Utah Activist Disrupts Sale of Leases for Drilling - Hosed 'Em

[bigtree]

December 20, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An environmental activist disrupted an auction of oil and gas drilling leases Friday by bidding up parcels of land by hundreds of thousands of dollars with no intention of paying for them, a federal official said.

The process was thrown into chaos and the bidding halted for a time before the auction was closed, with 116 parcels totaling 148,598 acres having sold for $7.2 million plus fees.

“He’s tainted the entire auction,” said Kent Hoffman, deputy state director for the federal Bureau of Land Management in Utah.

Mr. Hoffman said buyers had 10 days to reconsider and withdraw their bids if they thought they had paid too much.

The activist, Tim DeChristopher, a 27-year-old University of Utah economics student, said he had accomplished his goal of disrupting the auction.

Mr. DeChristopher won the bidding on 13 parcels, auction records show, and drove up the price of several others.

Some bidders said they were forced to bid thousands of dollars more for their parcels, while others said they were angry over lost bids.

“We were hosed,” said Jason Blake of Park City, a consulting geologist who was outbid on a 320-acre parcel . . .


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/us/21drilling.html?pagewanted=print

[Vanje]

1. Tim DeChristopher. Thank you!

Hero

[babylonsister]

2. Wow, excellent! nt

[gratuitous]

3. They like their environmental rape cheap in Utah

People subverting the entire process of corporate aggrandizement at public expense. It's an outrage, I tells ya!

[bertman]

4. Hose, Baby, Hose!!!! Recc.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

5. Great job!!

:bounce:

[DeSwiss]

6. Excellent!

- K&R!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Disrupt, Baby, Disrupt!!

Love it!!

[Swamp Rat]

8. Ehggsellent!!

:D

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Now THAT'S civil disobedience.

[Bobbieo]

10. I do believe Robert Redford has filed a law suit against the Administration.

on this case.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Go Robert!

[jetphixer]

12. WE NEED STUFF LIKE THIS

Next auction we need a crew ready to go if we are going to beat these folks at all If we had thought early enough and got registered drove the bids right through the roof. Origination is what we need be pro active vs this reactive If we are going to accomplish anything with this bunch of Bush asses and this stuff is not over yet!!!!!

[grateful581]

13. Thank you Tim Dechristopher !

Link to Tim Dechristopher blog
http://oneutah.org/2008/12/20/why-i-disrupted-a-fraudulent-auction/">one utah

Here is where you can donate to Tim's Legal defense
http://www.wateradvocacy.org/">Center for Water Advocacy

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67983060464"> Facebook group to support Tim Dechristopher

[annabanana]

14. Disrupt! Delay! The cavalry is coming...

As of December 21, 2008 at 21:49:42 EST, Dubya will be in office for another:
0.080 years or
1.04 months or
4.16 weeks or
29.09 days or
698.2 hours or
41,890.3 minutes or
2,513,418 seconds


He has 1.99% of his term left.

[lonestarnot]

15. Nice! K & R!