As the Western United States is experiencing over 100 fires, and the President of the United States, instead of talking about the heroism, and hard work of the fire fighters, made the California fires about himself, while tweeting something incredibly stupid:
Governor Jerry Brown must allow the Free Flow of the vast amounts of water coming from the North and foolishly being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Can be used for fires, farming and everything else. Think of California with plenty of Water - Nice! Fast Federal govt. approvals.
Not only was that incoherent, he’s attacking California, because he doesn’t like that California is imposing its own fuel standards. If they were to do so, this would cause auto companies to have to make such vehicles, in order to get into the important market that is California. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, had his own insane theory for the forest fires. Does he blame climate change? Does he claim it’s because of decades of Forest Service practices that has prevented natural forest fires from occurring? Nope, he’s got a better answer. Radical environmentalists!
In an interview with KCRA 3, in California, Secretary of Interior said:
I’ve heard the climate change argument back and forth. This has nothing to do with climate change. This has to do with active forest management. The extreme environmentalists that again have shut down public access, they talk about habitat, and yet they’re willing to let it burn up.
Amy Goodman interviewed Ben Lefebvre, an energy reporter for Politico, where he has written stories about Ryan Zinke’s corruption. Being asked about investigations looking into Zinke’s actions, Lefebvre replied:
Correct. He has had investigations almost from the start with his travel, use of charter planes and going to political fundraisers during travel that were put about by his official role as secretary. So he has had quite a number of investigations. It almost averages out like one to two per month of his tenure there.
Another thing Lefebvre points out, Montana in recent years had a wild fire at Glacier National Park. Ryan Zinke and other Republican’s in the state of Montana use the term “radical environmentalism” as a “political dog whistle” to those who might be sympathetic to people like the Bundy’s. “There has been speculation that Zinke may run for governor of Montana in 2020, so this might be a way for him to use a bullhorn to perk the ears up of those folks,” said Lefebvre.
Ryan Zinke’s claim that the cause of wildfires are caused by “radical environmentalism” is wrong on three counts:
As though any form of radical environmentalism, or radical environmentalists have any control over any form of power. Just look at what the Democratic party just did, by saying “I know we said we wouldn’t take fossil fuel money, but we are.” The idea that environmentalism has any power in politics is an absurd notion for anyone with any common sense. The only reason we have deer is because deer is the only thing hunters and environmentalists can agree on.
If Zinke is so worried about how to deal with wildfires, he should ask his boss why his administration is going to cut the funding to fire research in the 2019 budget? If dealing with wildfires in the most appropriate way, he should be asking his boss for money.
The reason why Zinke blames it on “radical environmentalism” isn’t because he cares about the natural world in anyway, and more specifically, the protection of public land. Which lends credence to his reaching out for those sympathetic to ranchers like the Bundy’s.
According to Politico, Ryan Zinke is making deals while in government that shows Trump’s administration is the swamp:
A foundation established by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and headed by his wife is playing a key role in a real-estate deal backed by the chairman of Halliburton, the oil-services giant that stands to benefit from any of the Interior Department’s decisions to open public lands for oil exploration or change standards for drilling.
Trump supporters won’t care, because using the government to enrich yourself and your friends is the Russian way, and the Republican party is the Russian Party, you know, for white cronies.
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