Sam Gibbons: “the tug of war between the common sense of ordinary people and the nonsense of government bureaucracy continues.…”

“the tug of war between the common sense of ordinary people and the nonsense of government bureaucracy continues. Recently a wildland fire started in my district and has continued to burn unabated for the last 3 days. This fire could have been put out in its very early stages only if Secretary Babbitt would have just let the firefighters do their jobs. The fire started in not a wilderness area but a wilderness study area and since mechanical vehicles are not allowed in the so-called study area, firefighters must carry their equipment 22 miles just to reach the flames. Not only that, 12 planeloads of fire retardant have been dropped which have cost the taxpayers $60,000, to no avail. This environmental extremism has allowed the fire to burn nearly 1,000 acres, and that is strange since firefighters believe they could have put the fire out on the first night had they been able to use their mobile equipment. The lack of common sense and the bogus government extremism are wasting taxpayer dollars. This could threaten our land and destroy human lives in the process. Let us pray that this government nonsense does not get out of hand, destroy lives, homes and create a truly desolate America.”