Corrupt Hunter wants SW island for DoD game farm

SAN DIEGO -- US Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) wants to remove southern California's Santa Rosa Island from Channel Islands National Park and give it to the military for exclusive use and exotic big game hunting.

After much opposition, he pulled this proposal on Friday, but promised to bring it back up and push it again.

Hunter, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and himself a big game hunter, is under investigation in the same unethical defense contractor payoff scandal that forced fellow GOP hack Randy "Duke" Cunningham to resign.

The military already has a lot of permitted use of the Channel Islands, but Hunter wants to boot the public completely from Santa Rosa Island, and use it like a game farm for trophy hunters with military connections. This is a boneheaded shameful bad idea.

Hunting is already allowed on Santa Rosa Island, and as a hunter I am OK with that, but giving it all to exclusive use of military brass is immoral. The public outrage surrounding Rep. Hunter's extreme anti-environmental push is understandable and justified.

Hunter should follow fellow corrupt Republican Cunningham and resign now. I'm sure he could get a high paying job with a defense firm and still find a way to hunt on Santa Rosa Island.

Hunter likely won't resign, but he could lose in 06, or the investigation may take him down too like his buddy Duke.

There are lots of places in America for military and civilians to hunt, but there is only one Channel Islands National Park. The public interest says don't mess with it. Other Reps. and the US Senate should say no to Hunter, and keep Santa Rosa Island in the National Park for all Americans to enjoy.