Not since Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde shared the same body has one man been seen in such startlingly contrasting lights. That man is Cliven Bundy, the Bunkerville rancher whose armed supporters two years ago faced down federal land agents until they relented and released his impounded cattle. He and 18 others, including four of his sons, are now in jail facing a litany of … [Read more...]
There are consequences to practicing civil disobedience
Have you ever contemplated the prospects of living a simpler, more self-sufficient, unencumbered life? Perhaps on a few acres of land with the nearest neighbor over the horizon, down a dirt road? You could graze a few milk cows and make your own butter in a wooden churn, gather eggs from the chicken coop and wring the neck of a hen on Saturday for Sunday dinner. You get used … [Read more...]
Hage ranchers again plan Supreme Court appeal
It is like fighting the Hydra, cut off one head and two grow back. But the federal government is no myth. It is immortal. It has the power to print money and hire an army of attorneys whose job security depends on ceaseless litigation with no risk to themselves or their livelihoods. The first generation of Hage family ranchers has died off while fighting in the courts for … [Read more...]
Sen. Heller pushing for faster approval of broadband easements
Once again Nevada’s Washington representatives are having to resort to legislation to force the slothful federal land agencies to more quickly allow the public access to rights of way across putatively public lands. Earlier this month Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller added two amendments to the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and … [Read more...]
Is Nevada being unconstitutionally awed into obedience to the feds?
Over the years the battle to grant states greater control over the vast swath of federal public land have ebbed and flowed. There have been court battles, mostly lost. There have been legislative resolutions and bills, mostly ignored, as well as numerous congressional hearings and testimony. More recently there have been instances of civil disobedience at the Bundy Ranch in … [Read more...]
The Electric Highwayman: Robbing the poor to give to the rich
Think of it as an electric oasis — a place to stop and recharge your electric vehicle as you caravan across the high desert to pay homage to the lords of government in Carson City or do whatever they do in Reno. Only, you can’t get there from here. According to media accounts, Gov. Brian Sandoval took time this past week to travel to Beatty, presumably not by electric … [Read more...]
Clean Power Plan challenge is based on federalism
Shortly after Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the 29 states suing in federal court to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions from electric power plants, the attorney for an environmental group fired off a criticism. “Attorney General Laxalt’s opposition to the Clean Power … [Read more...]
Reid hypocritical in his arguments about Supreme Court nomination process
Some people are ambidextrous. Harry Reid is ambioratory. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth. This past week one of Sen. Reid’s staffers penned an op-ed column that ran under his name in The Washington Post on the topic of replacing the late, great, conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who had died only days earlier. The Democratic Senate minority … [Read more...]