WYGF Commissioner removed by Gordon

[VikingsGuy]

It sounds like when he lost the debate and the commission made a decision, he didn't support that publicly. That's never good for a team player.

I agree in a true team setting, but public commissions should not be a "team" - they should represent varying perspectives of the public they serve. I do not like governance and policy becominge a "team sport" - it promotes polarization, us vs them, and reduces the chances of creative and compromise solutions.

 

[BuzzH]

So...

Anyone have any idea what this guy actually did or said that got him removed?

Still trying to figure that out myself.

He did a lot of good things for Wildlife here, one of the best is the creation of the new WYldlife Fund that he and Pat Crank worked on.

This was a personal thing for me, as it put another 10% of the Wyoming Governors Big Game license revenue directly into this fund. Previously, the 10% went to administration under WWF and WCF that IMO, didnt earn that 10%.

I had a long talk about that with one of the Commissioners (not Schmid) and it wasn't long after that discussion the talk of the WYldlife fund started...and was eventually passed.

Its pretty impressive when you have frank and honest discussions about what you see as potential problems with a Commissioner, and point out a way to put more money on the ground for wildlife that its taken seriously and acted on.

Schimd and Crank deserve a lot of thanks for this effort...

 

[BuzzH]

Reading between the lines (I have no experience with him), he was a supporter of resident hunters, and butted heads with the commission in general, all of which should be fine. It sounds like when he lost the debate and the commission made a decision, he didn't support that publicly. That's never good for a team player.

Do you have examples?

I was talking with a friend about that, and I never once heard Mike do that. Certainly not at a commission meeting.

I do agree with you that as a part of a committee, commission, etc. once the board decides on an issue you all support it or not at that point (whatever the board decides).

 

[BuzzH]

I agree in a true team setting, but public commissions should not be a "team" - they should represent varying perspectives of the public they serve. I do not like governance and policy becominge a "team sport" - it promotes polarization, us vs them, and reduces the chances of creative and compromise solutions.

...and promotes a bunch of yes men and group-think.

Never good if you're looking for the best solutions or ideas, at least IME.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Looks like we got a replacement already.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/cowboy...-kenneth-roberts-to-game-fish-commission/amp/

 

[BuzzH]

Anyone know him?

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Mike ruffled some feathers with Untrap Wyoming with his stance of unflinching support of trapping in Wyoming. The Commission voted in November, 4-1 in support of trapping reform. Mike was the 1 no vote. He also recently spoke to the Wyoming Legislature TRW committee in support of existing trapping laws. Seems he spoke longer than the Untrap Wyoming folks did and this was viewed as unfair. Short of this I know of no major dust up between him and other Comms.

I do know that he did not support increasing the NR elk license allocation that was proposed by WyOGA. He did not support the set-a-side antelope licenses for past shooters of the one shot. He did not support the NPS proposal to let culled Mnt Goats rot in the sun rather than be hunted and utilized in accordance with Wyoming wanton waste laws. Regardless of how these issues ended up I never witnessed him acting in an unprofessional manner in his role as a Comm. He did use his companies resources and money to help get more wildlife crossing built.

With the Success of Wildlife Crossings in Wyoming, SOS Well Services, LLC Helps Initiate Campaign for Support and Funding

/PRNewswire/ -- The research is clear, wildlife crossings help reduce vehicle accidents and save countless animals. In addition to safety, the long-term...

www.prnewswire.com

Sounds like a real trouble maker.

 

[JM77]

There has already been a inference made by someone in G&F that his trip to Washington on Jan 6th had something to do with Schmid's removal.

I can attest that I have never once seen Mike's politics get in the way of his duties as a Commissioner. He was one of the best Commissioners I have ever dealt with and we didn't agree on everything. Sportsman have lost a very good representative on the Commission.

 

[Irrelevant]

I think your comments and mine are related and compatible. I think your remarks are the "how". "I" can't tolerate the views of others, so how do I make them stop? I villivy them. How do I know who they are? I draw stark battle lines between my "rightness" and the "other's wrongness".

To be clear, my agitation was that in order to make a point about the situation there was zero need to use "liberal" in a derogatory way. All it does is continue to weaponize our political system. Especially when politics weren't even involved. Why do we always blame the media but never hold ourselves to the same standard. I hear plenty of lofty preaching that the media is driving this divide then in next next breath someone is blaming the GD liberal media for something. The way we-not just the media- communicate matters. It's corny, but change has to start somewhere.

On the actual topic that definitely sucks. We had a similar issue here in WA where several retiring members were replaced with non-hunter/anglers, but "scientists". While I love me some science, I also think are are too many qualified ones that also hunt and fish to not go that route. As a real snub, our Gov hasn't even elected to fill our E WA seat. I hope you guys get a another qualified person to fill his shoes.

 

[VikingsGuy]

To be clear, my agitation was that in order to make a point about the situation there was zero need to use "liberal" in a derogatory way.

The word "liberal" did not appear in my post that first responded to, so not sure what to say. I did use the word "left" but in the phrase "both left and right", so not sure if you were reading a different post or if you were reading in something that wasn't there in the first place.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

The word "liberal" did not appear in my post that first responded to, so not sure what to say. I did use the word "left" but in the phrase "both left and right", so not sure if you were reading a different post or if you were reading in something that wasn't there in the first place.

He's talking about mine.

 

[Bob-WY]

Do you have examples?

I was talking with a friend about that, and I never once heard Mike do that. Certainly not at a commission meeting.

I do agree with you that as a part of a committee, commission, etc. once the board decides on an issue you all support it or not at that point (whatever the board decides).

Let me be clear, I have ZERO examples or experience with him or the commission. My point was simply that YES any commission member should be free to debate/argue any side of any issue, that's how good decisions get made. BUT once made, all members of the commission support the decision, at least when speaking as a commission member.

Generic statement, nothing specific about him.

I hope, as someone else mentioned, that if he attended the 1/6 protest, that should have no bearing on this, none.

 

[Pucky Freak]

“no experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, & which we trust will end in establishing the fact that man may be governed by reason and truth.” T. Jefferson 1804

 

[Djfan]

I just don't trust Gordon. My bet is that this will turn out to be a bad thing.

 

[OntarioHunter]

If he associated himself with that stolen election fairy tale BS, I have to wonder about his intellectual capacity to make important decisions re fish and game resources. People are entitled to their personal opinions about politics ... but the country is in a pickle now because blind partisinism has overwhelmed the people who run our governments, both federal and local. And I'm sorry, anyone who persists in supporting the president's crazy and totally disproved claims of election fraud, and supported his effort to disrupt the constitutional transition to the duly elected new administration on January 6th is not only blind but guilty of sedition by association. I would be shocked if any governor of any political party affiliation could keep a top level official on board who did something so foolish. Does he really deserve to keep his job? Can someone like that be trusted? Keeping him on board would certainly not give the current governor much credibility.

 

[JM77]

If he associated himself with that stolen election fairy tale BS, I have to wonder about his intellectual capacity to make important decisions re fish and game resources. People are entitled to their personal opinions about politics ... but the country is in a pickle now because blind partisinism has overwhelmed the people who run our governments, both federal and local. And I'm sorry, anyone who persists in supporting the president's crazy and totally disproved claims of election fraud, and supported his effort to disrupt the constitutional transition to the duly elected new administration on January 6th is not only blind but guilty of sedition by association. I would be shocked if any governor of any political party affiliation could keep a top level official on board who did something so foolish. Does he really deserve to keep his job? Can someone like that be trusted? Keeping him on board would certainly not give the current governor much credibility.

You can jump off your soap box because this thread is about Mike Schmid and you obviously are not talking about him.

 

[idahohuntr]

Pending some concrete examples of really unprofessional behavior, this seems like a real loss for WY and an unfortunate decision. The descriptions make him seem like a passionate hunter and someone who stands for what he believes in, but a willingness to hear divergent opinions. All qualities I would admire for a position like this.

 

[OntarioHunter]

You can jump off your soap box because this thread is about Mike Schmid and you obviously are not talking about him.

It was stated in a post earlier that the "inference" from inside sources was that Schmid's journey to D.C. on Jan 6th had something to do with his dismissal. Apparently his being at the Capitol insurrection is common knowledge in govt circles. You will note that I qualified my post with "if" he made that trip. If he didn't... well then it's all moot.

 

[JM77]

It was stated in a post earlier that the "inference" from inside sources was that Schmid's journey to D.C. on Jan 6th had something to do with his dismissal. Apparently his being at the Capitol insurrection is common knowledge in govt circles. You will note that I qualified my post with "if" he made that trip. If he didn't... well then it's all moot.

He wasn't at the "Capital insurrection" so it's all moot.

 

[OntarioHunter]

He wasn't at the "Capital insurrection" so it's all moot.

Okay, but you're the one who first posted that he went to D.C. on January 6th. Did he or didn't he?