Monday, April 14, 2014

Why Does Cliven Bundy Suppose He can Graze His Cattle for Free?

   Why is it supposed Cliven Bundy should not need to pay grazing fees? If he is in arrears to the tune of more than $1 million, and the court is saying the Bureau of Land Management can take the cattle, is that not fair? Cattle are expensive, but 400 head do not equal $1 million.
   I'm waiting to hear more, as at the moment it does not seem Bundy is justified. Someone else owns the land, and you expect to graze your cattle on it for free? Off the top, no, I don't think that is right.
   I read how Bundy believes the land belongs to Nevada, not to the federal government, but I haven't caught up with the specifics of just how that is suppose to be so, other than to know many states are claiming federal land should be theirs. I do not think Utah should be making any such claim, because I know that in Utah's Enabling Act (the document granting statehood), Utah and its citizens "forever disclaim" ownership of unappropriated land. Nevada? I quickly scan its enabling document, finding no such provision.
   But, if Bundy believes the land belongs to Nevada, why is he not at least paying the grazing fees to Nevada?
   (Note: the following addition was written 4/15/14.)
  What if Bundy's ancestors claimed the land for their own? I would think, surely, their was a process for claiming personal property back then, and would guess Bundy's ancestors didn't do the things necessary to make the property theirs. Note that a blanket ownership, though, just for being the first person to occupy the property, would give the property back to the American natives, and not to Cliven Bundy.

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