Koch-Backed Group Calls For No More National Parks

[n2doc]

Just in time for the Fourth of July — when millions of people across the country will visit America’s national parks and other public lands — the Koch brothers are rolling out their latest campaign against these treasured places: pushing for no more national parks.

In an op-ed published in Tuesday’s New York Times, Reed Watson, the executive director at the Koch-backed Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), along with a research associate at the Center, call for no more national parks, citing the backlog in maintenance for existing parks.

“True conservation is taking care of the land and water you already have, not insatiably acquiring more and hoping it manages itself,” the op-ed reads. “Let’s maintain what we’ve already got, so we can protect it properly,” it concludes.

While the authors seem to push for “true conservation” from the federal government, in reality, PERC has a long history of advocating for the privatization of America’s national parks and other public lands, and has significant ties to the Koch brothers and fossil fuel industries.

more

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/03/3676816/happy-fourth-no-more-national-parks/

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Geez who woulda thunk these Koch Boys would

be the major money behind all of the States Privatizing Federal Lands. Duh!!!

[Journeyman]

2. So don't acquire more and struggle to maintain it, leave it be so Corpos can ravage it . . .

then when they're done, what's left won't be worth saving so "everyone wins."

[Warpy]

3. The arrogance is utterly mind boggling

They're trying to tell us that rich old men in 3 piece suits can manage clean water better than the earth itself can?

The whole point of national parks is to keep their mitts off it so that the ecosystem has a chance to regulate, the water and air clear, plant life and wildlife to rebound.

Apparently these old bastards think fracking rigs improve all that stuff.

[awoke_in_2003]

23. No, they don't think that...

they don't care about improvement- only profit.

[PowerToThePeople]

4. Earth took care of itself for billions of years before humans arrived

I think the parks will manage just fine without our privatized "conservation."

[liberal N proud]

5. They want the land for their own gain.

Oil and mining and logging.

[samsingh]

6. another example of repug double speak

it means nothing and is full of lies.

[hifiguy]

7. Those unspeakable greedhead shitheels are a clear and present danger

to the future of this country and humanity itself.

[C_U_L8R]

8. Mmmm trees.

Just think of all the crappy Koch toilet paper they could make.

The klown brothers are a blight on the planet !

[n2doc]

13. illustrated

[Initech]

9. Why haven't these greedy scumbags been locked up yet?

[HereSince1628]

10. Sounds about right for pirate capitalism...deny government resources to do the job

and then argue because they don't do the job, the resources should be turned over to private hands.

How many times do we have to see this before we grasp it is the modus operandi?

[FiveGoodMen]

11. I can't say what should happen to 'people' like that

(but it should)

[QED]

12. Maybe if the Koch's and their ilk paid their taxes

instead of hiding profits offshore the US could afford to maintain the parks.

[Kablooie]

14. And then Rand Paul will declare all states are sovereign...

And not under control of the federal government.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141135536

It sounds like essentially they want to eliminate the United States and break into 50 small independent countries.

What fine patriotic Americans they are.

[n2doc]

16. Divide and conquer

Given what they have done in Wisconsin and Kansas, unfettered Kochdom would be hells on earth. States not under their sway would have to limit immigration.

[Kablooie]

19. Yeah. Don't let all those immigrant rapists in from Wisconsin and Kansas.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.

[tymorial]

17. Let’s maintain what we’ve already got

“True conservation is taking care of the land and water you already have, not insatiably acquiring more and hoping it manages itself,” the op-ed reads. “Let’s maintain what we’ve already got, so we can protect it properly,” it concludes. "
---
Any puke complaining about insatiable acquisition is so outrageous to be laughable. What they really want is available land to frack and drill. Protect it properly means putting fences around their oil wells.

[Solly Mack]

18. K&R

[brer cat]

20. K&R

[dmr]

21. PBS needs to replay Ken Burns' documentary on our parks.

http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

Americans need reminding why we have them and its incalculable value to each of us and to our children's children's children.

Fuck the Koch and their Bircher ways.

[etherealtruth]

22. + infinity