Penry puts principle first on Pinon Canyon

Recently, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman opined in the Colorado Statesman that Republican gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry is “anti-military" for being against the U.S. Army’s proposed Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site expansion. I realize that the game for cronies in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, is to cover for each other, and former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis is Josh Penry’s biggest GOP rival in the upcoming election for governor. However, Rep. Coffman’s remarks were overboard, inaccurate, and more like one of the political stratagems of his opposition. I like Mike. He is a Facebook friend and fellow veteran, but he is dead wrong. I have two sons in harms’ way in the now-undeclared global war on terrorism. I am also a VA-rated 70 percent disabled Vietnam veteran and a member in good standing of the Special Forces Association, Special Operations Association, DAV, VFW, American Legion and Military Writers Society of America. There is no way in the world that I would ever support anybody for any office who is anti-military in any way, shape or form. I am very proud that I am also the campaign manager for Josh Penry in Fremont County...read more

Quail Unlimited faces bleak financial outlook

Quail Unlimited, the nation's largest conservation group devoted to bobwhite quail, has shut its doors, furloughed its 24 remaining employees and put its national headquarters in Edgefield, S.C., up for sale to resolve what board members say are catastrophic financial problems. "It is bleak," said Bill Bowles, a member of the organization's national board of directors and an officer on the board's executive committee for financial matters." On Oct. 27th we realized we couldn't make payroll for the 31st. How do you ask someone to stay when you can't pay them?" The organization, founded in 1981, has about 30,000 members and an annual budget just shy of $6 million that is generated from sponsors, banquets and fundraising programs nationwide. Although conservation groups everywhere are struggling with declining membership and the impacts of an economic downturn, the problems at Quail Unlimited were compounded by internal strife and a lack of communication with the volunteer board of directors, which meets just twice a year, Bowles said. "The financial position of the organization was in a steady decline," he said. "We were reaching critical mass and it is hard for a board of very, very smart businessmen to give guidance and leadership to a nonprofit conservation organization if the board is not shown accurate financial data."...read more

Oil, gas permit fees jump 62 percent

The fee to process federal oil and gas applications for permits to drill increased this month from $4,000 per application to $6,500. The fee hike was part of the 2010 Department of Interior appropriations bill enacted into law on Oct. 30. The fee took effect Nov. 2. Bureau of Land Management officials said money generated by fees for applications for permits to drill constitutes a reimbursement to the U.S. Treasury for the estimated cost of processing the applications. The fees were first established in 2005, set at $4,000. Bruce Hinchey, president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming, said he spoke with one oil and gas producer who submitted several applications to the BLM last week and was shocked to hear that the fee had increased. "It doesn't take very many of those to add up. It's pretty costly," Hinchey said. [link]

Federal dollars used to bankroll environmental lawsuits

According to research by a Wyoming-based law firm, over the last 15 years a small number of environmental organizations have filed at least 1,596 lawsuits against the federal government. Based on the information we've seen, it appears that many environmental groups have created a virtual litigation industry using this government-funded program to bankroll their lawsuits against the federal government. Under the guise of "public interest," some environmental organizations are abusing the congressional intent of EAJA. Over the years, these groups have been able to force the federal government to pay out billions of dollars for attorney fees and costs. Lawsuits filed by these groups target the livelihood of hardworking Americans who are forced to pay for both sides of the ensuing legal dispute. Costly as it is, a rancher must intervene on the side of federal agencies to defend his or her way of life against the attack of the initial suit. That same rancher (and every other unsuspecting taxpayer) is then forced to support the environmentalist agenda and the litigation industry with tax dollars. It appears increasingly likely that this act, intended to give all Americans the ability to seek redress from their government, has been co-opted as a vehicle for some environmental organizations and their teams of lawyers to target natural-resource agencies, public lands and public-land users. Most importantly, the families and small businesses who represent the heritage and traditions of the true pioneer spirit are clearly in the cross hairs...read more

Federal land closures trample social fabric

American human species are threatened, and attacks against our habitats of survival, which historically have supported American families, are at crisis level, in this “land of the free.” Astoundingly, our tax dollars fund much of the war against our cultures and our families. In a time of deep recession, a time in which millions of jobless Americans frantically seek ways to feed their families, this land grab will force Americans into confined spaces — all in the name of environmentalism. It matters not that billions of dollars, generated by the outdoor industry, will disappear. Yeah. Let’s close these forests and desert areas. This is really a good time in our history to be brainless. Those fighting the “Travel Management Plan” implementation say more than two-thirds of America’s back country roads are registered for closure. Vacationing families will be funneled into confined camp spaces, manned by toll gates, just like in Yosemite National Park. When the campgrounds are full, the overflow will be sent on their way. Watch this group. Citizens for Multiple Land Use and Access (www.cmlua.com) was formed three years ago to take on Goliath. Its web site gives important background and maps. Note the roads to be closed that are in black ink, samples of the nationwide plan...read more

Earning an Eagle by stopping cattle

When Hunter Hassell of Bend was a fifth-grader at Lava Ridge Elementary, his teacher, Ryan Shaffer, taught the class about the importance of watersheds and clean water. So when it came time for Hunter, now 13 and a seventh-grader at Sky View Middle School, to earn his Eagle Scout Badge, “I didn't want to do something that's just sort of ordinary, like putting up a flagpole,” he said Tuesday. Recalling Shaffer's lessons, he decided he wanted to earn his badge doing something water-related. Hunter called Trout Unlimited and learned about a remote natural spring near Mitchell, located northeast of Prineville. “Basically, cattle had been getting into this spring and making the water dirty with their fecal material, and they'd been punching holes in the bottom of the spring by stepping in it,” he explains. The spring is located about 50 feet from the headwaters of Jackson Creek, which feeds into Deep Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Crooked River. The holes around the spring caused the water temperature to creep upward, affecting the ability of redband trout to spawn there, “so it's also making it harder for them,” he adds. Hunter planned the project, which entailed placing a box over the spring and running a pipe to a large trough, with the help of Paul Smith and Bob Lightley of the Paulina Ranger District of the Ochoco National Forest...read more

Indian reservation land used for pot farms

Drug cartels are increasingly using Indian lands across the United States to cultivate marijuana, authorities say. Illegal marijuana farms, mostly operated by gangs with ties to Mexico, are spreading quickly, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The U.S. Forest Service found farms in 61 national forests across 16 states this year -- up from 49 farms in 10 states last year, the newspaper said. Pot farms have sprung up on public land in Alabama, Virginia , Michigan and Colorado, officials said. In Washington state, tribal police confiscated more than 233,000 pot plants on Indian land last year, almost 10 times as much as in 2006. Police are discovering marijuana farms on reservations from California to South Dakota. "These criminal organizations are growing in Indian country at an alarming rate. The growers on our reservation were sent directly from Mexico," Warm Springs, Ore., Police Chief Carmen Smith said...read more

Navajo artisans hit by recession at annual sale

William Whitehair, a Navajo weaver, usually sells out of his intricately designed rugs each fall during the Navajo Rug Show at Deer Valley Resort. But not this year. He still had several rugs for sale in his booth Sunday afternoon. "It has been real slow," said Whitehair, who lives in the small Navajo community called Big Mountain. The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression affected sales of the handmade rugs, as well as jewelry and crafts at the 20th annual show Sunday. Fewer people are willing to pay from $100 to as much as $15,000 for a hand-woven piece of art, artisans said. While the show itself was crowded much of the weekend, crafts people said actual sales -- especially of higher-priced items -- were markedly down from previous years...read more

Adobe is his passion, tool for preservation

Adobe buildings tell David Yubeta their stories … and he listens. Yubeta is the adobe whisperer (aka historic preservation specialist) at Tumacacori National Historical Park near Tubac. Stabilizing and preserving the church is part of Yubeta's job, but when he talks about adobe, it's clear it is his passion. Catch Yubeta in his element — inside the mission at the park. He explains that the perfect mix for adobe is 25 percent clay and 75 percent sand. He talks about the different types of adobe, sun dried and fired. He touches the walls reverently and points to different areas in the church. His words move beyond the realm of interpretive talk into poetry. "Adobe is a noble material. It needs to twist, to move and to dance," Yubeta says. An adobe building needs to breathe, he says, and patching it with cement or glue inhibits that natural process...read more

Fight in Dog Canyon cost Fort Bliss 3 troopers

Back during the early days, when Fort Bliss was Downtown, word arrived that Apaches had stolen several head of cattle plus three mules from San Elizario. So on Jan. 31, 1859, Lt. Henry M. Lazelle and 30 men from Company D left Fort Bliss. After riding 20 miles to San Elizario, they were joined by a guide and an interpreter. The Indians now had a three-day start, heading north on what was known during those days as the "Old Salt Trail." But riding hard, they covered 165 miles in seven days, finally arriving at the entrance of Dog Canyon, 12 miles south of present-day Ala mo gordo. Here the soldiers cocked their wea pons, spurred their horses, and rode a little quicker. For 2 miles, Company D followed a winding, rock-strewn trail, a narrow and treacherous pathway oftentimes forcing the soldiers to dismount, and at other times to squeeze by single file while remaining on horseback. Before long, every man at the ready, the troopers emerged onto a broad plain surrounded by high mountains. Facing them were 30 armed Apaches, the Indians raising a white flag and asking to talk. All discussions were fruitless, however, so later that night Lazelle led 22 men to where he could see the Indian encampment, and perhaps devise a strategy for attack. That was the good news. The bad news was that the Apaches not only outnumbered the troopers 3-1, they also had control of the high ground...read more

Song Of The Day #176

Ranch Radio is aware of the reports that Americans aren't saving enough, and is very aware of Congress's profligate spending. Everyone could take a lesson from Dave Bennett, especially the politicians. Here is Uncle Eck Dunford telling you about The Savingest Man On Earth.

The recording is availabe on the 4 disc collection of various artists titled Serenade in the Mountains.

After listening you will understand why my chewing tobacco is always Grade 2 - Sharon insists on having the first crack at it.

Stimulus spending causes irritated bowel syndrome

Harold Harmon is a very wise and funny man. He writes:

Today, class, we will discuss the success of the $787 BILLION stimulus bill. This bill is our government's gift to all of us to jerk our economy off the bottom-feeder list. First, a little perspective. A billion is a bunch of dollars. Therefore, $787 billion is 787 times as many dollars. Second, we need to fully understand the meaning of stimulus. The dictionary defines stimulus as: a goad, sting, torment, pang, spur, incentive: 1 — something that rouses or incites to action or increased action; incentive: 2 — any action or agent that causes or changes an activity in an organism, organ, or part, as something that excites an end organ, starts a nerve impulse, activates a muscle, etc. What we have, then, is a bunch of money intended to do good things and help people. Tremendous in theory, not so much in reality. IF YOU READ or watch the news, you probably know about the list of projects financed by the stimulus spending. If you know about it, we’ll pause here while you puke. If you somehow don’t know about it, read on. These items are a matter of public record...

Mr. Harmon does propose a stimulus project of his own, and as it turns out, it is one I can wholeheartedly endorse:

An industrial-strength cattle prod judiciously applied to sensitive areas of the government goons who dreamed up this stimulus spending.

Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

A prickly situation

By Julie Carter

There he was, standing in all his glory, and his underwear, with his glow-in-the-dark white skin glaring in the late afternoon sun.

His spindly cowboy legs were still in his boots and his hat and sunglasses were in their places.

He was holding his clothes in his right hand and a set of broken bridle reins in the other.

His wife had been doing chores at home. That was the deal.

With 23 head of horses on the place, give or take a few depending if anyone had hauled any off to the sale, or drug a few home, there was never any shortage of work to be done - feeding or riding.

Each afternoon she takes on the feeding duty while he saddles up a young, green horse to put some miles on before sunset.

It is a good life for them, but it also keeps any dull moments from finding their way to the ranch.

The wife looked up from her work when a pretty bay Hancock filly came in a high lope up the road, still wearing a saddle but without the reins on the headstall and worse yet, without her rider.

Trying not to let fear overcome her, the wife ignored the alarms going off in her heart and in her head. She and the ever-present dog jumped on the Polaris Ranger and zoomed off to find the missing cowboy on the mountain.

Calling his name as she searched the hillsides, she soon heard him holler back at her. As she drove up on the scene, her first words were, "What in the hell are you doing?"

This, by the way, is a phrase of standard dialogue if you are married to a cowboy and one that both parties will use with wild abandon.

There is no good answer to that question in a situation like this, but the cowboy gave it his best effort.

"The filly spooked and when she jumped, I hung a spur in her accidentally," he said "She really went to bucking, and was really getting with it. Then all of a sudden, a rein snapped."

"I tried to pull her around with the other rein to get her stopped," he said. "But it broke, too. Then she was really getting with it and well, she just flat bucked me off."

His wife was obviously concerned for him, as he wasn't a kid anymore and those hard landings take their toll. However, she was somewhat more concerned about why he was standing there on the hillside half naked.

Asking about the obvious seemed called for. "So why are you walking home naked?"

"She bucked me off in a prickly pear cactus," he said as he turned to reveal millions of cactus spears sticking in the backside of his body.

It took his wife and daughter the better part of six hours to tweeze the cactus spines out of his back, arm, leg, head and other assorted assaulted spots.

The pain finally did subside.

However, the humiliation of his plight over those broken bridle reins will last for as long as anyone remembers the story. I'm just doing my part.

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net

Joe Delk Is Everywhere

All year he's been using his fiddle to spread the word and raise money for good causes. All those Cowboy Dinner & Dances to protect our rural way of life and, of course, The Cowboys For Cancer Research. Here's one you may not know about: He was invited to play The Star Bangled Banner at the final performance of the PRCA Turquoise Circuit Finals. Just Joe solo on his fiddle. It was a beautiful, patriotic rendering that really stirred the crowd.

Song Of The Day #175

Today's Gospel tune is Wonderful, Beautiful Place by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. It's available on their The Gospel Collection CD.

Can Prosecutors Be Sued By People They Framed?

Do prosecutors have total immunity from lawsuits for anything they do, including framing someone for murder? That is the question the justices of the Supreme Court face Wednesday. On one side of the case being argued are Iowa prosecutors who contend "there is no freestanding right not to be framed." They are backed by the Obama administration, 28 states and every major prosecutors organization in the country. On the other side are two black men — Terry Harrington and Curtis McGhee — men who served 25 years in prison before evidence long hidden in police files resulted in them being freed. Harrington struck up a friendship with the prison barber, who petitioned for the police records in his case. According to defense lawyers, those records not only disclosed how police and prosecutors had coached Hughes until his story matched the facts, and how other witnesses were coerced into lying, but that the records also showed that police and prosecutors had withheld evidence that pointed to another suspect. But even after 25 years in prison, Harrington never gave up. In 2003, armed with the newly disclosed police records, he petitioned the Iowa Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction as well as McGhee's, and concluded that the star witness was a "liar and perjurer." Since then, all the witnesses have recanted...read more

Putting a forcefield around green ideas

He’s a staple of office life: the penny-pincher checking that colleagues aren’t using too much paper or drinking more than their fair share of instant coffee. Now, anyone who shows open contempt for a colleague who does these things in the name of upholding ‘sustainable office practices’ or caring for the environment can be deemed prejudicial, and green workers can take their bosses to court if they feel they’ve been discriminated against because of their environmental convictions. A British court ruling this week by Mr Justice Michael Burton stated that ‘a belief in man-made climate change… is capable, if genuinely held, of being a philosophical belief for the purpose of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations Act’. This signals that discrimination on the basis of green views is as unacceptable as sexism, racism or religious prejudice. How long before we see the term ‘envirophobia’ to describe people who dislike greens?...read more

Woman Sues Facebook for Privacy Violations

The 25-year-old homemaker from Dallas County, Texas, said she made the discovery last year when she rented the 1985 adventure film "The Jewel of the Nile," starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito. She said an alert appeared on her Facebook profile detailing the transaction. As a result, Harris filed two lawsuits — one against Blockbuster last year and one against Facebook last month. The suits claim a partnership between the two companies allowed Blockbuster to send Harris' movie-renting habits to Facebook without fair opportunity to opt out. At the heart of the suit is Facebook's controversial Beacon system, essentially a tracking flag that follows you across a network of sites and reports back to Facebook on your activity. For consumers, it's a way to share more information about your daily activity; for advertisers, it's a way to learn a great deal more about an individual. Following public outcry over the system in late 2007, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicly apologized for the Beacon system, noting that "the problem with our initial approach of making it an opt-out system instead of opt-in was that if someone forgot to decline to share something, Beacon still went ahead and shared it with their friends." Facebook's policy has been changed, but Harris' lawsuit alleges that whether a consumer opts in or out, Beacon is a violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act. That piece of law prevents a company from disclosing information about a customer's rental habits without their knowledge; the suit alleges that Beacon still transfers information, it just doesn't display it...read more

Fed’s Search of Twittering Anarchist Upheld

Federal authorities can resume combing through the notebooks, memory cards and computers of a twittering anarchist being investigated for violating an anti-rioting law, a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled Monday. U.S. district court judge Dora L. Irizzary found no reason to throw out the government’s search of the home of a 41-year old social worker who used the micro-publishing service Twitter to help anti-globalization protestors at the recent G-20 convention, clearing the way for the feds to look through the evidence they collected. Madison and his attorney sought to have his possessions returned unexamined, on the grounds the search violated his constitutional rights to free speech. The Joint Terrorism Task Force raided Elliott Madison’s house in a dawn raid on October 1, seizing myriad computers, unpublished manuscripts, phones and books from the social worker, his urban planner wife and his housemates. The materials were seized as evidence in a federal grand jury investigation of whether Madison violated a rarely-used federal statute that makes it a crime to help rioters...read more

Ammo sales, prices skyrocket

U.S. firearms owners have bought an estimated 12 billion rounds of ammunition during the past year, gun industry analysts said. The figure far outstrips the 7 billion to 10 billion rounds sold in a typical year, The Washington Post reported Monday. The spike in sales began when people started to take seriously warnings from the gun lobby that with Democrats controlling the White House and Congress there would be new restrictions on gun ownership, the newspaper said. As consumers stepped up purchases, supplies tightened, prices went up and a shortage developed. The shortage has begun to ebb and gun-control advocates are expressing concern about the record amount of stockpiled ammunition, the Post said...read more