SMOKE AND MIRROR: KEN WISEMAN "BACKED OFF" ON EXTERNAL C?

[zenspearo]

Let's take stock team. The initial impression ain't what it seems.

Okay, just got off the phone. It's been a nut house. I had to cut off one RSG member (sorry dude...)so I can go and take a leak--it's been a 3 coffee-pot morning.

Phone now on no-disturb so I can type this out.

My first pass, putting on my five-cent lawyer hat and having a few minutes in between calls to look at this, is that the change is a mere change in form and not substance. Chris Fiero independently came up with the same conclusion.

"A Round 3 process may include suggestion by the BRTF of which proposals SCRSG members may use as a starting place for Round 3 negotiations or identification of very similar proposals that should logically be merged."

"Encourage SCRSG members to draw on all of the MPA ideas to date to develop their Round 3 MPA proposals, including borrowing and incorporating ideas from external proposals as useful and appropriate."

Analysis: What they are saying is that all the work, all the hard-fought compromises had resulted in something the enviro side didn't like. The in-your-face approach of including External C going forward backfired. They are trying the back-door approach of changing the rules on the RSG. Now, the ideas of External C, including the possibility of the BRTF requiring that External C as the starting place for Round 3 negotiations, are there.

Why the f&ck did the RSG do all the work and compromise in round 2 for if they are now required to go back and rehash on the ones they rejected. This guts the whole notion of "winnowing" the proposals if the powers-that-be can tell the participants to consider the ideas in the rejected proposals after the rejected proposal was voted out. This wiped out any gain our consumptive RSGs made but forced them to live with any compromise they gave up on to get to consensus in their gem group.

The starting line now is the compromised maps (which our consumptive RSGs gave up some here and there to get to concensus) and THE IDEAS of the extreme map (e.g., External C). Not explicit External C map, but all of its ideas are now put back in the process. In other words, the enviros didn't compromise on their External C. It's still brutally oppressive for consumptives. And its concepts are allowed to move forward. Look at the external C map. That means the concept of a huge closure off La Jolla, off Point Loma, off the entire Laguna/OC coast, off the most used reefs in the Santa Barbara area, of huge swaths of the islands, are now back in consideration and the RSGs must deal with them again. I'd be dancing if I were on the enviro side--money DOES buy everything.

By the way, this is a huge change in operating procedure and the whole RSG is in chaos. I've spoken to a few after this, and they are in confusion. Not because they are not smart but because they are being gamed again, and the rules are shifting--WTF are the ground rules now?

And don't ignore the obvious slamming of the consumptives for "block voting" and intimidation. What a crock of sh$t. That will be their rally cry going into the third round.

Bottomline: This is still smoke and mirror. They are backing off the in-your-face approach and trying the cutesy backdoor approach to sneak the ideas and concepts of the rejected External C back in.

Some RSGs feel this is even more insidious. Either way, it wiped out their work in the previous round.

Stay tuned. We are revising strategy to deal with this. But you must go still and point out the problems. They hope this will take the wind out of our sail. One RSG member pointedly say that you guys (the rank-and-file fishermen and spearos gearing up and the prospect of hundreds of angry fishermen showing up to hammer the point home) forced their hands. They are counting on us being stupid not to see it. Smack 'em. See you Thursday.

[Dan]

standing by....thanks for the update. wow.

[Holy Mackerel]

Everyone, keep those pitchforks ready (figuratively only!) Everyone who has planned to attend on Thursday, still very much needs too!!!

We are revising strategy to deal with this. But you must go still and point out the problems. They hope this will take the wind out of our sail. One RSG member pointedly say that you guys (the rank-and-file fishermen and spearos gearing up and the prospect of hundreds of angry fishermen showing up to hammer the point home) forced their hands. They are counting on us being stupid not to see it. Smack 'em. See you Thursday.

[zenspearo]

YES, WE MUST GO TO THE MEETING ON THE 4TH.

Please please please hammer in about how underhanded and insidious it is to keep the ideas of the rejected proposal C in after it has been soundly rejected. Point out that this is smoke-and-mirror. All they did was avoid mentioning External C by name going forward, but still shove all the ideas of that polarizing and oppressive proposal C down the RSG's throat after the RSGs voted to reject it.

Don't let them play you for stupid and hope this will take the wind out of our sail That's what they are hoping for. Nothing changed except a little smoke-and-mirror trick.

[tylerdurden]

Thanks again Joe. Is there any public press release on this one so we can read the official story?

We have to show up, period. No matter what they say, no matter what they do. Show your displeasure when they make a mistake, applaud them when they make a move you agree with.

If you cannot show up, due to extreme cases like your house is on fire, submit written comments. Written word is cheap. Donating money is cheap. They can ignore letters, emails, and petitions. Donating to pro fishing organizations must help but...They can't ignore 300 people giving public comment as that will disrupt their personal time and the meeting. Showing up is what really gets noticed. Give your time. It is most valuable. You can always make more money or copy paste and email another form letter from the comfort of your home. Show up to their (figurative) home, the meeting and be noticed.

[zenspearo]

Oh crap--another gotcha.

I read it again and how did it escape me???

The memo is addressed from Ken Wiseman to the BRTF, and he couched it as a proposal.

All the "backing off" talk was couched as "Recommendation from the I-team" to the BRTF.

I missed the fact that this was NOT a memo from Ken Wiseman to the RSG members. It's a very subtle sleight-of-hand. It's a PROPOSAL from Ken Wiseman to the Blue Ribbon Task Force.

"To: MLPA Blue Ribbon Task Force"
"Proposals for Round 2 Evaluation"
"MLPA Initiative Staff makes the following recommendation"

I consulted with a few others, and they all went--oh crap.

What this means:

The BRTF will take this as a recommendation, and they will debate it and either accept or reject it.

If the BRTF rejects Ken Wiseman's latest back-pedaling, we consumptives are in the crapper--External C lives on as a viable enviro take-it-all proposal despite being voted out.

If the BRTF accepts Ken Wiseman's latest back-pedaling, we consumptives are still in the crapper--External C Ideas live on, and the enviros still got their way of getting the concepts of closing all significant fishing spots off La Jolla, Point Loma, Laguna/OC, Malibu, PV, Santa Barbara, the islands into the next round even though their proposal was voted off.

Heads I win, tails you lose.

We need to go to the meeting people. Thursday June 4th 2009.

The gaming is getting more sophisticated and insidious, but they haven't really let up. They are counting on your stupidity and complacency.

Now it's the old used car sales man trick "let me check with my sales manager, but we are giving you a special deal today."

Show them we are on it!!!