Reply #17: Some more [View All]

"The brutal realities of the ESA were exhibited to the entire nation on ABC's 20/20 television news program of Friday, November 19, 1993 (hosted by Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters and reported by John Stossel), where Ms. Anna Klimko, who obeyed the federal government's orders not to create a firebreak by plowing the brush in front of her house because doing so would damage the k-rat's burrows and therefore harm the k-rat, was kneeling in the ashes of her totally destroyed home and dreams, digging for the possible remnants of family keepsakes. Ms. Klimko looked up with tears streaming down her face and asked, "In three minutes, my house was fully consumed in flames and in seven minutes, everything was gone. For what? A rat?" "

The "shoot, shovel, and shut up syndrome" inspired by the ESA is rapidly becoming the norm.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg16n4h.html


"Ike C. Sugg, "California Fires -- Losing Houses, Saving Rats" (article about how the Rowe family saved their home from the Oct. 1993 California fires by destroying kangaroo rat habitat --i.e. digging up dry brush around their homes. Homeowners who obeyed the law and did not destroy the dry brush around their homes saw their homes burn to the ground.) The Wall Street Journal, November 10, 1993. "

http://www.webcom.com/fairgov/reading.htm


"The Committee also heard from several other victims of forest fires in the area that occurred in 1993. Part of the restrictions for protecting the kangaroo rat habitat involved prohibitions against discing fields and removal of habitat. These prohibitions created conditions conducive to swift fire movement through the area. In addition, the discing prohibitions prevented people from creating firebreaks around their homes to protect their residences. Some people who obeyed the restrictions lost their homes to fire. Others who ignored the restriction kept theirs."

http://www.senate.gov/~epw/107th/pau_1019.htm


There is plenty more out there.