On today’s BradCast, the fallout from the James Comey firing swirl further out of control, as I suspect it will for quite some time, while other disturbing Administration policies move forward with much less focus from either media or Congress. One such policy is Trump’s recent Executive Order calling for the dismantling of National Monuments — “public land grabs” and “outrageous abuses of power”, as he has taken to incorrectly describing them — on behalf of corporate drilling and mining interests. [Audio link to show follows below.]
The madness of King Donald continues to devolve at now breakneck speeds, as the White House and an increasingly enraged Trump continue their unsustainable spinning, flip-flopping and nonsensical rants concerning the President’s sudden firing of the FBI Director earlier this week under an obviously phony pretext. The need to create fresh lies to cover up older ones is also creating fresh perils for those foolish enough to enter Trump’s orbit, like Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. So, we’ve got the latest on all of that, including an interesting suggestion for Comey’s permanent replacement, a bit of pushback from his Acting replacement, and some ill-considered admissions about the entire affair by Trump himself.
Meanwhile, as Trump keeps digging, and the media and Congress continue (justifiably) to obsess about and investigate it all, the Administration’s other corrupt policy measures move forward with measurably less attention. Among those efforts is the unprecedented attempt to roll back National Monument designations by the three previous Presidents, including the Obama-designated Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah.
In response to an Executive Order signed in April, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is touring the area this week, where more than 1 million acres of land that is sacred to Native Americans and home to tens of thousands of archaeological sites, including ancient cliff dwellings, are now being reviewed on behalf of Trump, Congressional Republicans and corporate fossil fuel interests.
Joining us today to describe the local, tribal efforts to protect these native public lands — and the Utah Congressional delegation’s efforts to undermine them (literally) — are Carleton Bowekaty, a Zuni Tribal councilman and co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, and Matthew Campbell, attorney with the Native American Rights Fund.
They both explain the reasons why the Antiquities Act of 1906 was invoked by President Obama to protect the lands; speak to some recent “extremely offensive” comments by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT); and the absurdity of Trump describing these designation of federal lands as national monuments as “federal land grabs”.
Finally today, Desi Doyen joins us for the Green News Report, with news on the Administration’s deliberations regarding the landmark UN Paris Climate Agreement, the latest on the nuclear emergency in Washington state, and much more…
CLICK TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD SHOW!…
[audio:http://bradblog.com/audio/BradCast_BradFriedman_ComeyFallout_CarletonBowekaty_MattCampbell_BearsEars_051117.mp3]
(Snail mail support to “Brad Friedman, 7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594 Los Angeles, CA 90028” always welcome too!)
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I’m from Emery County, Utah. Rural counties here in Utah are already 80% up to 92% public land. These are not sell off’s but continued access that has not changed since they instituted public lands. We have an additional ten of thousands of acres in Emery County which they call “wilderness Study Area” that is treated the same as a monument with limited access and we are deprived from established use and access.
I believe if people haven’t walked the ground they don’t deserve a say. So “Come on Visit Utah” you have killed our coal industry and economy of the county, so lets try “Tourism” but leave your motorhome at home and stay and eat in our facilities before they are all gone.
Brad, this kinda reminds me of the old Tea Party protests where you visited with some of the protesters and they didn’t have any idea of what they were protesting about.
Sorry, I’ll pull my head back into my shell. I Love this country despite what we have to endure and I believe the Sec of Interior will give it a fair shot and I will live with that decision. But, that has been two Democratic presidents who have on their way out kicked us in the teeth as they didn’t get our states vote. All we ask is for the opportunity to discuss first any impacts
Bruce –
Ya know I love ya, but nobody killed your coal industry other than the natural gas (fracking) industry and the coal industry itself (though automation, which killed the jobs). Of course, ya’ll have a LOT of sunlight in Utah, and could be investing in retraining those workers to install solar (which, along with other renewable energy, supplies far more good jobs — but some want to hang on to dirty, deadly coal, for their own reasons.)
As to having “walked the ground”, my guest Carleton Bowekaty, a tribal council-member who lives in or near Bears Ears, has certainly “walked the ground” there, and explained that they had, for years, being trying to work with the local government, which refused. They also point out how the National Monuments in question here (Bears Ears, in this case) were already federal lands. Either way, I’d hardly compare them to “Tea Party” protesters who “didn’t have any idea of what they were protesting about.”
Also, as you’ll hear on today’s show (if you haven’t had the chance to listen yet), Zinke is certainly given a fair shot, as he promised during his confirmation hearing, as I note today, not to sell off any public lands. We’ll see if that ends up being true or not.
Finally, as I also note on today’s show, the outdoor industry (which opposes rolling back Nat’l Monument status) is an $880 billion business. That money goes into the local economy, unlike the most of the money made by the dirty fossil fuel profiteers.
And, again, remember I love ya! No need to go back into your shell! 🙂
When I talk of protesters I look at the majority of those seen on TV. have they been there? I have been in San Juan County and it like our county by the sheer nature of the terrain will always remain wilderness and only remotely accessible. The BLM has restrictions covering most everything that have been in effect since the 1980’s including access. San Juan County only grew due to the oil boom back in the 1960’S , in which I was present again, and it hasn’t seemed to me all that detrimental.
I think most of us are naturalists and want to preserve our mountains and I don’t think a very large field of solar panels is not at all nice to look at. yes there are jobs in the beginning, but after they are built where do we go for work?
As for the dirty coal, your right and a it was essential at the time. From my home I see two large coal fired power plants and with the spin off jobs there are thousands of jobs dependent on them. They and the mines make at one tine over 85% of our tax base. The problem is that they cannot be converted to gas. And after we get them all rebuilt and converted to gas then watch your home fuel cost go up. Our power plants are extremely pollution free as possible and one is next door to me. I’m still not sure that “fracking” is the answer. it might be like the Ethanol and now problems of runoff etc.
The outdoor industry wanted to flex their muscle. why if they would have asked, nothing will change.
Now locked up in these monuments are thousands of acres called “School Trust Lands” set aside such that any development would financially help education in Utah.
So where is the proof that anything is being sold off other than those trust lands. The Indian Tribes more than any other agency, except maybe the federal government has benefitted from oil revenues surrounding that area, yes we could all go back to the horse and buggy. Indians in that area have some of the greatest poverty some rely on the coal fired plant near the Arizona border to support their families, talk to them.
Your good as usual while I just jump around on these issues, but I do a lot of watching and listening.
Let me leave it here:
1. I don’t like land being torn up (strip mining)
2.not sure about fracking and underground water
3. People from all over like to enjoy Utah and still will
4.There are a lot of people who get easily worked up and protest is part of our culture rather than find what works best now and the future
5 Presidents and government should talk first, we need to talk to locals
6.In the real world we cannot do as you replied in your 1st paragraph.
7. We all have Sacred things, I respect theirs but in truth burials probably cover most usable areas in this country.
lets have faith and study things out, this is all we are asking.
You are my best friend and we have been through a lot, and I’m not challenging you but try to understand what I’m poorly saying. thanks and best always to you and Desi. Love ya
You always taught me that there is sometimes something hidden in a issue and not to get distracted by all the hype, but that is your business. As Journalist when you now stick the knife in me, remember it also hurts when you pull it out to wipe off the blood, haha
By the way I believe I know what needs to go into a voting machine that you would be comfortable with and the country. it’s that “gut” feeling, but I need help This is really bigger than anything here!
I thought Gary Herbert’s plan was to have the big-bad-federal government give the lands back to Utah, but I was very surprised, when one of the news reports said Zinke has no plan to do that.
Haven’t heard a thing from Herbert on that little glitch, but I would feel a little punked if I were he, and all the other Utah politicians, standing there smiling next to Trump when he signed.
Personally, I think outside logging and oil interests are going to suck everything they can.
Bruce –
A long-ish reply. And if you prefer to pick it up via email, please feel free. But, as you had quite a few thoughts, I wanted to respond to them…
You wrote:
Oil and coal are killing the planet. And much more quickly than scientists predicted years ago. If it hasn’t seemed detrimental to you, it’s likely you haven’t read the science or spoken to climate scientists about the harm it is doing and the desperate need to get off fossil fuels and quickly.
Well, while I don’t mind looking at it. Given the terrain of so much of Utah, they can be built in places you’ll never have to look at it. Moreover, with residential rooftop solar, there needn’t be “very large fields” at all. And the renewable energy jobs will go on for as long as you can see, at this point. Coal, however, is dead, for all intents and purposes (And so will the planet be, if we keep burning it!)
But, your worries about looking at clean solar panels is odd, given what you say next….
So, you’re currently forced to look at two large, dirty, coal fired power plants (which means you’re also close enough to breathing in the toxins they generate), but you don’t want to look at “a very large field of solar panels”??? That seems odd to me.
“As possible” being the key there. Though, in truth, they could be cleaner, but for opposition from the industry profiteers. If one is next door to you, that’s even worse news, whether you can “see” it or not.
Fracking is certainly not the answer. It presents many dangers. Still, if it’s a choice between burning dirty coal and burning somewhat cleaner NatGas, the latter is better for both of us. But, if we’re smart, we’ll skip the fracking and run like hell towards ruinables. (Have I mentioned lately how much sun there is for FREE energy in Utah?)
A lot of people also rely on selling heroine to support their families. But I don’t know that it’s a good idea. You present a false choice (that we have to “go back to the horse and buggy” if we stop digging/burning coal). As we noted during the show, there are some of the tribal members who were against the National Monument declaration. And that’s fine. This isn’t about shutting anybody up.
Me neither! But that’s what the coal industry now does, since it’s much cheaper for them. It’s the only way they can compete with cheaper forms of energy like NatGas and, yes, now solar and wind in many cases!
Me neither! Let’s not do it.
I know I will and do!
Well, whether people are protesting or not (and they should be protesting MUCH more), the industry lobbyists pushing to roll back federal protections are doing so to line their pockets. Period. They are not doing it to help you. In fact, they will be hurting. They know that, and they do not care.
That’s why I did the show you’re responding to. The tribes are local and, I’m told, there was much effort to talk locally before action was finally taken to turn federal lands into federal National Monument lands.
Not sure what you referring to there, but if it’s retraining folks to install clean solar rather than kill us with dirty coal, it is already being done all over the world. Not sure why you continue to think we should still
kill whales to burn our lanterns, I mean, kill the planet and its people by burning coal.I’ll let you and the native Americans fight that one out. 🙂 (Though I suspect you wouldn’t want the coal industry building a power plant on or digging into your families cemeteries.)
“Faith” in what? As to the “study”, I’m all in favor. Though the studies done are all on the side of no more drilling or mining.
Love ya back! And, whether you’re challenging or not, is fine. Always happy to have the conversation.
No knives here at all, my friend. 🙂 And the only thing “hidden” that I’ve been able to find here, to date, is the hidden industry lobbyists (mostly from out of state) working to keep us all sick, so they, not you, can get rich.
Uh, oh. Now I really may have to get out some of those knives! 😉 — But, gimme a call and I’ll tell you why whatever idea you have won’t work. 😉