It's good to hear that Ohio Congressman and former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has committed to having his federal House oversight and reform subcommittee delve into how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's law enforcement wing has blatantly overstepped its bounds in dealing with America's fishermen, especially in the Northeast.
It's even better to hear local Congressman John Tierney — a member of that same subcommittee — push to have the panel's hearing in Gloucester, perhaps as early as next month.
After all, considering the recent report of Department of Commerce Inspector General Todd Zinser, that would give the committee members the chance to address first hand the plight of Gloucester and New England fishermen who — according to the Inspector General's report, and a preliminary version of it at that — have been:
-Treated like criminals by a rogue branch of their own government that, with seemingly no oversight, has agents apparently paid and directed as if they were part of some kind of criminal SWAT team, not civil enforcers of administrative regulations.
-Been socked with assessment fines at least 250 percent higher than those meted out in other parts of the country.
-Been hit with Notices of Violation for not having a controversial yellowtail flounder accessibility letter when landing fish at the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction — even though fishermen landing in New Bedford and other ports without the same letter were not penalized.