This week, it was announced that budget cuts would now include canceling the Mars missions. However, Rep. Cliff Steans (R-FL) wants to go further. In a recent speech, Steans called for the selling off of national park lands. We have previously seen states sell off park lands, government buildings and other property — even as we burned hundreds of billions in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In a town hall meeting Belleview, Florida, on February 25 that Steans stated “we don’t need any more national parks in this country” and that we need to “actually sell off some of our national parks.” That is a remarkable proposal since national parks are the most successful program in the government with rising demands of citizens visiting parks and sites. One would think we would be expanding the parks not cutting off one of the most popular government programs.
Here is the full statement:
I got attacked in a previous town meeting for not supporting another national park in this country, a 200-mile trailway. And I told the man that we don’t need more national parks in this country, we need to actually sell off some of our national parks, and try and do what a normal family would do is — they wouldn’t ask Uncle Joe for a loan, they would sell their Cadillac, or they would take their kids out of private schools and put them into public schools to save to money instead of asking for their credit card to increase their debt ceiling.
Putting aside the thousands of jobs and millions of recreational hours supplied to citizens through these parks, we continue to show a bizarre sense of priority in sending billions abroad to fund wars in countries with growing anti-American sentiments. Instead of saving hundreds of billions of dollars, we will instead continue to cut educational, scientific, and environmental programs that protect our future.
Source: Think Progress as first seen on Reddit
Amen OS!
Woosty is right. But don’t stop there. End the low rents, as well as the subsidies and big tax breaks for no good reason visible to the naked eye. Add incremental taxes to curtail obscene profits. One of the main engines driving the prices is futures trading. That has to be brought under control.
Really Gene because as a new poster and guest contributor here you weren’t around when Vince Treacy was here. Hmmmmm you must of been posting as someone else.
I too have been in contact with Vince off the blog and the stalking was a good part of the reason he left. The other parts though was he was interested in other sites and then too was bored. His boredom came from the fact that he totally trounced every argument Bdaman and the other birthers made, but they kept making them anyway. The fact is that they use Goebbels well known “Big Lie” technique, though many believe the crap they spew. I respect Bdaman’s intelligence too much to think he really believes his crap, he just enjoys pulling our chains. That’s why I barely glance at his stuff anymore because it has become so lame and repetitive, you’d almost think it was a script
given the current profit status of oil companies wouldn’t it be better to re-think the cheap rents that we give to the oil companies?
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/02/oil_royalties
Gene,
Got it, thanks.
I still am in favor of folks posting personal information, who wish to remain anonymous should be banned. Those that wish to cede anonymity should be able to. Those wishing to remain anonymous should be allowed that right….. There, my position. Even though some post with the real name I have not Google them up….. I know thats not the case with everyone. I will leave out all else…..
Bdaman,
If you are backing a psychopath like Sheriff Joe, then facts won’t move you.
Blouise,
I’ve known Vince for some time and we still stay in touch. Vince told me he left because Bdaman was stalking him on the Internet and attempting to post personal information about him. I understand Bdaman once did the same thing to Mike S. too, but Mike being Mike was far more forgiving of it.
Blouise, I thought Vinny de swinger or something like that did.
bda,
Really? I didn’t know that. Are you sure? I mean, I don’t know the history as well as the rest of you so I hope you’ll take my word for it as I wasn’t trying to be snarky.
I always enjoyed his arguments and his explanations brought real clarity to confusing issues.
Bdaman:
I thought it was greedy rich people. They built a ship that was destined to fail because of poor quality steel made brittle by the cold waters of the North Atlantic.
You know how the 1% are, they take shortcuts on everything and end up screwing the rest of us. I am pretty sure they meant to kill all those poor people in steerage.
By the way did you know that 100% of Japanese nationals on board survived? Or 100% of Mexican nationals on board died?
Geez, Bdaman, when are you gonna give up on the birther thing?
In re to Obama Sheriff Joe says the birth certificate and the selective service cards are forgeries. Wants it to be elevated to a criminal investigation. The funny part is the Hawaii Dept of Health is now refusing to release a birth certificate belonging to Tomiyo Sunahara. Her brother has made the request repeatedly for the long form birth certificate of his now deceased sister. In spite of having a tangible interest in the long form, the dept says he cant have it. Bill Ayers from his fugitive days was quoted in his book, the best way to steal someone’s identity is through a dead baby’s birth certificate.
Dredd:
“That has been done by the criminal 1% who are enslaving us even as we speak.”
Are you talking about congress and government?
I really do miss Vince Treacy.
I ran him off Ms. Blouise. He got mad at me and left.
Hey Dredd did you know climate change sunk the Titanic?
AY,
I see what you are saying, the subtle silent attacks have started haven’t they? You never know who you can trust.
Sorry I showed the clip of Stearns and brought the birther issue back. I was trying to show that he is a very very partisan republican.
Elaine,
Another great idea from Rep. Paul! 🙂
Ron Paul Calls For Federal Public Lands To Be ‘Sold Off To Private Owners’
By Scott Keyes and Lee Fang on Oct 21, 2011
http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/10/21/349536/ron-paul-public-lands/
Excerpt:
During a forum in Las Vegas Wednesday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) told the Republican audience he would like to see federal public lands in Nevada privatized.
Speaking at the Western Republican Leadership Conference, Paul declared that Nevada, which has a large percentage of federally-owned public lands, ought to become more like Texas, where “private owners” have “developed all the natural resources.” Paul went on to say “how wonderful it would be if land will be or should be returned to the states and then for the best parts sold off to private owners”:
PAUL: Take a look at the state of Nevada. Do the people own the property in Nevada? No. Who’s the biggest landowner? It’s the federal government. I would like to see the development of this state the way that Texas had the privilege of developing. Before we went in the Union, it was owned entirely by private owners and it has developed all the natural resources, a very big state. So you can imagine how wonderful it would be if land will be or should be returned to the states and then for the best parts sold off to private owners.