August 18, 2009

Re: Unified Sportsmen of PA versus PA Game Commission

Att: Attorney General Tom Corbett:

Dear Tom,

This is not a sour grapes letter.  It is a letter expressing strong disagreement for the manner in which Assistant Attorney General Tim Keating is conducting the defense of the PA Game Commission (PGC) in the suit brought by the Unified Sportsmen of PA (USP).  Please let me remind you, the people of Pennsylvania are paying for the PGC’s defense.  The legal shenanigans we have witnessed over the past few months can not possibly be characterized as professional or a responsible use of taxpayers’ money.  Perhaps, you are not aware of the details.  Perhaps, it is business as usual for Mr. Keating.

In response to USP’s first set of interrogatory questions, Mr. Keating photocopied the PGC’s entire website as his answers.  The board members of USP are not a bunch of rednecks that can’t easily recognize sarcasm and condescendence when they see it.  For the second set of USP interrogatories, Mr. Keating was six weeks late in his response.  I suppose it didn’t matter, he objected to the questions.  Apparently, Mr. Keating and the PGC have no intention of answering any specific questions in this litigation.  Furthermore, attempting to schedule depositions with key PGC personnel has become a farce.  They are avoiding engaging this case in its entirety.  By comparison, Dr. Charles Bolgiano, USP Legislative Liaison, Mr. Stephen Mohr, USP President and I responded promptly and professionally to Mr. Keating’s request for depositions. 

Mr. Keating has done all he can to make this matter as adversarial as possible.  He has demanded information the court has repeatedly denied.  Who could forget his threat to depose thousands of USP members?  I suspect for his next act we will see a character assassination blitz against the three USP members handling this case, which includes yours truly.  This is the PGC’s style.  Apparently, Mr. Keating is willing to lower the stature of the AG’s Office to comply with the unprofessional standards of the PGC.  All of this nonsense continues while the people of PA are paying the bill.

The PGC has been bragging in the halls of Harrisburg that not only will they win this case, but they will bankrupt USP in the process.  Needless to say, the agency never did have a lot of class, but it appears Mr. Keating has embarked on a strategy to help them fulfill that dream.  Is this indeed the role and purpose of the PA Office of Attorney General?  Are you comfortable with this strategy?

Maybe I was unrealistic, but I believed the interrogatory/deposition part of this case would go rather smoothly.  I fully expected Mr. Keating would vigorously defend his client at the hearings armed with science-supported facts.  In other words, I felt confident a state agency with the stature of the Office of Attorney General would have taken the high road from the onset to the conclusion of this case.

I trust you are aware the eyes and ears of our legislators are focused on this case, as well as a large portion of our voting, sporting class.  It was just a few weeks ago that the House awarded a contract to the Wildlife Management Institute to independently audit the PGC’s deer management program.  All of this has been transpiring while the people of PA are paying the bill.
    
There is no need for anyone to feel sorry for the PGC.  No one is picking on them and the deer management debacle they created was their own doing.  They have plenty of money.  The gas companies have been good to the PGC and their escrow accounts are in the millions of dollars.  I suspect that issue will become the topic of a Right to Know investigation in the immediate future.

As usual, there is an interesting twist of irony in this matter.  If the PGC’s deer management plan was so scientifically sound and defensible, they could walk right through this challenge by the USP.  They should be happy to comply with interrogatories and depositions with the confidence that their program will withstand all scrutiny and they will easily be vindicated of all accusations.  Based on their actions and the defense strategy of Mr. Keating, it doesn’t appear that they have that confidence.

The purpose of this letter and my sincerest hope is that you will review the handling of this case by Mr. Keating and inject some common sense and decency into the matter.  Let both parties step to the center of the ring, take off the gloves and settle this deer management war for all posterity.  Once again, let us never forget the people of Pennsylvania are paying the bill.

Sincerely,
Jim Slinsky
Broadcaster, Writer, Consultant

All truth passes through three stages.  First, it is ridiculed.  Second, it is violently opposed.  Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.  -  Arthur Schopenhauer

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