In which our PoW (Prudence of Wyoming) says what a lot of people are thinking about Congress this morning. Just FYI, there will be “language” in this post.
Congress is beginning to damage my calm.
It’s time to indoctrinate our duly elected “representatives” into the Church of Absolute Fucking Truth. And if you have paid one single fucking dollar in taxes, you have more right to be heard, to own your Congress, than Donald fucking Trumpleforeskin.
While Congress seems to be unaware that those of us in the Moderate Middle Ground are digging in for (at least) four years of battle, they’re blithely re-writing rules, thinking we’re not watching, thinking we’re not ready to go toe to toe. Wyoming, the Great Big Empty,1 Land of 10 million shades of dust and dirt and beautiful, sere grass, is the unlikely center of the latest: Congress is eager to remove oversight and protections, and call federally-managed public lands “zero value” to turn them over to state control for development. We all know how eager private companies are as a whole to protect the public’s interests. While Congress wants to falsely declare land transfers to states as budget neutral, mineral royalties from public lands alone bring in about $11 BILLION a year. Yes, with a “B.” Ammon Bundy, of the infamous Oregon Wildlife Refuge takeover, owed about $1 Million in back fees for private use of public lands for cattle grazing.2
Excerpt from a Congressional Report about mining on Federally-held Public Lands (General Accounting Office, March 1993 MINERAL ROYALTIES Royalties in the Western States and in Major Mineral-Producing Countries):
“Results in Brief: Nine of the 12 western states share in the proceeds from minerals mined on both state and nonstate lands within each state. The 11 states that lease state-owned lands for mining purposes impose a royalty on minerals extracted from those lands. Only Nevada does not lease state-owned land for mining purposes. Also, 10 of the 12 western states assess a mining-specific tax on certain minerals extracted from any land in the state, whether federally, state, or privately owned. California and Oregon do not assess such a tax.”Even when they’re intent on being brief, accountants can really beat a dead horse.
[I’d add a funny, illustrated good joke about accountants here, but we all know there aren’t any.]3
92% of Federally-held Public Lands are in 12 Western States. Those States get money for mining and extraction done by private companies on those State- and Federally-held Public Lands. So the whole argument of “no value” to public lands that Congress wants to give to States has been a known lie since at least 1993. People with the sense given a grasshopper have known it since the first complex thought crossed their brains. Ms. Cheney, you’re either too ignorant to do your job, or a bald-faced liar. There’s no other options here. Took me <3 seconds to find that report, including typing. (About 1,270,000 results (0.62 seconds) Thanks, Google!)
So, the long and short of it is, Congress thinks they run the show, instead of just taking our voices to a central meeting. It’s time, people. In this Second Battle of the War on Trump and His Cronies, please take 10 seconds, call Cheney, tell her you’re a voter, and you oppose this nonsense. It really only takes a moment of your day, and as We the Socially Connected People proved with the backlash against the gutting of the Ethics Committee shutting that shit down, nothing scares Congress like accountability. Nothing lets them know we’re paying attention faster than calling. (And if they don’t listen when we call, we bring out the nasty stuff, namely recalls.)
Take the reins, people, we’ve already seen the shitshow of the last few decades, the result of letting Congress drive. Time for you to take a turn.
Liz Cheney voted that the federal government shouldn’t consider public lands to be worth anything. If you disagree, please take 10 seconds and call her office (she’s in D.C. now) or click here to email her (her email program is ridiculously complicated, but it’s worth it). Please, PLEASE remember your Wyoming manners- her staffers are nice people too, and aren’t to blame for the crap she pulls.
Cheney, Washington, D.C. – (202) 225-2311
(Read more: Cheney starts House term claiming priceless public land has no value. And: Push To Transfer Federal Lands To States Has Sportsmen On Edge)
Need something to restore your calm? Me too. I keep watching this silly vid.
***
Notes
1. That’s my name for it. We go back east at least once a year for football at Lambeau, and there’s… just… SO👏 MANY👏FUCKING👏 PEOPLE👏.
2. Editor’s Note: Yes, a military standoff over a number Three. Orders. of Magnitude. Smaller. Yep.
3. I got jokes, yo.
Back to top
***
Prudence Wyoming is an irregular contributor to This Week In Tomorrow.
***
Thanks for reading! Except for the very *very* occasional tip (we take Venmo now!), we only get paid in our own (and your) enthusiasm, so please like This Week In Tomorrow on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @TWITomorrow, and tell your friends about the site!