Reward for Being Responsible with Angler and Boater $

[bikerfish]

the politicians don't want someone doing the "right" job, they want a pawn they can push around to help their agenda, which has NOTHING to do with the health and care of streams, woodlands, or anything in the natural world. Their only agenda is money and power, nothing else.

 

[fritz]

So now the bill goes to the House?

 

[DaveS]

We are all going to need to step up here and contact our representatives . No way in hell should any politician should be dictating term limits to PAFBC Commissioners.

Call, e-Mail, whatever, we need to push back on this.

 

[bigslackwater]

"Further, during the months before the 2018 election Arway would tell voters which candidates were responsible for there being 240,000 fewer stocked trout."

Is this not this public record? Couldn't anyone look up who voted against the bill?

 

[fritz]

The votes for SB 932 are now posted. I just saw that Senator Wagner, in my voting district voted in favor. Wagner is running for for governor. This bill seems vindictive to me. What else could it be?

 

[CRB]

Very.

 

[lestrout]

I posted this to Rep. Eric Roe's FB page, though I don't see the entry. I'm also sending this to Rep. Andy Dinniman, who has been a friend of environmental concerns.

"I'm one of your supporting voters who is also an active conservationist and angler. I see that S.B. 935 passed the Senate last week, to my dismay. I believe the process passes the bill to your House next, and it would be good to quash this bill. It unfairly targets PFBC Director John Arway in limiting his term in his position. Mr. Arway has been doing an excellent job managing a difficult balance between a too low fishing license structure (which is long overdue for an increase) and maintaining fish stocking programs and safeguarding the environment and clean water. I hope you look into this matter on behalf of sportsmen and conservation organizations like Trout Unlimited, West Chester Fish, Game and Wildlife, and private fishing clubs.

Yours sincerely,
Lester Young"

 

[DaveS]

I responded similarly to my representative. I hope more members of this board are doing the same.

Please take a minute to call or e-Mail your legislators.

 

[JackM]

Mt Sen is:

GAME AND FISHERIES
PATRICK J. STEFANO, Chair

He voted Yes. Should I write him a polite letter or should I shame him?

 

[JackM]

Also, look how fast this bill progressed:

Introduced by Scarnati, et al. Oct. 19, 2017
Referred to GAME AND FISHERIES, Oct. 19, 2017
Reported as committed, Oct. 23, 2017
First consideration, Oct. 23, 2017
Second consideration, Oct. 24, 2017
Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, Oct. 24, 2017
Re-reported as committed, Oct. 24, 2017
Third consideration and final passage, Oct. 25, 2017 (34-16)

 

[JackM]

SB 935 was referred to the House for concurrence on October 26, 2017, but the house will not be in session until November 13. The bill must also pass the House.

I FB Messaged this to my Rep:

Justin, the House has received a bill from the Senate SB 935 that places an 8 year limit on the term of the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. If I understand it right, the PFBC appoints the ED. If the purpose is to restrict the Commission from keeping a good public servant at the helm, then it seems misguided. The Commission should have the confidence of the Legislature and Governor to select an ED that is effective at carrying out his duties and promoting the policies of the Commission. Please do not lend your support to this arbitrary term limitation. Thanks.

 

[RLeep2]

I plan on writing my rep in the House along similar lines and with a similar tenor to those used by Jack. On the other hand, I pretty thoroughly scorched the two Senators from my area who were co-sponsors of SB935. I do not believe the imperious and retributive behavior they exhibited in this case warrants gentle or fawningly respectful words in response on my part. They need to be reminded they are public servants and not independent royalty.

 

[TimRobinsin]

Bill sponsors:
Scarnati - Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean
Corman - Centre, Huntington, Juniata, Mifflin
Browne - Lehigh
Stefano - Fayette, Somerset, Westmoreland
Hutchinson - Butler, Clarion, Forest, Venango, Warren
Laughlin - Erie
Scavello - Monroe, Northampton
Brooks - Crawford, Erie, Mercer, Warren

- ED may not serve for more than 8 years
- No member of the commission nor any person who has served on the commission with in a year is eligible to become ED

Those who voted for:
Alloway -
Argall -
Aument -
Baker -
Bartolotta -
Browne -
Disanto -
Eichelberger -
Folmer -
Gardner -
Greenleaf -
Hutchinson -
Killion -
Langerholc -
Laughlin -
Martin -
Mcgarrigle -
Mcilhinney -
Mensch -
Rafferty -
Regan -
Reschenthaler -
Tomlinson -
Vogel -
Vulakovich -
Wagner -
Ward -
White -
Yaw -

Those who voted against:
Blake -
Boscola -
Brewster -
Costa -
Dinniman -
Farnese -
Fontana -
Haywood -
Hughes -
Leach -
Sabatina -
Schwank -
Street -
Tartaglione -
Williams -
Yudichak -

 

[TimRobinsin]

I’ve been a supporter of ED Arway since I watched him in the HB1576 hearings. The way he handled Rep. Pyle and his cohorts was proper and everything you could ask of a public servant. He has done a fine job of keeping the PFBC focused on its charge to “protect,conserve, and enhance” our aquatic endeavors, IMHO.

That said, I was also in attendance at the Mechanicsburg. His talk of why and how to implement the pending PFBC plan should SB30 not pass probably did not do Mr Arway any favors. I can’t say that I feel completely surprised by the political response. This is a political play. One that does not wear well on Mr. Arway who has demonstrated a successful track record of not lowering himself to the petty status quo of Harrisburg politics.

That said, I still believe Mr. Arway is doing the right thing. Given the current position of the PFBC, the trend of outdoor recreation, and the difficulties of resource management in the modern age, I feel that there is no other realistic option.

The truth is that it’s up to us. We need to let our concerns be heard. Letting the PFBC fail is a guarantee that we (fly anglers) lose a powerful tool, perhaps our most valuable.

A brief search into the history of the politics of the PFBC will reveal that there has been a long standing effort to combine the PFBC and PGC. This includes an effort to place the PFBC and PGC under the IRRC program.

That would effectively remove the PFBC’s ability to operate without bureaucratic control.

I’m not down with that.

 

[fritz]

I've been emailing and making phone calls to some legislators within and outside of my voting district. Trying to spread the word to others. I know they don't have a good excuse for their actions. Guess I'll have to ask for their bad ones.

 

[Maurice]

I sent an email to my representative. thanks Lestrout, I I plagiarized your letter tailoring it to my needs.

Sharing your notes is helpful here, for others to activate.

Just google Pa House of Reps, search “who’s my rep” pick some meaningful words and populate an email text box with them.

Then, you’ve done your part.

It is easy and worthwhile.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I believe that Pennsylvaia is the only state in the US that has separate fish and game commissions. How can Pennsylvania be right and all the other states be wrong?

 

[Bamboozle]

mt_flyfisher wrote:
I believe that Pennsylvaia is the only state in the US that has separate fish and game commissions. How can Pennsylvania be right and all the other states be wrong?

That is far from only instance where PA does things completely different than their neighbor states because it is right and everybody else is wrong.

We also have PennDOT & the PA Turnpike Commission among others both milking the taxpayers because PA is right.

However, I blame the AFSCME union in PA for coercing politicians to maintain the redundancy in agencies.

On topic, nothing against the OP but living a couple of miles from a city where a three term (12 year) incumbent with 54 federal incitements against him is reelected for a fourth term because he can be; I'm all for "term limits" on anyone and EVERYONE who gets paid with the public's money.

However what is good for the goose...so I am also for kicking out the rest of the bums after two terms in the State House and Congress too...

...if we could.

 

[JackM]

State House terms are limited to 2 years, Senate is 4. You can vote them out if they don't please you. The Executive Director of PFBC has a term limit too. He serves at the pleasure of the Commission Board. Arbitrary term limits in either case are as unnecessary as they are unfair.

 

[Bamboozle]

Unfair...how do you feel about term limits at the Executive branch...?

Two terms should be the limit on all of them, Arway & the PFBC Commissioners included.