*Editor’s Note* – The below is information found on George Smith’s blog at Bangor Daily News. This editor’s views to the questions highlighted in this article are as follows:
1. Do you support efforts to maximize the deer population’s potential and to also make use of hunting and trapping opportunities to control predators like the Eastern coyote? – My answer: Absolutely. Maine’s deer population will never be sustainable without continued and more predator control. In short, Maine must stop predator protection.
2. Will you support funding the Land for Maine’s Future Program and vote to maintain this important habitat protection and investment provision? Answer: This is a difficult question to answer in an easy yes or no format. Taking land out of the tax rolls and putting it in the control of government is never a good thing. Demanding private land owners lose property rights for the purpose of managing a deer herd, or any other wildlife, is never a good thing. Any funding for Land for Maine’s Future Program must be carefully considered on a case by case basis.
3. Do you support efforts to enhance sporting opportunities on public lands? Answer: Smith says that without any specific information about such a plan, it would be difficult to answer this question and I agree. Public lands should always remain open to all taxpayers for multi-use.
4. If they would sign a bill to expand background checks to private firearm sales? Answer: Never. The U.S. and Maine constitutions do not include the right to keep and bear arms provided an individual passes a government derived background check. The Second Amendment acknowledges the right to keep and bear arms and is NOT granted to the people by government…..with restrictions.
5. There are also questions about reverse posting, the introduction of wolves, and the establishment of a new national park. Answers: Reverse posting (assuming that to mean if you post your land you cannot hunt on other people’s land.) Ridiculous, when you stop and think about it. A land owner has limited rights as it is. This is just another form of Totalitarianism.
Introducing wolves would be the biggest mistake Maine could ever make, but I suspect, like the rest of the nation, fully controlled by the commu-fascist environmentalists, Maine will have “introduced” wolves, if they don’t already.
And a National Park should be off the radar screen. The Federal Government cannot manage the land it has, and have proven that what they do with such lands is not in the best interest of anyone except corporate fascists in government. Any effort to create a National Park on Roxanne Quimby land is nothing more than political cronyism because Quimby sits on the Board of Directors for the National Park system.
6. If they would support a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the sales tax to fund outdoor conservation. Answer: This should NEVER happen. Environmentalist, who are historically opposed to hunting and resource consumption, have enough power and control over game management now. Giving them monetary power, entitling them to a higher degree of a position as a “stake holder” would be nearly as big a mistake as it would to “introduce” wolves to the Pine Tree State.
“Maine’s three candidates for governor recently received their 2014 Questionnaire from the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine. There are also questions about reverse posting, the introduction of wolves, and the establishment of a new national park. The most important question, in my mind, asks if they would support a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the sales tax to fund outdoor conservation. Given that he broke the most important promise he made to SAM four years ago, I don’t see how SAM can give any credibility to Governor LePage’s 2014 Questionnaire answers.”<<<Read More>>>
