Wednesday, July 25, 2007
BY FRED J. AUN
For the Star-Ledger

At a private meeting tonight in Monmouth County, a group of sportsmen will gather to discuss battling the formidable energy of those who oppose hunting in New Jersey.

One of the topics at the meeting of the new Monmouth County Concerned Sportsmen will be the formation of a political action committee, said Ed Markowski, the main organizer.

Markowski is also the president of the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. But because the nonprofit federation can't get involved in a PAC, Markowski isn't wearing that hat tonight.

He's just another fed-up outdoorsman.

"The thing that got the sportsmen's attention was the Panter bill," said Markowski. He was referring to the measure introduced by state Assemblyman Michael Panter (D-Monmouth), a bill that would significantly change the structure of the state Fish and Game Council.

Markowski said many sportsmen are particularly fearful of Panter's effort to remove the words "public recreation and food supply" as being valid reasons for hunting and fishing in the state.

"He wants the council to manage wildlife for eco-tourism," said Markowski. "If they do that, it would pretty much do away with sport hunting and fishing in New Jersey. That's got a whole lot of people angry."

Anger, if channeled and controlled, can be a good thing. Markowski said it's high time sportsmen fight the battle with the proper tools. Since politics rules in New Jersey, any viable tool kit here must have a political element, he figures.

"It looks like the sportsmen of New Jersey are, for the first time, going to have a PAC," said Markowski. "And we'll be working in districts where we might have enough membership to turn an election."

If it goes forward, the plan will be to "get a group of guys together ... sign them up, collect money, hold fundraisers and select candidates we support," said Markowski. "We'll buy ads and get lists of hunters and anglers."

He said he is "pushing for a white paper to go out to every senator and assemblyman who is running for office." It will be a list of simple questions to determine each politician's stand on matters that matter to sportsmen.

"Either they respond or they don't respond," said Markowski. "Then, we'll rate them. We're not telling anybody to vote for somebody. We're just rating them."

New Jersey's saltwater anglers, not just freshwater fishermen and hunters, are also upset with Panter's bill. That should boost the political clout of the proposed PAC.

There's a Boston Tea Party flavor to all this, with Markowski serving as Samuel Adams.

"Guys from all over state are coming tonight to find out where we go from here," he said. "It is not a public meeting. It's by invitation only. They had to RSVP by last week and I told everyone, 'The most important thing is, when you come in the door, you hang your ego at the door.' ... It's going to be a rather unique meeting and I think a new direction will come out of it."

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Outdoor Alliance PAC Takes Aim At Wildlife Bill; Could Help Republican Candidates

By - Shane D'Aprile
(August 29, 2007)


A newly formed political action committee is working to put its money where its mouth is in fighting a bill it calls an outright assault on the rights of the state's hunters.

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance bills itself as the first major political action committee dedicated to electing "outdoor minded" candidates to office in the state.

"In a mostly urban state like New Jersey, people begin to lose touch with their dependence on ecology," said Anthony Mauro, NJOA's Chairman. "It allows animal activists to convince people that hunting, fishing and trapping are bad, when in reality these things provide an important ecological balance."

The legislation in question is a bill that would reconfigure the state's Fish and Game Council. Mauro says it's really an attempt to stack the council with animal rights activists that aim to curtail the rights of New Jersey hunters.

The legislation's primary sponsors are two of the Democrats in the hotly contested 12th district legislative race. In the Senate the bill is sponsored by Ellen Karcher, D-Freehold, and in the Assembly by Michael Panter, D-Shrewsbury.

NJOA's Chairman would not say if the PAC plans to target specific politicians this November, but said it would be making an endorsement in the 12th District.

And while the issue itself may not penetrate the race, money very likely will.

"It's not necessarily the specific issue that's important, it's the fact that there's a core of people who are backing this effort financially that could make the difference," said Monmouth University Pollster Patrick Murray.

Murray draws a parallel to New Jersey's legislative elections of 1991 when campaign contributions were pouring into Republican coffers from the NRA, even though the key issue that year was taxes.

"Even though this doesn't sound like an issue that can have an impact, the money that may come into the race as a result of it very well could," Murray said.

The Republican slate in the 12th District would certainly welcome the financial help if NJOA does back them. Republican Assembly candidate Caroline Casagrande has already spoken with several members of the group by phone and says she is on their side.

"This bill places people's ability to continue hunting and fishing recreationally in serious jeopardy," said Casagrande. "There is absolutely no need for this bill."

But, before NJOA starts throwing money around Assemblyman Michael Panter wants to meet with hunters in the hopes of striking a compromise on some of the language in the bill and ensuring that hunters would remain fully represented on the council.

"The original intent was to make [the Fish and Game Council], which was created decades ago and is always marred in controversy, more representative," Assemblyman Panter said. "This is by no means an anti-hunting bill."

Currently, the council's eleven members must have some fish or wildlife background to gain a seat, but the bill now before the legislature would change that. It would trim the council to seven politically appointed members with no requirement that they have a hunting or wildlife background.

Politically, the Fish and Game Council plays a pivotal role in whether or not to authorize a bear hunt in the state each year, a decision that always comes amid controversy.

PAC Director Anthony Mauro says his group already has thousands of supporters and is currently raising money.

"We are getting overwhelming support from the hunting communities around the state," Mauro said.

And as for a face to face meeting with Panter, "Not until [Assemblyman Panter] retracts his assault on freshwater fisherman and hunters in New Jersey, is there a need to sit down and talk with him," Mauro said. "This is an intentional attempt to foist his vegetarian lifestyle and pro-animal rights agenda on New Jerseyeans."

"If I were to give them some political advice at this point, it would be that they have a sponsor of this bill who respects hunting and wants to work with them on this," Assemblyman Panter said.

"Also, they should keep in mind that there are around 25 members of the legislature [whose names] are on at least one bear hunt ban bill...We haven't moved any of those bills yet."

Shane D'Aprile can be reached at sdaprile@njpols.com


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http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/