Thanks Mike for your quick response.

Here is the problem in a nut shell as I see it now!

You said; "It is just that in the real world the Department needed $X dollars and the budget was only giving them $Y. Under the $Y there were going to be hatchery closures so there were some ideas thrown around to get the department more money. This idea was the one that stuck as the forecasted revenue was enough to run a couple hatcheries. What the actual revenue will be we can wait and see."

In the "real world" (today's government) state governmental agencies have to be up front and truthful with their needs! No longer are the days when they can tell us one thing, and do another.

I had read about all the "other" funds that WDFW has, and how they are most likely "kind of screwed up" also, but I had chose not to post all the RCW's that may apply to those issues on this posting.

How can fishermen ever learn again to "trust" a state agency when the "agency" is not totally up front or truthful with the people who pay the piper? Forgetting the facts or the merits for just a moment of "why" the WDFW needed this "extra funding", let's just talk about trust or maybe the lack of trust in the WDFW.

Obviously, WDFW believed that they needed more money to continue whatever programs they were involved in when they predicted these finical shortfalls. Instead of being up-front with "the public", apparently they had chosen people who were brought into play to help put pressure on the legislators to pass this new law.

Common people must ask; why then didn't WDFW open this issue up to all it's public supporter and ask for their help and support. Instead, it certainly now appears that only a few groups of hand picked "supporters" were told the real facts.

And you and others wonder why some people start talking or implying the age old "conspiracy" thing! The more I read and research this issue, the more I understand why WDFW is always being cut from the general funding. I know better then most, of the games that are now being played out, but I still expect, no I demand, that WDFW be honest and up front when they need more money from their number one supporters.

I can say more, and I most likely will, but for now let's see if some other bb members can explain this fiasco any better. Again Mike, thanks for all your hard work and efforts and my reply does not in any way reflect on either you or your integrity. At least you are a doer, and not a just a talker! You can say that you have "walked the talk"

Aunty, you are right, but WDFW has a public responsibility to inform us all were they are going to "spend" the money from this new tax. I am not against WDFW using that money for enforcement, but if they can not be "up front" from the very beginning, who in the devil can trust them?

Cowlitzfisherman