A timid Low level unarmed official told to deliver a citation to a group of guys by his superiors for not filing paperwork? This is what you call a tyrannical government? paperwork is always a pain
Looks to me like Clint got ***** slapped, I enjoyed every minute of it:-)
That geologist was being played as a patsy by the District Ranger. The District Ranger HAD TO KNOW that these guys were in the right but wanted to harass them anyway. I believe they said the District Ranger in that area was female. If she was to show up on the claims herself she would have left herself open to a lawsuit so she sent someone else. If memory serves me correctly (and it usually does) the Head Ranger that was harassing Tom Tierny was also female and she ended up getting spanked by the judge when the case was heard. What is it with these female District Rangers?
Moral of this story? DON'T TRY TO HARASS THOSE THAT KNOW MORE ABOUT THE LAWS THAN YOU DO!!!!!
That the local sheriff backed up the miners was great! We need more LEOs like that!
When the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that small scale suction dredging DOES NOT cause significant disturbance then a P.O.O. IS NOT REQUIRED. Hence, no other paperwork beyond what they already had was required. Trying to tell these guys that a P.O.O. was needed was nothing more than harassment on the part of the District Ranger. Of course she sent a "Low Level" employee to do her dirty work. She knew she could be sued in court and would rather see one of her underlings take the fall for it. No one gets to the position of District Ranger without knowing the ins and outs of the laws as they pertain to the forest as well as the legal limitations of their jurisdiction.
I believe that if the District ranger DID send this low level employee to do her dirty work , this person was her "representative" and acting FOR THAT DEPARTMENT and the District Ranger would NOT be "off the hook" for any harassment and equally liable for this action against the miners! Im no lawyer but IMHO shes trying to skirt the law!
Very well informed Shannon. The suing of the geologist personally is the way to go.Make an example of this guy. He is astonishingly ignorant
1. Her choice of people to send out to deliver the notices. Poor Clint ( I feel sorry for the guy in a way) was following orders, nothing more, nothing less. He's a geologist, not a ranger and shouldn't be doing this kind of work in the first place! But he wants to keep his job so.......
A timid Low level unarmed official told to deliver a citation to a group of guys by his superiors for not filing paperwork? This is what you call a tyrannical government? paperwork is always a pain
I agree with almost everything you've stated, except this statement. I have personally had three conversations with Clint about mining claims. Two of those conversations were conference calls with his supervisor to help me understand why my mining claim on another river was being revoked. He is not her sacrificial lamb. While he may be ignorant to the law, don't fool yourself into believing that he's Andy's Barney Fife sent to put down a minor uprising at Hank's barbershop. He is not "Poor Clint"...he has an agenda (IMHO) and he is more than willing to do everything he can to help fulfill it.
From my conversations with them, I gathered several things: They do not want any type of prospecting/mining done in any Idaho waterway. They do not believe that the lands are ours or that we have a right to mine the minerals.
While they did not come out and say it, I got the strong impression that they believed that the Mining Laws are antiquated and should no longer apply and they'll go to great lengths in an attempt to find loopholes to try to implement and enforce their misguided agenda. They come across as the master and we are the servants. He is anything but a sacrificial lamb...he is the instigator and the executor of an agenda.
Hey Jake, I've only got the video to go by on my judgment. I've never met the man so I'll have to bow to your higher level of experience on the mans character. You have to admit that his actions and statements on the video make him look like a deer in the headlights. From what you stated about him, it makes me wonder if he didn't volunteer to pass out the citations.
BTW... I hope you fought them tooth and nail on your claim if they didn't have a good reason for revoking it!