Patrick has acted, now it's Obama's turn

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August 16, 2012

Patrick has acted, now it's Obama's turn

Anonymous Gloucester Daily Times The Gloucester Daily Times Thu Aug 16, 2012, 12:00 AM EDT

To the editor:

Thank you, Gov. Patrick. The political dilemma which we fishermen are facing is both a natural disaster and an un-natural disaster.

One at least partially, caused by subtle, but significant changes in ocean currents, temperatures, and less tangible, though no less significant factors, such as increases in acidity and decreases in oxygen absorption. That would be the natural aspect of what is now a well documented crisis.

The other component of this collapse are the radical management policies which have altered the fragile economic balance that has existed in the fishing industry for hundreds of years. These were ramrodded by President Obama’s appointee to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Jane Lubchenco, whose image is so tainted by controversy that she has now become the poster girl for dysfunctional government oversight, to put it diplomatically.

One certainly can’t blame the president for a drought, although I’m sure there are those who will try, and his call for relief is in all of our best interests, but what about us? Do we not matter because we are such a small political block? Or is NOAA an embarrassment too big for the national stage in an election year?

Mr. President, we provide the American people with access to their, or at least what used to be their, commonly held resource. We have dreams, kids, bills, and we used to have jobs. So tell us why we have been deemed so insignificant that our governors and elected representatives can’t even get a timely response from anyone, in any position of authority, to our deepening disaster?

Mr. Obama, it’s time to admit to an error in judgement and show us some of that hope and change that we heard so much about four years ago.

Don’t let the “other side of the aisle” upstage you on this one, because you own a large part of it.

Capt. Paul Cohan

F/V Sasquatch