Republicans set up Divide and Conquer Strategy against Chippewa Tribes over Spear Fishing.

Republicans are dead set on targeting their enemies. Like the tribes who opposed the mining bill:

WKOW: The state Building Commission plans to talk about revoking a $250,000 grant that would help the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa build a cultural center on Wednesday. Republican Rep. Dean Kaufert is the one who has proposed taking back the money.  He asked for reconsideration of the grants after the tribe and other Chippewa bands dramatically increased their spring walleye spear fishing goals.

Republicans are undoubtedly trying to gin up racial tensions, as another way to "divide and conquer,” a strategy borrowed from Scott Walker. The unnecessary one fish limit was the shot over the bow. From WPR, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission offered this scientific data proving the DNR didn't have to lower the bag limit, or that the tribes used increased spear fishing as "pay back:" 

...or how about a little monetary hostage taking before "negotiations:"

The move is prompting the state to impose a one-fish limit for other anglers on nearly 200 northern Wisconsin lakes to protect the fishery. Kaufert says he will delay voting on the cultural center funding until May if progress is made with Gov. Scott Walker's office to find a compromise.

Here's Kaufert at his petty best, infuriated anyone would stand in the Republicans way, has decided to use a little hostage taking.

WPR: A member of the Lac Du Flambeau Tribal, Ruben Santiesteban, says linking funds for the cultural center to tribal spearing rights does not qualify as an olive branch.

"We should be able to balance tourism and our treaty rights in the state of Wisconsin, [that] being our heritage. Now today to defer those meetings to a meeting to see what happens at a spearing and treaty rights meeting — not only do I not appreciate it, but it shouldn't be happening."

 From Upfront with Mike Gousha:



From WPT's Here and Now, a section of Lac Coutre's Chairman Gordon Thayer's speech to the legislature, along with the detailed facts from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission's James Zorn that trash the DNR's transparent attempt to turn Wisconsinites against the tribes: