Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggymike
^Cool story bro. They look like generally unrelated stories considering Bundy is using land he doesn't own (and no one is arguing he owns) whereas Hage may have actually had a legit claim to the property, though I couldn't tell because the article you posted is fairly short on facts and really large on rhetoric on how the case was a great victory for property rights. Bundy is a tax cheat, not a hero of the American West.
The feds control the state land because that's what the Nevada constitution says; sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. For much more information please go see the related threads about Bundy in these forums.
The issue in both cases was BLM controlled land. Grazing fees are not a tax. When you cut the check to the BLM for grazing fees you are agreeing to a contract with the BLM. Buddy didn't agree to a number of head that made the ranch non-viable. The other 50 or so ranchers gave up and went out of business. Buddy attempted to pay the money to the county instead, who wouldn't take it.
Calling him a "tax cheat" is pure puffery, no taxes are involved.
If he removes the cattle he looses his adverse possession rights to the water among other things.
The issues in the Hage and Bundy case are the same, Hage argued a violation of the taking clause and won, Bundy argued ownership (state vs. fed) and lost...
As to the Nevada constitution, that was a requirement set by congress for admission. There is a fairly good argument that that exceeded congresses lawful authority. Durning the sagebrush rebellion, the Nevada legislature passed NRS 321.596 through 321.599
Link to statutes:
http://leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-321.html#NRS321Sec596
effectively saying you hoodwinked us, been a bad steward of the land, and we are prepared to take it back.
I am not making an argument that Bundy went about this in the correct way, but I am saying if you don't fight back when your livelihood is threatened by the Feds they will continue to take more control.
Next thing you know they will say we can't play online poker.