February 2019 has definitely been one for the record books. From weather that’s been off-the-charts to political decisions that seem to have been made on another planet, I’m really hoping that March doesn’t come “in like a lion” because we’ve all had just about enough excitement to last for a while.
Yesterday, the conservation world was celebrating the passage of a sweeping public lands and conservation bill -the Natural Resources Management Act. It was big enough that, for the first time in decades, I found myself actually agreeing with a former boss. Ted Turner, yes that Ted Turner, published an op-ed in CNN online yesterday where he praised the passage of the latest act, and the 2018 Farm Bill. As I read it, I realized that for the first time in many years, we were on the same side of issues that normally draw out the more “eccentric” positions of the man I worked for when he was “cable when cable wasn’t cool.”
Of course, as the country’s second largest private landowner (second only to another cable billionaire), he’s celebrating because the system’s rigged to benefit him. I’m celebrating because it means the people who don’t own small nation-sized ranches will continue to have places to hunt and fish- including those that border his massive Montana ranch.
He raised an especially good point when he quoted Montana Republican Senator Steve Daines who said “It took public lands to bring a divided government together.” They’re both correct, and it’s about the only hopeful thing I’ve seen out of Washington in some time.
At the same time, however, the House of Representatives passed another useless piece of what I call “eyewash legislation” that would make anti-gun people feel good because it added another burdensome regulation to the lives of their law-abiding friends who disagree with the concept that citizens disarmed are in no peril from their government.
We’re told that HR 8, which passed 240-190 after hours of debate on Tuesday, will require background checks on nearly every individual who buys or sells a firearm. I’ve read HR 8 and I can’t find the “nearly” part - the way I read it every individual who buys a firearm- or gets one as a gift from a friend or family member- will need to have a background check or risk violating federal law.
It’s another example of increasing pressure from an “emboldened” Democratic majority in the House. There’s no need to disguise their intent, because as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez so succinctly put it, “we’re in charge now, so you’re just yelling from the cheap seats.”
Seriously? As the actor James Woods responded, “you’re mistaken. YOU work for US.”
Theoretically, that’s true, but in practice, it’s, unfortunately, not necessarily so.
Readers in Oregon reminded me of that yesterday in response to my piece in Wednesday’s Wire. It seems my describing the people who don’t live in Portland and Eugene as “disposable” hit a chord - but not just in Oregon.
I received this message from Colorado:
“I read with interest the anti-gun legislation story in today's Outdoor Wire, of particular interest was this quote: “Portland runs Oregon,” Starrett said, “and the people there and in Eugene consider everyone else in the state to be bumpkins who are expendable.” You can replace Portland and Eugene with Denver and Boulder, respectively and be spot on with the state of affairs in Colorado.”
And I learned a new term from this response:
“Living in Oregon outside of the metropolitan area is frightening as you have seen.
One more factor that you didn't mention is that the liberals pushing the anti-urban ideas not only have a majority in the state's house and senate, the liberals have a supermajority. Therefore, by merely following the party lines they can cram up the noses (or other orifice) "the liberal way". And, yes, the governor is also a democrat so any hope of a veto goes out the window.
My term for this is "Concrete Poisoning". If you need a definition, you are likely suffering from it!”
“Concrete poisoning” I like the descriptiveness of the term, but having lived in New York and New Jersey, I’m no fan of the ailment.
As always, we’ll keep you posted.
—Jim Shepherd