New Mexico county officially tells USFS to stick it

[Brad Johnson]

Otero County, NM, commissioners' unanimous vote for county sheriff to breach a fence erected by the USFS.

http://www.westernjournalism.com/county-just-voted-disregard-federal-government/

I'm honestly beginning to think that Nevada was the tipping point.

Brad

[Ron]

Otero County, NM, commissioners' unanimous vote for county sheriff to breach a fence erected by the USFS.

http://www.westernjournalism.com/county-just-voted-disregard-federal-government/

I'm honestly beginning to think that Nevada was the tipping point.

Brad

Tipping point?

More like death tremors.

The government can just back off and use any of several other tools in the box o'opression. Que the IRS and the other agencies to send forth their swarms of agents.

All the Fed has to do is tie the Federal money going to the state to the states enforcing these Federal dictates and they've effectively divided the opposition. I can see a future where these counties will be isolated in their states due to the teat feeding the state government being pulled away until there is compliance. Probably dozens of ways they can accomplish their goals without overt use of force. 

[Tallpine]

By the highway bridge that arched the wash ...

[Balog]

Like Ron said, I'll take the states standing up to the Feds more seriously when they implement a budget plan to deal with not getting any federal money. This strikes me as red meat grandstanding to buy votes. Very symbolic and all but ultimately pointless.

[Brad Johnson]

With states, maybe. Local municipalities are well and truly fed up with the intrusion because it affects them directly on a day-to-day quality of life basis.

 That's what I meant by "tipping point".  Locals taking action directly rather than waiting for their state/fed reps to do anything.  Enough stuff like this and you begin to see real changes occurring at state levels.  Nevada didn't paint the picture, but it sure brought it into sharp focus.

Brad

[roo_ster]

A spokesperson for the federal agency explained the fence was erected a number of years ago to protect an endangered species of mouse.

"In addition to authorizing the sheriff to breach the fence, the local gov't is buying a trailer load of anti-rodent traps, devices, and poisons.  Why, we can not imagine."