“The Sunday Morning Bray”, by Bray!
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:7
While the world was caught up in a cheesy movie and the race war, there was a major event happening in Salt Lake City. No it was not the declaration of Romney’s 10th run at the presidency, there was a convention of Western States discussing how to finally get their land turned over to their ownership. Just like all the states formed prior to the Civil War, the Western States should have had their land turned over to them by the Unon. This only makes sense as the states are far more efficient at handling their lands than the District of Communism.
Prior to the Civil War the Federal Gummit acted as a trustee to the states while they organized their lands in counties and districts. A very large part of the reason we had a war was to allow the Feds to maintain control of the Western states and territories. Lincoln actually helped make Nevada a state before it had the required sixty thousand citizens so they would have one more state to vote for the Emaculation proclamation and part of that agreement was they would allow the Fed eighty percent of the state. From that point on there were no more transfers of Federal Lands back to the states although required before the war.
Prior to the war the Fed would record the boundries, manage the Indian treaties and manage the Federal Parks. They would also maintain the forts as well as manage all the waterways as interstate commerce as well as maintain interstate agreements. If you look at a map you will find that east of the Rockies the states own about ninety eight percent of their land while west of the Rockies it ranges from fifty down to twenty percent owned by the states. This is huge amounts of resources that is being mismanaged.
These Governors are arguing the states and counties are far better land and resource managers than the Federal bureaus who are trying to make a centrally planned one size fits all when you have geography reaching over a half million square miles not counting Alaska. It is absurd to believe these lands could not be much better managed locally rather than 3000 miles away.
In the case of Oregon we have 53% of our state as Federal land which amounts to around forty thousand square miles outside of our control. This is primarily some of the most valuable forest land in the world containing billions of dollars of prized softwood lumber. This lumber is wanted around the world due to its strength and soft texture. These forests are being mismanaged and dying thanks to being controlled by people who have no interest in the communities the forests support. These forests are Oregon’s renewable oil fields which the Feds refuse to allow the state to drill. We are Texas waiting for a chance to drill.
If the state and local governments were to micro-manage these forests they would become more healthy for both the foresters and the animal life. Now due to so much of the land being left fallow the trees are overgrowing themselves which is bad for the trees and the animal life. The deer and elk need grass to grow healthy and strong which primarily grows in open clear cuts waiting to be replanted. In addition the grass recharges the ground leading to healthier forests into the future. Now we have intense forest fires due to the dense growth sterilizing the ground for generations.
The transfer to the states and putting these lands up for sale would promote an economic explosion the country has never seen. The sale of this land would eliminate any debts from states and the proper stewardship of these magnificent resources would make a boom like the 1920s as these valuable goods came to the marketplace now and into the future due to proper management.
This is how the Founding Fathers designed American states to be organized, however that changed at the Civil War. It is time to finish the job the Feds were supposed to do in the beginning and turn those lands over to the states. It is as if the Civil War was fought to keep the western states for the Union or the Union decided after the war to keep the land, either way it is very shaky as to why the rules changed at the end of the war and very good for the Union.
Before the CW as states and territories were acquired the Federal Gummit would be a holder of that land similar to their ownership of the District of Columbia. They would maintain the policing and integrity of land transactions while the state was forming its boundaries and governing body. The Fed would send in its Calvary and set up forts while the state would divide itself before declaring statehood and at that time the land would be transferred to the state.
After the CW there were a number of challenges to what is called the Property Clause in the Constitution and the Union became more and more powerful. The original intent of the Property clause was to keep the Union running smoothly as its acquired territories were broken into states so they could pay and maintain their armies and facilities during the transformation. This all changed after the war and the Union kept those lands and had states agree to turn over large portions of land for their statehood and this is where we are today.
This was not the way this country was formed and is not the way America should be kept. These lands should be turned over to the states just like they were done in every state east of the Rockies so the states can manage their lands properly just as the other 41 states. To imagine a state like Rhode Island is able to manage 98% of their land and a state like Oregon is only allowed to control 47% is not what the founders had in mind. To imagine a state can be managed 3000 miles away is not the American model or even feasible and needs to be changed.
It is time for America to begin to look at how we can fix this issue and divest America of this problem. Rather than having huge expenses maintaining these lands by the different agencies we can have the states handle the management and development of these valuable lands and resources. Proper stewardship of these vast expanses can lead to a prosperity this country only dreamed as these lands are developed to their potential bringing jobs and goods to markets yet to be found and feed the local communities. It is time to put the Civil War behind us and turn the land over to these western states. These men in Salt Lake City are taking the first step to making that a reality.
Pray America is waking
Note: The above opinion is not necessarily my own, but FReeper Bray’s. If you wish to discuss this, please ping Bray.
I think the St. Louis Rams players who did that protest and one LeBron James must have really mixed feelings about this.
That would really be nice.
There were no Federal Parks prior to the CW as such is not among the powers enumerated in the Constitution.
I agree. I’ve been behind this for decades and I’m happy something might finally happen.