Jeb Bush made a speech last week, about 'public lands,' and it is obvious he knows nothing about what he spoke. As you know, I have re-printed a book I wrote 25 years ago, and supposedly a movie is going to be made of it, but I doubt it will happen, as the book has 89 different chapters, and I can not see how a movie can be made about 89 different subjects. Nevertheless, the film maker says he has the finances and is working on a screenplay. We'll see, but the following is a direct quote from Chapter 8 of "I hold These Truths."
"Among the general powers of Congress, are, "To exercise like authority over all places PURCHASED by the consent of the legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful buildings." – Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17. (Caps are in the original Constitution)
"Get the point? The ONLY lands authorized by the Constitution to be owned by the federal government, are lands that have been BOUGHT from the individual states, and then ONLY for the uses of forts, stock-yards, etc. I would love to see the deeds given to Uncle Sam for the 86.2% of total land areas in Nevada, 61% in Alaska, 52% in Oregon, 49.6% in California, 64% in Idaho, 67% in Utah, 49% in Wyoming, 41% in Arizona, and huge parts of Colorado and other states the federal government claims, administers, controls, and ruins in many cases! Such deeds do not exist. The states never deeded or sold these lands to the federal government, and in actuality, the federal government doesn't own them. Four counties in Nevada have already begun action to regain the land stolen from them by the federal government when Nevada became a state in 1864.
"California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming were formed as a result a treaty with Mexico, signed in 1848, and commonly called the "Treaty of Hildalgo." In this treaty, speaking of the transferred lands, it says they "Shall be formed into free, sovereign, and independent states, and incorporated into the Union of thee United States as soon as possible, and the citizens thereof shall be accorded the enjoyment of all of the rights, advantages, and immunities as citizens of the original states."
"Congress stated in 1787, that when new states were admitted to the Union, it was to be, "On equal footing with the original states in all respects whatsoever." The original 13 states had no "public lands," or land owned by the fledgling central government. Land in the original 13 Colonies was all privately owned, or belonged to the states. The additional states admitted to the Union since, should be no different than the original 13, namely, have no federal lands, unless such land was sold to the federal government by the states, and then only for, "The Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful buildings." as the Constitution states.
"The hundreds of millions of acres claimed by the federal government were not bought from the states, no deeds for such lands exist, and the federal government should immediately vacate such property to the individual states. For two hundred, and especially the last 60 years, the federal government has run roughshod over the Constitutional rights of the individual states, and it must stop.
As each day passes, the outrages committed by the Beltway Bunch become more intolerable. Washington D.C. the wealthiest place in the world, is a lifestyle and thought process totally alien to the rest of America, just as our lives are unknown and uncared for by them. When will we stop this untrammeled march over American States, businesses, families, and farms by worthless bureaucrats and the Congress that appoints them?"
That's chapter eight of "I Hold These Truths." Actually, I started writing it a couple of years I got my first computer in 1986, and discovered that I could write stuff and save it. All the chapters are like this one: short, to the pint, and no words minced. 89 different subjects, from chapter one, "Pride," chapter two, "The Postal Service, to chapter 89, "Why Don't Americans Vote?" Then there is a final one called "The Washington Party." In 25 and more years, I haven't changed my mind about anything!. I still hate the federal government, bureaucracy, lies, fraud, hypocrisy, stupidity, and most politicians. I've just placed a "Trump" bumper strip on my car. I hate bumper strips, but he's our great hope so far. Lots of people have liked it so much, that they have ordered 12 for $84. I can ship them by flat rate box then at $7 each. I make not a dime on these books, and when they're gone, I'll keep a few for myself, and that's it If there is a movie, they'll sell by a distributor I guess for $19.95, or $21.95. Who knows if it will happen? Not me.