Originally Posted By: Hankster
Originally Posted By: Illahee

A good overview of what's been transpiring.
It appears the butthurtness comes from the feds changing their rules on subsidized grazing.
Generations of western rancher's business model has included government subsidies, now the feds have started to back off the idea federal lands need to be managed for the benefit of subsidized cattle grazers.
I bet people losing their food stamps could relate.

http://www.heraldandnews.com/breaking/wi...9c7a0d4dc7.html

Your point of view depends on what side you butter your bread.

If you buy a Tesla you don't mind the gubmint giving you a $7K subsidy.

If you grow sugar you don't mind tariffs on imported sugar keeping the price high.

If you buy a ranch and the grazing fees on federal land are set at a certain price, you might be a bit miffed when the gubmint raises the fees. Especially if you think the gubmint is raising the fees with the express intent of driving you off your land by making it too expensive to make a profit from raising cattle.

I'm not endorsing the actions of the whack job Bundy bunch, but I can at least understand their point of view.



You would be correct "if" the feds charged more than the going rate, and they are not, in fact it's way below fair market value, hence the subsidy brand.
Here's the economic impact of the subsidized grazing industry.

http://www.publiclandsranching.org/htmlres/fs_grazing_economics.htm