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This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
A Financial Management Seminar for Hunters, Fishermen, & Trappers
No this isn't about your retirement investments or
some exiled banker from
Nigeria with millions in a bank account in Enugu: it is about the
Millionsof dollars of our excise taxes being frittered away by State
fish and wildlife agencies and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
I have been told numerous times that both State and Federal bureaucrats
when asked about me often say, "he always writes about the same
thing". That is true, I am still mad about the $45 to 60
Million in excise taxes STOLEN from State fish and wildlife agencies (or
our hunting and fishing programs -whichever floats your boat). The
Stolen money was used for things Congress had refused to fund like
wolves in Yellowstone and a new Federal office in California. The
funds were never repaid (again either to the
State agencies or to OUR HUNTING and FISHING Programs depending on your
perspective). In fact, the State agencies (notice I didn't say
"our") NEVER ASKED FOR THE FUNDS TO BE REPLACED nor did any of
our "Foundations" or "Unlimiteds". Finally, in
spite of courageous Congresswomen like Helen Chenoweth and Congressman
Pombo, Congress had the General Accounting Office abandon the audit
(which would have found more problems) much like ENRON and other such
powerful organizations did when the truth might hurt or embarrass our
"betters". So, no this is not about that, therefore I
will not mention it further.
No this is about the use of more than one-half billion dollars of excise
taxes per year. This money is divided by law between the state
fish and wildlife agencies and administered by the US Fish and Wildlife
Service. By law, for almost 80 years now, each state must agree
that the money (and all the income it generates) all stays with fish and
wildlife management and they must submit to audits every five years by
the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
As the USFWS changed into a tool of the Environmental and Animal Rights
Movement through the 70's, 80's, and 90's audits of the state agencies
gradually disappeared. As is only human, things got worse and
worse until the scandal of the $45 to 60 Million (I forgot I wasn't
supposed to mention that). The USFWS then quickly hired a contract
auditor that found $125+ Million in misspent (by states) funding.
The auditor was duly fired for being late on the schedule and the USFWS
hired (illegally) the Inspector
General of the Interior Department. This IG oversees USFWS (can
you spell
conflict-of-interest?) and has been conducting the state audits for
about 6 years. He is much further behind than the fired auditors
were but that doesn't seem to matter so much anymore.
Budget) requirements are ignored and overseers (of USFWS) in Interior and
politically are too "busy" or too ignorant (really) to care. Hundreds of Millions of OUR excise taxes are being misspent.
So how is the money being misspent?
Land purchased with excise taxes is turned over to State Park agencies.
Fees are collected on these lands and spent by other state agencies.
Land is used for non-fish and wildlife purposes.
There is no accounting for income to the programs.
Land is "exchanged" for worthless land so state pols can use it for?
Employees are paid when not working for the state F&W agency.
Retirement costs for ineligible employees are paid with theses funds.
Swimming pools and picnic areas are put on F&W land.
Sewage, transmitters, camps, and hiking trails also are placed there.
Pump stations and cabins too.
Concessions are put on these lands.
While the 4 lines above are prohibited items, they generate cash for?
Intentional mishandling of land records clouds transfers.
Oil and gas revenues are not going to F&W as required.
All manner of non- F&W management employees are paid with the funds.
Non F&W "pools" get and use excise tax-purchased equipment.
Non-game and non-fishery activities are more and more using the funds.
DNR diversions (overhead to state appointees and other non-F&W folks).
Encroachments by under-funded state parks.
Additionally, several of the largest hunting and fishing stores have kept millions of excise taxes due. Smuggling of fishing tackle from overseas is increasingly profitable as such tackle will out compete that which has paid the tax. The IRS and Customs think this is "small potatoes" (to them, yes: to us, no) so enforcement is lax and former FWS employees that began looking into it were reassigned and/or retired.
What, you say you don't believe it? "Your" state F&W Director wouldn't allow such stuff. Some of you are right but most of you are not. Same goes for "your" "Unlimited" or "Foundation" or other sportsman outfits: they would say something, wouldn't they?
Nope. "Our" outfits are either purposely ignorant (upset duck hunters or elk hunters or turkey hunters don't send in money or go to banquets) or "go along to get along" since many of them look for a state or Federal job (appointment if lucky) eventually. "Our" state agencies have two big reasons to cover all this stuff up: one is and age-old reason and one is a recent phenomenon.
Since curlew hunting and passenger pigeon stew were popular, state agency
heads GET and KEEP their job by pleasing the Governor and Legislature. When they can "find" money or pay for things for politicians that get them votes or please powerful people, everybody (except you and me) is happy.
Since the advent of Endangered Species and Invasive Species and all the "Protection" and "Environment" Acts many state bureaucrats (like their Federal cousins, the "overseers") have become convinced that hunting, fishing, and trapping are "on the way out". Therefore the "future" (job, grade, pension, etc.) depends on "being on the right side". In this case the USFWS and the State F&W agencies are working to lay the groundwork for Congress to "replace all the "lost environmental funding" when the excise taxes dwindle away. It is called Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Management. It will be funded by the US Congress with our Federal tax dollars and it will be "administered" by the USFWS. "Your" state agency will dance to the environmental and animal rights tune played by USFWS bureaucrats.
What to do? Vote. Only if and when the Federal and state politicians take control of the bureaucrats (that is supposed to be their job) will things turn around. But first we have to elect politicians that aren't seduced by "Puppy Protection" or Marine Sanctuary "Designations" or more government land acquisition every time they are up for reelection. That's all!
As best I understand things there may be 20-25% of the Republicans and 5-10% of the Democrats in Washington that would help. The future really lies with electing GOOD state Legislators and Governors. Start straightening things out in your state and by that I mean realize that the lure of new Federal funds should be seen for what it is and keep state F&W bureaucrats responsible to State authority. Do that and soon enough the good state politicians will start beating out the Federal bunch that returns to
Washington after each election like swallows returning to Capistrano or buzzards returning to the Potomac River to eat dead things all winter. Maybe, just maybe, one day Federal politicians will think of themselves as "over" bureaucrats instead of as receptors for "get-vote" schemes that fatten bureaucrats and destroy our nation.
Jim Beers
8 October 2006
- If you found this worthwhile, please share it with others. Thanks.
- This article and other recent articles by Jim Beers can be found at
http://jimbeers.blogster.com (Jim Beers Common Sense)
- Jim Beers is available for consulting or to speak. Contact:
jimbeers7@verizon.net
- Jim Beers is a retired US Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Biologist,
Special Agent, Refuge Manager, Wetlands Biologist, and Congressional Fellow.