Free: Contests & Raffles.
Hey Guys,I don't post much, but this whole business of anti-hunters grabbing the wheel in our State has me spooked. Has there been any talk of a ballot initiative, to put commissioner appointments into the hands of voters, by region, rather than by Governor fiat? From what I understand, the Governor's power to appoint WDFW commissioners isn't necessarily enshrined in the constitution, and is a matter of statutory law, which (if true) suggests to me that maybe we can solve this through a ballot initiative - if we could get one on the ballot & if it were to pass in our favor... Any thoughts on that, or experts out there who can weigh in?
You are correct. I figure there are a lot of other elected positions, like port commissioners, fire commissioners, etc, why not WDFW commissioners, who are each elected by their specific region? It seems like maintaining a majority on the commission would be easier that way, and of course, there'd be a much higher likelihood that hunter's rights would remain in focus, and that the science would be followed. If Washington gets noticed as the canary in the coal mine, maybe some out of State money / national associations would get behind it & do battle against the anti-hunting special interests & actually win for once.
We should not have elected game commissioners. Populism and the governance of the WDFW will spell doom for hunting and fishing. The Hound Hunting and Bear Baiting initiative many years ago showed that the vast majority of the electorate have no clue on how wildlife need to be managed. Appointments to the commission are loaded with pitfalls. But, I think elections would create a mess the likes we probably would never recover from.
OK, I think you no votes have won me over. When I really think it through, I agree the opposition is just too good at the ballot box to leave every round of commissioner appointments up to a vote. I'm personally gonna drop it after this.I still say that relying on our ability to somehow improve outcomes by working within the status quo, and just "bringing awareness" is going to end very badly for hunters. The anecdotal evidence I see suggests there is not a net increase in people who hunt, or who tend to sympathize with hunting, that are moving into this State. They seem to be more-often moving out of the State. And, I think the recent trend in politics suggest that relying on the ballot box to get a better Governor, and through that, better appointments, is a bad strategy.I don't know about this State specifically, and I don't know how true it is nationally, but I've heard it said that something like 70-77% of people have a generally favorable view of hunting, but that survey declines a little every time it's taken. So, before it falls too low, we'd better craft something that leverages that generally-positive view into something that puts a stop to all this nonsense.I'm out of good ideas this morning (or didn't have one in the first place), but someone smarter than me better figure this out....cheers.
Quote from: Wad-Cutter on November 17, 2023, 11:26:22 AMOK, I think you no votes have won me over. When I really think it through, I agree the opposition is just too good at the ballot box to leave every round of commissioner appointments up to a vote. I'm personally gonna drop it after this.I still say that relying on our ability to somehow improve outcomes by working within the status quo, and just "bringing awareness" is going to end very badly for hunters. The anecdotal evidence I see suggests there is not a net increase in people who hunt, or who tend to sympathize with hunting, that are moving into this State. They seem to be more-often moving out of the State. And, I think the recent trend in politics suggest that relying on the ballot box to get a better Governor, and through that, better appointments, is a bad strategy.I don't know about this State specifically, and I don't know how true it is nationally, but I've heard it said that something like 70-77% of people have a generally favorable view of hunting, but that survey declines a little every time it's taken. So, before it falls too low, we'd better craft something that leverages that generally-positive view into something that puts a stop to all this nonsense.I'm out of good ideas this morning (or didn't have one in the first place), but someone smarter than me better figure this out....cheers.I think it is really good to talk about all options (plusses and minuses) and continue to debate them. Keep throwing ideas out there and let everyone vet them. I have few answers but actively do everything I can to advocate for our way of life. I am not going to give up on this state and will participate in all facets of policy making and activities supporting hunting and fishing into the future even when it may seem bleak. I owe it to my kids.
Speaking of the commission, where are things at right now? Been pretty quiet since the October meeting. What's the next step? What's the time line for any sort of season decisions to be made? Any upcoming meetings to be aware of?