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More on tradeable permits. 
 
I used to do some lecturing on this subject as part of the "senior 
executive program" for US government officials.  This was a refresher 
course in public policy issues and debates and I naturally kept cartons of 
books and pamphlets on the subject none of which is available to me right 
now. 
 
What  I learned was that in the special case of the USA, we had many 
jurisdictions or states and each set its own policy regarding hunting and 
fishing rights.  In order to get the legal right to kill one deer, the 
hunter had to obtain a hunting license.  These licenses were given out by 
the towns and cities (for example, if you live in Newton, Massachusetts you 
go to City Hall and go to the fishing and game office where you can obtain 
a permit to fish in designated waters, etc.  Each of the towns and cities 
in Massachusetts (there are 353 or so!) has its own policies regarding 
these matters. 
 
Again, the policy objective was and remains to limit the number of deer 
slaughtered (fish caught) each season.  Offenders (those who hunt without a 
license) face stiff penalties such as the loss of their gun permit and/or 
the car they were using to transport the deer remains, etc.  Most hunters 
accept these rules and regulations and in several conversations that I had 
with hunters from all over, they supported these rules and regulations.  
 
Now the various permits were issued in limited amounts.  Some portion of 
them must have remained with the mayor or selectman for distribution among 
the political favorites, etc., but the larger remainder of the permits 
would be distributed by lottery. auction and/or priced on a first-come 
first-served basis. 
 
I believe that this information is significant to the discussion because it 
contains the germs of the tradeable permits idea.  Again, in my view the 
brilliance of the idea is that the government manages by "objectives" and 
the objective can be measured and monitored without resorting to the most 
intrusive violations of human rights and liberties.  Tradeable permits as a 
program has always seemed to me to be typically "American" because it is a 
creative solution to a serious problem.  When the tradeable permits idea 
was taken over and expanded by the emissions regulators, it seemed so 
natural to colonial history buffs especially in New England. 
 
Again, all of this is my best memory of an extremely interesting set of 
conversations. 
 
Laurence S. Moss 
 
 
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