[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
[quote]mbdix wrote:
[quote]atypical1 wrote:
Anyway, my heartburn with this is that the guy was more than willing to just quietly not pay the grazing fees for 20 years. During this time if it really bothered him why didn’t he take this case up to court? Why didn’t he take legal action against the government instead of just being quiet about it? It was only when they actually took action against him that he made a big stink. He should have been up in arms well before this.
james
[/quote]
This is along the lines of what I was thinking.
He is the only Rancher still in the area, according to reports.
He has been allowing his cattle to graze on pubic land that requires a grazing fee for a few decades without paying.
Now BLM is apparently using methods I don’t agree with to remove Bundy’s cattle, but this isn’t Bundy’s land
This is my thoughts on this. Tell me what I’m missing.
Bundy has a ranch but his cattle have to go beyond his land to graze in order to survive at their current herd size. His cattle herd is larger than his personal resources can support. He is suppose to be paying a Tax on letting his cattle graze on this land. He hasn’t paid this Tax in years resulting in over a $1,000,000,000 balance. BLM has taken control over this public land (unfair? maybe, but so is life) and are now removing cattle that are on this land out of compliance in a way that is probably detrimental to the survival of Bundy’s herd at the current size.
I would pick up a rifle and stand with a brother in the face of aggression, but if it was similar to my understanding of this situation I would tell my brother he should probably get his shit off that lawn.
[/quote]
I think it goes a little deeper. They’ve been there a long time.
My understanding: It is/was state held property. The guy paid his fees to the state. The fed stepped in, claimed ownership of the land, re-districted where the cattle could go in the name of protecting a turtle and started charging fees. When that went down, he stopped paying.
I think there is some debate about the total of back taxes due too. And the court cases have been going on a long long time if I understand correctly. He supposedly agrees to pay the fees to the state, just not the fed.[/quote]
That is my understanding as well. I just don’t see the State of Nevada disputing this Fed’s claim to the land. So, I am assuming that the State and Fed’s worked out a deal on the land. So Bundy is pretty much saying “yeah, I’ll pay the state fees, but fuck you Feds I don’t recognize your claim to this land and I wont pay you” It is not his land and never was his land. He and his family have been using land that does not belong to them for decades for their gain?
If Nevada and Fed’s were in dispute over this land I would understand Bundy’s stand, but from my understanding of this, Bundy is just saying “Fuck you Feds”. Maybe I am slow, but I don’t see his fight and from what I understand of the situation I wouldn’t stand and fight with him.