Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Laurence Vance with the Big Questions

Laurence writes:
Why does the federal government have a Bureau of Land Management? Why does the federal government still own land outside of D.C.?

15 comments:

  1. Let's sell Yosemite to the Koch Bros so they can turn it into a garbage dump.

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    Replies
    1. You mean like the Feds did with the next valley over from Yosemite? They turned that into a reservior.

      How about we start by just giving it back to California.

      Delete
    2. JW: Light in a sea of darkness.

      Delete
    3. You're so boring Jerry. You're that little boy who farts in front of his friends and they all laugh. But alas, he's just a little boy.

      Delete
    4. Re: Jerry Wolfgang,

      -- Let's sell Yosemite to the Koch Bros so they can turn it into a garbage dump. --

      Have the Koch brothers ever let out the interest in turning Yosemite into a garbage dump, or - as always - did you pulled that one out of your keister?

      The problem with you right now is that you're not even an interesting troll anymore, not even a clever annoyance, clearly the contrary to a Till Eulenspiegel. You are just a boring nitwit.

      Delete
    5. This is a perfect example of a post that could be deleted. It serves no purpose and adds nothing to the debate.

      Delete
    6. Re: Anonymous,

      Then let's stop feeding the troll.

      Delete
  2. Yeah. Funny how questions like that aren't being asked isn't it? Except of course by the libertarians.

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  3. I think it's OK for the feds to have some land - National Parks, Congressionally Designated Wilderness Areas, National Forests, and even BLM. We need some public land protected for the enjoyment of the US citizens. The problem is the bureaucracies grow without limit and pass rules and regulations without limit. The bureaucrats begin to believe they are important and that their rules and regulations are important. They will pursue a police action and kill people over some idiotic regulation - like they almost did with the Bundy family. The local police will do the same if the people allow it.

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    Replies
    1. LOL. Funny how you undermined your own argument for the feds to have land but are too dim to see it. The feds aren't necessary to "protect land." Ducks Unlimited and the Audubon Society (to name just two organizations among many) have done it for decades, clown. Try to learn something before spouting off ignorance and looking like a complete ass.

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    2. Another EPJ troll who doesn't know he is a troll. I actually agree with you and not the original poster- I think we shouldn't need the federal government to protect land. The discussion for that traces back into property rights which seems to be a contentious issue here.

      According to my googling, those two organizations do not "own" or "maintain" (in the obligatory sense) national parks or wilderness areas. They are not-for-profit interest groups influencing conservation. They lobby. That presupposed reality- where national parks, forests and wilderness areas are privately owned and protected through property rights- does not currently exist in force. Except for one in Kansas which seems to be doing alright (nice.)

      So why be an ass about it? Do you think Einstein went "You guys are clowns!" and resorted to personal attacks when he couldn't convince the scientific community of the validity of relativity? No... then why not take an extra few minutes of mild intellectual rigor to remind the person above of the ideal world to which you are referring to, and leave the childishness behind?


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    3. @Anon-o-mouse 2:51

      You undermined your own argument by attacking the other anon-o-mouse's character. Another holier-than-thou, "illuminated" libertarian.

      Delete
  4. to make deals with their friends???

    REVEALED: Gov. Christie’s investment chief has major financial ties to firm that got $300M in NJ pension cash By David Sirota On April 16, 2014

    “I think you perhaps don’t understand finance.”

    It is Monday afternoon, and Bob Grady – the national Republican power-broker behind Chris Christie’s prospective presidential campaign – is angrily lecturing me on the murky world of investments. As one of Christie’s closest advisers and as the governor’s hand-picked chairman of the New Jersey Investment Council, Grady is specifically lecturing me about a decision by the council to hand $300 million of state pension money to private equity firm the Carlyle Group.

    As I explained to him, I was calling about the deal because a Pando investigation has found that Grady also happens to be a former longtime executive at Carlyle whose financial disclosure forms (embedded below) show he still receives income from Carlyle investments, still owns a stake in Carlyle Group entities and now works at another fund that has investments with – you guessed it – Carlyle.

    During our call, Grady insisted that he officially recused himself from involvement in the November Carlyle transaction — something which would typically signal a clear conflict of interest. He then insisted that the New Jersey investment is in “a new fund and there’s no overlap” with his own holdings. Further he insisted that it was “impossible” for his own holdings to preference him in any way that could allow him to benefit from New Jersey’s $300m deal with Carlyle.
    In response to Pando requests, both the New Jersey Treasury Department and Carlyle have refused to release the terms of the pension fund agreement. Grady too declined to share with Pando the text of his own partnership agreements with Carlyle, saying: “Carlyle does not release its partnership agreements with employees and does not allow its employees or partners to do so.”

    But for all of Grady and the state of New Jersey’s attempts to keep details of their financial dealings from the public, there’s plenty we now know about the connection between Grady, New Jersey state government, Carlyle and a few hundred million bucks of public money. It is a microcosmic story of the shadowy politics of public pensions – the kind of tale of power, influence and secrecy that is playing out in states across the country.

    Christie Mentor’s Stake in Carlyle
    http://pando.com/2014/04/16/new-jersey-pension-1/

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  5. How about we all refer to what the Constitution says about this? Article One, Section 8, line 17, known as thge Enclave Clause, describes what the power of Congress shall be in regards to land the Federal Government can own..."...and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the (emphasis here added) ERECTION OF FORTS, MAGAZINES,ARSENALS,DOCKYARDS,AND OTHER NEEDFUL BUILDINGS:"
    Anyone see any mention of management of 'land'?

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