Pallone’s Fish Tales

By Art Gallagher

It’s official, The Asbury Park Press is in the tank for Frank Pallone.

Phoney Pallone had a press conference in Keyport today where he announced that he is proposing the $400 million Coastal Jobs Creation Act aimed at boosting the state’s commercial and recreational fishing industries mainly by keeping closer tabs on fishing stocks through a research partnership with Rutgers University.

As someone commented on the APP site, $400 million to count fish?  I know something about counting fish  This bill is a lot of bunker.

This legislation will never become law and Phoney Pallone knows it.  Today’s press conference was to give the APP an opportunity to write a Pallone friendly story.

Here’s a list of all the bills that Pallone has sponored in the 111th Congress (the one that is currently in session.)  There are 25 bills on the list.  One became law, one passed the House and went nowhere from there, one was reported by committee and now Nancy Pelosi has to decide what she needs from Pallone in order to post it.   The other 22 bills were introduced and referred to committee.   That’s it.  

This bill is one of the 22 that is buried in committee.  Pallone introduced it on March 23.   The House Natural Resources Committee, which Pallone sits on with Rush Holt,  held a hearing on the bill on July 27.  No further action has been taken.

Why is this news?  Nothing happened regarding this bill today, other than Frank Pallone making a phoney campaign appearance.

It took me all of two minutes to find this information about the bill.  I wonder if  APP reporter Jim McConville bothered to research the bill before writing his story.

I wonder why I wasn’t invited to the press conference.  Maybe because I would have  asked a question like this,

” Congressman, you introduced this legislation back in March of this year.  The House Natural Resources Committee, which both you and Rush Holt are members of, held a hearing on this bill on July 27 and no further action has been taken.  Why are you holding a press conference about the bill today?”

That’s a fair question.  Right?

Or maybe I would have asked this:

“Congressman, you introduced this legislation in March. Your committee held a hearing on it in July.  The purpose of the bill is To promote coastal jobs creation, promote sustainable fisheries and fishing communities, revitalize waterfronts, and for other purposes.

Why didn’t you use your considerable influence as a senior member of congress to get this bill passed so that funds would be  available to save the Baykeepers Oyster Restoration Program here in Keyport.

Back in August, Pallone told the NY Post’s Ken Moran that this bill (which will never become law) would save fishermen a $15-$25 license fee that is scheduled to go into effect next year.   I might have asked Pallone why the government is going to borrow $400 million to count fish when fisherman can fund the registry with their licenses, if I had been invited to the press conference today.

If McConville asked any questions like these, he didn’t write about it in his story.  Maybe tomorrow in the print edition.

More likely, the APP is falling for Pallone’s fish tales, hook, line and sinker.

Posted: September 20th, 2010 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Frank Pallone, Pallone | Tags: Asbury Park Press, Frank Pallone | 3 Comments »

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