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Roberts has designs on higher office

Sen. Ellen Roberts recently supported Senate Bill 232 to fund a study on the return of federal lands to control of the states.

Not surprisingly, this effort is supported by the American Lands Council and other corporate-sponsored organizations that seek to access federally protected lands to extract coal, gas, oil and minerals.

If federal lands are transferred to the control of states, a state could open up its newly acquired lands to any kind of destructive mineral extraction and development for the benefit of a few corporations.

Once despoiled, the land would never be the same again.

In his April 28 letter to the Herald, Miles Venzara asked why would Sen. Roberts support the desires of out-of-state corporate interests instead of her own constituents? I don’t think the answer is very complicated.

Roberts is term-limited state senator with an appetite for political office and power. No doubt, she is eyeing her next political step for 2018 (when her term expires), which will probably be to seek a statewide office.

One thing for sure, she’s going to need more money.

Folks that camp, fish, hike, hunt, backcountry ski, climb or Jeep on public lands are a diverse coalition that is neither well-organized nor financially powerful.

Energy and mineral corporations are highly organized, focused and have a lot of money available to promote their interests.

This is, after all, the American political system: politicians – when they can get away with it – support legislation that assists wealthy corporate interests over the interests of their constituents, and, in turn, they rely on their new-found “friends” to help them financially in their next campaign.

One hand washes the other hand.

Sen. Roberts has only one constituent in mind: herself.

Thomas R. Williamson

Durango



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