Regulation
As a small businessman, I deal with government regulation every day. Some of it is good. Much of it is annoying. Some of it is very bad. The problem is that government rarely applies the self examination and testing required of businesses. As a result, there is no way to correct mistakes of the government. Ultimately, it is completely self serving.
I have witnessed one government agency in my home Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Yes, it is not a state, but a commonwealth. Bet you can’t name the other three!) that has done an excellent job of managing its affairs. That agency is the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Want a story of an agency that has successfully carried out its mandate? Study what the PGC has done with Pennsylvania’s wildlife.
In short, prior to the PGC’s creation, wildlife was suffering from over hunting and fishing. Habitat was vanishing. And this was in the late 1800s!!! PGC was tasked with managing and protecting wildlife, managing wildlife habitat, and informing and educating the public on wildlife and safe hunting practices. In the last 116 years, PGC has enabled whitetail deer herds to flourish. The same has been true of many other species. They are responsible for restocking of trout to prevent overfishing and to allow many anglers to enjoy a relaxing past time. Based on their own field research on the number of animals, hunting and fishing limits are adjusted.
The result has been sustainable harvests of those species that can be hunted and habitat maintenance for not only the sport species but all of the non-sport species. Along with volunteers, they work to maintain clean streams, vibrant woodlands, and healthy populations of wildlife of all types. All of this work on behalf of wildlife is funded (over $66 MILLION) by hunting and fishing licenses and sale of timber, hay, coal, oil, and other resources. Is the PGC perfect? No. But they are probably the best government agency I have had to deal with.
You can find very few government agencies with the long history of success of the PGC!
