Bureau of Land Management
I watched the BLM/Rancher standoff last night on TV. It wasn't pretty. It's also a little more complicated and kind of where old meets new.
There are lots of federal lands that are parks and forests. My father bought forty acres in the Big Cypress Swamp when we first came to Florida more than forty years ago. Eventually he came to realize that access to the land was next to impossible without a swamp buggy and working with other owners in the area to build a road was like herding cats and really an expensive proposition. The Feds wanted to buy the land for environmental reasons and secondarily to control sprawling development in Florida and he sold the land to the government.
There were a group of folks back then that either thought the Feds were not offering enough for their land or that they had bought it and were never going to sell it period. Those that didn't sell were offered life leases, where they could continue using and enjoying their property. Sort of like being grandfathered in until they died.
Mr. Bundy obviously belongs in the in the I'm not going to sell group which really doesn't apply, and not paying rent could lead to eviction without too much imagination.The guy believes in what he is doing, even if he is a scofflaw and there are consequences eventually. The Bureau of Land Management has a history of mismanagement and I'm sure there are other cases where they have outstanding debts for nonpayment of lease fees. A little research indicates that currently the BLM charges $1.35 per month per animal and the idea of charging for grazing rights goes back to the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. This seems like a pretty good deal for ranchers in general and the standoff seems to be a rogue rancher as much as anything.
On April 15, 2014 there are lots of people that feel similarly about the income tax, that they pay or that others don't pay.
I live in a condominium community with units owned by folks that are my neighbors and more than a few units who view their condominiums as investments. The association needs to be vigorous in collecting maintenance fees and enforcing rules. I would prefer avoiding foreclosure for scofflaws, but the alternative can also be ugly and is unfair to those that do pay their maintenance fees and follow the rules.
Meanwhile, I've learned that owning a racehorse could be reasonable tax shelter if set up properly and the horse is fast, but is usually just an expensive hobby.
There are lots of federal lands that are parks and forests. My father bought forty acres in the Big Cypress Swamp when we first came to Florida more than forty years ago. Eventually he came to realize that access to the land was next to impossible without a swamp buggy and working with other owners in the area to build a road was like herding cats and really an expensive proposition. The Feds wanted to buy the land for environmental reasons and secondarily to control sprawling development in Florida and he sold the land to the government.
There were a group of folks back then that either thought the Feds were not offering enough for their land or that they had bought it and were never going to sell it period. Those that didn't sell were offered life leases, where they could continue using and enjoying their property. Sort of like being grandfathered in until they died.
Mr. Bundy obviously belongs in the in the I'm not going to sell group which really doesn't apply, and not paying rent could lead to eviction without too much imagination.The guy believes in what he is doing, even if he is a scofflaw and there are consequences eventually. The Bureau of Land Management has a history of mismanagement and I'm sure there are other cases where they have outstanding debts for nonpayment of lease fees. A little research indicates that currently the BLM charges $1.35 per month per animal and the idea of charging for grazing rights goes back to the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. This seems like a pretty good deal for ranchers in general and the standoff seems to be a rogue rancher as much as anything.
On April 15, 2014 there are lots of people that feel similarly about the income tax, that they pay or that others don't pay.
I live in a condominium community with units owned by folks that are my neighbors and more than a few units who view their condominiums as investments. The association needs to be vigorous in collecting maintenance fees and enforcing rules. I would prefer avoiding foreclosure for scofflaws, but the alternative can also be ugly and is unfair to those that do pay their maintenance fees and follow the rules.
Meanwhile, I've learned that owning a racehorse could be reasonable tax shelter if set up properly and the horse is fast, but is usually just an expensive hobby.
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