Ted Cruz Launches Senate Fight To Auction Off America’s Public Lands
Source: ThinkProgress
After a busy few months trying to impeach Attorney General Eric Holder, increase carbon pollution, and wipe out limits on campaign contributions, Tea Party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is now working to sell off Americas national forests, parks, and other public lands.
On Tuesday, Cruz filed an amendment to the Bipartisan Sportsmens Act of 2014 (S. 2363) to force the federal government to sell off a significant portion of the countrys most prized lands in the West. The amendment would prohibit the federal government from owning more than 50 percent of any land within one state, and requires the government to transfer the excess land to the states or sell it to the highest bidder.
Federal lands make up one-fifth of the nations landmass and over 50 percent of the land Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. Under Cruzs proposal, these states, which are home to some of the countrys most beloved national parks, forests, wildlife areas and iconic natural resources, would be forced to either pass the costs of managing these lands along to state taxpayers or, more likely, give them away or sell them off for mining, drilling, and logging.
Cruzs amendment is the latest in a radical effort by right-wing lawmakers to give control of Americas public lands to states or private industry. The movement garnered national attention earlier this year with the help of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who spurred a standoff with federal officials after refusing to pay more than $1 million in grazing fees owed to taxpayers. Bundy notoriously refuses to acknowledge federal authority, telling CNN in April that Ill be damned if this is the property of the United States. They have no business here.
Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/10/3458798/ted-cruz-auction-off-public-lands/
MADem
(135,425 posts)tired old ass!
prairierose
(2,145 posts)it is exactly what I as thinking.
MADem
(135,425 posts)sheshe2
(83,341 posts)yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)the exception I guess is Nevada. I haven't heard much from the red states on their thoughts. I can't imagine that they all agree with this. Plus, what happened to state's rights that Cruz always screams? Why is he getting his nose into another state's business? Should he concern himself with Texas only?
Lodestar
(2,388 posts)It's been in the works since Bush...Corporations want OUR resources and those all over the world.
This is what happened in April and it will be death by a thousand cuts such as this:
April 2014
Idaho Residents Protest Auction of Public Lands for Oil and Gas Drilling
Yesterday, prior to the Idaho Oil and Gas Commission auctioning of mineral rights for 17,700 acres of state endowment land, a small but lively group of residents protested the sale, which saw every tract awarded to Alta Mesa Idaho for $1,148,435 in bonus bids.
http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/18/idaho-auction-public-lands-for-drilling/
-------
2013
Ignoring Public Outcry, Federal Government To Offer Oil And Gas Leases Near Mesa Verde National Park
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/07/03/2256071/ignoring-public-outcry-federal-government-to-offer-oil-and-gas-leases-near-mesa-verde-national-park/
------
A Turning Point for the Bureau of Land Management
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/12/18/81291/a-turning-point-for-the-bureau-of-land-management/
Shrike47
(6,913 posts)mountain grammy
(26,571 posts)enid602
(8,524 posts)Bundy would be evicted, or even worse be forced to pay rent.
Half-Century Man
(5,279 posts)He is a troll IRL.
nolabels
(13,133 posts)jillan
(39,451 posts)Auctions start at 1 cent.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Probably have to give them some cash... worth every cent.
Nay
(12,051 posts)an asshole when they see one, unlike the U.S. .....
Kablooie
(18,571 posts)Or Siberia. That might be a good choice.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)I'd be happy to double the US economic support to any country that will take the asshole.
nolabels
(13,133 posts)Most obviously even if another country would accept him he would only be ballooning the federal deficit. One could only imagine how much money up front another country would want just to take him off our hands
ReRe
(10,597 posts)Fuck him. Respectfully.
shebornik
(127 posts)its even more frightening that there are enough voters to put someone like him in office.
supercats
(429 posts)We must find a way to send him back to Canada for good. It's ironic that here he is a United States Senator and he absolutely hates the United States Government, and the entire United States as well. He needs to be banished from America, or jailed for the rest of his life.
Cha
(295,912 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)MiniMe
(21,676 posts)truthisfreedom
(23,113 posts)sakabatou
(42,083 posts)elias49
(4,259 posts)Know that big fucking statue in NY...has a torch or something...hunerd bucks.
That big-ass hole out in Arizona...yours for a song. Make a wicked good land-fill.
Ted Cruz is a stain.
earthside
(6,960 posts)You know, to see how well it would work (or not).
The test case ought to be selling off Big Bend National Park to the highest bidder, then seeing what happens to that land in five years.
Let's see how Texans feel about the national park in their state being the first to be sold.
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)SwankyXomb
(2,030 posts)How much does that pump into the Texas economy every year? And then when the state goes completely broke, Texans can say "Thanks, Ted!"
Paladin
(28,203 posts)navarth
(5,927 posts)I really didn't get the impression that they were doing that, Paladin; but I understand your emotion. It seemed to me like they were calling out the dumb voters that put this clown into office by seeing if they'd like it if their own land was treated that way. Texas has no franchise on dumb voters. And Texas gave us Bill Moyers, Jim Hightower, Molly Ivins, Kenny Dorham (look him up), and many more. Solidarity.
Paladin
(28,203 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)take your private land, right, Messers Cruz and Bundy?).
KansDem
(28,498 posts)They'll be there to protect public land! Won't they? I mean, just because they despise "Big Government" doesn't mean they want the plutocrats to own all that land, does it?
They surely wouldn't want the Koch Bros. or the Waltons to own all that land, right? RIGHT?!! HELLO?!!
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)al-Bundy wouldn't get the subsidized cheap grazing fees that he refuses to pay.
liberal N proud
(60,302 posts)The destructive nature of the GOP and their Teabagger contingent will lay waste to this nation. And for what? GREED, that's what.
Wake up America before it is all gone
add a rider to the sale that the land must be kept as pristine and untouched as it is and remain free for all to enter and enjoy at the expense of the owner. Never to be used for anything other than the original stated reason for it's being.
Paladin
(28,203 posts)Yeah, the oil and gas companies. They have millions of those federal acres under lease, and those leases have a paltry 12.5% royalty rate, which hasn't changed since 1920. Letting that acreage fall into private ownership would cause the royalty rate to dramatically increase, particularly in the red-hot shale plays---the energy companies could be on the hook for 25% royalty rates, instead of 12.5%. Ain't going to happen. This is just more impotent hot air from Cruz.
Red Mountain
(1,704 posts)Not sure what 12.5% means in dollars on average per acre or for that matter what the land is likely to sell for......but if it's profitable enough I'd guess they would rather own it.
blackspade
(10,056 posts)Cruz is such a disgusting traitor.
I call him a traitor because he and his ilk won't be satisfied until they have destroyed the United States and reduced us to a collection of squabbling Balkanized states.
Fuck you Cruz.
Kablooie
(18,571 posts)Why is EVERYTHING they do evil?
It boggles the mind how these people think.
ladjf
(17,320 posts)He's dangerous.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)Cruz would be in for a serious pounding.
hughee99
(16,113 posts)when they were "Reinventing Government"? n/t
juajen
(8,515 posts)hughee99
(16,113 posts)That was basically evaluating public assets and selling them or contracting out services if they thought it was a good idea. This, if I recall, was a project in which Gore played a prominent role. I found it on wiki (for what it's worth).
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Partnership_for_Reinventing_Government
Overseas
(12,121 posts)LynneSin
(95,337 posts)of his front lawn.
You'd think he'd go for that?
geretogo
(1,281 posts)LoisB
(7,074 posts)bayareaboy
(793 posts)and get rid of the the damaged samples first?
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Phew, Arizona is only 44.6% federally owned land ... unless one counts the reservations, than it 72+%.
http://www.epa.gov/region9/fedfac/fedmap.html
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)There was talk like that here in Arizona, until some bunch of "tree huggers" reminded the idiot legislature that if they were to get and sale off the Federal Lands ... where were they going to go to play with their gunzzzz, erm ... hunt?
OldRedneck
(1,397 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Of the New Apostolic Reformation theology movement, my guess, if yes ...
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)polynomial
(750 posts)That is some of the basics in reasons why we the people tend to peel away from European reasoning.
Worse, America developed a civil war driven in hatred acrimoniously, with special feelings that embellished an antebellum character, now revealed in political people like that special southern element, Ted Cruz.
This Eminent Domain stuff definitely has to be debated.
Think about it, on one hand Ted Cruz opens up a huge chasm in modern political structure and applications.
Consider this that each major railroad uses as much fuel as the American Navy. If our railroads converted to electricity the nation would be overflowing in fossil fuel. No need to drill. The big plus is jobs baby jobs.
Yes it would take a presidential order which would be very controversial, but legal. Actually President Obama could do it in sections. Make a conversion in very strategic places. All done legally, and promoting technology.
For those who dont know fossil fuel powers generators in each engine that create electricity that power electric motors in all the America diesel motors made by General Electric and General Motors. We always needed electricity to power these motors.
Blue Owl
(49,918 posts)DemoTex
(25,371 posts)Shell Crater Lake Deep Water Drilling
Lodestar
(2,388 posts)and own public lands for its resources just as they are doing around the globe. Bush entertained advisors who suggested the lands be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Like their ownership of our government they are out to divvy up the spoils. And if you think this is an exaggeration, think again. It's already happening....
Idaho Residents Protest Auction of Public Lands for Oil and Gas Drilling
April 2014
Yesterday, prior to the Idaho Oil and Gas Commission auctioning of mineral rights for 17,700 acres of state endowment land, a small but lively group of residents protested the sale, which saw every tract awarded to Alta Mesa Idaho for $1,148,435 in bonus bids.
http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/18/idaho-auction-public-lands-for-drilling
--------------
2013
Ignoring Public Outcry, Federal Government To Offer Oil And Gas Leases Near Mesa Verde National Park
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/07/03/2256071/ignoring-public-outcry-federal-government-to-offer-oil-and-gas-leases-near-mesa-verde-national-park/