An equitable solution would be that those bastions of freedom and personal responsibility paid their own way instead of getting welfare from the rest of us to run their fisheries.

That would be the first equitable thing to do.

Too expensive? This is America...I'm sure they believe in Capitalism and the Free Market...pass the costs on to the consumer. If GH Salmon costs $8/lb. to get to the market, then sell it for $16. If it costs $25, then charge $50.

It's not my fault, or anyone else's, if they can't afford to do it. I don't see any taxpayers lining up to cover my overhead for me so that I can make a better profit, nor do I have any local politicians lobbying for that to happen for me.

Why should commercial fishermen be any different? Why do they get welfare?

I be they are all for those Welfare Queens being drug tested before getting their food stamps...I think commercial fishermen should be drug tested before receiving welfare from the taxpayers.

I mean...fair is fair...and equitable...right?

The fact is that there is a relatively small amount of people who are being subsidized with welfare by the rest of us.

It is costing the taxpayers money.

It is costing the recreational fishing industry money.

It is costing jobs.

Blake should actually tell the truth about the Puget Sound Chinook fishery...he can't actually believe that it's an "unmitigated disaster", because by any measure...social, cultural, and most importantly economical...it is an unmitigated smashing success.

Tons of participation, tons of dollars spent everywhere from Neah Bay to the San Juans to Seattle, and parts south.

He should be so lucky that Grays Harbor could do 1/100th of what that "disaster" fishery does for the economy around here. If he was actually interested in "jobs and the economy" in whole, rather than cherry picked "a few jobs for his friends and family" then he would be clamoring to have that disaster brought to his district.

The problem is that I don't think he is talking out his ass...he is lying, and he knows it.

He is fanning the flames of "Those Rich Seattlites telling us Real Washingtonians how to Run Our County"...knowing that the locals will eat it up, to their own detriment.

Equitable?

Easy.

Pay your own way.

What could be more equitable than that?

Fish on...

Todd