State lawmakers need to start acting in best interests of hunters and anglers
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is making drastic cuts in its operation and support of hunters statewide because it doesn’t have the money to fulfill its role. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is headed in the same direction.
Why?
The Pennsylvania Legislature.
Despite the fact that neither of these state agencies receives tax dollars — they are funded predominantly by fees — they need to get the Legislature’s permission to increase the cost of a hunting or fishing license.
Legislators, who want hunters and anglers to vote for them, are loathe to risk the wrath of this constituency, even if it hurts the very people the politicians think they are helping.
Basic resident hunting licenses in Pennsylvania cost $19 today, the same price they did in 1999, the last time the Game Commission was allowed to implement a price hike — from $12, made necessary because, again, the Legislature waits and waits until the agency has to have a large increase to survive, rather than incremental hikes every year or two.
The Fish Commission, at least, was allowed to bring its price up to $23 a little more than 10 years ago.
Based on the rate of inflation, both agencies’ flagship products should be in the neighborhood of $28 today.
The state representatives and state senators, if you’re keeping track, get a pay raise automatically, practically every year — and you are paying for that one, every year.
It’s time for the Legislature to act in the best interest of hunters, fishermen and these non-taxpayer funded agencies, allowing them to raise their fees to a reasonable level and then set future increases based on an inflationary index — just like the pay for the legislators themselves.
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