Congressman Has Plan To Force Bundy Militants, Not Taxpayers, To Foot Bill For Occupation

The occupation of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Preserve continues to drag on, at an ever-rising cost to the local community. Now, Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has introduced legislation to make sure the rural Oregon community doesn’t end up footing the bill. If enacted, H.R.4431 would require the federal government to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies for security costs above their standard budget incurred during the threat to the Malheur preserve — which is federal, not state or local, land. Then Congressman Blumenauer wants the government to send the bill to the Bundys. Although Blumenauer’s bill would have the federal government immediately reimburse the state and local agencies, section 2 of Blumenauer’s bill would allow the attorney general to sue the occupiers for the cost after the federal government reimburses the local agencies. “It is not just enough to enforce the law. We should recover damages from lawbreakers who tear up the landscape, degrade wildlife habitat, and destroy property,” Blumenauer said in his address to Congress. And, if the Government were to give up the land for some reason, Blumenauer points out that it shouldn’t go to people like the Bundys. Instead, Native Americans ought to be “first in line.”...more 

Let's make sure Blumenthal's concept also applies to Occupy Wall Street and the whole Occupy Movement.  Urban occupiers should foot the bill also.  The law should also have a self-enforcing provision such as the Equal Access To Justice Act to make sure the provision is enforced.