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"As the story unfolded, a cascade of permits and approvals secured by a wealthy and politically savvy development company presented Governor Perry and the state government with little choice but to accept the project or face expensive court action and an eventual loss."

I guess that is the part I don't understand. With the amount of money involved with those deals, when those permits were handed out, surely a Governor would have been aware of them, and been in the loop regarding their approval. Usually a Governor is in on granting permits, especially when they pertain to the development of a new airport, new Indian casino, hotel, and massive residential housing. I don't understand how Governor Perry was caught off-guard on those things, to the point where the developers had her by the tit, and the State government was forced to go along with it all. That makes no sense to me.

Andrew Cuomo, made a lot of million/billion dollar deals with developers during his terms as Governor. Just in the Syracuse area, he cut deals for two businesses to set up shop there. Buildings were constructed with tax payer funds at no cost to the developers as an enticement to move their business there. The developers backed out, never occupied the buildings, and tax payers got screwed. One of the buildings later sold for $1. It wasn't long after that, that one of Cuomo's top aides, and a couple of the developers were charged with fraud, and sent to prison.

In regards to Yellowstone, if Governor Perry wasn't aware of those permits being issued, then I say she was a pretty incompetent Governor. And if those permits were wrongly issued, then why wasn't the person who approved them held accountable? I don't recall hearing anything on anyone being held accountable for granting those permits, during the five seasons I've been watching the show. There just seems to be a lot of the backstory missing.

In Yellowstone, the permits were legally and correctly issued variously as a matter of right and of legislative policy based on credible prospects of economic development. With public opinion and the legislature on board, Governor Perry supported the project.

As Governor Perry made clear to John Dutton though, she went along because the case for the project was politically and economically compelling in a mostly poor state. Personally though, Governor Perry was in sympathy with Dutton and opposition to the project. She urged him to run for Governor for that reason, with her plans being to run for the US Senate. As a legendary rancher and political figure in a state with a strong ranching tradition, John Dutton ran and won as an opponent of the project, which gave him a mandate to reverse the permits and approvals and kill the project.

Don't get me started about Andy Cuomo. Like his father, Andy Cuomo is a crook from the get go but skilled enough to protect himself from getting caught.