Tag Archives: Madeleine Pickens

The BLM from where I sit…






(Wow.  I’m going to get controversial AGAIN today.  Two days in a row.  I’m on a roll!)

IF I RAN MY COMPANY THE WAY THE BLM MANAGES THE WILD HORSE PROGRAM…

I’m not too happy with the BLM for several reasons.  However, my reasons may not be the most popular reasons to be upset with the BLM.

Basically, if I ran my company the way the BLM runs its Wild Horse and Burro Program, I would be run off the end of the plank.  I don’t think I would get 20 years to prove my plan might work someday and I am sure I wouldn’t get a pension for my accomplishments.  My bosses wouldn’t get to pay me for all of this “work”  without healthy consideration.  Heck, Ponzi schemes don’t hold a candle to what the BLM has spent since 1971… and where are we?

But, that isn’t the worst rub for me.  The worst rub is the mind melding.  It is like they are trying to be Spock with the Vulcan finger thing on the neck.

WHAT THEY WANT ME TO BELIEVE

I hate it when I am supposed to believe untruths when logic points me in another direction.

First of all, I have read up on just about everything you can read up on about the American wild horse situation.  And, I’ve attended several meetings of the BLM around this issue.  I cannot even tell you all the blah blah I was supposed to believe from these people who are working for me.  I felt like Donald Trump.  I wanted to stand up and yell, “You’re Fired!” to each and every one of them and their Swiss cheese arguments.

OK, off my soapbox and onto my logic cube.  In a nutshell, why did we (The People) vote for the

The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971
(Public Law 92-195)

if we didn’t mean it?

WHAT I BELIEVE

Now, the link I provided above (scroll over the bold Act title) shows the original Act and then all the changes thus far.  Hmmmmm.  I don’t remember voting on those… But that’s not my point.  My point is that the BLM is spending more than it has for this program to meet the needs of the codicils.  Furthermore, the reasoning for the changes makes no sense to me. Why can a large amount of cattle live on the land previously designated for the wild horse and burros who are said to be ruining this same land or not getting enough nutrition?  And, ultimately, why, BLM, are you over budget yet no closer to managing Public Law 92-195 as it was written?

Now, all I can deduce from the BLM’s actions is that they don’t want us to think.  Or, they want us to think their way.  Or, truly, they want us to make the beef lobbyists happy.

I know there are no more buffalo out there roaming about.  And, soon, there will be no wolves and other such nuisance animals.  But crimany, we voted for the protection of the wild horse.  Sheesh.  Don’t we get to decide if we’d rather be a fast food nation or a nation that supports the welfare of some of its history?

So, BLM, don’t lie to me.  We are thinking people and you doth protest too much and spend too much.  I smell a rat.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If you feel the desire to get into this effort, there is a wonderful, very fair, very solid and non-emotional woman who spends her time documenting, as an invited observer, to the BLM roundups and subsequent holding facilities – Elyse Gardner.   Here is her blog.  Also, if you want to help today, here are two things you can do (both links do different things) that take only a few minutes and no Starbucks money.  And, of course, if you want to join the movement, please visit Madeleine Pickens.  She has the wherewithall and the stamina to keep up the fight.  I stand behind both these courageous women.

I am taking a stand in this fight.  For me, not taking a stand doesn’t help either side.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE

On a brighter note, here is a picture of a wild and free thing I saw erupting on my property today.  Yes, it is exposed to the elements and yes there are other species around that need this space and yes it happens to be in the way of my walking path.  But, I prefer to gaze at it a while longer…




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An Interview with Rick Lamb of THE HORSE SHOW radio program and… Do you know Madeleine Pickens?






Good Morning!  Sorry I am late.  My Mother is visiting…

Today I wanted to share with you another interview HORSE AND MAN created with radio talk show host, Rick Lamb. This guy has it sweet!  He lives in Arizona, has his own recording studio (he does many things audio) and gets to produce a radio show of is own design which is all about horses.  Rick’s enterprise has really grown since we interviewed him.  You should check out his website.  Wow!  Lots of stuff going on.  Anyway, Rick has a passion like well… maybe yours truly… and he couldn’t be a nicer guy.  It is no wonder all his guests open up with him and give him great conversation.  Here is a link to our interview with Rick Lamb, radio talk show host

MADELEINE PICKENS

I also wanted to take this time to introduce you to Madeleine Pickens, if you don’t already know about her. She is fighting the US Gov’t (BLM) for the rights of the Wild Mustang.  I don’t want to get into the politics of the fight because it is very deep.  But, I do want to speak about her devotion and passion to save the Mustang – not to mention her tenacity!

Her game plan, in a nutshell, is that if the BLM doesn’t want to take care of the Mustang because it is too expensive to house the over 30,000 in holding pens and the wild ones are “ruining the land”, then she said that SHE would take them.  Yup.  She has enough money to purchase lots of land to house them all, with a plan, of course.  But, the BLM is fighting her on every turn.  I went to a BLM meeting here in Sacramento last year.  It made me crazy.  Totally stupid.

Anyway, Madeleine’s point is that if it is costing the tax payer too much money to support the Mustangs, give her a bit less than the US Gov’t is spending now and she will do it.  Well, when I was at that meeting last year, the BLM created lots of nonsense and white noise about Madeleine and then went on to say that they would rather gather them all and sterilize them.  Oy.  I don’t have the time to write about all the rebuttals during that infamous meeting.

But back to Madeleine.  What I love about Madeleine Pickens is that she isn’t emotional in her information or her fight.  She just tells it like it is.  And, if you want to help, her website is very user friendly.  I am amazed at how really non-invasive and “one click” her HELP NOW bulletins are formatted.  Literally, you can help by just clicking a button and you will be counted.  She has done all the work.  All the info is there and it is very easy to access and help.  Amazing.  Thank you.

As for my opinion on the BLM, let me just say that Congress passed the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act in 1971.  Either follow it or have all of us vote again on the facts.  But, don’t use my tax dollars at your will, BLM.  Also, I do watch what is going on and I’m angry that the BLM is finding loopholes that allows them to gather when they are not supposed to gather.  This winter’s gather that just ended (read about it on Maddy’s site) was a terrible thing to do at that time of year to these horses, many were killed/trampled/foals aborted. This nightmare was able to be carried out because the BLM moved the horses onto private land so they wouldn’t be beholdin’ to the US Gov’t laws.  Pretty tricky.

Anywho, to me, the BLM has done many stupid human tricks with regards to the Mustang and I applaud Madeleine Pickens for standing up to them and keeping the fight alive.  I cannot imagine anyone else — other than someone with very deep pockets — who could keep the fight going against those monolithic lobbies.  Truly.  Who could fight one of the strongest unions?  Madeleine Pickens does it with elegance.  And, anyone who can create such a user friendly way of voting and helping is a good friend of mine!




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