Rates are crashing and fuel to the moon!

Because one person Actually knows what he’s talking about. And one person is just talking out of his ….

 

I should mention:

In the lower 48 there are only a few states (Nevada and Utah maybe?) that have more federal land than Idaho, and I believe Idaho has more wilderness area acres than any other. I would guess Alaska is the leader, but I'm not sure.

Jobs with the Forest Service and BLM are coveted, and full time positions are very hard to come buy. Many people work seasonally for years and years in hopes of getting on full time. I have an acquantaince whose spouse works for the state unemployment agency. He mentioned last month that the number of claims due to the recent cuts among Forest Service and BLM folks has increased dramatically. Many people that finally got on full time are now unemployed. The affect on a state like ours is dramatic. I have empathy for those folks as I have worked with many government folks that go far beyond what is required of them to improve the forest and range land.

That said, all government employess must be considered overhead if one looks upon the government as a business. I cannot hire more people and pay each of them more in our business without regard to the revenue that they produce from our customers. No business, including the government, can feed itself forever and survive.

I'll get off the soap box now.

 

With all that federal land how easy is it as a resident to get a mule deer tag or an elk tag?;

 

Fully understand. Have a relative that works for them, also...but as you point out, business is business, and that means changes can and will happen, regardless of their 'feellings'.

 

My wife works for the city government. While it’s not the same there is considerable operational overlap. In the sense of how they operate.


I feel for you and any person who has found themselves in a financial pickle. But, there has been massive waste. Unfortunately valuable projects will have to be placed on hold until a thorough review has been done. I know my sympathies doesn’t pay your bills and I hope it gets sorted in short order.

 

Should mention, I used to be a government worker, so I know better than anyone, the chances of having one's job cut. Which is why when we were required to get CDL's, I encouraged my fellow employees to be sure to get their 'A' CDL's, which means they would have another skill/trade they could go to. They were adamant they would only get what the employer required which was a 'B'. When we bought equipment that only an A CDL driver could drive, I got the job by default, and I also was able to grandfather all my experiences and apply for all the endorsements. Some people just can't see the forest for the trees, and that's their problem, like an ostrich. Can't address, what you can't see coming or in this case, refuse to see.

 

When I was driving at Pepsi in Missoula they would assist the helpers and store stickers get their license if they wanted to move into a driving job. It was the same way. Everyone would just get their B because it was easy and it was all that was needed. When I would mention getting their A instead it fell on deaf ears because they all thought they’d deliver Pepsi forever.

 

There are open hunts that we can buy tags for without restriction. And then there are draw hunts which work like a lottery. They do restrict the number of out-of-state tags sold, but that is definitely a revenue stream for the state.

 

I was curious about that. I know Colorado has started to crack down a bit because so many people are coming in and buying OTC elk tags.