The Great Outdoors
Should agencies lobby state legislators? There is an interesting scenario unfolding in Montana. Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association filed suit to stop Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks from lobbying their state legislators.
This is not a new issue or astounding revelation. This writer pecked out a column years ago about the same controversy in Pennsylvania. However, in view of the PGC’s powder burns and subsequent bleeding from both feet, it may be time to revisit this issue.
Currently, the PGC’s Legislative Liaison is Mr. Joe Neville. I know Joe fairly well. Years ago he was a guest on my radio show. We broke bread together and speak occasionally. Our relationship is mostly amicable.
Be that as it may, Joe Neville’s job is to visit our legislators on a regular basis and persuade them not to consider legislation that might impact the PGC’s authority or programs. He promotes legislation favorable to the Agency. Joe Neville is paid with our money, sportsmen’s dollars. His latest protective efforts indicate his foray into the pre-emptive have gone a bit too far.
Prior to January 2007, State Representative Bruce Smith was the Chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee. Joe Neville had a mini work station set up in Bruce’s office. They were quite cozy.
Undisciplined for twelve years the PGC’s actions now resemble the antics of a twelve year old child given the run of the household. Boundaries have become faint and of little concern. In a recent fiasco Mr. Joe Neville took some liberties with a private email of mine sent to Mr. Jerry Feaser and Dr. Chris Rosenberry of the PGC. My private and personal email was greatly modified and posted on a public internet website message board as if I wrote it. The poster named Mr. Joe Neville as the person who asked him to post the false document. I can not say for certain at this time that Joe Neville is the person who performed the modification, but we will find out. I intend to take this matter up with the State Ethics Committee. As you can imagine, a number of legal lines may have been crossed.
My personal problem aside, a much larger issue is emerging. Should PGC employees be spending their time and our money on website message boards? I have seen WCO’s and even PGC Commissioners post sarcastic and combative remarks on message boards defending the PGC’s programs and policies. I have seen Letters to the Editor show up in newspapers across this state signed by an unknown, but clearly read like a PGC press release. Mr. Jerry Feaser was caught in this exact scam seven or so years ago. We have witnessed our legislators come under attack in newspapers for not supporting the license increase proposal and/or condemning the current deer program.
At the core of all of this madness is the obvious truism that the PGC absolutely refuses to listen to sportsmen in the debate of any issue. Their programs are flawed, their decisions are questionable and their behavior is now crossing the line. None of that matters to them. They want to win and have their way.
The old days of defensive lobbying by the PGC are gone. They have now adopted a new strategy of pre-empting any curative legislation that might compromise their control. We, the sportsmen, are paying Mr. Joe Neville and others to work against us before we can make our case to the legislators. Our only hope is, once again, that our legislators see this situation as clearly as we do and take corrective action.
Like Montana’s, this controversy has tragically evolved to the point of total absurdity.
Jim Slinsky is the host and producer of the “Outdoor Talk Network”, a nationally syndicated, outdoor-talk radio program. For a station near you or to contact Jim, visit his website at www.outdoortalknetwork.com