It has recently come to my attention that Rep. Bishop of Utah is taking aim at selling more federal public lands, this time under the guise of 'assisting' Puerto Rico with its debt problem.
Quick facts:
Even assuming that Puerto Rico received money for the land that did get applied to their debt, it would be drop in the bucket and be a very short term aid to their long term problems. The only long term beneficiaries would be Bishop's cronies that will be standing in line to make the purchase of our publicly owned land. The rest of us would have no benefit what so ever - To quote the text of the bill (page 88, line 25) he is proposing "to convey, without consideration" (i.e. no cash for the current owners) which I think that sums up his attitude toward all Americans well - he has no consideration for us.
Question for the Utah people out there - is there any chance of getting him voted out in November? Or are there people there who like him for some reason? Living in CO I'm not eligible to vote him out personally, but I can't fathom why he stays in.
Quick facts:
- Puerto Rico is currently $72 billion in debt and thus could never afford the management costs of the Vieques NWR, which is currently managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Handing over American public lands to Puerto Rico has but one possible result: a public lands sale.
- Furthermore, Puerto Rico never asked for this land.
- The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge is currently owned by every American, not the people of Puerto Rico. We all should have a say in the future ownership of our American public lands
Even assuming that Puerto Rico received money for the land that did get applied to their debt, it would be drop in the bucket and be a very short term aid to their long term problems. The only long term beneficiaries would be Bishop's cronies that will be standing in line to make the purchase of our publicly owned land. The rest of us would have no benefit what so ever - To quote the text of the bill (page 88, line 25) he is proposing "to convey, without consideration" (i.e. no cash for the current owners) which I think that sums up his attitude toward all Americans well - he has no consideration for us.
Question for the Utah people out there - is there any chance of getting him voted out in November? Or are there people there who like him for some reason? Living in CO I'm not eligible to vote him out personally, but I can't fathom why he stays in.