This is a paragraph from the proposed rule change that, I think, says it all...

The draft economic analysis for the nine constrictor snakes (USFWS January
2010), provides the following information about the expenditures for research
and eradication in Florida, primarily for Indian pythons, which provides some
indication of the efforts to date. The Service spent about $600,000 over a 3year
period (2007 to 2009) on python trap design, deployment, and education in the
Florida Keys to prevent the potential extinction of the endangered Key Largo
woodrat at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The South Florida Water
Management District spent $334,000 between 2005 and 2009 and anticipates
spending an additional $156,600 on research, salaries, and vehicles in the next
several years. An additional $300,000 will go for the assistance of USDA,
Wildlife Services (part of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). The
USDA Wildlife Research Center (Gainesville FL Field Station) has spent $15,800
from 2008 to 2009 on salaries, travel, and supplies. The USGS, in conjunction
with the University of Florida, has spent over $1.5 million on research, radio
telemetry, and the development, testing, and implementation of constrictor snake
traps. All these expenditures total $2.9 million from 2005 to approximately
2012, or roughly an average of $363,000 per year. However, all of these efforts
have failed to provide a method for eradicating large constrictor snakes in
Florida.

The "study" of this problem certainly pays alot of government salaries. CASH COW comes to mind.

On an unrelated note, I heard on a news report earlier today that while the national unemployment rate hovers around 10%, the unemployment rate for government employees is around 3%...hmmm.

Brian

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