Posted on 02/22/2016 10:25:45 AM PST by magellan
Real estate mogul Donald Trump would not let states take control of federal lands, the Republican presidential candidate said in a recent interview.
"I don't like the idea because I want to keep the lands great, and you don't know what the state is going to do," Trump said during a talk with Field & Stream magazine earlier this week.
The trade publication, sitting down with Trump at Las Vegas' Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show, had asked about the issue of turning over federally controlled lands to individual states -- an idea previously floated by rival 2016 contender and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and supported by staunch states-rights activists.
The proposal has also received more attention in light of recent actions by radical conservatives like Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his son Ammon Bundy, who led an armed group earlier this month in occupying a national wildlife refuge in Oregon to protest federal land use policies.
Trump cautioned, however, that states would be unpredictable in maintaining the designated lands.
"I mean, are they going to sell if they get into a little bit of trouble?" Trump asked. "I don't think it's something that should be sold."
He added: "We have to be great stewards of this land. This is magnificent land. And we have to be great stewards of this land."
The billionaire businessman suggested later in the interview that while he was a fan of oil and gas companies drilling and fracking on federal lands, protecting the earth should still be a top priority.
"I'm very much into energy, and I'm very much into fracking and drilling, and we never want to be hostage again to OPEC and go back to where we were. And right now, we're at a very interesting point because right now there's so much energy," Trump said. "And maybe that's an advantage and maybe--actually, it's more of an advantage in terms of your question because we don't have to do the kind of drilling that we did."
"I am for energy exploration, as long as we don't do anything to damage the land. And right now we don't need too much -- there's a lot of energy," he said.
I expect him to walk this back very soon.
It’s not an issue 99.5% of Americans understand or feel strongly about, but OK, if it’s important to Nevadans let’s just see what their vote says about whether they support Trump’s position - or not.
I love watching our pristine natural forest burn to the ground every year, because you can’t manage the kings trees.
Don't sweat it, he'll evolve on this issue too.
“”He added: “We have to be great stewards of this land. This is magnificent land. And we have to be great stewards of this land.””
That’s for the benefit of all the Trump supporters who say he doesn’t repeat himself!!!!! The man is in love with adjectives!!
This guy is all about the Federal government making everything great. If you want more Federal control, vote for Trump.
Trump is about as familiar with the 10th Amendment as he is 2 Corinthians.
Unless a casino parking lot needs a building... /sarc
Proposition 4 on the ballot:
Proposition 4: Texas and its citizens should strongly assert 10th Amendment Rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution which states "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Obama Creates 3 New National Monuments to Preserve 1.8 Million Acres of California Desert
“I don’t like the idea because I want to keep the lands great, and you don’t know what the state is going to do,”
Yeah, you can’t trust the little people to be stewards of the land as they have been for thousands of years. Need a bunch of bureaucrats managing things for the rubes and hicks.
The mask really begins to slip with a response like this.
If the states owned the land, it might be harder to turn this country into the United Casinos & Shopping Malls of America. (Developed and run by Donald J. Trump, of course)
The headline is somewhat different that what the article says Trump said:
Allowing states to take control of federal lands is different than giving federal land to the states. The latter relinquishes ownership to the states.
Most so-called ‘Federal land’ should be in the hands of the respective stae, imo.
Sanders-Nanny State
Trump-Daddy State
Didn’t I just read that he promised to give the states their land back?
True conservative Orange Gumby strikes again
Over the weekend I heard about DT’s Apple comments regarding breaking into a phone. I figured he would lose a lot of support here because of those. Later when I was able to check in, I was wrong.
This won’t cost him anything either.
The land could be given to the states, but it would be impossible to give it BACK to the states.
This is a nuanced issue. Some lands should be federal. Should we give Mount Rushmore National Park over to South Dakota? When South Dakota goes broke, is everyone going to be happy when Starbucks pays to carve their logo on it?
Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2 of the Constitution gives the fedgov the right to own land.
I do think that 33% of the country is excessive, which is what they currently own, so I disagree with Trump’s blanket statement here.
Then again, if I never voted for someone I didn’t agree with on 100% of everything, I’d never vote.
Bottom line is, you can disagree with how much land the government owns, but them owning land isn’t some kind of egregious violation of the Constitution, it’s in there in black and white.
The Heritage Foundation has a mixed view of the Property Clause as well. I guess they’re paid liberal plants, too. :/
Don't you think he should have gotten educated before he ran for president? It going to be a little late for on the job training.
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