A Senate Committee addition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act proves Republican are no more “conservationists” than their counterparts are “environmentalists.”
What a huge surprise! Imagine Republicans yet again showing their disdain for nature and our own citizens. This is exactly why I have let my wife know that thought I find Democrat politicians and progressives to be the worst kind of racists and generally morons, Republicans aren't far behind. Their blind greed, hatred of the common man and constant lies about what's behind their platforms is blinding. If I could replicate Sen Kennedy (the Louisiana one, not the dolt who wants to vaccinate everything that moves), Massey and Paul, along with maybe Chip Roy and a few House members, I would every day and twice on Sunday. Drive the rest of them out of office and pour salt over their Senate and House Chamber seats.
I am all in favor of government getting out of the land ownership business. The stated reason may be bull -- generating new housing requires deregulation, not so much more land. If you want to keep land reserved for non-commercial use, join the Nature Conservancy and buy it.
The State of Texas comprises 168.2 million acres, of which only 3.2 million acres (1.9%) is Federal land - mostly National Parks and military installations. In contrast, the Federal government owns 32% of the land in New Mexico. If you compare the two states, you would find Texas’ GDP is 25x greater than NM, Texas public schools have higher graduation rates on better test scores than NM, and Texas consistently ranks high in business growth, job creation, and economic opportunity (i.e the American Dream) while NM has an elite group of Liberals living in gated communities in Santa Fe that tell the rest of the state’s population to “eat cake.”
Land is the source of all wealth, and private ownership of land is a foundation of this country. I think it would be difficult to argue that our Federal government is the best caretaker of anything, especially land.
I am definitely in favor of transferring more public lands into private ownership, however, this is the wrong way to do it. Federal lands should be conveyed to the states and let the states determine the disposal of its lands. Alaska still has an ongoing cabin staking program that has been very successful. The states are much more responsive to what the people want and with how public lands are managed. In addition, mineral patent applications should be re-funded.
Disagree. The Homestead Act, patent law, and state sales have been very successful with transferring federal and state land to private ownership. What's the better way to do this?
The intermountain region might as well not exist for the vast majority of the American public and certainly federal elected officials. Probably close to a third of the conterminous U.S. land mass and decisions regarding its fate are being made by the most narcissistic, greedy, and ignorant individuals to be found within our great nation. Now some of them want to burn the national furniture for firewood by disposing of public lands in the most ham handed ways their lobbyist-ridden minds can conceive.
Are there any national politicians currently made of the same cloth as a William O. Douglas or any of the Udall clan? And the problem is compounded by the wholesale ideological and policy transformation of environmental groups like the Sierra Club, Wilderness Society, NRDC, and pretty much all the rest from protecting landscapes to their quasi religious obsession with carbon dioxide. The result is a massive loss of credibility with the public. Hopefully this insane BBB provision will be killed and buried deep in the ground, but it’s unclear who the champions for public lands in the west will be within the new political paradigm.
Fantastic article, Mental. I was unaware of this provision in the BBB. To be fair, I’m blissfully unaware of most provisions. Like most crises in this country, housing is a result of .gov, not the greedy capitalists.
A final point, “ you may be disappointed to find more southern California hot girls wearing Bebe and Pink sweatpants sporting French manicures with their cowboy hats.” Sounds lovely to me, at least for a long-weekend. ;)
that sentence makes me long for the 1980s and 90s when most SoCal girls weren't inflamed and scary. The amount of unapproachable, pasty, unpleasant, man hating women in Los Angeles is off the charts. Hey but at least they aren't happy.
Watch for PE. And how they cobble together and then sell or monetize tax credits. They are great at harvesting tax credits where government wants to incentivize something.
Digging in to the BBB will likely reveal even more details of shady schemes like this. I really didn’t have Mike Lee spearheading this on my bingo card. Special interest groups will gobble this land up like nobody’s business. Is there really a residential housing crisis in many of these rural areas? Every census shows more people leaving rural areas and moving towards the more developed sunbelt regions.
He’s been on this desire for some time. The rural housing “crisis” is mostly of our own making. Jackson Hole is an example. West coasters drove prices up, most of the service economy can’t afford to live there. Many across the border in ID commute to work there. So, is there some sure. But is it a crisis everywhere in those 11 Western states. We don’t think so.
What a huge surprise! Imagine Republicans yet again showing their disdain for nature and our own citizens. This is exactly why I have let my wife know that thought I find Democrat politicians and progressives to be the worst kind of racists and generally morons, Republicans aren't far behind. Their blind greed, hatred of the common man and constant lies about what's behind their platforms is blinding. If I could replicate Sen Kennedy (the Louisiana one, not the dolt who wants to vaccinate everything that moves), Massey and Paul, along with maybe Chip Roy and a few House members, I would every day and twice on Sunday. Drive the rest of them out of office and pour salt over their Senate and House Chamber seats.
According to who -- but it's your substack.
Great work. Thanks for keeping us informed on the environmental, energy, and land use elements of the 1BBB.
More than welcome!!
I am all in favor of government getting out of the land ownership business. The stated reason may be bull -- generating new housing requires deregulation, not so much more land. If you want to keep land reserved for non-commercial use, join the Nature Conservancy and buy it.
Ok. Then we’re going behind the paywall so we can buy the place in the article we noted.
🤠
What did you expect from these Nazis?
Yes always unveil the word Nazi when discussing things and people you don't like. That at least let's everyone else know what you believe in.
Not a useful comparison.
The State of Texas comprises 168.2 million acres, of which only 3.2 million acres (1.9%) is Federal land - mostly National Parks and military installations. In contrast, the Federal government owns 32% of the land in New Mexico. If you compare the two states, you would find Texas’ GDP is 25x greater than NM, Texas public schools have higher graduation rates on better test scores than NM, and Texas consistently ranks high in business growth, job creation, and economic opportunity (i.e the American Dream) while NM has an elite group of Liberals living in gated communities in Santa Fe that tell the rest of the state’s population to “eat cake.”
Land is the source of all wealth, and private ownership of land is a foundation of this country. I think it would be difficult to argue that our Federal government is the best caretaker of anything, especially land.
We concede that there is some BLM range lands within a reasonable distance of some towns with infrastructure nearby for which this might make sense.
But national forest? No way.
In the chart, Colorado total acreage is wrong
Thanks. Wilderness Society chart.
https://prowritingaid.com/effected-vs-affected
I am definitely in favor of transferring more public lands into private ownership, however, this is the wrong way to do it. Federal lands should be conveyed to the states and let the states determine the disposal of its lands. Alaska still has an ongoing cabin staking program that has been very successful. The states are much more responsive to what the people want and with how public lands are managed. In addition, mineral patent applications should be re-funded.
In our experience, governments aren’t very good with land sales. Doesn’t matter whether it’s federal or city or state.
Disagree. The Homestead Act, patent law, and state sales have been very successful with transferring federal and state land to private ownership. What's the better way to do this?
The intermountain region might as well not exist for the vast majority of the American public and certainly federal elected officials. Probably close to a third of the conterminous U.S. land mass and decisions regarding its fate are being made by the most narcissistic, greedy, and ignorant individuals to be found within our great nation. Now some of them want to burn the national furniture for firewood by disposing of public lands in the most ham handed ways their lobbyist-ridden minds can conceive.
Are there any national politicians currently made of the same cloth as a William O. Douglas or any of the Udall clan? And the problem is compounded by the wholesale ideological and policy transformation of environmental groups like the Sierra Club, Wilderness Society, NRDC, and pretty much all the rest from protecting landscapes to their quasi religious obsession with carbon dioxide. The result is a massive loss of credibility with the public. Hopefully this insane BBB provision will be killed and buried deep in the ground, but it’s unclear who the champions for public lands in the west will be within the new political paradigm.
I miss the Udalls. If only we had Senators in chamber with the backgrounds to understand the tension between private and public lands and their use.
Funky landscape for sure.
Fantastic article, Mental. I was unaware of this provision in the BBB. To be fair, I’m blissfully unaware of most provisions. Like most crises in this country, housing is a result of .gov, not the greedy capitalists.
A final point, “ you may be disappointed to find more southern California hot girls wearing Bebe and Pink sweatpants sporting French manicures with their cowboy hats.” Sounds lovely to me, at least for a long-weekend. ;)
that sentence makes me long for the 1980s and 90s when most SoCal girls weren't inflamed and scary. The amount of unapproachable, pasty, unpleasant, man hating women in Los Angeles is off the charts. Hey but at least they aren't happy.
It reminded me of the line from the Beach Boys’ song, “I wish they all could be California girls.”
Only in Senate version to move it through Senate for vote. Not in original House bill.
We hope/suspect this gets revised in some way in the final.
Who is getting paid what, by whom, and in what way?
Watch for PE. And how they cobble together and then sell or monetize tax credits. They are great at harvesting tax credits where government wants to incentivize something.
Digging in to the BBB will likely reveal even more details of shady schemes like this. I really didn’t have Mike Lee spearheading this on my bingo card. Special interest groups will gobble this land up like nobody’s business. Is there really a residential housing crisis in many of these rural areas? Every census shows more people leaving rural areas and moving towards the more developed sunbelt regions.
He’s been on this desire for some time. The rural housing “crisis” is mostly of our own making. Jackson Hole is an example. West coasters drove prices up, most of the service economy can’t afford to live there. Many across the border in ID commute to work there. So, is there some sure. But is it a crisis everywhere in those 11 Western states. We don’t think so.