Posted on 04/19/2014 6:14:35 PM PDT by Paladin2
Last weeks standoff at Bundy Ranch is still reverberating in Washington today. According to Kate Sheppard at Huffington Post, Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) has sent a letter to Mary Kendall, acting Inspector General for the Department of the Interior, asking her to investigate whether legislation pushed by the Koch brothers-linked American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has been aimed at undermining the agencys work.
Two member affiliates of the Koch-supported Americans For Prosperity (AFP) organization gave their blessing as armed Patriot militias showed up to confront agents of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) doing the dangerous, difficult job of removing Bundys trespass cattle from federal lands last week. The Kochs have been trying to privatize federal lands in the West for a long time, and Bundys cause crystallized that issue in a very public fashion.
Although the federal agency was largely able to avoid violent incidents, three people were arrested, including rancher Cliven Bundys son, and the BLM chose to cancel the operation rather than risk further escalations by armed right wing fanatics. Grijalvas request seems eminently reasonable in that light.
LOL ... Smelling Backfire and Now the democRATs are saying, ‘Blame Somebody, I know Blame Them’
Gee, and I thought Democrats were for the little guy.
“Gee, and I thought Democrats were for the little guy.”
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
They are for the small minded.
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) sent a letter to DOI acting Inspector General Mary Kendall Wednesday asking about this issue in the wake of a standoff in Nevada between militiamen and officials from the DOI's Bureau of Land Management. Rancher Cliven Bundy has refused for years to pay grazing fees for his use of federal lands, saying he does not recognize federal authority over public lands in the state. The issue came to a head last week when BLM officials seized hundreds of Bundy's cattle, and armed right-wing and anti-government groups flocked to the area for a showdown. Authorities then abandoned the cattle seizure, citing "serious concern about the safety of employees and members of the public."
Grijalva asked Kendall to look at what role the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which brings together conservative lawmakers and corporate interests to develop model legislation, has played in passing state laws that contradict federal land management policies or directives. He also asked Kendall to examine how those laws have affected Interior staff.
Grijalva cites a recent article in The American Prospect that links ALEC to bills in Utah claiming that federal ownership of Forest Service lands violates state sovereignty, and seeking to expand grazing into areas currently off-limits. Grijalva also notes that Bundy spoke at a committee hearing in March 2013 on an ALEC-backed bill in Nevada that dealt with the transfer of federal lands to state control.
"I must say that I am glad to see you people stand for state sovereignty today," Bundy said at the meeting. He went on to cite a portion of Nevada's state code that says the state "has a strong moral claim upon the public land retained by the Federal Government within Nevada's borders.'"
According to the minutes of that committee hearing, Bundy said he did not endorse or oppose the bill, though his comments indicated that he was supportive of the principle. He told legislators, "Let us strengthen that bill and go on and claim this land and our sovereignty."
Grijalva urged Kendall to probe ALEC's role in pushing these anti-federal policies.
"The ALEC vision of state sovereignty trumping long-standing federal government efforts to manage public lands has already had tangible effects on Bureau of Land Management and other agency employees' efforts to do their jobs," he wrote. "Examining how severe that impact has been, and whether ALEC is exerting undue influence on federal land management efforts, is well within the scope of your office. I believe a timely examination of these issues would serve the public interest.""
How dare they have the same rights as leftist groups!!!
Yabut, the Feds fund the environ-wacko leftist NGOs who threaten to sue the BLM, NFS etc. unless they implement agreed upon (through private e-mail channels) “reasonable” regulations.
They’re a bunch of jackazzes...
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Sounds factual to me.
Maybe they should look to see if the BLM is doing the bidding of Harry Reid and China. They should take a close look at the bank accounts of Harry Reid, Harry’s son and Harry’s buddy who runs the BLM.
Bizarre. Bureaucrats may not be hindered by citizens questioning the legitimacy of their activities. Their actions may not be constrained. Bureaucratic edict supercedes law.
Now I understand perfectly. Civil disobedience required.
That which ‘undermines’ the Department of the Inferior I support.
Defund the Inferior!
KDS , and , classic spin. The nazi bastards are trying turn this around and cover for Reid, and Barry.
OK, factual jackazzes. :p
Grijalva is a Marxist pig. Unfortunately, maggots like him are the future of what was once the American southwest.
Given the way Congress writes Laws these days (abdicating their responsibility), The Agencies' Rulz ARE the Law. (And subject to change at the whim of the 'crat on the horn with Rustler Reid as to how to proceed.)
It’s not smart to link to that particular website, which is associated with the convicted domestic terrorist Bret Kimberlin. I would not trust that it isn’t infected with malware.
” ... agents of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) doing the dangerous, difficult job of removing Bundys trespass cattle from federal lands ... “
Bovine flatulence can knock a man off his feet—or roast him alive if sparked!—but the brave men and women of the Bureau of Land Management are aware of the risks.
The danger and difficulty to these human critters is richly rewarded by charging the owner about $2,000.00 (the Laneys, $40,000 total) per head that they rustle.
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