Eric Hartley: What's missing from bay plan: the rest of us

By ERIC HARTLEY, Staff Writer

Published 10/20/09

After most of the politicians, activists and reporters had left following yesterday's news conference on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, naturalist John Page Williams told a story.

It seems commercial fishermen in the Eastern Shore town of Crisfield had a problem. Their normal bait, peeler crabs and squid, had gotten more expensive.

The solution turned out to be right in the grocery store meat case. Boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips, proved an affordable and effective substitute.

"When chicken is cheaper than bait, there's a problem with the system," Williams said. "Nobody wants...

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Sorry for the typo - 2009-10-20 14:42:45

That should have read "political."

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Stephanie P. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

About the Politcal Comments - 2009-10-20 14:40:59

I read this article, then read Ben H.'s comment, and had to re-read to find the slam against Republicans. I assume you're referring to the part where he says that if O'Malley were running for re-election and were pushing for higher prices on chicken, the Republican party would use this in their campaign against him? Um, what part of that isn't true? I don't think it was a slam against Republicans, just an awareness of one of the weaknesses of our political process. Trying to please everyone in the system we have usually results in nothing ever getting done.

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Stephanie P. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

Hartley just can't resist - 2009-10-20 13:46:28

No matter what, there has to be a way to complain about Republicans. Even as Democrats control the White House, both houses of Congress, the governorships of Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, West Virginia and the mayorship of Washington DC (which collectively make up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed), Hartley just cannot put together an article that doesn't on some level hold Republicans responsible for what is going on right now. The poor Democrats just can't take actions that they really want to take because those nefarious Republicans will point out that they are making certain policy decisions. Incredible.

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Ben H. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Good