One piece at a time...

[snowranger]

I found fishing as a child and since then it has been a major part of my life. When I was a tot, my family would rent a row boat each year on the Wye River (Chesapeake Bay for those of you out of the area) to set a trot line and catch crabs. Every year I pleaded with my parents to let me bring a fishing rod so I could fish while everyone else was crabbing. I then started fishing ponds for bluegills and bass with friends from my neighborhood. I spent a few years in Wyoming and fished for trout whenever I had free time. Next, I found the Chesapeake Bay and the world of saltwater fishing. Finally, I was introduced to offshore fishing, the great frontier! Now, I spend nearly every weekend from May through October fishing offshore with my wife and friends. Offshore fishing is what motivates me to work as hard as I do (no kids yet)! So much of our beautiful country is screwed up, the ocean is one of the few places I truly feel at peace. No phones, emails, texts, panhandlers, telemarketers. The time I spend with my wife, family and friends on the ocean and around the docks is the time I cherish the most.

So what does my "hobby" mean for our economy$?
Four years ago, after working my ass off and saving for years, I was finally able to buy a boat, a 1988 Blackfin$. Flew to Charleston a few times$ for surveys$ and repairs$ on her. Flew down one last time$ with my wife and brought the boat up to Maryland$. Spent a week in various ports$ and towns on the way up. Got engaged off he coast of North Carolina on the way up$$! Paid taxes for moving it to MD$. Rent a slip$, pay insurance$, pay mechanics$, winter storage$, bait$, tackle$, supplies$, fuel$... Tens of thousands of dollars annually paid to dozens of industries in multiple states! What happens to that money? It goes in the pocket of hard working Americans in each of those industries where the government can tax it again. Our economy is a machine that only runs well when the parts (people) are working hard and spending money.

Now consider shutting down recreational offshore fishing. The hard work, the saving, the spending...the flow stops in so many industries. My money will still be spent on offshore fishing, however, it will be in Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Australia, Ecuador, and Africa. That is just me. Add in the thousands of charter operations, industries, marinas, hotels, and resort towns (millions of employees) that depend on recreational fishing for their existence. Might want to think twice Mr. Obama and Congress. For those of us on this board, it is recreational fishing you are considering taking away, but you should be looking at the bigger picture. If you keep taking away from those who are working to stimulate our economy and giving to those who are dragging it down, you are going to destroy this country. Period.

I am a professional, a fisherman, and most importantly an American. I am also a voter and vital part of our economy. Be careful how many cards you pull out because the house is going to fall down.

Eric S

[snowranger]

Oh, and by the way Mr. Obama, a man is only as good as his word. Stick to yours. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issue..._Sportsmen.pdf


Paid for by Obama for America
BARACK OBAMA: SUPPORTING THE RIGHTS
AND TRADITIONS OF SPORTSMEN
Barack Obama did not grow up hunting and fishing, but he recognizes the great conservation legacy of
America’s hunters and anglers and has great respect for the passion that hunters and anglers have for their sport.
Were it not for America’s hunters and anglers, including the great icons like Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo
Leopold, our nation would not have the tradition of sound game management, a system of ethical, science-based
game laws and an extensive public lands estate on which to pursue the sport. Obama recognizes that we must
forge a broad coalition if we are to address the great conservation challenges we face. America’s hunters and
anglers are a key constituency that must take an active role and have a powerful voice in this coalition.
PROTECTING GUN RIGHTS
Respect the Second Amendment: Millions of hunters and shooters own and use guns each year. Barack
Obama believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional rights of
Americans to bear arms. He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase,
own, transport, and use guns.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO PLACES TO HUNT AND FISH
Barack Obama recognizes that American hunters and anglers are losing access to places to hunt and fish.
Obama supports the Open Fields Incentives legislation that provides incentives to farmers and ranchers who
voluntarily open their land to hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related activities.
CONSERVING FISH AND WILDLIFE
Barack Obama is fully committed to protecting the habitat for the fish and wildlife that sportsmen enjoy. He is
an advocate for preserving our wetlands and supports a broad range of national conservation programs,
including the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the
National Fish Habitat Plan.
Private Lands/Farm Bill: Because most land is privately owned, private landowners are the principal
stewards of America’s land and water. As a U.S. Senator, Barack Obama has supported conservation programs
that serve as a resource to landowners and assist them with sustainable environmental planning and best land
management practices. As president, Obama will make the conservation of private lands a priority. He will
fight to increase funding for the Conservation Security Program and the major set-aside programs such as the
Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, and Grasslands Reserve Program, so that rental
rates can compete with rising commodity prices. Obama will direct the Departments of Agriculture and the
Interior to place a special emphasis on restoration of habitat for important game species associated with specific
regions of the United States, such as bobwhite quail and Eastern and Osceola turkey habitat in the South, ruffed
grouse habitat in the Northeast, and sage grouse and pronghorn antelope habitat in the West. Obama also
supports the use of tax incentives and other financial mechanisms to encourage private landowners to restore
and protect habitat.
Paid for by Obama for America
Saltwater Fishing: Barack Obama supports efforts to allocate a fair percentage of managed coastal fisheries to
sport fishing, based on its economic value, and to restore coastal marine fish habitat damaged by sea level rise,
hurricanes, and coastal development.
National Forests: National Forest roadless areas provide essential habitat for a broad range of plant and animal
species, and clean drinking water. As president, Barack Obama will fight to protect roadless areas on Forest
Service lands from all new road construction.
Wetlands: Barack Obama supports numerous efforts to protect wetlands, including full funding for the North
American Wetlands Conservation Act and fulfilling the goal of “no net loss”, extending the swamp buster
provisions of the Farm Bill, and amending the Clean Water Act to clarify that it protects isolated wetlands. His
record on wetlands conservation dates back to his days as a state senator. In 2004, he was a cosponsor of the
Wetlands Protection Act, which provides for the conservation of wetlands in Illinois. As a state senator, Obama
also supported the creation of the Illinois Open Land Trust, which allows the state to buy property from willing
sellers for conservation and recreation purposes and make grants and loans to local governments for acquiring
land for open spaces.
Climate Change: Barack Obama recognizes that global warming is real, is happening now, and poses a real
threat to America’s fish, wildlife, natural habitats, and the future of hunting and fishing. Obama supports
proposals endorsed by dozens of national hunting and fishing organizations, including the Mule Deer
Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, BASS/ESPN, Pheasants Forever, the
American Sport fishing Association and Trout Unlimited, to devote billions of dollars annually to state game
and fish agencies and federal land management agencies to help them ensure that fish and wildlife survive the
impacts of climate change. Obama also has a plan to put America on the path to stop global climate change by
reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 and investing in advanced technologies that will spur innovation,
create millions of new jobs and help stop climate change.
EDUCATING YOUNG HUNTERS AND ANGLERS
Barack Obama understands the importance of America’s hunting and fishing traditions. For many, these
activities help forge a conservation ethic that lasts a lifetime. He also recognizes that hunting and fishing are
family activities that create bonds that last across generations. As president, Obama will provide state game and
fish agencies with additional resources and encouragement to reach out to young men and women to educate
them about hunting and fishing opportunities, hunter safety, and the basic principles of fish and wildlife
management.