I would like to thank you for the mention on this licence issue.
I take the opportunity to let you folks know that the Alaska State Constitution says that the fish and game belong to the People of Alaska.
If this was truly the case, then why did we ever need a licence in the first place?
Isn't this the same logic you folks use about the money from "your" PFD's?
Because I live a thousand miles away from you, and I don't know if you're taking "your share" or if you're taking every one else's share and selling it on the blackmarket. Nor do you know that about me. So all of us hired the ADF&G and the Troopers to develop a rational system of allocating our game and fish amongst us, and to enforce it. This costs money, so we decided to pay for licensing and other costs to assure that we would have game and fish in perpetuity, and that no one would cheat us.
It's not a perfect system, and frequently the details don't make any sense, particularly from a distance. But as one of 600,000 owners of the game and fish, I count on the people we've hired to keep it at least reasonable. Just like I count on the people I've hired to manage the drilling and sale of my oil to make sure I get my fair share.
Maybe the difference is that I view Borough, State and Federal workers as my employees rather than as my enemies. I get pissed when they don't do a good job, and I don't mind bringing it up with them -- but they are not the enemy, in my view. Some of them are even my friends
.
Just my take on it...
Dennis
.