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Crabtastic: State Wants Your Donations to Go to Pot (Removal)

Posted by Brett Davis - January 28, 2010

A couple of recent stories (see here and here) highlight HB 2593, which, if passed, would direct the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to solicit a $2 donation every time a recreational fishing license is purchased in the years 2011 through 2013. The money would go to a grant program to pay for organizations to get rid of derelict shellfish pots littering the floor of Puget Sound. Translation: When you go to get said fishing license, the state is going to ask you to fork over a couple of bucks to help with the problem. That’s right, they want you to voluntarily part with your money to help with crab pot cleanup.

 
A few observations: Despite all the doom and gloom in the stories about what a big problem this is, I’m not convinced. However, I admit—despite three whole blogs (including this one) on crabs and crab pots—I’m not an expert on lost shellfish pots and their effect on the marine environment, so I could be wrong. But instead of charging the fishermen who caused the problem—assuming it is a problem—the state wants to ask someone who wants to go fishing to pay an extra couple of George Washingtons? That’s tax fairness for you, I guess.
 
Well, at least it’s a proposed voluntary payment for Washingtonians, unlike those poor suckers in Oregon who recently voted to tax “other people,” by which I mean the rich and evil corporations. What could go wrong with that kind of long-term thinking? It’s also better than last year’s tax in the box debacle here, where the “opt-in” feature to choose to pay $5 for state parks was switched to an “opt-out” fee—meaning you had to take action in order NOT to be charged the fee.
 
To read my past blogs on the Pacific Northwest’s favorite whimsical ocean crustacean, see here and here.
 
A tip o’ the hat to the Freedom Foundation’s own Amber Gunn for bringing these stories to my attention.
 
Yes, this is the second time
I've used this picture.
 

Thoughts?   Add Comment -

Brian said on Jan 29 2010 at 8:26pm
Hey, uh... just a heads up; those two separate articles aren't so much separate articles. Both are by Jennifer Privette for Investigate West and are in fact, verbatim, the same article. Go ahead, give 'em both a read this time.

Brett said on Jan 29 2010 at 10:34pm
Thanks, Brian. I actually did read 'em. One was a shorter version with a photograph, while the other was the full version without the photo, so I included both.