THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA

An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume VII, Issue # 136, June 22, 2005
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
Home Page   Main Menu   Recent Articles   Site Map   Website Index   Issues & Controversies
  Cyberland University   Political Science, Philosophy, & History: Lectures   U.S. Constitution
  American Constitutional Law   American Constitutional System   American Political System
  Conservatism, Liberalism, & Radicalism   How America Goes to War
  World War IV: Islamist Terror War Against the U.S.A. & the West

A CALL FOR REPEAL OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT:
THE AMERICAN POLICY CENTER CALLS FOR
AN END TO THE ESA'S "REIGN OF TERROR"
By J. Peyton Knight

THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT & ITS IMPLEMENTATION BY THE U.S. NATIONAL GOVERNMENT: POISONOUS FRUIT FROM THE TREE OF POLITICAL ENVIRONMENTALISM -- WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT?  ALLOWS GOVERNMENT ALMOST UNCHECKED POWER TO COERCE LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS, CONFISCATE THEIR PROPERTY, & THEREBY VIOLATE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTIONS PROVIDED IN THE FIFTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION -- THE AMERICAN POLICY CENTER & OVER FIFTY OTHER PUBLIC POLICY GROUPS CALL FOR ENDING THE ESA'S "REIGN OF TERROR"
FULL STORY:   In a letter to U.S. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA), the American Policy Center (APC) and over 50 other public policy groups called for an end to the federal government's unconstitutional practice of taking privately owned land under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and thereby violating private property rights. Chairman Pombo plans to make reauthorizing the ESA a priority of the current Congress.

"There are some who claim that the Act needs to be 'strengthened,' 'updated,' or 'modernized,'" said APC President Tom DeWeese. "How absurd. For three decades this law has done nothing but steal property, destroy economies, shatter livelihoods, cost billions of dollars, and even take lives. The ESA needs to be repealed, not "modernized."

The letter APC signed notes that "the ESA is a direct affront to the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment," and warns: "Those who don't understand what's wrong with the ESA -- its almost unchecked power to coerce law-abiding citizens, regardless of the consequences -- will never know how to fix the law."

The Endangered Species Act has been a remarkable failure since its inception in 1973. According to the House Resources Committee, the Act, in its 32-year existence, has failed to recover over 99% of the roughly 1,300 species it lists as threatened or endangered.

The cost of this failure to Americans has been enormous. For example, when the Spotted Owl was dubiously listed under the ESA in 1990, tens of thousands of Americans lost their jobs and their livelihoods. In 2001, four firefighters in the state of Washington lost their lives due to bureaucratic fumbling over the Act. And all across America, countless property owners have fallen victim to the menace of radical environmentalists who use the ESA to pillage property.

"How many more lives must be ruined before Congress finally stops cowering before the radical Green lobby?" asked DeWeese. "Congress should not reauthorize the ESA, unless complete and total property rights protections for landowners are clearly and unambiguously spelled our in the wording of the law."

In a 2003 critique of the ESA, Congressman Pombo wrote: "It is no secret the ESA has been used by environmental extremists to restrict, seize and devalue property rights, as well as halt important government projects. In fact, this is what most Green obstructionist groups relish most about the Act."

DeWeese charged that the Endangered Species Act has nothing to do with saving species and everything to do with indiscriminately stealing property and ruining the lives of countless Americans.

"The ESA was bad legislation in 1973 and it's been a bad law for over 30 years," said DeWeese. "It is far past time for Congress to end the ESA's reign of terror and restore the Fifth Amendment."


LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Policy Issues Relating to Energy, Environment,
& Natural Resources



The American Policy Center is a grassroots think tank located in Warrenton, Virginia. J Peyton Knight is Executive Director of the American Policy Center. He can be contacted by calling the following telephone number: 540-341-8911



Return to Top of Page

Go to the WEBSITE INDEX

Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Public Issues & Political Controversies


Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
Most Recent Articles


Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Volume VII, 2005


Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA,
Subject Matter Highlights


Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage

CONTACT & ACCESS INFORMATION




LINKS TO PARTICULAR ISSUES & SUBJECT MATTER CATEGORIES
TREATED IN THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, U.S.A.:

Africa: Black Africa * Africa: North Africa * American Government 1
American Government 2 * American Government 3 * American Government 4
American Government 5 * American Politics * Anglosphere * Arabs
Arms Control & WMD * Aztlan Separatists * Big Government
Black Africa * Bureaucracy * Canada * China * Civil Liberties * Communism
Congress, U.S. * Conservative Groups * Conservative vs. Liberal
Constitutional Law Counterterrorism * Criminal Justice * Disloyalty * Economy
Education * Elections, U.S. * Eminent Domain * Energy & Environment
English-Speaking World * Ethnicity & Race * Europe * Europe: Jews
Family Values * Far East * Fiscal Policy, U.S. * Foreign Aid, U.S. * France
Hispanic Separatism * Hispanic Treason * Human Health * Immigration
Infrastructure, U.S. * Intelligence, U.S. * Iran * Iraq * Islamic North Africa
Islamic Threat * Islamism * Israeli vs. Arabs * Jews & Anti-Semitism
Jihad & Jihadism * Jihad Manifesto I * Jihad Manifesto II * Judges, U.S. Federal
Judicial Appointments * Judiciary, American * Latin America * Latino Separatism
Latino Treason * Lebanon * Leftists/Liberals * Legal Issues
Local Government, U.S. * Marriage & Family * Media Political Bias
Middle East: Arabs * Middle East: Iran * Middle East: Iraq * Middle East: Israel
Middle East: Lebanon * Middle East: Syria * Middle East: Tunisia
Middle East: Turkey * Militant Islam * Military Defense * Military Justice
Military Weaponry * Modern Welfare State * Morality & Decency
National Identity * National Security * Natural Resources * News Media Bias
North Africa * Patriot Act, USA * Patriotism * Political Culture * Political Ideologies
Political Parties * Political Philosophy * Politics, American * Presidency, U.S.
Private Property * Property Rights * Public Assistance * Radical Islam
Religion & America * Rogue States & WMD * Russia * Science & Ethics
Sedition & Treason * Senate, U.S. * Social Welfare Policy * South Africa
State Government, U.S. * Subsaharan Africa * Subversion * Syria * Terrorism 1
Terrorism 2 * Treason & Sedition * Tunisia * Turkey * Ukraine
UnAmerican Activity * UN & Its Agencies * USA Patriot Act * U.S. Foreign Aid
U.S. Infrastructure * U.S. Intelligence * U.S. Senate * War & Peace
Welfare Policy * WMD & Arms Control


This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics, civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.



POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS

POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE

Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.

Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs, International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests, Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy

INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z




THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA

An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis

Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor

Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic, Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues