Locally we all have noticed a decline in fishing. One of the major reasons was actually the insane shad die off 3 years ago with the harsh winter. The shad around us enhance our fisheries big time. Give the fish more to eat and they will chase them all the way up and down river. Walleyes, white bass, hybrids, etc. No complaints on shad here. Give us more. The fish school them up and it can be a great time. The only other noticeable decline is in stocking. Trout fishing is in the crapper. Pfbc is not stocking a quarter of what they used too. If you are going to stock, stock big time with all the money you bring in or do not stock at all.

"...Burn and pillage the bones..." Many companies are sold out (even by their management) for the money available to corporate raiders in the form of retirement funds, which never get to the people that earned them.
Some government retirement funds are underfunded then held up as a drain on State resources, for example, PSERS (Public School Employees Retirement System) the system was created with the contributory requirement of thirds, one for the state, one for the School District and one by the employee. The State allowed the school districts to reduce their share while the only contributor was the employee. The State also found other purposes for their obligated shares and the retirement fund was deprived of the opportunity to use the money to earn more and meet the retirement needs as per it's original design. As designed, PSERS would have been able to fund retirement for that group of earners. The mandatory 6% deducted from a new teacher's salary was burdensome for the pittance they received plus the need to earn and pay for a Masters degree to continue teaching. Now they are trying to establish a 401K for new teachers. With the present working conditions minus an adequate pension plan, We should all fear for the type of candidates who would apply for entry into that profession. Meanwhile the money that should have been dedicated to retirements, goes to patronage, exhorbitant management salaries, consultants, travel to conventions, unnecessary testing and other graft. Is the fish and boat commission immune to similar treatment?

I thought at one point that this was a fruitful discussion concerning the financial dilemma of the PFBC. But then, for some reason, some folks decided to turn the thread personal by bringing in insults and attacks, all based on what they thought they knew. I was about ho give up on it, but decided to try to bring the discussion back on track.

But before I do, I think it is important to address the insults directed at me -- namely being likened to a sheep, a GOP sheep, to be precise, by someone I don't know and that does surely not know me.

So, to set the record straight -- I am not a member or any political party, never have been; I am not anti-Union; and my now much discussed brother-in-law was never in a union.

I never joined a political party on the counsel of my advisor in Journslism School. We were to report the news, not make it or spin it, so in order to remain unbiased, there could be no political affiliation or leaning. After all these years, I am still unaffiliated, even though the only use of my Jounslism degree was as. Contributing Editor of a fishing magazine. So, no, not a GOP sheep. Or a Dem sheep for that matter.

I am also not anti-union. My father worked in the coal mines as a teen ager, yes, before unions and labor law prohibiting it, before heading off to WWII. He was around for company towns with company stores and company police. He was around for the formation of the UMWA. So, I grew up in a very Union household.

My father was also part of the Food Service Union and when Quaker Market sold, he too felt he got hosed by only getting a very small portion of his defined distribution pension. Having read the contract (Master's in HR), I assured him that while that situation sucked, it was what the union agreed to.

In fact, my wife is in a union, a public sector government one to boot. So, no, not ant-union.

My Brother-in-Law, whom I only mentioned as a joke when trying to explain why defined distribution pensions are not sustainable, has never been in a union. But he got union like benefits. Truth be told, I could not care less if my federal taxes go to pay him to play golf, granite countertops in public housing, over priced defense department weapon systems, or anything else. Why? Because since I am not a political party member, I have no say.

So back to the PFBC issue. About a decade ago, there was an opening for a Commissioner in my district. After rounds of phone interviews and personal interviews by the commission and the Governor's Coumsel, it was down to two candidates. One was deeply involved in trout and cold water conservation efforts. The other was more into warm water species and was concerned with the financial wellbeing of the PFBC because even back then it was in trouble.

The vote on who to recommend to the Governor was split -- the old timers going for the conservation candidate and those that had to work with a fixed or decreasing revenue stream were for the candidate with the Master's in Admonistration.

Neither candidate was in it for the money -- it is a volunteer position; the power -- their is no real authority; or the prestige -- no one likes them no mater what they do. Instead, both were in it for trying to help guide the PFBC.

Then it became a political football. The Chair of the Senate committee wanted anybody but who the Governor wanted and the Governor wanted anybody but who the Chair wanted. So the Governor would appoint one candidate and the Senate Chair wouldn't let the nomination out of committee. Then the Governor would nominate him again and he would die in committee.

This went on for three years or more until the Senator lost his re-election campaign. His successor on the committee put the Governor's nomination through and the conservation candidate became a PFBC Commissioner. And the same financial issues that started to tear their heads all that time ago are now to the point of impacting products (stocking) and services (law enforcement) due to needing to pay a large portion, and getting larger, of a decreasing revenue stream for legacy costs.

How do I know this stuff? Let's just say one of the candidates was called a sheep.

Dardys - I was taking your pot shot at unions (which I have never been part of one and understand your point) to go along at the countless shots at unions being the reason for the PA pension crisis. My mention of sheep, was directed at the GOP sheep on this site that repeat whatever Glenn Beck, tubby Rush or others spew. It is a fact, that it was a blunder by Ridge and his GOP crooks (same crooks, with some donkeys, that voted themselves ridiculous raises and benefit additions, to pillage the retirement funds). If they didn't mess with a system that worked great (pension plan), who knows if it would have completely survived the recession, but we all know that it wouldn't be the crisis we have now. The point is, most republicans on this board try to blame this mess on unions. That is a fact.

Local elections, I am a proud supporter of our republican mayor and school board. When it comes to state and national level, I hate both major parties. I show my hate for the GOP a bit more on this board, to stand up against the BS, GOP blind love. Bush was by far the worst President ever. I'm not sure if Corbett, Rendell or Ridge is the worst.