This is excerpts from a column that appeared Sunday by Chico Enterprise-Record editor David Little. To say he’s annoyed would be an understatement, especially when he titles it ‘Another startling episode of ‘Your Tax Dollars At Work’ – Anthony
By DAVID LITTLE
I fish and I hunt, which means I send about $200 a year to the state for hunting and fishing licenses, tags, stamps and report cards.
Add my wife, daughter and son to the tab, and our house pays probably $500 a year to the state.
…
It’s a minor annoyance, however, as long as you know that money is going to a good cause. I’d like my money to be spent on increasing the fishing and hunting opportunities for all Californians, and managing fish and game populations so future generations can enjoy the same hunting and fishing traditions, as my children already do.
Money spent by anglers and hunters should benefit fishing and hunting, simple as that.
That’s why I was annoyed Wednesday to see a news release from the state Department of Fish and Game with the subject line: “DFG Launches Climate College to Better Understand, Address Climate Change.”
I learned a lot from this earnest news release. For example, I didn’t know the DFG had a “Climate Science and Renewable Energy Branch.” I always thought the DFG was focused on fish and game, critters and habitat, not windmills and snowpacks. The state has other departments to study that, right?
This Climate College, the DFG proudly noted in its press release, is being launched “to increase climate literacy.” (Huh?) …The release promised “lectures, presentations, online discussions, reading assignments and a final project.” The reward for completing the course? A “certificate of completion.” And “the opportunity to show their final project to DFG leadership.” Oh joy.
…
The release went on to say: “The college is another initiative that keeps California at the forefront of climate-related planning and action.” OK, maybe there’s a place for that in state government. I don’t think it’s the Department of Fish and Game (emphasis on fish and game).
…
When Californians forked over $52.9 million last year for fishing licenses and stamps, and $22.7 million for hunting licenses and tags — a grand total of more than $75 million — I’m betting they didn’t think it would be used to help develop a Climate College or to fund the salary of a person called “Climate Change Adviser.”
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You can read the press release from DFG here:
DFG Launches Climate College to Better Understand, Address Climate Change
You can visit the “Climate College” here: www.dfg.ca.gov/Climate_and_Energy/Climate_Change/Climate_College/ .
Look at who is involved, its like an episode of Government Gone Wild:
DFG Climate Training Stakeholder Working Group
Not content to have a California Climate College, they have even bigger plans:
The USFWS National Conservation Training Center will roll out the National Climate Academy in October 2012. In the spirit of collaboration DFG is working in partnership with the steering committee to coordinate training activities and materials between the two courses. Both courses compliment each other and build on the need for increased communication and collaboration around climate change.
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nc, you’re right. I noticed this when I visited Bryce Canyon this summer:
http://nature.nps.gov/climatechange/
I wonder what % of national park $$s are spent on this?
What so frustrates me with this is that even if California managed to shovel a gazillion dollars to people to “study” “climate change” and even if they found precisely the cause, there is nothing California can do about it. This is nothing more than a diversion of public money to political supporters and pandering to a special interest voting block. It is basically criminal, in my opinion.
@garethman
They do *not* have a higher standard of living.
Noted in passing, the bear on the California State Flag, known as the California Grizzly, is now extinct. I dare say, the balance of the state will achieve that status in the not too far future the way it is going.
From shrnfr on September 11, 2012 at 2:52 pm:
California can always import new grizzlies from Canada, same as they do with actors.
Garethman,
After the fall of the Soviet Union I saw an NBC on the street interview from Moscow. The reporter was asking people how they felt about their new situation. A small group of people were grousing that the shops still didn’t have much meat and that there was no strong leader to help them out.
Suddenly a Red Army Lt. stepped in front of a guy complaining. HE turned to the camera and said in disgust,
“This man would trade his freedom for a potato.”
He gets. You don’t.
Got a passport? Planes are leaving on the hour.
User pays
Use anything, pay for everything.
@ur momisugly David Little – you forgot to add another $8 million where “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs and distributes funds to State fish and wildlife resource agencies.”
Handguns – 10%
All other firearms, parts, and ammunition – 11%
Archery and accessories – 11%
Arrows – $0.45 per shaft
Fishing rods, reels, line, lures, etc – 10%
Import duties of to 3.7% 9.2%
Electric outboard motors – 3%
Import duties of 1% to 3% on boats
@ur momisugly Bob in Virginia – some of the same craziness is here, DGIF monies going to build birdwalks in Loudoun Co, environmental labs, etc
Matt,
I guess you don’t know. Everyone has beaten the Germans. The Americans, the French, the Soviet Union, the British. We each believe that we beat you single-handedly, and that you should thank us for saving you from your own evilness forever. What you don’t understand is that we are “exceptional” which means we are better than everyone else. We believe that its our duty to protect the entire world, and to force our values on the entire world, including our sick gay culture, porn, and the rest of it.
But I agree with what they say about the hunting license fees, which should go for conservation, not to be confused with environmentalism. I get your joke about the bread and so forth, but with hunting licenses its different.
Government should not be funding ANY climate change studies regardless of tax source.
I hope our green-left Aussie PM Julia Gillard doesn’t get onto this idea. If she does, I’ll give up fishing rather than put more into her coffers of spendthriftness.
If by They you mean the Eurocrats, you’re correct. Europe’s high living standards are unsustainable, a temporary result of monumental borrowing from the future based on treating inherently shaky sovereign debt as risk-free. Europe has another year, maybe less, before the roof falls in.
Taxes and fees used be used for improving/sustaining their collection. That’s why there’s general taxes and sales taxes and property taxes, school taxes etc. But gasoline taxes were supposed to be to build/maintain highways and roads, not used as general revenue. Fees are even more imperative that they be used where collected because (a) fees aren’t taxes (b) fees should only be used to maintain what they were originally charged for (c) fees should not be considered a general tax to be used as seen fit (d) they shouldn’t be collected in amounts greater than required to maintain/improve whatever wherever they were originally charged for.
rogerknights says:
September 11, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Garethman says:
September 11, 2012 at 9:08 am
And to add insult to injury they have a higher standard of living, lower unemployment and a higher lifestyle satisfaction index. It’s outrageous and should not be allowed. They have it all wrong.
If by They you mean the Eurocrats, you’re correct. Europe’s high living standards are unsustainable, a temporary result of monumental borrowing from the future based on treating inherently shaky sovereign debt as risk-free. Europe has another year, maybe less, before the roof falls in.
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The roof won’t fall in until they run out of money. This won’t happen because they are printing more money (just like Obama does). When people have to go shopping with carts of money is when the roof falls in – probably more than a year off and very painful. The latest bail-out plans (to be paid for with printed money) in Europe seem to have been accepted by the markets for the short term, it should see a clear run for the elections in USA (Nov) and maybe, just maybe (Merkel hopes) Germany in 2013. They just need a few more years to get the iron collars manufactured and distributed.
Steve T
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Garethman says:
September 11, 2012 at 8:16 am
****
Interesting anecdote, but w/o looking up the numbers, I’d wager more Europeans currently immigrate to the US than vice versa.
Wanna bet?
Some good links here if anyone is considering making move to Europe. http://ask.metafilter.com/17806/What-is-the-easiest-country-to-immigrate-to-in-Europe It’s not easy, but most new Europeans I meet from the US tell me it was well worth it. By the way when I responded to earlier postings on better standards of living etc, I was referring to Germany as most of the critical posts were directed to that country. Subjectively I know for a fact that my standard of living in Europe is much higher than I could have ever expected in North America regardless of how much I enjoyed living there. Interesting article from the N Y Times which is worth reading.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/business/economy/08leonhardt.html
Garethman,
You seem to be missing the point. (Not to mention misunderstanding the difference between a fee and a tax.)
I would rather live free in poverty than submit to tyranny in opulence.
You don’t live in tyranny yet, but the winds of change aren’t favorable at the moment.
Matt’s post is a fine illustration of the statist philosophy that prevails in Europe. The state knows best, it can decide anything, the citizen is there to comply. Hunting license fees in Europe often go to the direct financing of outright or indirectly anti hunting and antifishing NGOs like WWF and its ilk. There are “green funds” established ostensibly to promote the management of game, and eventually are diverted to cordoning off large areas as no go areas. In some cases (mount Parnon, Greece) EU plans include the licensing of walking in public land. The great european public, which has been fooled into thinking itself liberal and democratic, is so brain dead it cannot see the dangers of licensing walking on public lands.
I used to have California hunting and fishing licenses. A few years ago it became too much trouble, so now they get nothing from me.
Oddly, I’ve just learned that the imported alien species of Eastern Gray Squirrel that is a significant garden pest, has fleas and mange, and drives out the native California Squirrels is classed as a “game animal”. So if you want to remove any from your home (say, for example, they sit in your apple tree and eat apples while “pooing” on your yard / roof / whatever and delivering a load of fleas to your yard) you are NOT allowed to do so until you ask the DFG for “permission” AND buy a hunting license…
I guess that makes them a protected alien invasive pest species… Welcome to California…