Reel in Government Anglers

In devotion to the unreal insanity that plagues our world each day I am starting a new “alert” called the “Perpetuation of Idiocy Alert”

Each day I awake to a new level of unbelievable lunacy, wondering if maybe “Alice in Wonderland” was really non-fiction.

Today I read this headline~ “Game & Fish agency looks to bypass law Proposal aims to create own freedom of information rules” WHAT???!

I called Kerry to let her know she could find me at Weimar Joint Sanatorium after I read Max Brantley’s post on this very issue and agreed with every word, here’s his rundown.

This issue underscores, rather than obscures, the larger issue. Game and Fish is out of control. It views public input and control as a hindrance. With a dedicated stream of sales tax money and a windfall from gas revenue, it has continued on its expansive ways, with an exploding payroll and lavish perks (the famous one-vehicle-per-employee ratio a good example) even as hunting and fishing licenses have declined in the face of an increasing state population. Something is wrong with this picture. It’s time to end Game and Fish’s stature as an independent agency. By this latest proposal, it demonstrates that it views itself as unanswerable to any authority but the kingmakers of the controlling three-member Commission committee.

If you will remember this is the same entity that several weeks ago were found to have 658 automobiles and only employee 613 people. We have since learned they are “slashing” 165 of those vehicles, leaving nearly 500. While I do understand that some of those vehicles are fish hatchery trucks, ATV’s and other operational vehicles 500 still seems to be a bit excessive with only 613 employees, indicating that a large majority have “personal” automobiles.

The average GFC salary, according to their 2010-2011 budget is $45K a year. The Census Bureau reports the median household income in Arkansas is $38,820.00 and that is without a personal vehicle to drive back and forth to work.

The Game and Fish Commission is claiming special privileges as a constitutionally independent state agency (the Highway Commission is another such entity) and is crafting its own version of the Freedom of Information Act. Evidently they don’t like answering to the people who sign the checks.

The sad part is the onus falls on the voters for this and a plethora of other governmental calamities since it was our vote that enabled this to occur. Gads of time, energy and taxpayer money will be spent sorting through this brouhaha. Reminds me of an ole adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, a perfect example of why voters have to be informed.

There is an upside, we can change it. GET INFORMED AND ENGAGED~