Fishery Management Dollars Well Spent

[Ziggy]

Washington, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) filed a Freedom of Information Act request for an Inspector General report on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) illicit purchase and use of a $300,000 luxury fishing boat.

NOAA officials used the boat for the following: trips to dockside restaurants; hamburger and hotdog BBQs and alcohol-fueled parties and with family and friends; and “pleasure cruises” at high rates of speed, with beer consumed on-board.

Even though federal rules ban non-employees from being on vessels, a NOAA supervisor even told a subordinate that his wife was welcome to “kick back and watch TV” on the boat.

They filed expense reports and reimbursed themselves for these trips.

What excuse did NOAA employees give for this behavior? They needed to do all these things to maintain the recreational appearance of this “undercover” boat that was never even used for the “undercover” work that it was supposedly purchased for.

http://www.scottbrown.senate.gov/pub...accountability

[Dashaway]

Sounds like page-after-page from the logbook of the vessel Dashaway... except for the reimbursement part.

[Capt Brady Bounds]

Jane Lubchenco , Obama appointee, head of NOAA (for the time being)

[B-Faithful]

Nice Boston Whaler! (Although they should have bought a Judge )

[Bug Guy]

Jane Lubchenco , Obama appointee, head of NOAA (for the time being)

"The boat was purchased in February 2008, before Lubchenco was appointed to lead NOAA."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...t-luxury-boat/

Apparently purchase occurred in the Bush admin during Lautenbacher's term.

Greg - guess they should have bought a Judge - from same article: "The vessel also appears to be a bit of a lemon. Investigators reported 'numerous maintenance and mechanical problems.' "

[JoshKaptur]

While I applaud him for highlighting this spending disaster, Mr. Brown's sympathies for the fishermen who "accidentally" commited fine-worthy violations is naive at best. Have we not seen how far you have to push the limit to even get a slap on the wrist?

[Ziggy]

While I applaud him for highlighting this spending disaster, Mr. Brown's sympathies for the fishermen who "accidentally" commited fine-worthy violations is naive at best. Have we not seen how far you have to push the limit to even get a slap on the wrist?

It is ten times worse up there. Even the liberal leaning CBS news reports the fishing laws up there are ridiculous. Its no wonder commercial fisherman and regulators often are at odds. How can you trust officials when they operate like this.

The inspector general found the $30 million the fishermen paid in fines went to a NOAA fund with no oversight. The fund was used by regulators to buy more cars (202) than agents (172,) and for trips to fishing conferences in exotic locales such as Australia, Malaysia and Norway. It was also used to purchase a $300,000 "luxury vessel" used by government employees for "fishing trips."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...20032336.shtml