Thread: Tombstone v United States (more federal intrusion)

Evidently the greenies have an upper hand in this Administration and the power grab continues. The Federal government is claiming rights in the West that could threaten land and water use.

http://goldwaterinstitute.org/articl...-united-states

In a show down between the federal government and the “Town Too Tough to Die,” the U.S. Forest Service is refusing to allow Tombstone to repair its mountain spring water lines after forest fires, floods and torrential mudslides destroyed them in the Monument Fire of 2011. Not content with allowing forest fires to burn down some of the most beautiful land in Arizona, the Forest Service is willing to risk the lives and properties of Tombstone residents and tourists due to the loss of adequate fire suppression capabilities and safe drinking water.

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. In response, 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.

Water is indispensable to Tombstone’s hardscrabble existence. The risk of fire to this historic town of wood buildings is real. By refusing to allow the city to freely repair its waterlines to ensure that it has enough water to provide fire protection and safe drinking water, the U.S. Forest Service is threatening to kill “The Town Too Tough to Die.”

Water has always been a highly contested issue. I know families that have hated each other for generations over water rights in Idaho. This is an issue to dig deeper. What is the source of tombstone's water? Where would the water go otherwise? Politicians from larger areas, that end up with Tombstone's water, could be the ones lining pockets for it. Government is a double edge sword, no doubt. What protects your rights today can be the same entity that destroys them tomorrow.

I saw this on the Stossel show. Tombstone, AZ should just repair the lines anyway and force the USA government to act and use the media as an outlet (assuming the media will cover it). The issue is probably more complex, however, a fire should not change the infrastructure access of a community if the community isn't even asking for federal funds to repair the lines.

We have way way way too much government.

It seems curious that the Forest Service wants to protect an area that has already been destroyed.

Too bad they can't compromise and come up with a reasonable solution.

When govt gets too big, common sense goes out the window.

Is this how we want our govt to treat us?
When are we gonna do more than talk?

Time to act. Get active on the local level. And for now, job one is to vote Obama out.
Next, vote in all the Republicans and libertarian and Tea Party people possible. Let the main stream R's know business as usual is not acceptable.