interesting times
I have mixed emotions about this. It’s a lease, the rancher is in default. Not overly complex.
BUT, the BLM are a bunch of asshats. I’ve dealt with them trying to push me around in NM, on land I OWN. They made various claims, lost in court, and still acted like assholes, doing the same thing. (A long story I won’t go into here.)
Wouldn’t be surprised if this is the straw that starts pushing people over the edge.
Bundy declared himself a citizen of Nevada and NOT the USA:
“Bundy appears to argue in his Motion to Dismiss (#4) that the Complaint (#1) should be dismissed because this Court lacks jurisdiction since Article IV of the Constitution cannot be imposed upon him. Bundy claims that he is a citizen of Nevada and not a citizen of a territory of the United States, and he also quotes religious texts. [*6] Bundy also brings in the Property Clause, the Commerce Clause and International Treaty laws. None of these statutes, laws or other citations is relevant to the jurisdictional issue...”
He also claims the federal government cannot own land, although the US Constitution says it CAN own land, and that Congress makes the rules on what to do with that land.
“Bundy claims this “decision concerning the Desert Tortoise, if fully implemented, would lead to the end of ranching in Clark County,” and his ranching days would be over. Reply (#7), p. 5. The decision from the BLM does not inform [*8] Bundy he can no longer graze livestock due to the protection of the Desert Tortoise, but instead reminds Bundy that his grazing permit would end at the end of the next month, February 1993, and the new permit application was attached to the decision.”
One of my closest friends is a rancher who buys grazing permits in 3 states to keep his cattle and sheep on. He pays for his grazing, but then, he considers himself to be a US citizen...
Why doesn’t Sandoval do something? Kent University was going to be a footnote in history next to what this standoff is turning into.
Where the hell are the people who are supposed to be adults in this? Surely they don’t think this ranch should be the start of another civil war. Or maybe they do.
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BLM should be split up along with the lands they administer and handed off to the states.
And, really, the lands themselves should be sold off by lottery to US citizens. And BLM disbanded.
Aside from military bases and office complexes, the federal government has no need to own vast swaths of land.
We may be seeing the beginning of a real Sagebrush Rebellion II and an uprising of the silent majority. People are VERY fed up with the feds.
Jim, This is a disgrace, and it’s not going to end well unless the BLM leaves the area, which they are not likely to do. Texans always talk about how they are stalwarts of the Republic, well my wife’s family were farmers in Northern Nevada and Texas has nothing on Nevada ranchers! The larger issue here is the fact that the Federal Government “owns” 85% of Nevada (and nearly half of California for that matter). That needs to be changed.
5.56mm
The gov of NV ought to send out the state police and arrest the BLM hoods.
Ping.
I have heard everything possible on this situation. He refused to pay. The cost was raised to the point it was ridiculous. The BLM stopped taking lease money. Since 50 grazers have been forced out already something smells like B.S.
A couple hundred armed feds using dogs and Tasers against people who are not an immediate danger, and armed militia members who are not “afraid to shoot”, all triggered by grazing fees? If this is a contest to see who can be stupider, both sides look capable of accomplishing surprising things. I’d warn the militia that the feds are led by the world’s expert in the area of acting stupidly. I hope those civilians will be cautious, make prudent decisions, and ostentatiously film everything so that the facts will come out accurately. It would be nice if both sides would back off, but I’m not an optimist, not with the facts on the ground for both sides.
I wonder, since there are those here that argue the FEDERAL government is the almighty in this, and other cases, and they quote 19th century rulings and treaties, that if they would oppose the old Land Grants that were given back in those days.
So, they quote 19th century rulings, treaties et al, but ignore a 18th century document that founded the United States. A document that, it was the States who formed this federal government.
So this is how it starts...