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Show Subpoenaed Documents Reveal Maze Of Monumental Deception J The Garfield County News concludes its in-depth coverage of the majority staff reports issued Nov. 7 by the House Committee on Resources. The report covers documents subpeonaed from the Clinton Administration on the designation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Staircase-Escalante National Monument, documents which, says Utah's Congressman Jim Hansen, clearly show the designation was politically motivated and possibly illegal. Quoted from the report: "On August 14, 1996, Kathleen Kath-leen McGinty sent the President a memo outlining the possible places to have the photo-op announcement an-nouncement event. The three options op-tions discussed were (1) an oval office setting; (2) on the Utah lands themselves; or (3) at Jackson Jack-son Hole, Wyoming. Ms. McGinty McGin-ty noted that Secretary Babbitt thought that the Utah option would be the most 'confrontational' 'confron-tational' or 'in-your-face' event. Ms. McGinty commented that she thought all three options sounded good to her. Since the event was designed to be an elec-tion year photo-op, the Arizona setting became be-came the choice. "In this memo Ms. McGinty reveals the real purpose of the monument: 'The political purpose of the Utah event is to show distinctly your willingness to use the office of the President to protect the environment. In contrast con-trast to the Yellowstone ceremony, cere-mony, this would not be a 'feelgood' 'feel-good' event. You would not merely be rebuffing someone else's, bad idea, you would be placing your own stamp, sending your own message. It is our considered assessment that an action of this type and scale would help to overcome the negative views toward the Administration Ad-ministration created by the timber rider. Designation of the new monument would create cre-ate a compelling reason for persons who are now disaffected dis-affected to come around and enthusiastically support the Administration.' Ad-ministration.' (Emphasis supplied) "She also underscored the potential political benefits in key western states, as conformed by the non-Utah Democratic politicians politi-cians who had been consulted: 'In addition, the new monument will have particular appeal in those areas that contribute the most visitation to the parks and public lands of southern Utah, namely, coastal California, Oregon Ore-gon and Washington, southern Nevada, the Front-Range communities com-munities of Colorado, the Taos-Albuquerque Taos-Albuquerque corridor, and the Phoenix-Tucson area. This assessment as-sessment squares with the positive pos-itive reactions by Sen. Reid, Gov. Romer, and Rep. Richardson when asked their views on the proposal.' "Finally, she added that the Administration really didn't have anything to lose, as far as votes are concerned: 'Opposition to the designation will come from some of the same parties who have generally opposed the Administration's Adminis-tration's natural resource and environmental policies and who, in candor, are unlikely to support the Administration under un-der any circumstance.' (Emphasis (Empha-sis supplied) "The situation was painted a? a no-lose political situation Translation: The monument designation des-ignation will help solidi Clinton's electoral base wh i those who will object to monument, as in Utah, oppose Clinton's re-election way. They did not matter. "The event was postponed ther. On august 21, 1996, K leen McGinty wrote another memo to the President begging him too act on the monument soon. She stated, 'In any event, we need to decide this soon, or I fear, press leaks will decide it for us.' "The leak finally occurred. In a September 6, 1996, memo from Kathleen McGinty to the President, Presi-dent, she informed him that 'the Washington Post is going to run a story this weekend reporting that the Administration is considering con-sidering a national monument designation.' She also told him that 'we are working with Don Baer and others to scope out the site and dates that might work for an announcement on this issue.' "After the September 7, 1996 Washington Post article, Senator Bennett wrote to Secretary Babbitt Bab-bitt requesting the Administration not to take such a drastic step without significant public input. Secretary Babbitt responded on September 13 just five days before the event announcing the Utah monument telling , him that nothing was imminent and that no decisions had yet been made. "It is important to note that two days earlier, on September 11, 1996, Tom Kenworthy, a Washington Post reporter, had confirmed the whole story including the date, time and exact location of the announcement announce-ment event at the Grand Canyon. In a September 1 1 e-mail to Brian Johnson, CEQ's press spokesman. Kenworthy confirmed he had all the information he needed: 'south rim of the grand canyon, sept 18 be there or be square.' While the Utah monument designation was being concealed from the entire Utah Congressional delegation, dele-gation, it had already been revealed to the Washington press. This strategy worked to the Administration's advantage by encouraging press interest in the event, while effectively eliminating elimin-ating the possibility of Congress stepping in to stop the proposed action. "On September 18, 1996, President Clinton, standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, with nature's splendor as his backdrop, finally got his photo-op. He told the nation he was following in Teddy Roosevelt's footsteps, and that he was saving the environment from Dutch coal companies. It worked just like the Administration predicted. Bill Clinton locked up the environmental environ-mental votes in the West and carried key western states like California, Arizona, and Nevada. Of course, they lost Utah, but as Kathleen McGinty had predicted, Utahns are voters 'who, in candor, are unlikely to support the Administration Admin-istration under any circumstances.' circum-stances.' In the final analysis, the Utah Monument designation was all about politics. To achieve their political ends, the Clinton-Gore Administration contorted a century-old statute and evaded the environmental requirements they foist on others. The Administration Admin-istration took pains to see that no one knew about this decision until the last minute, even to the point of deceiving the entire Utah delegation all so they could get a political photo-op out of the monument proclamation, and preclude pre-clude any Congressional action that might stop the event. It comes as no surprise the announcement an-nouncement event was finally held not in Utah, but across the Grand Canyon in more hospitable Arizona. This was an abuse of discretion under the Antiquities Act and a violation of NEPA by the Clinton-Gore Administration. |