Stew
04-21-2003, 05:57 PM
I just received this from Norm Ritchie, president of ANWS
For years our elected officials have cut funding for ODFW & hatcheries and cut them again. For years anglers have stepped up to the plate and made up much of the difference. We had just acknowledged the incredible need for hatchery funding by stepping up to a sport fishing license fee increase earlier this year as part of the department's budget.
The governor has given a slap in the face to equity, to fairness, to the sport angling community and to us by releasing a budget proposal that essentially eliminates general fund support for all hatcheries. The governor expects us to accept a fee increase twice what we agreed to in order to back fill his extraction of $5,000,000 from ODFW's budget.
We must fight this unjust budget in the legislature. It has been said "The governor proposes and the legislature disposes." Please help make sure the governor's budget is properly disposed! Please get as many sport anglers as you can to the legislature next Thursday, April 24th.
For years our elected officials have cut funding for ODFW & hatcheries and cut them again. For years anglers have stepped up to the plate and made up much of the difference. We had just acknowledged the incredible need for hatchery funding by stepping up to a sport fishing license fee increase earlier this year as part of the department's budget.
The governor has given a slap in the face to equity, to fairness, to the sport angling community and to us by releasing a budget proposal that essentially eliminates general fund support for all hatcheries. The governor expects us to accept a fee increase twice what we agreed to in order to back fill his extraction of $5,000,000 from ODFW's budget.
We must fight this unjust budget in the legislature. It has been said "The governor proposes and the legislature disposes." Please help make sure the governor's budget is properly disposed! Please get as many sport anglers as you can to the legislature next Thursday, April 24th.