Posted on 05/11/2012 9:24:09 PM PDT by inkling
This is an incredible story showing how far the federal government is from rational thought.
Here’s what happened in Tombstone:
Between May and July 2011, the Monument Fire engulfed a large part of the eastern portion of the Huachuca Mountains. Record-breaking monsoon rains followed. With no vegetation to absorb the runoff, huge mudslides forced boulders to tumble down the mountain sides, crushing Tombstone’s mountain spring waterlines, destroying reservoirs and shutting off Tombstone’s main source of water. In some areas, Tombstone’s pipeline is under 12 feet of mud, rocks and other debris; while in other places, it is hanging in mid-air due to the ground being washed out from under it.
So the city got to work repairing the system so the people of Tombstone could have water. Believe it or not, water is kind of a big thing in the desert.
But when the federal government found out what they were doing, they stopped them and said they could only make the repairs if they used horses and hand tools.
No, really:
Citing the Wilderness Act, the Forest Service is refusing to allow the city to repair its waterlines to mountain springs it has owned for nearly seventy years – and which date back to the 1880s. This refusal is threatening residents, private property and public safety with the risk of a total loss of fire protection and safe drinking water.
…federal bureaucrats are refusing to allow Tombstone to unearth its springs and restore its waterlines unless they jump through a lengthy permitting process that will require the city to use horses and hand tools to remove boulders the size of Volkswagens.
John Stossel had the president of the Goldwater Institute on his show to talk about this: (VIDEO AT LINK)
(Excerpt) Read more at allamericanblogger.com ...
Spent 2 days in Tombstone back in 2005 as part of the Minute-men project. Doubt this will Fedgov intrusion will go further. Talk about the last of the pioneers.
They should defy the federal government and refuse to comply with that BS directive. What’s Holder gonna do, send in the national guard to force them to comply? let him.
Have the country sheriff say its ok. They might be able to trump federal laws.
And have a posse standing by in case Obama sends in stormtroopers.
And these laws were written by the same types of morons who wrote Obamacare.
The Forest Service can’t grant a waver? What’s wrong with those bureaucrats?
You could not make this up. This is the epitome of the government bureaucrat as “benevolent” dictator paradigm. Don’t you dare risk harming those wonderful, slimy reptiles who’ll bite your hand at the first opportunity. Die of thirst first. Of course, this is probably simply a case of slimy reptiles in Washington looking out for their own kind.
I've been to the Tombstone cemetery. It's a little disappointing. Scarcely none of the original tombstones exist. I'm sure most withered with time or were stolen. You've got plastic ones in their place. Not quite the same effect as if you could see the originals.
So survival or compliance with Federal regulation. How NAZI of them...
A great way to fix this problem.
The Sierra Club would send 500,000 members and the repairs would be completed in 3 days or less.
Tombstone should tell the Forest Service to take a leap and set about fixing their water system.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.