This is an incredible story showing how far the federal government is from rational thought.
Here’s what happened in Tombstone:
Between May and July 2011, the Monument Fire engulfed a large part of the eastern portion of the Huachuca Mountains. Record-breaking monsoon rains followed. With no vegetation to absorb the runoff, huge mudslides forced boulders to tumble down the mountain sides, crushing Tombstone’s mountain spring waterlines, destroying reservoirs and shutting off Tombstone’s main source of water. In some areas, Tombstone’s pipeline is under 12 feet of mud, rocks and other debris; while in other places, it is hanging in mid-air due to the ground being washed out from under it.
So the city got to work repairing the system so the people of Tombstone could have water. Believe it or not, water is kind of a big thing in the desert.
But when the federal government found out what they were doing, they stopped them and said they could only make the repairs if they used horses and hand tools.
No, really:
Citing the Wilderness Act, the Forest Service is refusing to allow the city to repair its waterlines to mountain springs it has owned for nearly seventy years – and which date back to the 1880s. This refusal is threatening residents, private property and public safety with the risk of a total loss of fire protection and safe drinking water.
…
…federal bureaucrats are refusing to allow Tombstone to unearth its springs and restore its waterlines unless they jump through a lengthy permitting process that will require the city to use horses and hand tools to remove boulders the size of Volkswagens.
Because the spotted owl is more important to the federal government than a steady supply of water during an emergency.
John Stossel had the president of the Goldwater Institute on his show to talk about this:
This is the same logic bureaucrats will apply to health care, or any other part of your life you give them any control over.
Do you know that this same dilusional occupational government **cks with the Amish. Environmentalism is truely a mental disorder that is eating the common sense out of the brains of America!
What in the hell is the problem? Why are they stuck in the middle of the desert away from the food and water in the first place?
Thanks for giving me a good laugh, Rancatour. I know you were making a joke because nobody is dumb enough to say that and mean it.
You evil judgemental narshashish. What is your problem? Just because you were born with the silver spoon, you look down on those that weren’t. Those poor people are thirsty!
Unbelievable!!! I don’t think there is any common sense left!
And to think. I’ve been using a wheel barrow for years without even realizing I was raping mother earth.
Oh, the shame.
The locals should just fix the problem and ignore the feds. If some feds show up, the county Sheriff, as the county’s highest ranking law enforcement officer, is empowered to throw them out. Record every confrontation with the feds and put it on Youtube.
AZ should commence actions to secede from the union. That would make this issue front and center in the national media right smack in the middle of the 2012 election. Lets see how Obama does in the election when he is being credited with the breakup up the union.
[...] blogger Duane Lester has more on this frightening federal overreach that could leave Tombstone residents high and dry. DC Tells Tombstone, AZ They Can Repair Water [...]
The train of abuses is getting mighty long.
methinks this is a ruse by Obama to have Tombstone government cede all the water rights in the Huachucha basin to the Feds.
I’m sure you remember that there are a bunch of silver mines in the area that produced water in the late 1880′s. The mines haven’t been active since then. I wonder if the ‘water rights’ that the feds want included the silver mines?
[...] turns down Tombstone's emergency bid to fix water pipeline – This Just In – CNN.com Blogs DC Tells Tombstone, AZ They Can Repair Water System, As Long As They Use Horses and Hand Tools | All… __________________ Lay me doon in the caul caul groon Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun When [...]