Sweeping Executive Powers

[gmark340]

I ran across this article by chance. The government mechanism that could potentially be used to regulate a nationwide recreational activity caught my eye:

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/saltwater/news/story?id=4975762

The article discusses the possibility that the president, by executive order, could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing the nation's oceans, coastal areas, Great Lakes, and even inland waters. I confess to not knowing the ins and outs of the legislative process, but, politics aside, to be able to do something so sweeping by executive fiat seems quite amazing. Of course, my next thought was, "Could an executive order be used to ban sport shooting, or hunting, or making a noise such as "bang?"

Perhaps I have not taken close enough notice of past executive orders. My question to the forum is: "Would the fishing prohibition, if it comes to pass, be an extraordinary use of the power of executive orders or is it not so unusal and is it possible that shooting could be affected in a similar manner?"

 

[Tommygunn]

The purpose of the EO is to direct how government functions are performed. You can't tell Sarah Citizen what color car to buy or how to part her hair with one.
HOWEVER--------the government and it's agencies have expanded, multiplied and are everywhere, so OTOH the EO might possibly effect how we do business with government in some ways atleast, potentially.
But....I .... don't think that an EO can order a fishermen where to fish. Maybe the Dept. of fisheries or ome similar agency can issue a directive or ordinance saying you can't fish here between April 1 and April 11th or similar thing.
The president can't do that.... I think.
But Who knows what the president will try since he thinks the purpose of the Constitution was wrong.......

 

[LemmyCaution]

The last president made the executive decision to wipe his butt with the 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 14th Amendments, started a completely pointless war, destroyed the economy, destroyed our international reputation, made torture acceptable, and you people elected him twice and never said 'boo' about any of it. The new guy 'might' (as in 'an asteroid might hit my house') regulate recreational fishing and you go completely Chicken Little.

It strains credibility, is all I'm saying.

I dislike Obama as much as the next guy, for the same (substantive) reasons I despise Bush/Cheney. There are plenty of legitimate things to criticize him about. This isn't one of them. Please stop acting so hysterically. It's embarrassing.

 

[rha600]

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=510552

 

[wishin]

An executive order is not supposed to be carte blanche for a president to do as he pleases. I think................!

 

[gmark340]

I don't have the sense that anyone in this sense is acting hyterically, except for the poster that referred to it. Nor was this meant to be a political discussion. I merely raised the question in reference to one article I had seen regarding presidential power. Whether other presidents have done something similar or not might be relevant, if someone could provide specifics and not just glib assertions.

 

[Neverwinter]

Perhaps I have not taken close enough notice of past executive orders.

Yes and Yes.

 

[Art Eatman]

This is too much off the track and only marginally on-topic for THR. Politics, etc.

Odds are, a purely law/legal oriented website would be far better...