Koch-Funded ALEC Behind State Attempts To ‘Reclaim’ Your Public Lands

[Galraedia]

Source: ThinkProgress

In the last few months, Republican presidential candidates from Mitt Romney to Rick Santorum have shown their ignorance about the value of public lands. And recently a handful of states have joined the fray, with state legislators introducing bills that demand Congress turn over millions of acres of public lands to the states or face a lawsuit. Utah has taken this idea the furthest, where two weeks ago Governor Gary Herbert (R) signed a bill into law demanding that Congress give 30 million acres of federal land located in Utah to the state by 2015 or it will sue.

But buried under the headlines is the fact these bills are being quietly drafted and promoted by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a right-wing corporate front group that provides draft legislation to state lawmakers and is funded by some of America’s biggest corporations including Koch Industries, BP, Exxon Mobil, and Shell.

As the Associated Press reported:

Lawmakers in Utah and Arizona have said the legislation is endorsed by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group that advocates conservative ideals, and they expect it to eventually be introduced in other Western states.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/green/2012/04/03/457463/koch-funded-alec-behind-state-attempts-to-reclaim-your-public-lands/

[cyberpj]

1. The Koch Bros sure have this attack via the states thing down, don't they?

Dems used Gov Dean's 50-state strategy to help Obama win and I do believe the Koch Bros saw that and began immediately to use the same strategy by getting Governors and Congressional Candidates into place to enact all of their greedy, Earth killing, 1% growth plans and activities.

[cyberpj]

15. A 4/3 bump up. nt

[wordpix]

2. on what legal basis should we turn over our land to the states, Kochsuckers?

I don't get it.

[cstanleytech]

4. I dont understand exactly how they think they have a leg to stand on either.

Has any state for that matter ever been able to retake land thats been owned by the federal government since before they were even a state?

[zeemike]

3. With apologies to the Guess Who.

'Cause it's the new feudalism taking over
It's the new splendid king come to call
It's the new feudalism taking over
He's gettin' it all
He's gettin' it all

[unkachuck]

5. any politician....

....in either party, who takes money from any one of these corporate billionaire pricks, doesn't deserve our vote and needs to be booted out of office....

....go to a trusted source for information, vote their recommendations and ignore all sources of MSM propaganda....evil corporate billionaires can afford to buy legislatures but they can't afford to buy millions upon millions of voters....

[JEB]

6. John Birchers

trying to buy the government, public policies and now Public Land. Smells like Fascism to me.

[glinda]

7. K & R n/t

[Smilo]

8. Someone needs to invent a kochroach poison that works

the birchers won't be happy until the control America - lock, stock and everything.

[tooeyeten]

9. shine a light

on whatever they do, don't allow them to hide anything.

[nineteen50]

10. Just part of the corporate capitalisms war on

the public sector.... privatize everything

[aquart]

11. Billionaires need to be seen as domestic terrorists. Seriously.

They have to be stopped before they kill millions.

[BeHereNow]

12. Them public lands are FRACKING territory! n/t

bhn

[Monk06]

13. The President that set aside Federal land for public use and created the National Park System

Was Teddy Roosevelt. He was the first conservative politician in terms
of Nature Conservation and he was a Republican.

Funny how the right wingers don't quote Teddy or rank him as one of the
greatest presidents. They root for Hoover and Reagan for fuck sakes !!!

[Occulus]

14. How are National Parks created?

Seems like a great opportunity to stick it to 'em. National Park here, here, here, and of course over there