Tuesday, March 20, 2012

It's not over yet

Last week came word that Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire was nominating Lori Swanson for a seat on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Well, this choice apparently didn't sit well with a large segment of the industry.

Deckboss has intercepted the following email attempting to rally support for an alternate, Craig Cross.

The email is from Jim Gilmore, the Washington, D.C., lobbyist for the At-sea Processors Association, which represents Bering Sea factory trawlers. It's addressed to several major commercial fishing organizations: the Deep Sea Fishermen's Union, the Alaska Crab Coalition, the Fishing Vessel Owners' Association, Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, the Freezer Longline Coalition and United Catcher Boats.

Here's the email:

From: Jim Gilmore
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 6:24 PM
To: 'Mark Gleason'; 'Edward Poulsen'; 'Robert Alverson'; 'Arni Thomson'; 'Theodore Kronmiller'; 'Kenny Down'; 'Brent Paine'; 'Justin LeBlanc'; 'Sara Chapman'
Cc: 'Stephanie Madsen'; 'Craig Cross'
Subject: North Pacific Council seat

Hello DSFU/ACC/FVOA/ABSCA/FLC/UCB —

By now, you have no doubt heard that Governor Gregoire has selected Lori Swanson as the preferred nominee for appointment to the North Pacific Council with Craig Cross as the second choice.

Among many others within and outside the commercial fisheries, our seven organizations supported Craig's candidacy, urging the Governor to select Craig as the preferred nominee. The issue we now face is whether to continue to press the case with Washington's Senators and Democrat House members or to accept the Governor's verdict.

This appointment seems particularly important since among the three Washington Council seats, it is the only seat to be occupied by a commercial fisheries participant — and that is likely to be the case for the next five years until John Henderschedt reaches the end of his third term. John, of course, is an excellent Council member, but he has changed jobs since his first appointment, leaving the industry with one less seat to represent our diverse interests.

What is startling, and troubling, about the Governor's decision is the disregard shown for the almost unprecedented breadth of industry support for Craig's candidacy, certainly when contrasted with the very narrow support for Lori's candidacy. The trawl, longline, and pot vessel sectors, including both catcher and catcher/processor vessels employing those gear types, and a crewmember union voiced unqualified support for Craig, expressing broad stakeholder support for him to fill the one industry seat available to a $2 billion industry.

Both Lori and Craig meet the MSA requirements for Council appointees. Obviously, I am biased in believing that Craig is still the stronger candidate, but I can see a decision maker viewing the candidates as essentially equally qualified to garner the asterisk as the preferred nominee.

What I find appalling though is that the decision ignores the fact that virtually the whole industry lined up behind one candidate and that in evaluating two qualified candidates, the deciding factor — whatever that was — ran counter to the will and confidence of the industry. The MSA requires consultation with the industry, and the Governor's letter to NOAA Fisheries (attached) details such consultations. But what is the point of holding such consultations if the input received is ignored? Fewer than one-third of the "groups consulted" supported Lori's selection and several of those groups are comprised of essentially the same actors only with a different letterhead. Moreover, the expert agency, WDFW recommended Craig as the preferred nominee. There is no rationale for Lori's selection that trumps the expressed wishes of the vast majority of commercial fishing interests or the recommendation of the state's fishery agency.

Overturning the Governor's recommendation is not an easy task. The question is whether the principle established that the commercial fishing industry's input is not a determining factor in gubernatorial decisions a precedent that we are satisfied to let stand. Practically speaking, it would take essentially universal support and active advocacy of our groups to make the case to Democrats in the Washington delegation that they should weigh in with the Secretary of Commerce for Craig's appointment, overturning the recommendation of a lame duck governor who has demonstrated no regard for constituents who supported her for eight years.

What are the wishes of the group? Perhaps each of you should consider your preferred course of action and communicate your intentions to Craig? If there is sufficient support for moving forward to support Craig, we can have a call to discuss strategies, but I also understand if folks decide that it's time to move on to other issues. Thanks.

Jim


Jim Gilmore
Director of Public Affairs
At-sea Processors Association
Washington, DC

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! looks like the "At Sea Processors" (Big Money Pollock Companies) who have controlled the selection of Washington State North Pacific council seat selection for many years are not happy with the Governor Gregoire’s selection. Both candidates are well qualified and in this case the nod went to a outstanding lady who will do an outstanding job on the North Pacific Council and maybe even prove a women from Washington State can sit at the traditional men’s meeting table. Get over it “Boys” she is the best choice and one everyone should support her,because she has proven she can stand "toe to toe with the boys".

Anonymous said...

Wow! Gloria Steinham move over.

1. Chris Greg was never "elected", she was installed.

2. She's full of hate to the core.

3. The nomination is an admitted illegal sexual discrimination.

4. Exert political pressure supporting Craig, if necessary file a discrimination suit, it goes both ways.

Anonymous said...

never elected? a discrimination suit?

...take a deep breath

Anonymous said...

What do you call vote recounts until the third, or was it the fourth recount that had her "winning"?

Discrimination?

By Gregoires own word, letter to Sam Rauch, NMFS, 3-14-2012, second paragraph, second sentence:

"Particular efforts were made to recruit qualified women and minority candidates."

I would suggest that YOU take a deep breath... but I fear that your pantyhose are a little too tight for that.

Anonymous said...

I can hardly wait to read your lawsuit.

Anonymous said...

Uh, in a previous life off of the sea, I was part of that machine, and no matter how much I can't stand her personally, she was not installed.

Anonymous said...

Bull.

Anonymous said...

Politician makes political appointment.

This is news? Move on.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunate that lobbyists even exist.

Anonymous said...

That would be because you were there, huh? Didn't think so.....

Hey, did your third wire just go off?

Anonymous said...

OK, dueling banjo's, can you unwind this music into sentences that someone who is not hep to the lingo can understand? All your personal short cuts, though maybe charming to you, do not help to understand the issue.

Anonymous said...

"full of hate at the core..."

of course, the first poster on this thread, who attacks women may never have thought he may been have full of hate towards women in his core.

Gregoire was elected to both her first and second terms. As Gov. under Council rules, she can make an appointment after consultation of whomever she wishes, but since she isn't in Alaska and the processors weren't able to make her beholden to them via political contributions, she doesn't have to get on her knees and thank them. As an industry, processors are small in Washington State, they don't have the political pull they have in Alaska, which they realize if you read the line in the email that states:

Overturning the Governor's recommendation is not an easy task. The question is whether the principle established that the commercial fishing industry's input is not a determining factor in gubernatorial decisions a precedent that we are satisfied to let stand. Practically speaking, it would take essentially universal support and active advocacy of our groups to make the case to Democrats in the Washington delegation that they should weigh in with the Secretary of Commerce for Craig's appointment, overturning the recommendation of a lame duck governor who has demonstrated no regard for constituents who supported her for eight years.

Universal support? No regard for constituents - from an Alaskan industry with crew that live all over the US? Supported her for 8 years (I doubt it since most of their money goes to Republicans)? Then they expect the Washington federal delegation to support them when most of the delegation are personal friends of Gregoire? The entire email is too funny to contemplate.

Gregoire is a lame duck, and she now has the freedom to ignore these self-serving trolls.

Anonymous said...

This is what happens when "the industry" ignores the wishes of the people. A two billion dollar industry is just that - people can't eat money especially if the money is in "self-serving trolls" pockets. Spread the wealth - that's the American Dream.

Anonymous said...

is anyone else chuckling over the "inquisition" that must be going on to find out who the "deep throat" was that leaked the email?? this is the same type of campaign some of these folks waged when the red queen was dethroned. ohhhhhhhhhh the agony!!

Anonymous said...

But the red queen resigned, and give us a suicide Jack.

Anonymous said...

And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said;
"Feed YOUR HEAD

Anonymous said...

You're insane.

Anonymous said...

Just like the DSFU/ACC/FVOA/ABSCA/FLC/UCB ?

Or the red queen's favorite Stephanie Madsen.

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/foia/documents/palin_omb.pdf

Anonymous said...

Insanity, doing the same thing, over and over and over again.

"Oh no no no. The Councils are supposed to make laws to protect and manage the fisheries. Our Council is privatizing a public resource and micromanaging the market like they were the Communist Party or something. It's way beyond their job description. So their plan to "rationalize" the crab fishery went straight into Ted Stevens' hand. As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, he was able to attach "Crab Ratz" as an earmark to a fat omnibus spending bill."

Go Jim Go!

http://www.alaskareport.com/terry-haines40012.htm

Anonymous said...

The people can stop this "over and over and over again." cycle of the system. It doesn't have to be that way.

Anonymous said...

This email from Jim Gilmore just goes to prove that factions control the industry, the council seats and when they don't get their way they cry that the sky is falling.

The council process is broken and it needs to be changed, as why should the biggest industry groups get to pick who they want to sit on the council.

It should be fishermen, the communities they live in, support industries (not LFS/Trident), and more of the grass roots (consumers) since they would do a better job of protecting fisheries resources. The factions that control all the regional fisheries councils all have gamed the system to privatize the fisheries so that investors control the rights and the actual fishermen are disenfranchised.

That the council uses the word harvesters to allocate quotas to should be the wake up call. Fishermen harvest fish/crab as they actually go fishing, but harvesters own boats and paper rights that extract the great profits from the industry to the detriment of boots on deck fishermen's pocket and the communities (economies) that they live in.

Anonymous said...

I think she's perfect, she has to be; after raising the hackles of this groups shackles.

MINUTES, NPFMC

OBSERVE THE CORRUPT BASTARDS CLUB!

C-3 (b) Observer Restructuring Program
Nicole Kimball (NPFMC Staff) reviewed the Implementation Plan for restructuring the Observer Program, and introduced Brandee Gerke who reviewed the fee collection portion of the plan. Following Ms. Gerke, Martin Loefflad and Craig Faunce from NMFS walked the Council through and the “restructuring” of the system regarding funding and deployment of observers and the flexibility to provide the best service and data.
Lori Swanson gave the Advisory Panel report, and comments were heard from the public.

Anonymous said...

"The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished; as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations. The valuable improvements made by the American constitutions on the popular models, both ancient and modern, cannot certainly be too much admired; but it would be an unwarrantable partiality, to contend that they have as effectually obviated the danger on this side, as was wished and expected. Complaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority."
James Madison(R),

Always Confusing Ms. Madsen(D)?

Anonymous said...

How about Fuglvogs cousin?

Anonymous said...

So has anyone figured out why Governor Gregoires, “Fish Advisor” Bill Tweit, is so upset with the governor’s selection? Is it because of his close relationship with the At Sea Processors (Pollock Gang)?

Anonymous said...

Jim Gilmore can suck my balls.

Anonymous said...

My bet is that Madsen leaked this to make Gilmore look bad to their common employer. They LOVE each other! Not...