Posted on 07/28/2004 7:40:43 AM PDT by B4Ranch
July 26, 2004 Bush Administration Sells Out Property Rights
By Peyton Knight
During his 2000 presidential campaign, George W. Bush repeatedly promised the nation that “Help is on the way.” Property rights victims, especially those in Midwestern and Western states, cheered the President’s message and came out in droves to support him on Election Day. Finally, there would be an end to the reckless Clinton regime that treated landowners like second-class citizens and barriers to radical green utopia. Or would there?
The Endangered Species Act is still thriving as the number one tool of federal agencies and green extremists to pry landowners from their property. Government land grabs continue unabated. Private property rights protections are nowhere to be found. And the green dream of a National Heritage Area program has seen its most momentum in a decade.
It’s been four years since Bush took office and property rights advocates are still waiting for that promised help. In fact, forget help. It would be nice if the White House would just stop working against us.
March 30 of this year provides a perfect snapshot of Bush’s neglect and utter disregard for traditional property rights and those suffering under the tyranny of federal land-use policies. That day, Property Rights Foundation of America President Carol LaGrasse traveled from New York to Washington to testify against the creation of a National Heritage Area (NHA) program. LaGrasse explained to the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks that NHAs are “designed to gradually accomplish federal land use control.” She noted that “The Heritage Area program also has the goal of transferring private land to government.” Indeed, National Heritage Areas spell disaster for property owners.
That very same day, the Bush administration decided to openly promote a National Heritage Area program and pull the rug out from under LaGrasse and property rights advocates nationwide. The U.S. Department of Interior issued a press release stating “the Bush administration is proposing legislation…to establish a National Heritage Area program.” To add insult to injury, National Park Service Deputy Director Randy Jones stated in the release: “These areas also must work closely with all partners in the region, including federal land-management agencies.”
This is the “help” we were promised? More land-use restrictions and federal control over property? Property rights and limited government advocates have successfully fought the creation of a dreaded National Heritage Area program for over a decade! We successfully beat it back during eight painful years of Bill Clinton. Now the Bush administration wants to sell us out to the National Park Service and green special interests.
Of course, we are going to continue to fight the National Heritage Area monster in spite of the obstacle in the White House. As of this writing, the American Policy Center is scheduled to testify before the Senate Subcommittee on Parks on behalf of property rights advocates in staunch opposition the NHA program. APC is leading the fight against National Heritage Areas—testifying twice before Congress last year.
Unfortunately, the best “help” we can hope for from White House is just to be quiet and let us fight alone. But now that the Bush administration has taken up arms with the enemies of property rights, that isn’t likely to happen.
Peyton Knight is the Director of Legislative Affairs for the American Policy Center, a grassroots, activist think tank headquartered in Warrenton, VA. The Center’s website is www.americanpolicy.org.
© American Policy Center 2004
BE AWARE!
Okay, what are NHAs?
Is this son of CARA re-incarnated? Is that dope Stevens from Alaska behind this? Is this the wildlands crap repackaged?
The only heritage I want to see are occassional festivals with ethnic food booths.
My land and the dirt, plants and critters making it home are not a federal heritage.
Sorry, but I couldn't find anything on Bush saying, “Help is on the way for property rights victims, especially those in Midwestern and Western states".
Can anyone find that quote?
This is blog posting.
No such word as "blog".
What are you really trying to say?
FMCDH(BITS)
Sinkspur was trying to say "blog", of course. It is indeed a word.
Why does this surprise anyone? Why do people here still hold onto the fiction that the Bush and the Republicans are for smaller government?
Here is 'their' side of the story. Pretty, soft spoken and deceiving.
I have a friend in Maryland who almost bought a piece of property in W. Va that was about to become a NHA. I sent her numerous articles showing just exactly what these Heritage Areas are....a way to get you under the thumb of yet another federal agency.
Is that who you want controlling your private property? Would you like to have a say in what you can or cannot do on your private property?
Stay as far away from NHA's as possible!
By the way, what is a blog?
"Blog" is short for Web Log!
Gp to www.wildlandsprojectrevealed.org and immerse yourself into the rhetoric of the radical leftist enviros. If this doesn't inform and scare you, I don't know how to reach all of you.
You posted to the wrong person. I have been trying to open Freepers eyes to the UN since I first joined.
Which means what?
Nobody is perfect. If you really want to watch property rights vanish like a snowball in hell, keep bashing Bush until Kerry winds up in the Whitehouse.
I don't like everything about Bush, but the alternative to him is totally unacceptable.
Most people don't know much about property rights. But, this Admin has been slow to the point of stasis to move on property rights issues. OTOH, that is still faster than Democrats.
You know there's days when I just get tired of hearing/reading that Kerry is worse. Am I promoting Kerry? NO I AM NOT!
President Bush is supposed to be working FOR us not against us. So when I posted this thread I didn't say he was playing around with little girls or demean him in any way.
What this thread says is that he is not doing the job we elected him to do as well as we expect from him. That means it's time to get off your defensive butts and write/fax or call the White house and say we don't want this to happen. We want him to PROTECT OUR PROPERTY ROGHTS.
Understood?
So, what to do? Hm? Anybody have a clue where property rights come from?
Add me to the list.
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