Props 109 and 110

Prop 109 and 110

We are just full of amendments to the Arizona State Constitution this election season. Prop 109 and 110 are two more.

Prop 109 is an amendment geared at protecting hunting and fishing in the state of Arizona. The premise of the bill is that wildlife will be managed in a way that protects hunting and fishing in the state for years to come.

I have a couple of opinions on this one.

I have come into more and more contact with the ‘hunting community’ recently and one thing that seems to be fairly universal among them is a deep respect for the animal populations and a desire to keep those populations plentiful and healthy. Certain hunting in the state is severely limited and for good reason, to protect the struggling species. From this perspective my respect and trust for the hunting community has increased.

My second opinion on this has to do with the animal rights community and their actions in the last couple of years in the western United States. California has had vast farmlands turned into an absolute dust bowl, killing what was one of the largest (if not the largest) agricultural area in the world. Destroying the businesses and investments of farmers in the region and pushing unemployment into unimagineable levels. All for the sake of the delta smelt, which is a tiny fish that MAY be in need of protection according to population levels, and MAY be getting killed off by pumps that push water down into the agricultural area. The whole thing is ridiculous and the more I look into this matter the more it bothers me. Oregon is in a similar boat when it comes to their fishing industry, which has been so hampered and hamstrung by fishing regulations that it is almost completely gone in many rivers. Even individual fishing has been so restricted in the state that it is shocking, especially in an area so rich in resources.

The “pro” argument is that environmentalists and animal rights activists are on a nationwide crusade to limit the rights of hunters and anglers, and from what I have read about, I have to agree.

I am voting YES on 109.

Prop 110 is a strange beast. First of all it is very difficult to discern all of the language in the amendment. That fact alone throws up some red flags. It also has to do with State Trust land which has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, some being less than above board, which also concerns me. Finally on the Secretary of State’s website there are literally NO arguments against the measure. Really? That’s even more surprising.

There are a couple of things that I am definitely in favor of. Primarily the preservation of land around our vital military bases in Arizona and the ability for the state to conduct land swaps with private parties in order to facilitate an adequate space around these facilities. That just makes sense to me.

There also appears to be several measures in the amendment to provide for disclosure to the public about the land deals that are going to happen with adequate time and information to make them fair and reasonable.

If anyone, with a history and experience with State Trust land deals would like to comment or send me a message that would be greatly appreciated. As it currently stands my position on this one is not quite clear. I am going to say a tentative Yes on 110, but would appreciate anyone with more information.

So far here is the score card:

A BIG YES on Prop 106, 107 and 109.

A tentative yes on Prop 110.