How many internet judges out there convict people without a trial?

He very well could be disabled. I've seen the drive to fish push men that had steel rods in their back, recent rotator cuff surgery among other disabilities. The drive to fish can over ride physical pain, it's like a ball happy lab that has to chase the ball. Add the desperate need for income that show provided, and I could absolutely see someone with a disability pushing through it for a while. Maybe walk in his shoes before judging and convicting him.

 

What does that have to do with him taking advantage of my tax dollars?
I really don't care if he's got an 8 inch titanium shaft in his spine and can have sex with 100 prostitutes/day and then go fly the space shuttle by night. But I do care if he is using my tax dollars. I rather use my money to help Americans who actually need the help.

 

Gee, I wonder why they SELL a disabled fishing license? Or a disabled hunting license?

IH, is your problem that he earned money and lied about it or that he fishes? Should disabled people NOT have any recreation if they collect SS disability that THEY PAID INTO???

 

I think the difference is that he is hauling in 500+ lb fish that put up a fight for several hours. Plus there is video evidence (though not much) of him hauling in huge blue fin tuna. Its not catching bass or trout off the dock.

 

If any of you have ever caught and fought a fish that weighs over 500 pounds and then drag that puppy into your boat, it's kind of hard to believe that a guy is so disabled
that he "he couldn't work at any job, could not walk properly and could not lift heavy weights or drive more than short distances." A scammer is a scammer in most guy's eyes, especially if they have worked hard for what they have…. fraud is fraud!

The real issue is that he's been accused of double dipping while he was getting his funny money for a disability that he obviously didn't really have. People who work hard for their money tend to look down on those that scam for theirs, especially like IH had so well said. The more these kinds of things become known, the less that the scammers are likely to continue scamming the tax payers dollars. Fishing and hunting with a disability is not the same as double dipping or fraud (getting paid and not declaring it while still receiving some sort of state or federal disability funding is pretty much a no-no!

Every person is considered innocent until proven otherwise. He will get his day in court…unless he bargains a deal. Some "fishermen" have tried to scam the system and hide from their responsibilities of paying their child support and that is why we all must give our Social Security numbers now to the WDFW before we can even purchase our fishing or hunting licenses.

To me, it just puts another "bad mark" public image on the honest guys who loves to fish and are not scammers. That just another reason why I am not afraid or paranoid to say who Cowlitzfisherman really is here, or anywhere else.

 

Sucking the public's tut just like so many other professional fishermen.

 

I agree the double dipping is a crime, but I know a disabled man can still take a handful of pills and catch big fish, especially if a big check is involved, and those kind of pills would not work in the labor pool.

I've seen that show and he doesn't come across as very employable.

 

I wonder if folks realize that there are "other disabilities" that prevent people from working besides the physical? Mental illnesses like Manic Depressives, for example. The amount and type of medication they may take and the extreme mood swings make it hard for them to hold down a job.

Years ago, they would have been committed to a state institution, where we paid A LOT MORE to house and care for them. SSD or SSI are part of the safety net system available for them. Mankind has always had people who needed help. This is how Americans chose to handle it.

 

I totally agree about helping people who need help.
We are talking about here is people who are abusing the our generous system.

 

It must be something in their water

http://www.tmz.com/2015/01/21/david-marciano-arrested-assault-hotel-wicked-tuna/

 

Jfc, this is pretty cut and dry, if you read what the dude claimed to file for ssi and disability then watch the show its pretty straightforward. .. if you say you can't drive, stand long and it hurts to walk.. you sure as hell can't run a tuna boat for days on end 100 miles off shore and fight huge fish and harpoon them... sorry this isn't the same as fishing at the local trout pond... how does one defend this stuff.

 

I'm not defending this individual. I am defending disabled people that like to fish.

I know people who had to forgo income for several years before they won their disability cases. It can and does cause a hardship. For every one of these SS abusers, I can name several that suffered while waiting and had to not only visit numerous doctors, they have to hire an attorney and pay thousands.

My husband went through the SS BS. His medical history and disability is extremely well documented by military doctors, UW and Swedish Neurology Clinics.

My husband loves to fish, but he can only handle reeling in a few steelhead. Gone are the days of halibut and sturgeon fishing. I have no idea how many more years he'll be able to fish, but I'll be damned if any of you will judge him as ripping off your f'n tax dollars.

 

He has a bottle of water from Lourdes and when he gets a fish on he takes a swig and for a short time his body is healed but it only last till he pee's.....RJ out.

 

No one on this board has the right to question a person that has a disabled permit for fishing, hunting, parking or anything else that it is used for. I have a permit for all of the above things that is issued by the state of Washington and if you ask me why I have one, I will tell you where to go. That means all of the legal people out there. Been there, done that and won because that is between me and my doctor and she can't give out the information without unless I ok it. I am 73 years old.

 

Gotta go with bob on this one. If you can reel in a 400lb BFT you should be cleared to work.

Im a very active and healthy person but offshore fishing is extremely hard work.

 

Most of you do not know the helplessness of being in constant pain, thank God that you never will.

 

Clumping people together for these individual incidents I think is a bad comment. People as individuals make decisions good or bad, right or wrong and should be held accountable for their action(s).

 

Exactly. Don't know whether he's guilty or not but I do know it's not up to us to decide. The media is NOT a credible source for facts.

I watched a few episodes after this thread started and some here made it sound like he was reeling in and hoisting a 500 pound fish like sportsmen, but what I saw was him mostly steering the boat in flat water and yelling at his crew. They don't put on a harness and hold the rod, the rod with a winch sized reel is left in its holder and a deckhand reels it in. Then a hoist winches the fish into the boat. There is some rustling at the boat side with gafts to get a rope on the tail, but that's a far cry from the pic you guys painted of them doing it by hand like a sportfisher. Pull up the show and watch his boat.

 

Don't listen to Leadhead, he's just jealous cause you're boat is bigger than his. Classic "little boat" syndrome post.

 

Dimples,
I have watched the show and I have to agree that the guy is not the laborer of the show, he is the captain.

I cannot comment on his disability or what motor skills he has lost to get him on the government program. I'm thinking that there is a doctor involved and some level of difficulty to manage acquiring this entitlement.

I do not think ( not an expert on this) that getting a medical disability eliminates all potential income from other sources. It's not like unemployment, where you have to stop collecting once you find work.

The disability payments are typically a fraction of the original income you had. I think it's likely expected that folks will find work within their capacity. I wonder how many people on medical disability are running an on line business with shipping and packing of boxes.

Without the details of this, I think innocent til proven guilty is the prudent choice. After all the poor dentist from Minnesota has been beaten down by the media for shooting a lion in Zimbabwe. Yet he was not the guy that actually killed that lion, another fella from Pennsylvania did it. But the media became the judge Jury and executioner of this dentist.

Even the park employees interviewed about the famous lion Cecil replied " who" what are you talking about we never heard that name before and know nothing about such a lion.

Turns out a single park worker named this lion for fun and personal entertainment. but the British news heard this and wrote the story to create a human perspective around an animal. So before I ( we) judge the events of this guy Paul ( Who I dislike on this show as it is) we probably need to take a breath and see what the facts really are. If he is guilty, imagine the way the IRS and the Fed's will destroy him!

I would not wish that on anyone, and I don't like the guy as portrayed on the show!

 

Well said!

Witch hunts are still popular.

 

yep got to watch them

 

I dont know if I could do it for a living. But I know damn well I would give my left nut at a chance to fish for those monsters even with my disabilities. The physical pain would be worth it. Im certain I wouldn't be able to walk right afterwards for several days, but hell yes I would do it, and as often as possible. Regardless of the pain. We only live once, why not live it the best way that makes us happy? Perhaps the dude shouldn't be double dipping. But with that, I am receiving disability pay from the VA, 65% retired military for a severely screwed up back and hips, and still work a full time job. I would only be regulated on my work if I was at a 100% but even then, I would need to work as it would not be enough to support my family. Perhaps he is disabled, maybe not as bad as he states, or maybe he hides the pain well, maybe he does this in order to do what he loves to do? I wonder if ya'l judge all disabled people that do things that you deem that only a non disabled person should do as harshly?

 

If the guy was double dipping i hope he has to pay it back. As far as him being hurt. We dont know. Ive spent my share of time around comm fishermen. Seen guys work 24 hrs a day for days with broken bones, bad backs, pinched nerves, blood clots...all kinds of injuries. Its a different world at sea. Many fishermen work hurt. Its part of the program. I would cut that guy some slack till you know he did something wrong. I bet he paid his taxes too.