Re: wildlife/hunting

[gregb@corecom.net (Greg Brown)]

At 08:33 PM 12/8/98 EST, Erikus4@aol.com wrote:
>What is so special about wildlife management that the people need to 
>be protected from themselves?  Remember...this is a *constitutional* 
>change...a weakening of  the direct democracy process to appease 
>special interests.
>
>Anything the voters do must be right...  ; )

   Not at all.  In my opinion, the voters erred in 1996 when
the bear hunting reform initiative went down to defeat.  But that
defeat does not lead me to the conclusion that the system is
flawed.  You have yet to provide any compelling evidence
that the system is so flawed that it requires amending the 
state constitution.

   If anything, you should be bolstered by the electoral
results as a sign  that the present system works.

>>Do you fear a different outcome in the future?
>
>No.  I fear the repetitive assaults on the will of the people after they have
>spoken.  I hate the mudslinging and wasted resources that go into such crap.
>I hate the divisive  effect of all this crap.

   In politics, there are no permanent victories and the "will of the people" 
can be quite dynamic, if not fickle.  We may not like this basic feature 
of our political system but that is how it is.

    I do think, however, that we would benefit from initiative campaign 
reform.  I'm all in favor of capping initiative campaign funding, e.g., each
side being allowed to spend no more than $100,000.

>>pro-bear cub killing
>
>See above under mud-slinging.  That is a blatant lie and you know it.  Sure,
>some hunters (using the term loosely) probably kill cubs indirectly.  

   So you acknowledge the facts but object to my rhetoric. Fair enough.
I don't need to resort to ad hominems.  I'll re-phrase.  "Supporters of bear 
hunting practices that result in orphaned cubs."  

   The question still remains: why?  We ban spring hunting
seasons on virtually all species to protect the offspring.  Bears
receive no such protection.   The combination of hungry bears
emerging from hibernation (some with cubs), limited natural food 
in the presense of bait sites, and relatively few snow-free areas
in early spring is a deadly combination for bears. Some would 
say grossly unfair.
----------
Greg Brown (gregb@corecom.net)
Asst. Professor, Environmental Science Dept.
Alaska Pacific University
Home: (907) 346-2777
Work: (907) 564-8267
Fax: (907) 562-4276