Montana-Thank Zinke for yet again standing for public land

[Oneye]

http://billingsgazette.com/news/loc...cle_8109f084-d199-50dd-b223-9fd3557a738d.html

Here's another article on what the Republican Party has decided on public land:

http://billingsgazette.com/news/loc...cle_8109f084-d199-50dd-b223-9fd3557a738d.html


The GOP draft platform reads: "Congress shall immediately pass universal legislation providing a timely and orderly mechanism requiring the federal government to convey certain federally controlled public lands to the states. We call upon all national and state leaders and representatives to exert their utmost power of influence to urge the transfer of those lands identified."

 

[6mm Remington]

Amen to that. It is scary what these folks want to do. We elect people to be our voice and then when in office they try and pull things like this when we the people do not want to transfer these public lands. This is a really bad idea to do so.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Kudos to Ryan Zinke for standing up on the large stage and expressing his opposition to the Republican platform plank advocating legislation to transfer federal lands to the states. Now if he will exert whatever influence in thwarting the forward movement of that plank, he will show the necessary action to validate his rhetoric.

On the other hand, with Trump selecting Governor Pence as his VP running mate, the right wing movement on the transfer of federal public lands has likely gained support. I predict that many who have continued to support Trump because of his seemingly independent bent on issues and in particular, his supposed position on transfer of public lands, may drop support with the realization that Pence will influence support of the R platform. It disappoints me to think the Pence selection negates the influence of Zinke's position and expression of opposition to that public land transfer plank.

 

[onpoint]

Kudos to Ryan Zinke for standing up on the large stage and expressing his opposition to the Republican platform plank advocating legislation to transfer federal lands to the states. Now if he will exert whatever influence in thwarting the forward movement of that plank, he will show the necessary action to validate his rhetoric.

On the other hand, with Trump selecting Governor Pence as his VP running mate, the right wing movement on the transfer of federal public lands has likely gained support. I predict that many who have continued to support Trump because of his seemingly independent bent on issues and in particular, his supposed position on transfer of public lands, may drop support with the realization that Pence will influence support of the R platform. It disappoints me to think the Pence selection negates the influence of Zinke's position and expression of opposition to that public land transfer plank.

I am carefully keeping track of the public lands issues. I am also somewhat more cynical of politicians (both sides) and political parties intentions. If we remember, Mr. Daines did a little bit of flip flopping on the LWCF issues. Mr. Zinke, for his part, has been somewhat hard to pin down on his stance on the public lands transfer issue.
Here's where my cynicism causes me concerns.....
In an election year, is it not advantageous for political parties to allow/advise fairly strong incumbents to step outside the parties platform in order to garner more support from undecideds? Zinke's stance on this one issue will surely not affect most of his supporters opinion of him, while IT Does, catch the attention of those who are against the land transfer idea.
I hope my point is clear enough the way I framed it and that it raise some discussion.
Or maybe I am just to cynical.......

 

[Ben Lamb]

http://mtvoters.org/news/zinkeanticonservationvotes/

Some good reading. He's not doing much good by abandoning his vote, btw. Real leadership is working to chnage the platform, not running away.

 

[6mm Remington]

Public lands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXBxSc6pdfM

 

[6mm Remington]

I sent an e-mail to Rep Ryan Zinke asking him about his stance on our public lands and this is his response.

Dear Mr. Walrod,


Thank you for contacting me about public lands. I appreciate having your thoughts on this issue, as your input is valuable to me.

As a fifth generation Montanan, I understand how important our public lands are to our local economies, communities, and, more importantly, our very way of life. Our wealth of natural resources creates jobs, supports families, and promotes recreation. It is of utmost importance to me that we preserve the public’s access to these lands.

In a joint address to the Montana State Legislature, I made it clear that I will not tolerate selling our public lands. However, the amount of red tape surrounding the federal government’s management of lands directly hurts Montana. Many sections of our forests are so poorly tended to that a single lit match will completely wipe out decades of timber growth and habitat preservation. We need to find a way to cut through the bureaucracy to ensure our parks, forests, and other public areas are properly managed.

I have consistently supported keeping our public lands public. With each vote, I have taken on leadership for the sake of Montana’s values. As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, please know that I will keep your thoughts firmly in mind as we discuss how to best manage and preserve our natural heritage.

It is an honor to represent the people of Montana. Understanding the views of my constituents is very important to me as I continue to serve you. I will never forget who my real boss is.

If I can be of further assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me.

In God We Trust,

Ryan K. Zinke
Member of Congress

"The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday"

 

[Schaaf]

Huh, I got the same response.