Benefit of website for KS Sportsman 2 Speak out?

K

KsHusker

Active member
I put up this same post on Bowsite as many participants there are active or so seem to be politically active and very aware of the issues facing KS Sportsman.

This thread is not meant to be political at all - just a way to "Organize" folks to stand up for KS hunting and access as Im sure the mods will review this post.


Copying and pasting what I put on Bowsite - maybe some of them there will chime in --

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I've been fired up about the deer issue for a few years and mainly like to upland hunt so enjoy the Ultimate Pheasant hunting forum as a lot of forums are dying now adays with social media taking over.

Anyways - there is a possible tide of folks that could maybe organize to speak out and stand up to the KS Govt over the mismanagement of the Deer herd and IMO doing ZERO deer management for several years. I'm not going to spell out my reasons here - from reading here in the past many feel the same way.

If you care to read -- go here -- https://forum.ultimatepheasanthunti...trespassing-fee-for-private-land.24097/page-7

What amazed me about that thread is apparently some of us were "chattering" loud enough that folks from some other forums joined in

Here is another thread -- I guess waterfowlers have been dealing with some issues for a # of years -- I need to read more

Bird Reports

2 years ago I seen 150 hunters on a 60 acre field!!!!! Talk about insanity. I have never seen or heard anything like that in my life.
www.refugeforums.com www.refugeforums.com

So to the point of my post - would there be any benefit for building a website to allow sportsman some sort of unified voice to the KDWPT, those in the state legislature and the wildlife commission?

I pay a gal's marketing firm to do our marketing and she does a great job and specializes in social media -- I may be able to get some of it done for what we pay or if I have to pay a bit extra as long as I dont feel it's excessive may be willing to foot some or all of the bill. My son will be 7 in May and just how much the state of hunting in KS has changed in the past 10 years or so let alone the past 5 even is completely appalling.

My vision for it would be a centralized place to present issues in a well thought out manner via social media and a marketing based approach so some of the bozos making decisions will listen - with Covid you can't get in front of anyone anymore.

Again - I was surprised at the guys that chimed in on the Ultimate Pheasant page.
 
I created/reserved the FB page today - I'll buy the web domain soon -- will reach out online to see if I can get some graphics people to help me - if not I'll see how much it will cost for some of my basic ideas.

I'll try to mind map it and put it online somewhere once I have things in place. I think the goal is to expose bad policy and bring folks to light that are not on the side of sportsman/women and are self serving in their interests - who knows if it will work.

Call it the #MeToo movement for hunters/outdoors people.

What could help are the hot button issues for now - and who's really behind it - I'll research it and vet it - then that would give me something to build on. I really take issue with the fact the state PRACTICES NO, ABSOLUTELY no deer management which leads to a cascade of problems.

I'll reach out to some of the folks behind the scenes on the KS hunting/Fishing page - that is a large audience and potentially knowledge base for folks to help with graphics/web page development.
 
KsHusker said:
I put up this same post on Bowsite as many participants there are active or so seem to be politically active and very aware of the issues facing KS Sportsman.

This thread is not meant to be political at all - just a way to "Organize" folks to stand up for KS hunting and access as Im sure the mods will review this post.


Copying and pasting what I put on Bowsite - maybe some of them there will chime in --

**************************************************
I've been fired up about the deer issue for a few years and mainly like to upland hunt so enjoy the Ultimate Pheasant hunting forum as a lot of forums are dying now adays with social media taking over.

Anyways - there is a possible tide of folks that could maybe organize to speak out and stand up to the KS Govt over the mismanagement of the Deer herd and IMO doing ZERO deer management for several years. I'm not going to spell out my reasons here - from reading here in the past many feel the same way.

If you care to read -- go here -- https://forum.ultimatepheasanthunti...trespassing-fee-for-private-land.24097/page-7

What amazed me about that thread is apparently some of us were "chattering" loud enough that folks from some other forums joined in

Here is another thread -- I guess waterfowlers have been dealing with some issues for a # of years -- I need to read more

Bird Reports

2 years ago I seen 150 hunters on a 60 acre field!!!!! Talk about insanity. I have never seen or heard anything like that in my life.
www.refugeforums.com www.refugeforums.com

So to the point of my post - would there be any benefit for building a website to allow sportsman some sort of unified voice to the KDWPT, those in the state legislature and the wildlife commission?

I pay a gal's marketing firm to do our marketing and she does a great job and specializes in social media -- I may be able to get some of it done for what we pay or if I have to pay a bit extra as long as I dont feel it's excessive may be willing to foot some or all of the bill. My son will be 7 in May and just how much the state of hunting in KS has changed in the past 10 years or so let alone the past 5 even is completely appalling.

My vision for it would be a centralized place to present issues in a well thought out manner via social media and a marketing based approach so some of the bozos making decisions will listen - with Covid you can't get in front of anyone anymore.

Again - I was surprised at the guys that chimed in on the Ultimate Pheasant page.
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Good stuff! Not sure where the right place to post this is, but I've been learning what I can about how the Commissioners are seated (appointed by the Governor, no Senate confirmation required). Just in case some of our fellow travelers here feel the need to seek seats on the Commission, if the current crew doesn't prove more responsive than they have to date. Need to look up the governing statute (KSA 32-800) I guess, trying to find out how one dislodges one or more Commissioners if the need arises - best bet is that only the Governor can replace them once seated for their 4 year gig. By law, the Gang of Seven (my term, not theirs) to be a mixed bag of Democrats and Republicans so I guess anyone can play, at least theoretically. Compensation unknown - that might be interesting, too. One actually applies for the job - here:

Apply to serve - Governor of the State of Kansas
 
KSnative said:
Good stuff! Not sure where the right place to post this is, but I've been learning what I can about how the Commissioners are seated (appointed by the Governor, no Senate confirmation required). Just in case some of our fellow travelers here feel the need to seek seats on the Commission, if the current crew doesn't prove more responsive than they have to date. Need to look up the governing statute (KSA 32-800) I guess, trying to find out how one dislodges one or more Commissioners if the need arises - best bet is that only the Governor can replace them once seated for their 4 year gig. By law, the Gang of Seven (my term, not theirs) to be a mixed bag of Democrats and Republicans so I guess anyone can play, at least theoretically. Compensation unknown - that might be interesting, too. One actually applies for the job - here:

Apply to serve - Governor of the State of Kansas
Click to expand...
I can't seem to find anything revealing what should be public data - that being, how are Commissioners compensated (pay and benefits)? Perhaps it is revealing, that it isn't revealed? All levels EXCEPT top end political appointees "shared"? You can find the pay of every KS state employee (all function, all departments - by employee name) as recently as 2019 here:

KanView, State of Kansas, Pay Rates By Agency (ks.gov)

I'd always heard, and believed (still do) that the front line COs are poorly paid/engaged entirely in a labor of love. Numbers provided at the link certainly seem to corroborate this view, though something seems bogus there. Just base pay, not benefits (which typically constitute a disproportionate share of public employee compensation - and that's OK) but the information provided by the state at the link suggests that a great many COs make well under $1,000 a YEAR, and some I think under $100 per year. Perhaps they are skewing the stats by counting late-year hire payouts for the year along with year long averages, or part time help/volunteers? Even then - not very credible. More to follow if I can find it.
 
KSnative said:
I can't seem to find anything revealing what should be public data - that being, how are Commissioners compensated (pay and benefits)? Perhaps it is revealing, that it isn't revealed? All levels EXCEPT top end political appointees "shared"? You can find the pay of every KS state employee (all function, all departments - by employee name) as recently as 2019 here:

KanView, State of Kansas, Pay Rates By Agency (ks.gov)

I'd always heard, and believed (still do) that the front line COs are poorly paid/engaged entirely in a labor of love. Numbers provided at the link certainly seem to corroborate this view, though something seems bogus there. Just base pay, not benefits (which typically constitute a disproportionate share of public employee compensation - and that's OK) but the information provided by the state at the link suggests that a great many COs make well under $1,000 a YEAR, and some I think under $100 per year. Perhaps they are skewing the stats by counting late-year hire payouts for the year along with year long averages, or part time help/volunteers? Even then - not very credible. More to follow if I can find it.
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Keep digging -- I haven't had time to dive in - but as I had alluded to - Brownback did a lot of "funny" business not just with KDWPT - but all state departments. I can't stand Gov Kelly but for our industry she has screwed us this past legislative session on one issue due to her being beholden to trial lawyers, but yet when she first came in office she helped us quite a bit.

Anyways good luck getting to the bottom of it - I dont know if I will have the time to - most of the people we deal with higher up for our business will never return emails much less a phone call - some are good about it until you are demanding answers for something that is screwed up then you get stone cold silence which is probably what you'll run into with the higher up executives at KDWPT. The other thing they'll do is keep bouncing you place to place - IE - I do not have the answer and cant give that to you - but you need to contact X -- you contact X - they do not have the answer and refer you somewhere else - it's a big circle jerk.

Also with them not having to work in office - even more plausible deniability as to not having to respond to you or be accountable for anything.


Also as in other posts I alluded - I've checked into getting appointed on the KDWPT commission - from the little digging I did and looking up folks as you did - it's about political payback and who has donated the most money - I think the person here in the Topeka area was just appointed -- so based on where I live I would not have a chance - second that with the standoffishness of the secretary I spoke with at the Governors office and her attitude was go ahead and fill out the app but Fat chance of you ever getting appointed. Only way is to hobnob with the legislators or make some serious donations and ask for it after you've bought your way in. I dont like my local elected rep and he's not on the side of KS sportsman - he owns his own shooting preserve and policies introduced by him have been on the side of commercialization of course -- unfortunately he narrowly won re-election --- He responded to me once 2 years ago - but radio silence on other contact attempts and issues I've emailed about in mass with others concerning legislation regarding our industry. I dont think our trade head/lobbyist cares for him much either based on some comments I got from her...ha.

Anyways - this is what we are dealing with - a good ole old white man and woman well heeled network -- very few give a crap at the legislative level about "normal" people unless you are padding their pockets or they can line theirs. I'm sure most other states are the same way. A few seem to put up the good fight but they wont last long and we have a few crazies that garner national attention and never seem to go away - I'm not naming those but I'm sure with some googling you can find them.
 
KSnative said:
I can't seem to find anything revealing what should be public data - that being, how are Commissioners compensated (pay and benefits)? Perhaps it is revealing, that it isn't revealed? All levels EXCEPT top end political appointees "shared"? You can find the pay of every KS state employee (all function, all departments - by employee name) as recently as 2019 here:

KanView, State of Kansas, Pay Rates By Agency (ks.gov)

I'd always heard, and believed (still do) that the front line COs are poorly paid/engaged entirely in a labor of love. Numbers provided at the link certainly seem to corroborate this view, though something seems bogus there. Just base pay, not benefits (which typically constitute a disproportionate share of public employee compensation - and that's OK) but the information provided by the state at the link suggests that a great many COs make well under $1,000 a YEAR, and some I think under $100 per year. Perhaps they are skewing the stats by counting late-year hire payouts for the year along with year long averages, or part time help/volunteers? Even then - not very credible. More to follow if I can find it.
Click to expand...


I'm pretty sure Wildlife Commissioners are non paid - or if they are it's next to nothing.
 
KsHusker said:
I'm pretty sure Wildlife Commissioners are non paid - or if they are it's next to nothing.
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What is the basis for your conclusion? The enabling legislation specifically authorize not just "expenses" but compensation, and I've rarely seen any elected (or politically appointed) individuals walk away from a pay day. Heck, I wouldn't.

I'll shoot the Commissioners an email to ask how they are compensated. If they don't take paychecks we'll hear back in about one nanosecond.
On the other hand, I will interpret silence as "we'd rather not say because we can already smell the burning brands".
 
KSnative said:
What is the basis for your conclusion? The enabling legislation specifically authorize not just "expenses" but compensation, and I've rarely seen any elected (or politically appointed) individuals walk away from a pay day. Heck, I wouldn't.

I'll shoot the Commissioners an email to ask how they are compensated. If they don't take paychecks we'll hear back in about one nanosecond.
On the other hand, I will interpret silence as "we'd rather not say because we can already smell the burning brands".
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I'm going from memory but do believe I've read something about it somewhere - I could be entirely wrong - but think that's what I've read.


Here's your answer - I dont really consider what's in the statute compensation so they are basically doing it for free

 
KsHusker said:
I'm going from memory but do believe I've read something about it somewhere - I could be entirely wrong - but think that's what I've read.


Here's your answer - I dont really consider what's in the statute compensation so they are basically doing it for free

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You are correct- just got an email back from Lauren Sills, who advises that they receive per diem (as well they should) but no other pay.

One would think that would reduce the number of applicants for the "job", especially those with no particular interest in wildlife management - rung on the ladder/edge for future paid appointments, perhaps?

I was correct about one thing - no pay sure meant a fast response!
 
KSnative said:
You are correct- just got an email back from Lauren Sills, who advises that they receive per diem (as well they should) but no other pay.

One would think that would reduce the number of applicants for the "job", especially those with no particular interest in wildlife management - rung on the ladder/edge for future paid appointments, perhaps?

I was correct about one thing - no pay sure meant a fast response!
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In the cases of one current, and one former commissioner, they were there to further their own self serving agenda. Unfortunately no other commissioner would put a stop to it.
 
I don't know a thing about Lauren Sill, but she (alone - so far - among the Commissioners) has been responsive and seems interested in the issues at hand. I don't want to be prematurely optimistic, but this does suggest there is a real opportunity if enough folks weigh in and follow through. Do you know who the Governor appointed as Chair of the Commission, by chance?

Where I am going with this is, I'll bet it would be a first if the Governor actually removed one or more Commissioners - especially, those she appointed (which is at least 3 of the 7). Not too likely. But what she might be willing to do is to re-designate the Chair (if that isn't already Lauren Sill) if enough people suggest that Ms Sill would be helpful in increasing responsiveness to Kansans and to the needs of our wildlife resources. It might also suggest to the balance of the Commissioners that a cultural shift (towards a more pro-Kansas stance) might be in order.
 
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