Either we elected the President as governor, or elected the guy that shot the President as governor, I lose track .. California’s thinks on a grand scale whenever porpoises are in trouble, or tofu is being discriminated against, it’s the price we pay for being trend conscious. Then again we tend to be quite pedestrian on “normal” issues..
I look at what other states are doing and wish we were them, not often – but often enough to wonder whether they’d trade us some intelligence for ..say.. Hollywood, or Paris Hilton, or maybe just a couple extra days of sunshine.
Maine might go for the sunshine, and I’d trade straight up for “checking out fishing tackle from the local library.” California only lends handguns or fruit smoothies – fishing tackle might both invigorate our ailing public library system and earn a kid a suntan.
Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources, “wants me to fish” – at least that’s what the postcard they’re mailing claims. It may be enough to wave in the Boss’s face and demand a holiday to fulfill my obligation to the State … If he blinks follow up with any of a dozen choice epithets, and remind them they’re just the kind of fellow the Department of Homeland Security ensures will get a cavity search should they ever fly anywhere.
California likes the national stage, if they really wanted to stimulate anglers why not make a new state holiday? Present a valid fishing license to your boss, and you’re entitled to skip Monday.
License sales would skyrocket, and we could all get a taste. You could pass your license to co-workers, for a nominal fee, and they could march into the Boss’s office with equal patriotic fervor.
I’m not picking on anyone, but we may have to coach our Vegan’s to say, “Fish – Fowl” with a straight face ..
Technorati Tags: licensing revenue, angling promotion, state holiday
Pingback: Fishing » Blog Archive » We could fix a hole or two in the budget, easy
KBarton for pres!
There’s still time to line up your superdelegates.
Not a chance, I’m better suited to be the sinister SOB behind the throne – whose sunglasses reflect nekkid something-or-other..
Let some nice looking respectable fellow kiss babies and cut ribbons, I’ll have my hands full “waterboarding” the Senate Minority Whip.
Well…California’s Supreme court say’s Catch & Release includes Gay fish too! Minnesota is gonna take a while to develop the intellect to go there! Caught 3, divorced 3: sorry Boss imma need a lawyer and a month.
Ig rock, why you gotta hate on MN? We have the intellect to choose NOT to go there.
Keith, the grass is always greener on the other side. The entire country is facing an outdoors crisis as there is less participation in outdoor activities with every generation, as they succumb to the poison of video games, cell phones,and other electronic banes. Growing up in urban environments only act to sever youth from their connection to the land. Minnesota’s efforts to recruit and retain anglers is valiant and noble, but likely utterly useless as this country mucks along towards urbanization.
Be of good cheer, JPL. Due to modern ease of transportation (perhaps to be curtailed somewhat), more people are visiting the wilderness today than ever. It is simply that their “outdoor activities” are evolving from Boone & Crockett to less lethal and exploitive pursuits. No doubt Dan’l Boone himself complained of the “kids nowadays” who preferred to laze about on flatboats and drive mules, to the more manly activities of footracing Indians along forest trails – and screwing them out of their real estate. It should be remembered that Boone (and Johnny Appleseed) were real estate dealers, so our heroic & storied past must always be taken with a dose of dull reality. See what you LEARN on Singlebarbed ? Nothing but Mensa types here. As for Minnesotans, who doesn’t love them – thanx to Garrison Keillor ?
Boone and Johnny Appleseed are the root of the subprime mess? Looks like another re-write of the history books coming..
Igneous likely is referring to the “red” state, “blue” state conundrum, wherein members of one are allowed to goof on citizens of the other. It’ll all change again in November, so no harm no foul.
Garrison Keillor, “Powder Milk biscuits: Buy them ready-made in the big blue box with the picture of the biscuit on the front, or in the brown bag with the dark stains that indicate freshness” – who doesn’t love Minnesotan’s?
yomama, it’s interesting that you note that there has been an increase in outdoor participants and use. What is your source(s)of data? All of the studies that I have seen have indicated outdoor recreation use as static, at best. Due to the continued population growth in this country, that results in a decrease in percentage of use across our population. Studies done by the USFWS federal aid program (sport fish restoration), as well as private and non-profit groups like the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Federal Cartridge, Pure Fishing (Berkley), etc., all support this decreasing trend in participation. This is very critical as many State Natural Resource agencies depend on license sales as the bulk of their funding for management, hence Minnesota’s (and other States’) “Take Me Fishing” campaign. Forgive me if I am not as optimistic on this subject as you are, but my livelihood depends on those license sales.
Keith, if Igneous was referring to the “red” state, “blue” state conundrum, then I don’t get his argument, as both CA and MN are dyed in the wool blue. I don’t mind the ribbing, as I was ribbing Igneous back, but at least get the gist of the barb right.
As far as Garrison Keillor goes, it seems that most non-Minnesotans find humor in his anecdotes and storytelling. As a Minnesotan, I don’t, in fact, fancy his humor, and somewhat resent the fact that he paints many of us as rubes. It may be in good humor, and yes, there are plenty of Larrys that live here in MN (as in every other state), but there is some sophistication lived here by residents, and not everything here revolves around the simple life. And yes, there are MENSA types that frequent here. 🙂
Cheers, and have a good weekend all. Let’s get back on the water where we all belong!
The stats I posted earlier showed the “non lethal” crowd with significant gains..
http://singlebarbed.com/2007/09/03/a-river-of-statistics-runs-through-it/
I’m thinking the fed census may be the root source of most statistics.
Thanks for posting the info.
From the data you posted, there was a 4% decrease in hunting participation, and a 12% decrease in fishing participation in the US population. Even with an 8% increase in wildlife viewing over the same period, that’s still showing an 8% net loss in outdoor recreation participation.
Disturbing trend.
I know the study from Pure Fishing was done using their own data, and not the Feds’.