives!  Raise hell untill heaven hears us!  If our Representatives, Senators, and President wont hear us, then let's vote their collective a$$e$ out!     

[Dunham Fisher]

How you could defend a President who is trying to destroy our livelihood and everything that this country was founded on sickens me. You should be ashamed of yourself!!!!. In a couple of years people are finally going to wake up and realize that we are just Obamas puppets on a string, but then it will be to late, we will be under a dictatorship, another Sadam!!!!

No way Topcat deserved this.  And he has nothing to be ashamed of!  Go back and read some of his posts.  I think you'll be surprised.

[Homerthumper]

Homerthumper topcat didn't deserve that. 

He like a lot of us are sick of the whole thing, no one ever stands up and takes responsibility it's always the other sides fault no matter if it's Dem/Rep doing the talking it's the same chit.

IMHO once politics became a career rather than a service to our country the temptation to look out for #1 became the priority.  Why is it so hard for our leaders to approve things of the citizens of this country that they themselves have, like healthcare?  Because both sides have grown to think they are better than us the average Joe.

First of all Ron, I'm not the kind of guy that will set by quietly and let this no fishing, no hunting president destroy our sport we love so much. I'm not playing politics, whether it be Democrat, Republican or Independent i'm going to voice my opinion to everyone especially to those supporting Obama on this. If Obama wants to help the country he can cut some of the billions of dollars the government is dishing out to house and take care of these drug dealing thugs that won't work, but no he pampers them and comes down on the fisherman. No surprise to me.

[Ron Fogelson]

First of all Ron, I'm not the kind of guy that will set by quietly and let this no fishing, no hunting president destroy our sport we love so much. I'm not playing politics, whether it be Democrat, Republican or Independent i'm going to voice my opinion to everyone especially to those supporting Obama on this. If Obama wants to help the country he can cut some of the billions of dollars the government is dishing out to house and take care of these drug dealing thugs that won't work, but no he pampers them and comes down on the fisherman. No surprise to me.

I wasn't arguing that you didn't have a valid point, if you check the site on topics such as this you will find that most members that take time to post do not like what Obama has done or is trying to do.  My only point was that you mistakenly took Topcats post the wrong way.

[Groma]

We need to bring about balance in are political system before we're able to balance anything else.
 Democrat, Republican or independent it's time to do some serious house cleaning.
Some of the rats are already jumping ship others are just plane dying.

Never forget, no matter what anyone says this great country's foundation in part is based firmly on the believe that "IN GOD WE TRUST" 

[shilohchamp Sup-V]

Fishing banned, no way that will happen there is to much money there. what happens to boat sales. All the tackle companies.Fishing means more to us than a car maker if it goes under there better be a baleout!!!

[PiscMonkey]

Hell no we wont vote! on this

[BamaCoast]

Fishing banned, no way that will happen there is to much money there. what happens to boat sales. All the tackle companies.Fishing means more to us than a car maker if it goes under there better be a baleout!!!

shilohchamp,

You have to remember these people meaning Obama and his administration are true believers. They could care less about the money the fishing industry brings. I saw a commercial today about "don't buy books, get them at the library, go green. Can you imagine the money in books? It is a huge industry. I wonder how the book industry feels about this commercial? They want a green society and studies have shown that for every 1 green job created you lose two regular jobs. This administration is like no other ever before. They really want to change our country and the way we live and not for the better. I thought the economy was starting to turn but lately I am not sure. It almost seems things are turning a bit worse again.

[runthru402]

There is no way fishing is going to be banned.  Its like outlawing hotdogs.  Instead of freaking out and saying and thinking this is all a conspiracy is a a bit irrational.  Lets think, why would people want to keep some bodies of water from being fished by recreational anglers?  How bout because there are so many naive fisherman and anglers out there with little to no respect for nature and how it works.  Not to mention all the lead that gets lost in the water, if lead can harm us what does it do the ecosystem.  More Fishermen should be more concerned with the condition of the water and the life that dwells there.  When kids can't go and jump in a lake for fear of getting a hook in the food, or lead poisoning its a pretty sad picture.  Just cause you don't see all the crap in the water doesn't mean it isn't there.  If we start becoming a bigger part/voice of conservation there wouldn't be need to talk about this.   


And Don't go all North and South on me, last time I looked there was only one United States.

[Rebbasser]

Obama

Very well put.

I just HOPE I have some CHANGE left in my pockets after this walking cluster and his minions leave office.  Starting in November!

[fishrman]

Friend that works in DC said it wouldn't affect my bass fishing, that they were considering it a  homeland security issue, 20 miles inland to 20 miles offshore. They are proposing a possiable ban on recreational fishing in that limited area, reasons were better for the fish, water pollution and nations security. Question is if it flys, where will it stop? And who's to say its better?

Vote them all out and lets start over

[BamaCoast]

Friend that works in DC said it wouldn't affect my bass fishing, that they were considering it a  homeland security issue, 20 miles inland to 20 miles offshore. They are proposing a possiable ban on recreational fishing in that limited area, reasons were better for the fish, water pollution and nations security. Question is if it flys, where will it stop? And who's to say its better?

Vote them all out and lets start over

Holy Cow,

That is not what I would consider a limited area and the reason don't seem to make any sense at all.

[tsmith35]

Jeez. Homeland security? Where do we sign up for travel permits? I'll need to leave early if there is a lot of traffic at the local security checkpoints.

"Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither." -- paraphrased quote of Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanack, 1738.

[tnhikr44]

 Have any of you read the actual memorandum that started this hoopla? Not very many of you would be my guess. It is in its full text below... I want a single one of you to find just one place where it says anything about banning anyone from anything. It is not there. The article that started this was an opinion piece, nothing more. ESPN has already apologized for it. You have every right to like or dislike whatever politician you choose... but at least do it for valid reasons. Disliking someone or something for invalid reasons makes one look foolish.

On June 12, 2009, President Obama sent a memorandum  to the heads of executive departments and federal agencies establishing an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Task Force is charged with developing a recommendation for a national policy that ensures protection, maintenance, and restoration of oceans, our coasts and the Great Lakes. It will also recommend a framework for improved stewardship, and effective coastal and marine spatial planning.

The oceans, our coasts, and the Great Lakes provide jobs, food, energy resources, ecological services, recreation, and tourism opportunities, and play critical roles in our Nation’s transportation, economy, and trade, as well as the global mobility of our Armed Forces and the maintenance of international peace and security," President Obama wrote in the memorandum. "We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, and sustainable oceans, coasts and Great Lakes resources for the benefit of this and future generations."

"The challenges our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are facing are complex, and to meet these challenges we must have the participation of a wide spectrum of views from within the federal government," said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The Task Force has a wealth of opportunity to make our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes healthier - both environmentally and economically."

The recommendations and frameworks developed by the Task Force will be cost effective and improve coordination across federal agencies. The Chair will terminate the Task Force upon the completion of its duties.

The time period to submit comments to the Task Force has closed, but you can read comments from others. The Task Force's Interim Framework is open for comment through Friday, February 12, 2010.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans

[BassBUFF]

OK, I'll try and keep any emotion out of this. This is my take on the issue.

This administration has a knack of sounding innocuous in anything it starts  but upon further review and discussion it becomes painfully obvious that there is more to it that may not be in the best interest of the country and it's citizens (try the health care bills & cap and trade for instance). This Task Force does the same thing. Here are some excerts from the same web site you mentioned:

Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (Dec 2009)

The Interim Framework includes a number of important provisions that would significantly overhaul the Federal Government’s approach to coastal and marine planning, including:

•A New Approach to How We Use and Protect the Ocean, Coast, and Great Lakes. The Interim Framework is designed to: decrease user conflicts; improve planning and regulatory efficiencies and decrease their associated costs and delays; and preserve critical ecosystem function and services.  The Interim Framework describes how such plans would be developed and implemented, and provides timeframes and steps for phased implementation of the framework.
•Moves us Away From Sector-by-Sector and Statute-by-Statute Decision-Making. While many existing permitting processes include aspects of coordinated planning, most focus solely on a limited range of management tools and outcomes (e.g., oil and gas leases, fishery management plans, and marine protected areas).  Comprehensive marine spatial planning presents a more integrated, comprehensive, ecosystem-based, flexible, and proactive approach to planning and managing uses and activities.
•Brings Federal, State, and Tribal Partners Together in an Unprecedented Manner to Jointly Plan for the Future.  The Interim Framework is not a top-down planning effort. Rather, it describes a new approach to Federal resource planning that is regionally based and developed cooperatively among Federal, State, tribal, and local authorities, and regional governance structures, through the establishment of nine regional planning bodies.
•Places Science-Based Information at the Heart of Decision-Making.  Scientific data, information and knowledge, as well as relevant traditional knowledge, will be the underpinning of the regionally developed plans.
•Emphasizes Stakeholder and Public Participation.  The planning process would be fully transparent and participatory – requiring frequent and robust stakeholder engagement throughout all steps of the process (i.e., development, adoption, implementation, adaptation and evaluation).

The bold items (emphasis mine) disturbs me the most. "Moves us Away From Sector-by-Sector and Statute-by-Statute Decision-Making" In other words, let the Federal Gvt decide what is best, not the States or local gvt. "Comprehensive marine spatial planning" in this instance " is a public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives that usually have been specified through a political process." ( ref:http://www.msp.noaa.gov/). "The planning process would be fully transparent", so far the administration and congress have a failing grade on that one.

This Task Force is strictly under the realm of the administration, no congressional oversight. It's policies will be implemented through Executive Orders of the President.

Does any of this say they are specifically outlawing boating and fishing? No, not yet. But they are laying the framework. All I'm saying to my fellow anglers is to please follow this action closely, read up on it, stay informed, and contact your elected representatives with your concerns if you have any.

[screwballl]

I sent some emails and got the usual canned responses:

Dear Mr. (Mike - edited since I don't give out my last name online):

Thank you for contacting me regarding sustainable fisheries and putting an end to overfishing.

There have been a lot of concerns lately about fishery closures affecting Florida, whether in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Commercial, recreational, and charter fishing are economically important to Florida--indeed, it defines our State. There are tens of thousands of commercial fishermen in our State, and Florida is home to more recreational fishing trips and charter boats than anywhere else in the country. Because fishing is so important to our State, it is vital that we find a way to preserve public access to our fisheries and manage them effectively, so that our kids and grandkids can enjoy the same fishing trips and fresh Florida seafood that we have enjoyed.

As you know, the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that regional fishery management councils end overfishing. Once a regional fishery council has scientific data showing that a species is overfished, it is obligated under law to end fishing and develop a plan to rebuild the species.

It’s a delicate balance between preserving a way of life and responsibly managing our natural resources for today's and tomorrow’s generations. I support ending overfishing, but fishery management decisions must be based on sound science. I know there are also many questions about methods and data collection. I believe we must invest in the right tools, and I have committed funds towards a recreational logbook pilot in the Gulf of Mexico. This new type of initiative holds great promise for timely, hands-on data.

I will continue to work to protect Florida’s coastal and ocean resources. I appreciate your taking the time to share your views with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson

Claiming to protect the resources but the "sound science" used will come from PETA and other useless groups...

So no support from Bill Nelson here... time to vote him out.

and then the response from Jeff Miller which is much more promising:

I remain opposed to both the House and Senate bills for a multitude of reasons, and I am strongly against using reconciliation to force them through. 

The rest is the usual political speak but this was the main line that I took out.

[tnhikr44]

OK, I'll try and keep any emotion out of this. This is my take on the issue.

This administration has a knack of sounding innocuous in anything it starts  but upon further review and discussion it becomes painfully obvious that there is more to it that may not be in the best interest of the country and it's citizens (try the health care bills & cap and trade for instance).

BassBUFF,

  Although I agree with most of what you are saying, and we certainly need to be aware, I still think you may be a bit misguided. Part of your response is in regards to federalism... i.e. the states take care of state business and the federal government takes care of national business. Each state is responsible for setting and enforcing their respective fish and game laws. It was the former President who 'preempted' this federalist set up and the current President 'un-did' it.

President Obama continued to reverse his predecessor's policies this week by undoing a controversial Bush administration rule known as "preemption" that used federal regulations to override state laws on the environment, health, public safety and other issues.

As mentioned previously, dislike your elected officials for valid reasons.

[zamguy]

I dont care which party, which official, I want them to remember the famous words - DON'T TREAD ON ME - nuff said.

[Dunham Fisher]

I dont care which party, which official, I want them to remember the famous words - DON'T TREAD ON ME - nuff said.

AMEN!!!  From the people to the government.  NOT from the government to the people!

[fishrman]

Along the lines of goverment not telling the truth. I saw our president speaking last night, (taped earlier in the day) he was speaking to a crowd about health care. He said we would see a 3,000 percent reduction in our personal insurance cost........ Now I admit I am not an accountant, but if it was 100% reduction would mean it would be no cost or free, at 3,000% reduction,  would mean they will pay me.


Where did these guys learn their math?

[screwballl]

Don't forget he also said we have 56 states!