Marines to spend $50M moving 1,100 turtles, $45,454 EACH

washingtonexaminer ^ | March 15, 2016 | PAUL BEDARD

[PROCON]

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to spend $50 million moving some 1,100 turtles from its training base at Twentynine Palms, Calif., or about $45,454 each.

The program includes a 30-year assessment of their efforts to monitor the desert tortoises that are listed as threatened under federal law.

According to Marine Corps Times, the tortoises live on a section of the base that is to be used for training.

The newspaper noted that the cost is half the price if an F-35B vertical takeoff jet.

[PROCON]

I wake-up each morning and find that I'm further into the Twilight Zone.

[Sacajaweau]

Insane....

[pepsionice]

Perhaps one should ask if they put this up for a bid, or have hired some Senator’s friend for the job.

[Uncle Miltie]

I’ll do it for half that.

[MeganC]

They’re going to spend maybe $10,000 on moving the tortoises and then use this as an opportunity to explain away $49,990,000.00 in black operations expenses.

[headstamp 2]

government in action

how much equipment or medical care could this buy?

[Larry Lucido]

"Is anyone here a desert biologist?"

[PROCON]

Always the businessman, Miltie!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Or $49.99 million used to line some retired general’s pocket.

[PROCON]

Nicely done...

[Uncle Miltie]

You bet!

[mad_as_he$$]

Paging Cliven Bundy.

[Mastador1]

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to kill them and pay the fine?

Okay I'm not serious, but I bet it would be.

[going hot]

Where do I sign up, have wheel barrow, will travel!

[Secret Agent Man]

I wish it was half the cost of an f35-b.

[Duckdog]

I’ll do it for 48%.

[forgotten man]

Too bad you were not given the opportunity to bid on the contract. I wonder if it was a no bid contract. Who got the contract and how did they get it? The LA Times does ask the question “Why is this costing so much taxpayer money?”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You cannot move turtles from their home territory and have them survive.

They will spend the rest of their lives trying to get back home.

[Rusty0604]

Where are they moving them to, Saudi Arabia?

[lacrew]

The desert tortoise has been used as an effective weapon of the government for 40 years. Large areas of Fort Irwin are off limits to it. And remember the grazing restrictions that ultimately led to the Cliven Bundy stand-off? That's right, those restrictions were due to the desert tortoise. So our military can't train around the turtle... Cattle can't graze around the turtle... Is there any activity that is important enough to bypass these federal regulations? Yes, of course. Lets say a crony capitalist company wanted to use a $1.6 BILLION dollar federal loan guarantee and build a solar plant in the desert...right in the middle of turtle country. Well, that won't hurt the turtle. Reminds me of Mecca.