The Minnesota GOP seems to have found their wedge issue to get a few percentage points next election in the traditionally strong Democratic northern part of the state: ATV riding. Gun control didn’t quite garner them the results they needed, so – being the savvy politicians that they all are – they’ve decided to introduce the idea that those city liberals want to ban ATV riding in all kinds of areas that people up there have ridden their machines for decades.
Mark my words, they will continue to make a big deal out of this. And they will do so in such a way that Democrats will be forced to come out in favor of banning riding in some of those lands.
MINNEAPOLIS - A newly retired Department of Natural Resources supervisor who has opposed moves to open more public land to all-terrain vehicles contends agency leaders are caving in to pressure from ATV drivers and manufacturers.Jim Breyen, a regional wildlife supervisor in Bemidji for almost two decades and an agency employee for nearly 35 years, told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis in a story published Monday that he thinks political pressure is leading to bad decisions at the DNR.
“It has become what’s best for the political scene, not what’s best for the resources,” said Breyen, who retired last week at age 58 rather than accept a reassignment.
Breyen and Paul Swenson, the agency’s regional administrator in Bemidji, were relieved of their duties last month. Breyen suspects his opposition to allowing more ATV use in wildlife management areas led to the action.
Bolding mine.
By the way, if you do want to get anything done in Minnesota these days, apparently the good old boy network still seems to be most efficient route.
But Orris Rasmussen, chairman of the Roseau County Board, took some credit for recent DNR changes in its regional office. Rasmussen said he complained to Holsten about DNR trail policies, personnel and other issues two or three times during January, and met privately with the deputy commissioner late in the month.When asked if he had requested that regional administrator Swenson be fired, Rasmussen said, “Well I don’t have anything to say about that, I guess. It’s not my call … I just said we’ve got to make some changes here and that’s the way it is. And if that’s what it took, then that’s what it took.”
Mark Holsten, formerly the House Rep. for Stillwater, now Deputy DNR Commissioner, is of course involved in this. I don’t know if he’s more mindless stooge for his party or cynical good old boy, but no matter what the portions, that pretty much seems to be the makeup of his character.
Finally, even though this statement could be interpreted as justification for the GOP to make an issue about all this, I’m going to go on the record right here: I don’t give a shit about the “rights” of ATV-riders, powerboat-users, snowmobilers, and all the rest.
I understand it’s gotta be a bummer to enjoy doing something and to have your use of that restricted by the government, I can empathize believe me. And I get that it’s difficult to understand how people from elsewhere in the state can dictate legal activities in “your backyard,” but you know what, those lands are state lands, which mean we all own them equally, and proximity does not guarantee you special privileges.
So, being banned from doing your noisy, smelly, dangerous, invasive, intrusive, thing on state lands that your family has been doing for a few years (and here I raise the point that as “traditional” as they try to paint these activities, I don’t think snowmobiling, ATVs and powerboats were half as popular in this state 30 years ago) might kind of piss you off, but I’ll tell you what: doing truly “traditional” things, like walking or skiing in the woods, canoeing on a lake or a river, hunting or fishing on foot or from canoe, and then having some jerk with a two-stroke engine completely ruin the peace that comes from those kinds of quiet sports pisses me off. And just because certain elements whine as LOUDLY as their engines doesn’t mean that us quiet sorts should keep getting the shaft.
As my dad would say: Might does not necessarily make right.
So, just because I feel like it this very moment: Fuck you, fuck you, and… fuck you.
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