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IIRC, these “fees for grazing” were actually fees for the service of the BLM in adjudicating disputes. The term “fees for grazing” seems to be a misleading attempt to disguise the nature of the deal to begin with. The feds through semantics have essentially attempted to alter the nature of the relationship.
However, if the ranchers wanted to withdraw from using this mediation service, shouldn't they have that right? And what disagreements between ranchers are they mediating now? None. He's the last one standing.
Now the initial court cases may not have gone Bundy’s way, but that doesn't mean the finding was correct, especially with the current batch of judges and the corruption of the judicial system.
Now, the BLM says they'll pursue it in court. Well Hecky Durn, ain't that what they should have done to begin with? It almost seems like they just decided that they were tired of not getting their way, and they were just gonna bully their way through to what they wanted sooner rather than later.
Lots of stuff to consider here. It ain't as simple as well he's breaking the law. Until the Supreme Court says otherwise, it appears to be Fedzilla who is really bending/breaking the law.
Bundy’s case has been adjudicated and there was a court order to remove his cattle because he has NO LEGAL RIGHT to put them there.
My neighbor runs lots of cows - thousands. He can’t push his cows onto my land without my permission. I can be compensated for his cows grazing my pasture. He chooses to do this because it’s good business. He gets cheap feed to fatten his cows and I make a little bit for owning the land and it improves my pasture. He even treats my land for weeds as part of the deal.
How many ranchers do you know? I know a few. All of them don’t like the federal government - however, none of them think Bundy is a hero. Why is that? The people who do what he does for a living seem awfully silent. 1010RD is right - we can pick a hundred better battles than this guy.
I don’t like the government. You don’t like the government. However, this is not the hill for us to die on. This is about a man who knowingly profited from land that was not his while others honored their contractual agreement for grazing rights to the government, timber companies, or even private individuals like me.
We won’t starve without Bundy’s cows. All he had to do was pay the grazing rights - it’s not much and he could still have made a profit just like my neighbor.