Thursday, April 30, 2009

Does this seem odd to you?

Governor Otter took his Capitol for a day to Midvale, and ended up fielding angry complaints about gas taxes, but even more so about sheep grazing.
The meeting was dominated by questions about the decline of natural resource industries in a region including Washington County and its rural neighbors. Most of the meeting focused on a dispute that threatens to remove sheep grazing from the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area because they are believed to risk the health of wild bighorn sheep.
The Forest Service, in an effort to keep bighorn sheep free from disease, seems to be gearing up to remove domestic sheep from grazing allotments in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. The sheep ranchers and their supporters in the area are angry about this.

Sheep rancher Ron Shirts of Weiser, said
"I'm damn mad," Shirts said. "I'm getting my head cut off right now."
And
"We draw a line in the sand and we tell the federal government and these environmental agencies we're not taking it any more," Shirts urged, winning hearty applause.
Obviously this guy doesn't like the "federal government." Here's what I don't get. Mr. Shirts wants the federal government to leave him alone. But, he wants to graze his sheep on federal land. Clearly he thinks he's entitled to use that federal land, since he's been doing it for years. He hates government when he doesn't get his way, but he loves to take advantage of what it offers, to the point where he thinks he's entitled to the benefit. He wants to have his cake and eat it too.

8 comments:

fortboise said...

No, he wants to have your "cake," and for his sheep to eat it, too.

Alan said...

Good one.

Geoff said...

Imagine his reaction if someone showed up with another band of sheep on his allotment- he'd call that Federal range manager as fast as he could dial the phone.

Mark said...

I would love to see someone call bs on these people. They are "renters" of federal land. Land that is owned by the people of the USA. The agency tasked with managing the land,"the landlord", sets rules and regulations for the renters. The renters say "up yours" to the landlord and scream and stomp like 2 year olds. Since when do tenents tell the landlord how to manage their property? I say kick em off the federal land and let them pay a private landowner for grazing rights and then see what happens.

Anonymous said...

Most folks only see their 'own' point from their 'own' perspective. That's the one of the biggest problems we have in this country. We're damn lucky to have officials who see the big picture and make touch decisions whoever they are. It's a thankless job.

ericn1300 said...

Ron Shirts of Weiser is subsidized by the under market grazing fees he pays and again by the sheep growers subsidies in the farm bill. He would not be in business today if it wasn't for federal intervention on his behalf. Another welfare case whining and talking out of both sides of his mouth.

Another good example is here: http://leftistmoon.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/note-to-rick-perry/

Anonymous said...

yes, seems odd to me.

ericna300 said...

From a comment by Fuwia on the Idaho Statesman's web site:

R. Shirts received payments totaling $214,707 from 1995-2006
http://farm.ewg.org/farm/persondetail.php?custnumber=008358031