Who is to blame? and what to do with the money!
Hello Mr. Bullard, Congratulations on your retirement. You have the proud title of being the only respondent to any of my e-mails that I have sent since 2012 (lobster leased territory management suggestion). Thank you!
I recently responded to a media article on the Raphael case. I hope that it made it to your desk. “Raphael apparently has a long history of fisheries and IRS violations that has been going on for quite some time. It’s a mystery to me how the National Marine Fisheries Service avoided monitoring this individual sooner; considering the disproportionate quantity of permits he held. Apparently its was the same old story….pay the fines and keep on fishing! As was pointed out in the now famous Zinser report, corrupt incentivized fining was rampant in the Office of Law Enforcement. Nobody would dream of removing this individual from the water…. a built in cash cow. Considering the above, doesn’t the management personnel share in the guilt? Oh! I forgot they are public employees and thus the freight train continues….out of control”
The above is but one issue. The other one would be what happens to the fine money and the confiscated vessels. My suggestion to another media article was that the fine monies be distributed to the laid off fishermen and captains while they are tied up. In other words let Raphael’s assets help clean up the mess that his wrong doings created. This would also be a way of creating a better management image of the Asset Forfeiture Fund which as you are aware (through my previous correspondence) is still staggering from the now famous Zinser Report.
If this communication missed the boat because of your retirement; please pass it on to your successor.
Many Thanks for your service and Good Luck! Marty Stillufsen
