Deep Laker, I just read the Wallowa County Chieftain............The Nature Concervancy just went through the back door with a straw buyer, purchased 6000 acres of private land and put it into immediate lock up. The only thing public about it was the land they used to put up the Posted.......No Trespass signs............it was on a county road right of way...............As the Nature concervancy is a non profit structured organization there are no tax's and the land is not on the tax roles..................Tass

 

The Nature Conservancy in Southwest Idaho brought two parcels of private property (1,000s of acres) and open them to public. One is the 45 Ranch in which they opened trails for OHV access to the Owyhee River Canyon & backcountry and they run the cattle / grazing operation. Second area is a ranch that had exclusive use to the Silver Creek. They purchased the ranch and open the area to the public. Silver Creek is one of the foremost Blue Ribbon Trout Streams in the United States. Ask an expert trout fisherman in the U.S. and around the world and they know about "Silver Creek," in Idaho.

Sadly to say it was one of Idaho U.S. Congressman, Butch Otter that sponsor selling National Forest and BLM public land. An area in southwest Idaho called Bennett Mountain is listed for sell. Bennett Mountain is a remote ATV access mountain with high value timber, big game, such as Elk, etc.

Did you know that the BLM is the second largest revenue producer in the U.S. First is Department of Treasury. BLM manages gas, oil, and coal leases on federal land and along the shores of the U.S.

 

Actually no I did not know that [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

It is very interesting to know though, and does effect how I may look at their actions from now on.

I know the various areas of the US dont face the same exact issues relating to our sport, but being in a densly populated area with limited open areas remaining you start to see very clearly just how much we are in competition with all kinds of private, and corporate interests for what little land is available.

I am figuring that its not really all that different on a large scale either as it seems when there is enough value in the land, and some politician can trade it off in return of a favor for political contributors etc we just lose out like what has and is happening here.

So just like georged had suggested in another thread you really only need to "track the money" to see what is really happening.

 

Some days I believe that politicians support causes, because they get money donated to their re-election fund, which they came take with them when they leave office. Or they support a cause, because they expect to be offered a VP, Board Member, or Special Advisor to different companies. I have seen politicians in both parties in Idaho develop deals while they are in office.

 

I have no idea why politicians support the things they do, Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon supports the land sale proposition......He is wealthy, he is gaining influence, he has no vested interest in the world where I and my family and friends live and recreate. He will continue to be wealthy, he will continue to gain influence, I will continue to lose things I consider important. The USFS mandates and dictates under what they call "forest rules". What in the hell is forest rules............damn sure not law. It is simply the ability to write their own rules to achieve their own objectives. I suspect politicians do the same. The benefit is theirs, the price paid is ours................Tass

 

Self-serving politicians, seemingly the majority of our political representation regardless of affiliation, seldom concern themselves with legislative impact on their constituents. As I pointed out in a prior post, current funding for rural schools is being eliminated from federal revenue sharing with states for administration to pursue foreign policy. No unpopular tax increases at the federal level for their war, instead pushed down to the state level where we either raise local taxes or sell public land. That's going directly to our wallets and quality of life without even bothering to ask us.

 

I have to admit I totally agree with this, and as much as that ticks me off (once again lol) its not nearly as much an issue as how simply they continue to increase taxes without any worries about negative impact on their party or future elections due to the overly sneaky way they manage to put the pressure on local and state officials (who are no better anyhow) to do their dirty work (increase taxes or sell off public assets).

There is a local NJ talk radio personality (dj etc) who discusses this type of stuff all the time on a state level as NJ has been pulling this trick on various county and muni school districts for many years. I think he refers to it as "bohica again" (sp?) and just pouring more $$$ down the state "rat hole".

The state has re-directed so many millions over time that some were forced to pay more in property taxes than in mortgage payments (well before the boom that we are now seeing die off real fast) since more and more of the funding for education is coming directly from local property taxes due to the continued reduction in state supplied tax dollars.

I know there has been talk of using a different system for funding education, but I think the reason it has only been "talk" for so long is that passing the buck to the local level removes the heat from where the larger problems really are, and allows the status quo of raping the middle class shmucks and all the other political games to continue with much less chance of anyone ever figuring out what is really happening.

What really concerns me is that I live in a state that is one of the worst examples of how to operate anything with even a pinch of fiscal responsibility, and instead of the less troubled or corrupt ones having an effect on things like we have here it seems as if these tactics are spreading across the country like a damn cancer.

Has anyone else ever considered that even with all the pull and financial ability of the Enron exec's there still being brought to trial etc, but the majority of goverment would be put to the chair if held to the same standards. It just boggles my mind how we accept all the "favor" positions, and multiple salaries and pensions of favored employees etc as a reason why they cant run this state (or any other, or even the fed level etc) without continuing to pick pocket us all with more increases and new taxes than we can even keep track of just to balance a budget.

I have seen various reports on local, county, and even state levels that show there are more areas of waste than I think any of us are wanting to believe, and as I once heard it described "there is more tax payer money being wasted or mis-spent than the total that is needed to actually run things".

Wow imagine that more than half our tax money going to fluff, what a concept!!

 

I just read in last nights local paper that Senator Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) are so terribly dissappointed they could not push through the sale of public property..............Proof that greed and stupidity are not related to political parties. A thought I have expressed at many public meetings about forest issues, public land issues and other meetings aimed at picking the pocket of the public is that individuals that cannot predict the future and cannot learn from history and live only in the moment at our expense, are the ones in control. The arrogance and ignorance displayed by these individuals is simply beyond my comprehension. Our government does what it wants, when it wants to, to promote and sustain its own existance and expansion.
I find it very interesting that even though THERE HAVE TO BE SOME POLITICIANS READING THESE POSTS they never respond or defend. They just set back in their smug little way and gloat...........
The city of LaGrande cannot pave its streets or invest in education but it can fund swimming pools.....Union county cannot provide funding for schools but it can purchase golf courses and defunct railroads......the State of Oregon cannot provide any additional school funding but can divert taxes to give away programs for those that choose not to work.......The US government can provide billions for foreign aid but has to sell OUR public ground to provide funding for the creation of an agency to oversee what funds are left from that sale of public land into the education system? Its a good thing I spent yesterday "violating public ground" with my terrible 4 wheeler or I would be in a really sour mood..........
Tass

 

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Its really something isn't it?
Consider all of the political staff, politicians, forest service and wildlife folks that view these threads and none have any sort of response to the issue or the posts. I would certainly think that one of them would take a swat at my silly stuff anyway. It must indicate that if your job and retirement is protected by the taxes of the folks you are trying to run out of the real world that you have no need for involvement...or comment...........Public trough at its finest.....................Tass