Getting a clue

I often don't post these things on the same day I start them, and sometimes that's a good thing.

This is one story I started off that was worrisome at the time I started it, but developments changed it into a positive. This is the story of the misbegotten strike at the Public lands by Utah Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz.

Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Congressman from Utah's 3d District who got a clue.

Like, quite frankly, Wyoming's Congressional representation, Chaffetz has been on of these folks back in Congress who has been yapping about transferring the public domain to the state.  And in his case, his state is Utah, which is the epicenter of this horrible idea.

Chaffetz has, for years apparently, been sponsoring a bill that would sell off, that's sell, mind you, public lands that Clinton Administration identified as "surplus" including over 600,000 acres in Wyoming.  This came about as a result of a Clinton era study on these lands, many of which were landlocked.

Now, since that time this situation has been addressed for thousands upon thousands of acres through land exchanges.  So the lands identified by the Clinton Administration may not even be publicly held anymore, but rather may have been exchanged for other lands to improve access and block up public holdings.  But at any rate, it was never a popular idea in the West.

And apparently it still isn't, and not even in Chaffetz's district.

Chaffetz' district, it should be noted, includes Salt Lake City.  And Salt Lake City, we'd note, is not traditional Utah.  We note that as we suspect that this movement, in Utah, has roots that fall outside of the "pox on D.C.'s house" that seems to animate much of it elsewhere.

Well, in any event, there was a firestorm of reaction, much like there was on the transfer amendment here in Wyoming.  To Chaffetz's immense credit, however, he reversed course really fast, unlike the backers of such ill begotten proposals in Wyoming.  In doing so, he came out in favor of the public lands and public use of them.

Liz Cheney, Mike Enzi, and Dr. John, are you listening?