While COVID-19 continues to dominate the news cycle and the public’s attention, there remains a number of other important issues that should be considered as voters go to the polls on November 3. And nothing can be more important to those living in the Chesapeake Bay region than its ecosystem health.
That is why the Spy pulled together some outstanding conservation leaders who work on the Chesapeake Ecosystem to talk candidly about what is a stake for the next four years. Our all star panel includes Rob Etgen, president of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Alan Girard, the Eastern Shore Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Isabel Hardesty, deputy director of ShoreRivers, and award-winning environmental journalist Tom Horton.
This video is approximately thirty-five minutes in length. For more information about Eastern Shore Land Conservancy please go here, for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation go here, for ShoreRivers go here and Tom Horton’s Bay Journal Films go here.
David Reel says
34 minutes and 34 seconds with the following messages:
Climate change is the single biggest issue in the next election. Not crime, not the economy, not jobs, not anarchy in the streets of major cities (conveniently on hold until the election), not Supreme Court appointments, not enlarging the number of Supreme Court justices, not national security, not underperforming public schools, China, not Covid -19, not immigration, and not a proposed constitutional amendments to clear the way for Kamala Harris to replace Joe Biden if he is elected because Democrats know but will not acknowledge Joe no longer has the mental capacity to serve as President.
Republicans especially President Trump are all anti environment all the time. Tom Horton says “unfortunately we have gotten to the point where its very hard to see where anyone who votes Republican at the federal level and expect anything done positively about the environment.” Horton does not mention that Pennsylvania, one of the environmentalists favorite villains on Chesapeake Bay pollution has a Democrat governor who has been in office for the last six years.
Isabel Hardesty says “In the big picture of climate change, the federal government (the Trump administration) has provided no leadership, no oversight and no inspiration.” and Rob Etgen immediately says “I agree.”
The very thinly disguised message in most of this video is VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS IN NOVEMBER AND GOING FORWARD.
When does The Spy assemble a panel with a different perspective? I am not holding my breath in anticipation of that happening.
Capt. Robert Newberry says
I have to agree with some of the comments that Mr.Reel has made in the prior comment. But the one major issue that seems to confuse myself along with many others is that these environmental groups seem to think that nothing has been done, and that environmental change is the most important thing in the upcoming election. What? These environmental groups paint a picture of Doom and Gloom of the Chesapeake Bay that directly gets a response for their financial game. I have spent many years, over 30, in Annapolis seeing what has happened to the seafood industry specifically here in Maryland. Instead of addressing the major problem of why the bay is in such bad shape, they all Lobby for regulations that restrict and curtail our ability to be able to work. Specifically in the Oyster industry we have lost, as they quote, 25% of our most productive bottom for oyster harvesting.
In fact, we have lost 50% of are workable bottom, we have taken Bushell reductions, we have taken the day off, and are under constant scrutiny from enforcement agencies on how we conduct our business. While this is all been done, the environmental groups continue to move forward lobbying those in Annapolis to apply more restrictions on the industry to make us go away. If they tried this with farmers, Annapolis would have almost every Tractor in Maryland surrounding it and shutting down traffic. The Waterman come to Annapolis to stand up for their rights, and we are left in the halls sitting on the ground for up to eight hours so our voices could be heard, while these environmental groups look at us and laugh. Even when we participate and listen to our legislators,they convene in small groups in the gallery and giggle and chuckle when they hear our pleadings on the floor. These actions are on tape so they cannot refute what they do. The bottom line is, if climate change is the problem with this administration,and turning their back on pollution can be solved by voting out the Republicans and replacing them with Democrats, what in the name of God was going on when we had democratic presidents over the past several years and a Democratic governor in Maryland in charge prior to this Administration? The answer is absolutely nothing. They still had money coming in, and still had their hand out to the taxpayers of the state of Maryland to bolster their multi-million dollar bank accounts. To bottom line this whole issue oh, there is a very important statement that I have made for many years both in the media and in testimony too many committees in Annapolis. That statement is as follows, “WHEN YOU POLITICIZE A NATURAL RESOURCE, TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN. THE DEMISE OF THAT NATURAL RESOURCE AND END OF THOSE MAKING A LIVING FROM THAT NATURAL RESOURCE “.
Anyone can see that this has been happening since the environmental groups have been putting our great Chesapeake Bay on the front line of their political agenda specifically to generate their money. They need to stop taking good hard-working peoples dollars and using it to put the hard workers in the seafood industry out of business that feed the masses of this country. When you vote this year, vote with your heart and mind, not with empty promises that cost you your hard-earned money.