Sorry, this is the fault of these fisherman. They should go to Iraq as "Salmon Mercenaries". They could put their boats in the Persian Gulf. Bush pays an assload for mercenaries. Also, they should have incorporated. With $1.1 trillion dollars in corporate welfare this year, they should have gotten a piece, rather then needing individual help from the government. Why can't these layabouts just get a better job and get their own piece of the American dream?
Posted by phidipides at June 29, 2006 08:39 AMOne other reason, paradox - California's a blue state. (as well as Oregon) Even if your governor is a GOP man, he's not adequately genflecting towards the beltway and aping their talking points.
Truthfully - I think the GOP is willing to let Arnold hang. I can't articulate why other than his popularity is in the toilet with Californians. That a fishing industry suffers is no big whoop to them. Particularly if interstate farming corporations in Cali are porkng the Party better.
Posted by idiosynchronic at June 29, 2006 08:47 AMThese fisherman need to sell this problem as a national security issue. In particular, they need to stress the anti-terrorism aspect associated with keeping them in business and their boats off the market, especially the dirt cheap bankruptcy market.
A better boat than a fishing trawler for transporting WMDs doesn't exist. It can go to sea for a pretty long stretch of time. It can navigate some pretty crappy weather. It usually comes equipped with some pretty good electronics. And, its mechanical hauling gear is ideal for moving big, bulky, heavy objects around the ship. And, the fishing boats are usually small enough to sail into almost any port virtually unnoticed. What more could a terrorist want to pick up some WMD at sea and bring it back to shore? At rock bottom prices! Woo-hoo!
Yep, this is the way to go to market this need to support the fisherman. I'm not sayin' it will happen, just that it could happen. Isn't that the essence of the Cheney Doctrine?
Posted by PrahaPartizan at June 29, 2006 09:06 AMSalmon are on the attack! Why do they hate our freedom?
Posted by clb72 at June 29, 2006 09:08 AMMost likely these fisherman are trollers (hook and line) not trawlers (net). This is quite sad, fishing is a boom and bust lifestyle where you need to be able to fish the few month opening every year. Think of being with no income for 9 months, then being told that your season is closed for another 27 months at a minimum. Not only that the closer comes mid way through the season so each fishermand has sunk a good bit of money getting ramped up for this season.
Posted by tirade at June 29, 2006 09:37 AMEven the Klamath Police watched as a farmer shot the lock off a dam so that the water would flow into the fields. It's a complicated situation, the farmers, or their grandfathers, were guaranteed they would always have water after the feds drained the Klamath wetlands~rerouted the river/lake. Now, it's drying up. Farmers or Fishermen?
Posted by yesyesyes at June 30, 2006 06:43 AMWhatever the human resource mismangement might have been, and the current economic loss to fisherman, the top priority is to preserve the Salmon and the fishery for posterity.
Sorry for the fisherman, who appear to have suffered greatly from Bushco mismangement. And the secrecy is par for the course.
Posted by euzoius at June 30, 2006 09:44 AM