Posted on 10/18/2013 12:26:04 PM PDT by george76
The House Oversight Committee wants to find out why the Park Service behaved so bizarrely.
...
Representative Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, a former prosecutor, almost drove National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis into incoherence with his relentless questioning. Gowdy wanted to know why Jarvis had allowed “pot-smoking” Occupy Wall Street protesters to camp overnight illegally in Washington’s McPherson Square park for 100 days, yet put up barricades to keep veterans out of war memorials on the first day of the shutdown. By not issuing a single citation to the Occupy campers, Gowdy argued, the Park Service was treating them better than the nation’s military veterans. “Can you cite me the regulation that required you to erect barricades from accessing a monument that they built?”
...
When closing Yellowstone National Park, the Park Service confined four dozen elderly foreign tourists in a hotel on park property for two days, and also blocked them from taking photos on the grounds. Rangers then prevented their bus from stopping for a restroom break when they were finally thrown off park property.
At Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the Park Service closed turn-offs along a state highway so that tourists couldn’t pull over to enjoy the view and take photos.
...
it’s important for Chairman Issa and others to figure out how it was manipulated politically. Because if the Park Service can become a pawn in the Obama administration’s political wars, does anyone doubt that the integrity of other even more vital agencies wouldn’t be at risk in any future budget showdown?
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Time to publish the memos that ordered them to do this.
It’s a culture of corruption that rises to the top ranks of the Democrat party.
Well as far as I am concerned The Park Service has become just another branch of Obozo’s brown shirts.
On a positive note, we know that we don’t have to guess whether they will follow orders to shoot us.
Remember the “Big Park” video from the Rush Limbaugh TV show? They’re Southern Mall Cops. They put on that uniform and look in the mirror and say “this is the day I finally shoot somebody”.
Question Number 1: What natural disaster or other imminent emergency permitted you to close each of the national parks? Federal law specifically requires the national parks to be open and enjoyable by the public. The exceptions are minimal, by design, to prevent any national park administrator from randomly closing the parks.
There’s even language in the law for what happens if a ticket booth couldn’t be manned (gates or turnstiles are to be left open until such time that it can be operated again.)
Question number 2: Under what law does the National Parks Service or the employees cite or fine park visitors who entered their national parks?
No need to even ask the question. It was part of the REVENGE the socialist democrats and THE FOREIGNER are putting on the U.S. for ah, keeping them down, or because we treat other countries so bad, ah, for being racist, or something like that these freaks have in their DNA code. That’s why their total losers, are are going to get the deserving butt kicking they earned in the next election cycles.
because they were told to and they knew;
1.) ... no one would REALLY push back and
2.) .. they would be covered no matter WHAT had happened ... even murder (imo)
For those of you who may have blood pressure issues. The gist of the comments is that everything is the Republican's fault, and the veterans are "crybabies" for wanting to go to monuments "closed" by the Republicans. There's also a lot of "get even" talk. It's was like listening to conversations in a Munich beer hall . . . .
That’s what I’m saying, stage one is already resolved, then we can plan what to do about it.
Why are they “grilling” them? They need to be brought up on charges, arrested, tired and fired. Ranger Rick is no longer...from now on it is Ranger DICK. When I asked the too-smiley ranger at Zion “Will nobama let us in now?” the other day. His smile evaporated. Tools.
Everyone in the Park Service will get a pass.
Write this on the Wall.
“All is Ted’s fault”!
Ted scares every one.
But me.
He needs to get the “lady” who is Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks before the committee. She is the political appointee who is the Park Director’s boss. There is where you will find the link.
In Washington State, three drivers were issued $125 “violation of closure” tickets to three people who visited the closed Olympic National Park over the weekend. Kelly Sanders, a Port Angeles teacher, decided to take her crew of six international students, including two visiting Port Angeles from Mutsu City, Japan, on a hike to Marymere Falls. On the way they had stopped at Lake Cresent and the group posed for a picture when the Ranger walked up and issued the tickets. Sanders thought the park facilities was closed and did not think it meant the federal property. The wording on the closure signs, read: “Because of the federal government shutdown, this National Park Service facility is closed.”
When they heard about the incident, Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict and Port Angeles Police Chief Terry Gallagher separately wrote Jenny Durkan, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, asking for the dismissal of citations. Jenny Durkan refused. Contesting the citation will require an appearance in federal court in Tacoma. So far, that is where this case of arrogant federal authority is headed.
Trail Ridge road between Grand Lake and Estes Park CO was closed due to the shutdown. It was one of only two roads into Estes Park after the floods. Estes Park is part of a declared disaster area with major infrastructure damage. TR road will soon close for the winter due to weather but every day and every access route counts as this mountain town of 10,000 tries to get a handle on the flood aftermath before serious winter weather sets in.
TR road is a state highway so where do the Feds get off closing it?
0bama will use anyone as a political pawn.
War veterans.
Active duty servicemen and women.
The families of KIA servicemen.
Flood victims.
Mark my words this narcissistic sociopath wouldn't bat an eye at ordering the slaughter of millions as a means to his ends.
You need to continue to keep after them along that line. Every time you meet one go, heil Obama. you already[or should] know where you [we] stand with them anyway.
Simple. Pass a bill the completely closes the NPS during any government shutdown. Without pay.
Trey Gowdy, Mr. Speaker
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