MDC income

[jcoberley]

I have been doing some reading and very little land did they buy! Most was donated. And they have been selling huge lots of timber off the land they own! I would trust that money would be used for someting constructive.

[damselfly]

i've only skimmed the last few pages of this thread as i got tired of hearing of some of the complaints about MDC and felt i needed to post. i do want to make a comment and ask a question to those who've been doing most of the complaining.......i don't mean to step on toes, its just that experience has taught me that sometimes when people complain loudly, they've seldom done anything in a positive way to correct a situation that they deem as wrong. it's just easy to sit back and voice opinions.....

first -- i think we've got it pretty good here in MO. yes, most anything could stand to be tweeked or improved ~~ which brings me to the question.

MDC holds open forums (not sure how frequently-yearly??) for residents to come and give input about what they (MDC) are doing and what they would like to see done by MDC.........have you ever gone to one of these forums? i have and i found them to be very informative. this might be a place to make your voices heard for changes. the taxpayers do have a say.

lastly, i voted for the 1/8th cent sales tax and i'd do it all again if asked....my ONLY concern is KEEPING IT AWAY FROM THE LEGISLATORS!!!!!!

[gonefishin]

i've only skimmed the last few pages of this thread as i got tired of hearing of some of the complaints about MDC and felt i needed to post. i do want to make a comment and ask a question to those who've been doing most of the complaining.......i don't mean to step on toes, its just that experience has taught me that sometimes when people complain loudly, they've seldom done anything in a positive way to correct a situation that they deem as wrong. it's just easy to sit back and voice opinions.....

first -- i think we've got it pretty good here in MO. yes, most anything could stand to be tweeked or improved ~~ which brings me to the question.

MDC holds open forums (not sure how frequently-yearly??) for residents to come and give input about what they (MDC) are doing and what they would like to see done by MDC.........have you ever gone to one of these forums? i have and i found them to be very informative. this might be a place to make your voices heard for changes. the taxpayers do have a say.

lastly, i voted for the 1/8th cent sales tax and i'd do it all again if asked....my ONLY concern is KEEPING IT AWAY FROM THE LEGISLATORS!!!!!!

damselfly: I agree, we have it pretty good here in MO. I voted for the sales tax and would do so again. I would be inclined to vote for it if they asked for a raise. I am not against MDC, I just want to know what is happening with the money. I want to know why they are banking it instead of using it. My concern is exactly the same as yours; "Keep it away from the legislators". The MDC hasn't done all that much for the large amounts money they have taken in and are they are banking money. A nice fat bank account is like waving a red flag in the face of legislators and makes a very tempting target. I have a feeling the legislators have already got their fingers in the till. IMO the best way to protect the MDC and keep the money away from the legislators is for MDC to be open about what they are doing and make the information easy to access. JMO

I have never been to a forum. I would like to attend but have never been invited. They are always over before I hear anything about them.

[brownieman]

JC....I can remember...time flys you know...it's been several yrs. back and if I remember right was up around LOZ.

Don't know any of the particulars on this, just what I saw on the news and heard. Some landowners had willed their property upon their death to the dept. IMO there was probably a written agreement between the two, would think there would have to be legally. They had left it to the dept. under the impression it would be well taken care of and preserved.

The donatees had kids, thank goodness imo...a few years passed and the dept. decided to do something (don't remember what, just what I saw on the news) other than what was in agreement with the donatees I assume or so said the family and the news.

JMO but if family members would not have existed the dept. would have had their way concerning what was done with this land and the individuals who donated the land would have rolled over in their grave.

IMO this is probably just once some public light was shed on matters like these.

As I stated, this is just my opinion and I am only going on what info. was on the news...I know not the particulars.

[brownieman]

i've only skimmed the last few pages of this thread as i got tired of hearing of some of the complaints about MDC and felt i needed to post. i do want to make a comment and ask a question to those who've been doing most of the complaining.......i don't mean to step on toes, its just that experience has taught me that sometimes when people complain loudly, they've seldom done anything in a positive way to correct a situation that they deem as wrong. it's just easy to sit back and voice opinions.....

first -- i think we've got it pretty good here in MO. yes, most anything could stand to be tweeked or improved ~~ which brings me to the question.

MDC holds open forums (not sure how frequently-yearly??) for residents to come and give input about what they (MDC) are doing and what they would like to see done by MDC.........have you ever gone to one of these forums? i have and i found them to be very informative. this might be a place to make your voices heard for changes. the taxpayers do have a say.

lastly, i voted for the 1/8th cent sales tax and i'd do it all again if asked....my ONLY concern is KEEPING IT AWAY FROM THE LEGISLATORS!!!!!!

I agree fully dfly but gf puts it in perspective well. I voted for the 1/8 cents tax myself and am glad we have it...but imo it has created a monster...a well fed monster. IMO greed and wastefulness has stepped in due to wealth and influential factions.

We are indeed fortunate to have the outdoor opportuities we have in this state...we do have it good but there is always room for improvement and I am thankful the ,imo, greedy poiticians haven't got ahold of the money yet...to our knowkedge anyway, lol

IMO these so called "Town Hall Meetings" are a facade to let the public feel our opinions matter...go to one and see if they address your personal concerns in a timely, efficient, logical manner.

We learn from experience..." The School of Hard Knocks"...there is no better teacher. I try not to speak about things I am ignorant to ( ignorance being the lack of knowledge)...there is a big difference in ignorance and stupidity...and believe me I am ignorant about allot of things.

Most comments on this thread are constructive...just regular joes wondering where are tax dollars are going...we as the taxpayer have a right to know... imo we should be able to be given a prompt answer when we ask where are hard earned tax dollars are being spent but answers it appears are hard to get...imo it's a shame.

Most of us peons just want to see our tax dollars used wisely and there is nothing in my book wrong with that...just a bunch of peons wondering where the money goes.

[gonefishin]

You are right on target brownieman. It is a big bunch of money and some of us ware wondering where it goes and why.

did you ever notice how a person hears a lot about the town meetings after the meeting but, very little beforehand, like, when and where?

[brownieman]

You are right on target brownieman. It is a big bunch of money and some of us ware wondering where it goes and why.

did you ever notice how a person hears a lot about the town meetings after the meeting but, very little beforehand, like, when and where?

Right on gf...glad to see someone notices these things besides myself.

It's there for all to see if they were to just for a lack of better words " Open Their Eyes" ...everyone seems to turn a blind eye these days.

IMO...maybe, just maybe things would not be in the shape they are if people would just take a hard look... possibly a "reality check" would be in order.

I don't have the answers and it's apparant to me...well...is there an answer?

IMO if you do voice your opinion at a town meeting you hear...your input is much appreciated and will be taken under consideration...YEAH RIGHT...hence the word facade, lol

[Chief Grey Bear]

I realize they stock other species. I was being sarcastic hence the silly icon however, there is no where the bucks spent on other fish as there are on Trout, but then most catfishermen don't buy $1000+ fishing rods or $30,000+ bass boats, so they don't generate near the sales or income tax for the MDC/State as other fish do.

You are right catfish are the number one pursued fish in MO but you couldn't tell it by the amount of bucks spent on them.

Are you kidding?

How many people do you think are buying $1000 rods?

Tell you what, run down to your local Bait & Tackle store and ask them how many high dollar rods they sell to high end users compared to $20 or $30 combos sold to everyday Joe's and family. Also ask about how many dozens of worms are sold? How many tons of lead in the form of sinkers are sold? Bobbers? Hooks? Catfish bait? Beer?

I think there is a lot more being spent than one realizes

[Chief Grey Bear]

Like I said I don't really care about the trout limit other than the fact it was used to dupe the public.

As to other states, I lived in KY. They have good trout fishing areas, limit is 5, they don't have near the facilities MO does and license fees aren't as high and they don't have a special sales tax. Did I mention they have Elk. Ohhh, yea and so does Arkansas. I don't see any of those in MO. Arkansas has a limit of 5 trout and have 4 species. Looks to me like other states do OK.

As far as conservation areas go I don't know of any more than there were say 10 years ago. You are right I don't duck hunt at least not in the last few years. I never cared for Big Mac's so I don't eat them either. I don't begrudge the MDC the 1/8th cent sales tax. They are really well funded by the public so they don't have to act like they are broke. The upgrades they are doing at Shepard of the hills doesn't amount to more than a very small percentage of one years income from the 1/8th sales tax alone not to mention other income they have.

I don't farm anymore but I did for most of my life. I never needed MDC to come in and help me manage my land. I realized 30 years ago that when people started shoving out hedge rows and overgrown fence lines that they were destroying wildlife habitat. Took MDC 30 years to figure it out. Why would I want them to manage my land?

You say I have never walked through a MDC natural area, well you would be wrong. I have done that several times. I was walking through natural areas before MDC put in those fancy all natural asphalt trails.

I don't think you know me as well as you thought you did.

Again, I don't begrudge MDC the sales tax but it is like cocaine to them. They have had a taste and now they cant get by without the fix. Eventually they will over manage everything trying to keep getting more and more drugs (money).

You keep saying that the limit doesn't bother you , yet you keep bringing it up? Why? How were we duped?

Another thing, it did not take the MDC 30 years to figure out about clearing fence rows. It has taken 30 years for land owners to realize their faults.

I see them coming up with more and more creative was to get into the pockets of people who use these resources with only very little to show for the bucks. With the kind of money they are earning fishing limits should be increasing not decreasing and license fees for residents should be steady or decreasing not increasing.

What creative ways are they getting into our pockets?

What does their money earnings have to do with fishing limits?

[gonefishin]

Are you kidding?

How many people do you think are buying $1000 rods?

Tell you what, run down to your local Bait & Tackle store and ask them how many high dollar rods they sell to high end users compared to $20 or $30 combos sold to everyday Joe's and family. Also ask about how many dozens of worms are sold? How many tons of lead in the form of sinkers are sold? Bobbers? Hooks? Catfish bait? Beer?

I think there is a lot more being spent than one realizes

I used to think the same thing but it doesn't make sense. The MDC allots 6% of their total budget to fish. Of that 6%, trout get the largest slice. Of the remaining percentage they fund studies and special programs for less known fish such as the Topeka darter, Hellbender, Sturgeon and such. It seems to me that doesn't leave very much for warm water fish. Of the warm water fish Bass get the largest portion. There has to be a reason and that reason has to do with dollar signs.