A letter to the editors of the Worthington Globe attracted our attention. Scott Ralls, profiled in Doug Smith's 2014 article in the Star Tribune, Conservationist leads fight to restore prairies, wetlands; Avid Worthington pheasant hunter also advocates for state hunting lands and clean drinking water, is worried about the future of hunting and fishing in Minnesota.
In House Republicans shunning conservation community, Ralls writes:
It is with great sadness that I see Rod Hamilton (along with all Minnesota House Republicans) sign his name to the House version of the legacy bill. You claim to be a supporter of conservation and sportsmen. Your signature on this bill proves undisputably the opposite. The four different poison pills contained in this bill, all designed to end public land acquisitions, are so anti-hunting and anti-conservation that it literally screams the controlling party's complete and total disdain for a very large part of their constituency — that being the hunting and fishing community.
There has never been a time in my adult life where there is so much arrogance by one political party that seems intent on destroying everything the conservation community has worked so hard for over the past five decades. My efforts for the past 31 years on behalf of Pheasants Forever have resulted in access to public hunting lands for all people, regardless of their economic status. With the Republican support for a no-net gain policy, we could see this effort shut down completely in Minnesota. What, sir, is next? Will you and your party start the systematic sale of these lands until no more of them exist in our state? I don’t think even you can say that this would never happen with the current direction we are headed.
We have a large budget surplus, and still you are cutting the budget of the DNR and not allowing the conservation community to pay more to manage and protect our natural resources through a license fee increase. In addition, the diversion of millions of dollars from the Clean Water Fund to pay Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ operations budgets, which have historically been paid for from the general fund, shows that it’s obvious that the rule of law and the Minnesota constitutional amendment — which prohibits supplanting — means nothing to the Minnesota House Republican representatives.
If you are a sportsman, there is nothing left to do but despair. Hopefully the governor will veto your entire effort and give you time to come back to your senses next year.
Tough words from a rural guy.
Photo: Mr. Rooster has to walk through more than a snow job created by the Minnesota House Majority Caucus.
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When the bigger picture is considered, many of these things start to make sense, or should I say become understandable?
Capitalism, "our" system, is intended to always go after every last dollar that exists. No holds barred. No 'regulations'. Top capitalists, the 1% type, have committed a 'hostile takeover' of the Republican Party. Now, that party is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to get those dollars. If that means destroy the economy, destroy the country, destroy the Earth, like common heroin addicts, they can't (or won't) seem able or willing to stop themselves.
When I look at everything the Republican Party does and stands for, it all fits into this mold. Destroying education is part of it; when schools are private, only those already having money will be able to educate their children, and only educated people will be deemed suitable to be in power, completing the loop that puts the wealthy in permanent control. Forever. They hope.
Posted by: A. Martin | May 02, 2017 at 10:21 AM