Coincidence or otherwise, just one day after a story linked Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) with the “range war” involving a Nevada cattle rancher’s battle with the Bureau of Land Management, its “troops” --- including snipers among 200 armed agents --- suddenly pulled out of Bunkerville, 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, notes Grumpy Editor.
It could explain why the Senate majority leader was conspicuously quiet during the week-long standoff in the state he represents.
The focus was on rancher Cliven Bundy’s 908 cattle grazing on 1,200 square miles of remote mountains and desert managed by BLM and the National Park Service. Since 1870, the Bundy family’s herd has been grazing on that Clark County land.
The cattle roundup originally was triggered by supposed endangerment of the desert tortoise. Then the emphasis was on Bundy not paying grazing fees for 20 years, putting the amount owed at more than $1 million. (NOTE: A tally by Grumpy Editor finds that based on the current federal grazing fee of $1.35 a month per head and figuring 900 cattle, the annual fee would total $14,580.)
Then on Friday, a story by Kit Daniels on Alex Jones’ Infowars.com site proclaimed: Breaking: Sen. Harry Reid Behind BLM Land Grab of Bundy Ranch
Daniels wrote, “Deleted from BLM.gov but reposted for posterity by the Free Republic, the BLM document entitled ‘Cattle Trespass Impacts’ directly states that Bundy’s cattle ‘impacts’ solar development, more specifically the construction of ‘utility-scale solar power generation facilities’ on ‘public lands’.”
Daniels pointed out, “Back in 2012, the New American reported that Harry Reid’s oldest son, Rory Reid, was the chief representative for a Chinese energy firm planning to build a $5-billion solar plant on public land in Laughlin, Nevada.” (That proposed facility on Clark County land later was shelved.) See Daniels’ full story here.
Rory Reid is a former chairman of the Clark County Commission.
Soon after the Infowars story hit the Internet, BLM director Neil Kornze said: "Based on information about conditions on the ground, and in consultation with law enforcement, we have made a decision to conclude the cattle gather because of our serious concern about the safety of employees and members of the public.”
Just last week, with the protest and cattle roundup under way, the U.S. Senate confirmed the BLM post of native Nevadan Kornze --- who earlier worked on public lands issues in Sen. Reid’s office.
The cattle were being returned to Bundy after the week-long “bullying” by the feds. Cost to taxpayers: between $1 million and $3 million.
In case you missed these…
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MENTION ‘PING’ AND NEWSROOM GETS EXCITED. CNN yesterday was on day 36 of almost continuous coverage of the vanished Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with on-screen headlines:
New developments
Search area expands for missing plane
STICKER SHOCK LOOMS AT THE MEAT COUNTER. Allied with the Nevada “range war” (detailed above) and underscoring importance of the U.S. raising more cattle, backyard barbecue chefs and restaurant owners are facing the highest beef prices in almost three decades. A dwindling number of cattle and growing export demand from countries such as China and Japan have caused the average retail cost of fresh beef to climb to $5.28 a pound in February, up almost a quarter from January and the highest price since 1987.
ONLINE OPERATION TO ACQUIRE ALASKA’S LARGEST DAILY. Alaska Dispatch Publishing LLC, the parent company of the online Alaska Dispatch, said it will purchase the Anchorage Daily News from The McClatchy Co. for $34 million. The sale is expected to close in May.
HOUSE RENOVATION UNCOVERS VINTAGE NEWSPAPERS. Old newspapers filled with history were found under layers of old siding at a Nashua, N.H. house. Duplicating a time capsule, readable editions of the defunct Nashua Telegraph and Boston Post dated back to August, 1922.
