Guess who’s no longer thrilled with the idea?
It’s official.
The Interior Department has launched its largest reorganization in history to move bureaucrats out of the Beltway and into the heartland where their decisions will literally affect their next-door neighbors.
And Colorado is in the running to headquarter the Bureau of Land Management.
The movement to move it is being led by Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, so of course the liberal Washington Post reached out to Democratic U.S. Sen. Micheal Bennet for reaction.
It’s great, a spokesflak said, “but …”
Samantha Slater, a spokeswoman for Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said in an email he is “supportive of moving more of the federal government out of Washington, particularly to the West.”
But she added that such a move would have to enhance BLM’s work, and noted, “We would expect Secretary Zinke to consult with our office, as well as communities across Colorado, prior to releasing any proposals.”
How in the world, we wonder while banging our head against the wall, can moving the BLM out West, especially to Colorado, not enhance BLM’s work and management of public lands?
It’s like saying you want to keep the babysitter, but you’re not sure if they should actually be in the house with the children, or in another state.
And does Bennet’s office actually think any Colorado community would object to landing hundreds of new high-paying office jobs?
When Tipton and Gardner initiated their campaign to move the western land managers West, Bennet claimed to be a staunch supporter.
“I’m all for it. I’m all for it, I think it would be great,” Bennet told Western Wire. “I think anything we can get out of Washington, D.C. and into Colorado, I’m for.”
But now they have to ask our permission, is what Bennet is saying.
We would really like to know why Bennet has changed his mind. Our guess is that it will align with opposition from environmental groups.