What’s in a Title?

[Outdoor Talk Network by Jim Slinsky]
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What’s in a Title?©

By Jim Slinsky
06/14/08

In today’s fast-paced society and world of negative campaigns, a label has become a common weapon of spin. He’s controversial, he’s an extremist, he’s anti-hunting are labels thrown around to identify or misidentify those with whom others disagree. A label (one little word) can often sum up the feelings about an individual or group quickly and quite nicely. To complicate matters there is also the issue of titles. He’s a lobbyist, he’s an advisor, he’s a legislative liaison, which further confuses the listener or reader. Unfortunately, the people most confused by all of this spin are our legislators. The label and title game has their heads spinning.

As an example let’s take Mr. Stephen Smith, PGC Legislative Liaison to the PA legislature. On the surface Legislative Liaison sounds like a spiffy title for someone who is a go-between the Agency and our legislators. The title “liaison” implies a person to call with questions. However, Mr. Smith doesn’t sit at a desk waiting for a legislator to call with a question. Mr. Smith is in the Capital everyday providing information on matters that our legislators didn’t request. Mr. Smith is the fourth PGC employee in my memory who has transformed his job from Legislative Liaison into Legislative Lobbyist. Although in all fairness, the job has been deceivingly labeled for the past twenty years or so. Mr. Smith, like his predecessors does bring the Agency point of view to our legislators. However, within that endeavor Mr. Smith argues against any and all pending legislation that would reform the PGC. Sportsmen pay Mr. Smith with their license revenue and sportsmen requested the pending legislation, but Mr. Smith’s primary responsibility in Harrisburg is to defeat that curative legislation. I am sorry, but his efforts speak louder than his title.

And then, there is that problem with our legislators. They don’t know the issues. For most legislators our outdoor issues are a low priority. This is especially true in the Senate, or should I say the “House of Lords”. It takes months, sometimes years to get the simplest piece of common sense legislation through our Senate. The system was designed for the Senate to be the more deliberative body, so rash and emotional legislation doesn’t pass. However, when it comes to the PGC they have been kicking around some legislation for decades. I’d say deliberate has been taken to a whole new level in PA.

Truthfully, the lack of legislation reforming the PGC may not be our Senators’ fault, either. Remember State Rep Bruce Smith? As Chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee he blocked every piece of legislation reforming the PGC for twelve years running. Joe Neville, the Legislative Liaison at that time had a work station in SR Bruce Smith’s office.

The core problem is that many legislators believe the PGC Legislative Liaison above all other voices. The title implies that he is an expert at providing objective information. He is in the Capital everyday telling the same story. PGC Legislative Liaison’s have historically labeled all those who oppose the PGC as uninformed, a small disgruntled minority and extremists.

The human, emotional side of this entire story is as equally interesting as the political side. I met Mr. Smith a few weeks ago and told him I planned to write this column. He became quite upset that I might portray him as an anti-hunter. I told him I had no intention of labeling him as such. I told him some things most of us learn with age. I told him there are some things none of us will do for money. I said there are some jobs all of us would turn down no matter how lucrative the pay.

Mr. Smith, as Legislative Liaison for the PGC is in Harrisburg fighting daily against curative legislation passed by our House of Representatives by margins of 199 to 0. HB 1214 would be a prime example. Our sporting class wants this legislation and our House of Reps responded and passed it. Mr. Smith is lobbying our Senate to kill this legislation.

One can only surmise Mr. Smith’s conscience is bothering him to worry about being labeled. Obviously, he is well aware of his efforts. To this we must ask what is really in a title? In this case, I’d say everything.

Jim Slinsky is the host and producer of the “Outdoor Talk Network”, a nationally syndicated, outdoor-talk radio program. For a station near you or to contact Jim, visit his website at www.outdoortalknetwork.com.

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