Tuesday, January 5, 2016

"In Oregon, frustration over federal land rights has been building for years"

Washington Post: The federal government owns more than half the land in the state, as it does across much of the West. It used to be routine for ranchers to get permits to graze cattle or cut timber or work mines — a way to make a living from the land.

Then came increasing environmental regulations, and the federal land became more for owls and sage grouse than for local people trying to feed their families, said Soper, 39, who lives 100 miles up the road in Bend.

“What people in Western states are dealing with is the destruction of their way of life,” said Soper, a father of four who was once a professional rodeo rider. “When frustration builds up, people lash out.”

Anger at the federal government boiled over this past weekend, when a small group of people took over a remote federal wildlife refuge east of here. Their specific aim was to support two local ranchers sentenced to prison over arson charges. But the larger issue is a decades-long struggle over federal land rights in the West that often flies under the radar in much of the country.

12 comments:

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

I'm not clear on the details. The MSM are too busy using the story to vilify the GOP/tea party and the facts are confused/muddied.

Looks like the arson was not necessarily arson, but a controlled burn that got out of control. (?) They already served time 10 years ago, but the government is coming after them. Again. Demanding more jail time.

Meade said...

"that often flies under the radar in much of the country"

Fly-under country.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I would look at who is this judge?

An Obama donor maybe?

Did the IRS put him up to it?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

In China multitudes of fancy high-rises sit empty like ghost towns because no-one can afford the rent. The land was confiscated (so to speak) from farmers/peasants (they were paid a price at least - more money than they will ever see in a life-time in most cases) then the communist government sold the land to the developers who used government backed money to build these state of the art buildings that no one can afford to use or live in. It happens all over China. Ghost cities. Talk about a house of cards. Our famous leftwing "economic" brainiacs hold such admiration for these ghost towns.

Sounds like a great idea for Hillary. She could be our champion on this issue. We need the government to take away private property rights. For the common good.

edutcher said...

Let them sit out there through February. They'll be glad to go home.


Lem said...

I would look at who is this judge?

An Obama donor maybe?


Here's some info on the US Attorney behind all this.

You guessed it, an Obama red diaper nutcase.

And more background than you probably want. Or need.

Amartel said...

OMG, they've got GUNS and GUNS make Barry cry.
Didn't the judge reduce the sentence requested by the US atty?

Amartel said...

Basically, the federal gov owns enormous chunks of land and wants that land to be one big pristine non-human infested nature park (as if humans and their domesticated animals somehow aren't part of nature) so they keep putting chunks of it off limits or otherwise so regulated it can't be used for traditional grazing purposes. Classic demonstration of the federal government's priorities.

Amartel said...

... and pretensions to Godlike status.

Jim in St Louis said...

Still gathering information, I'll be happy to spout off my opinion later, but I'd like it to be an informed opinion.

bagoh20 said...

Hey, didn't everyone on the left make fun of Boehner for crying during a speech? And he wasn't even trying to sell guns or NRA memberships. Seriously, what gun company is it that Obama has in his stock portfolio?

ndspinelli said...

bags, Smith&Wesson has outgained Apple and Google the past 6 years.