Friday, January 12, 2007

 

Idaho Gov Calls for Wolf Massacre

“Butch” (ahh, here's those gay dudes saying, “Oh, is he??”) Otter, Idaho’s governor, has announced he will support the killing of 550 grey wolves in that state, leaving, maybe, 100 behind. That’s assuming, of course, that there really are as many as 650 grey wolves in that state. But that’s beside the point: One of Butch’s campaign stands was against the Endangered Species Act (just like Oregon’s rep, Greg Walden).

He’s well-loved by farmers and ranchers, and probably has to dance with those that brought him to the ball. He used to be president of Simplot, the big potato outfit (he was married to the daughter of the founder of Simplot, but had his marriage annulled to marry a former Miss Idaho—yeah, he's Catholic).

And, he’s a reactionary no matter how you look at it.

He’s a popular guy with that twerp in the White House.

Here’s some stats I found:

Rated 17% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education votes. (Dec 2003)

Rated 11% by APHA, indicating an anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 10% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 5% by the LCV, indicating anti-environmentalist votes. (Dec 2003)

Rated 33% by SANE, indicating a mixed record on military issues. (Dec 2003)

Rated 20% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-ACLU voting record. (Dec 2002)

Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 67% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record. (Dec 2002)

Rated 71% by NTU, indicating "Satisfactory" on tax votes. (Dec 2003)

Rated 0% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-labor union voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 100% by FAIR, indicating a voting record restricting immigration. (Dec 2003)

Rated 97% by the US COC, indicating a pro-business voting record. (Dec 2003)

Rated 92% by the Christian Coalition, indicating a pro-life, anti-gay marriage voting record. (Dec 2003)

(source: http://www.issues2000.org/

Idaho Governor Calls for Gray Wolf Kill
By Jesse Harlan Alderman
The Associated Press
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070112/ap_on_re_us/wolf_hunting
Friday 12 January 2007

Boise, Idaho - Idaho's governor said Thursday he will support public hunts to kill all but 100 of the state's gray wolves after the federal government strips them of protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter told The Associated Press that he wants hunters to kill about 550 gray wolves. That would leave about 100 wolves, or 10 packs, according to a population estimate by state wildlife officials.

The 100 surviving wolves would be the minimum before the animals could again be considered endangered.

"I'm prepared to bid for that first ticket to shoot a wolf myself," Otter said earlier Thursday during a rally of about 300 hunters.

Otter complained that wolves are rapidly killing elk and other animals essential to Idaho's multimillion-dollar hunting industry. The hunters, many wearing camouflage clothing and blaze-orange caps, applauded wildly during his comments.

Suzanne Stone, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group Defenders of Wildlife in Boise, said Otter's proposal would return wolves to the verge of eradication.

"Essentially he has confirmed our worst fears for the state of Idaho: That this would be a political rather than a biological management of the wolf population," Stone said. "There's no economic or ecological reason for maintaining such low numbers. It's simple persecution."

Wolves were reintroduced to the northern Rocky Mountains a decade ago after being hunted to near-extinction. More than 1,200 now live in the region.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to start removing federal protections from gray wolves in Montana and Idaho in the next few weeks.

A plan drafted by Idaho's wildlife agency calls for maintaining a minimum of 15 wolf packs - higher than Otter's proposal of 10 packs.

Jeff Allen, a policy adviser for the state Office of Species Conservation, said 15 wolf packs would allow "a cushion" between the surviving wolf population and the minimum number that federal biologists would allow before the animals are again considered endangered.

Allen said Otter and state wildlife officials agree on wolf strategy and will be able to reach a consensus on specific numbers.

"You don't want to be too close to 10 because all of a sudden when one (wolf) is hit by a car or taken in defense of property, you're back on the list," Allen said.

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