----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- 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 ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]