Sen. Lieu calls on head of F&G Commission, Daniel Richards, to resign after pattern of terrible judgment, killing mountain lion
Action comes after Richards’ inflammatory letter
SACRAMENTO – State Sen. Ted W. Lieu, D-Torrance, today released the following statement regarding recent actions by California Fish and Game President Daniel Richards and his letter to the legislature dated Feb. 28, 2012.
“Fish and Game Commission President Daniel Richards should resign immediately and his letter is just another example of why he just doesn’t get it.
“California prohibits the killing of mountain lions. Commissioner Richards killed a mountain lion in Idaho and posted internet pictures of the kill. He had the opportunity to apologize for his misjudgments and repair relations with stakeholders and Californians who were incredibly offended by his actions. Instead, Commissioner Richards issued a disrespectful, tone-deaf letter that shows he fails to appreciate his role as a public official on the Fish and Game Commission and the consequences of his actions.
“Commissioner Richards utterly fails to understand that he is not just a private citizen: He is the President of the California Fish and Game Commission, which is charged with managing the laws against the killing of mountain lions. Imagine if the Director of National Drug Control Policy (“Drug Czar”) went to a jurisdiction where marijuana was legal and then posted an internet picture showing him smoking marijuana. He would be fired before he returned to his office.
“Daniel Richards, private citizen, has the legal right to do whatever he wants legally. And if Daniel Richards was not President of the Fish and Game Commission, his actions would not have generated the intense public outcry that it did.
“But Fish and Game Commissioner Daniel Richards, the President of the Commission, is held to a different, higher standard when it comes to killing cougars, one that he has failed to meet based on his gross misjudgments and his subsequent inflammatory letter trying to defend his mistakes. Moreover, for the President of the Commission to be effective, he has to be able to work with stakeholders, not deeply offend them.
“California wildlife already is suffering from encroaching development, loss of habitat, declining numbers and changes in the environment. Tackling these issues will take a united front. Daniel Richards has shown by his insensitive actions he’s unable to be part of any solutions.
“If Fish and Game Commissioner Daniel Richards wants to adhere to the statement in his letter that “my 100 percent legal activity outside of California” is “none of your business,” then there is a simple way to do so: he needs to resign immediately and simply be Daniel Richards, private citizen.”
For more, visit Lieu’s Web site at the address below.
Ted W. Lieu chairs the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and represents nearly 1 million residents of Senate District 28, which includes the cities of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance, as well as portions of Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Pedro. For more, visit www.senate.ca.gov/lieu
