Great article on Utah's corruption & theft of license dollars to the tune of $12 million

[Ben Lamb]

Profiting from Wildlife Controversy in Utah

The State of Utah has paid more than $12 million to keep the pot stirred on protection of wolves and sage grouse. Reporting and analysis by Cat Urbigkit, RangeWriting.com. The State of Utah has paid out $5.1 million to one organization to push for wolves to be removed from federal protection in...

www.rangewriting.com

If you ever put in for UT tags, this is where your money is going:

The State of Utah has paid out $5.1 million to one organization to push for wolves to be removed from federal protection in Utah. The State has also paid a private consulting firm $7 million to keep sage grouse off the list of federally protected species.

Utah financial records indicate that Big Game Forever was paid a total $5.1 million since 2012, and that Stag Consulting has received a total of $7 million from 2014 to 2019. What links them is one person: Ryan Benson of Bountiful, Utah.

 

[Big Fin]

I've often said that the wolf is not a canine, it is a bovine, as in a cash cow. SFW/BGF is proof of that on the side that claims to represent hunters. This corruption has been going on for years and if you search old threads here you will find the discussions we've had. Those of us pointing it out in the beginning got heckled by the loyalists. They were some fun jousts with the myopic crowds in Monster Muleys.

It will continue to go on, as Utah has not the spine to change anything. You can't buy a politician that isn't for sale and Utah has so many to choose from that it is a buyer's market down in the Beehive state.

I've given up trying to point it out to people. People either don't want to hear, or if they hear/see it they are not collectively willing or able to do anything to change it. We get the government we vote for is a commonly used phrase. Utah and its wildlife mafia is a textbook example.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I've often said that the wolf is not a canine, it is a bovine, as in a cash cow. SFW/BGF is proof of that on the side that claims to represent hunters. This corruption has been going on for years and if you search old threads here you will find the discussions we've had. Those of us pointing it out in the beginning got heckled by the loyalists. They were some fun jousts with the myopic crowds in Monster Muleys.

It will continue to go on, as Utah has not the spine to change anything. You can't buy a politician that isn't for sale and Utah has so many to choose from that it is a buyer's market down in the Beehive state.

I've given up trying to point it out to people. People either don't want to hear, or if they hear/see it they are not collectively willing or able to do anything to change it. We get the government we vote for is a commonly used phrase. Utah and its wildlife mafia is a textbook example.

That mafia is working MT hard again right now. The event last week where Trump JR. and his girlfriend Kim Guilfoyle were at in MT (while being COVID-19 positive) was a fundraiser for Daines, with Gianforte, Rosendale, Arntzen & Downing all confirming they were there. It was hosted by the BGF staffer for MT: Matt Lumle, and organized by the UPOM master, Chuck Denowh.

COVID-19 wasn't the only virus those politicians were exposed too at that high-dollar fundraiser.

[Edited to correct my mistake on the relationship between Jr & Ms. Guilfoyle]

 

[Oak]

I don't think Clint Eastwood was being completely forthright when he famously said, "consulting ain't much of a living, boy."

Thanks for sharing the article. I was a bit surprised at who authored it.

 

[noharleyyet]

...mistress? And why the pejorative editorializing...plenty of facts to be outraged over.

 

[Ben Lamb]

...mistress? And why the pejorative editorializing...plenty of facts to be outraged over.

Please see #4 a: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistress

You can use 4 b if you'd like.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I don't think Clint Eastwood was being completely forthright when he famously said, "consulting ain't much of a living, boy."

Thanks for sharing the article. I was a bit surprised at who authored it.

I've known Cat for a lot of years. We rarely agree on issues, but I've found her to largely be more interested in the truth than any one agenda.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

where Trump JR. and his mistress Kim Guilfoyle

Classy, Mr Lamb.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Classy, Mr Lamb.

You know what? I'm going to change it. I was wrong. The divorce was finalized last year and I missed it. My apologies to all.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Utah is such a cool place to chase critters... but...

I don't know I'm constantly debating whether submitting applications is worth it on so many different fronts.

 

[Irrelevant]

Considering she tested positive and he tested negative she's a pretty poor mistress.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Lock it up fellas

 

[Sytes]

Utah does seem to be our epicenter for federal versus state regarding America's land.

Keep it Federal w/ *State Stewardship, In my most humble opinion...

I'll add, with the anti-esa environmental organizations rabidly pressing the wolf is all cuddles, seems a tad hypocritical to run with hair on fire that lobbyists are funded to oppose wolves. Though... Again, just a simple humble opinion. Where the rest of the money routed... Is an interesting rabbit hole.


*For sake of the few, that's a snapshot, not the entire amendment as written by Sytes.

 

[44hunter45]

Please see #4 a: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistress

You can use 4 b if you'd like.

Could be that any number of the Merriam-Webster definitions apply. Money, power, fame, devoted servants, etc. Follow that list all the way down to #6 if you like.

Considering she tested positive and he tested negative she's a pretty poor mistress.

@neffa3 - See definition #6.

What a cesspool.

Lord Acton was not wrong. Especially in Utah, it seems. Why in hell would I ever want to give them a dime of my hunting budget?
I'm with @Ben Lamb, it boils my butt when Utah lobbyists come here to try to turn my state into another Utah. Ken Ivory seems to have a key to the back door of the capitol building.
I go from pissed off to triggered when they bring their buddy Ted Cruz with them.

 

[BigHornRam]

Makes me glad I dont apply in Utah.

 

[geetar]

No wonder they went up on license fees this year. They probably need money to cover the actual expenses after blowing it on wolf politics.

 

[Trial153]

politicians Utah. no further comment Necessary .

 

[nontyp]

What is the ultimate goal here? I’m somewhat familiar with Mr. Benson, but why do they continue to give him money? what are the politicians getting in return?

 

[azelkhntr]

Good work if you can get it $$$$$$$$.

 

[grizzly_]

As a Utahn with no allegiance to any religion, I can assure you the author's repeated attempts at implicating a religion into this issue are extraneous and unwarranted.

Further, the author's attempts will cause many in Utah to disregard the actual substance of the article and thus only work to hinder what the author attempted to accomplish... to affect change in the State.