Yosemite Park expansion stalls in Congress
By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News
Time is running out on a deal to secure the largest expansion of Yosemite National Park since 1939, and one man appears to be standing in the way: local congressman Tom McClintock.
Declaring his distrust in the National Park Service, the tea party Republican from Granite Bay is at odds with local Republican state legislators and the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors over efforts to add a scenic parcel of land on Yosemite’s western boundary now owned by a Bay Area conservation group. The deal is even becoming a campaign issue in this rugged part of California as McClintock fights for re-election against a fellow Republican.
If a deal isn’t reached by the end of the year, the small nonprofit group that owns the land says it will have to sell. And the land is zoned for construction of up to 19 homes.
In 2004, the trust bought the land — a scenic landscape near El Portal that is thick with incense cedar, white fir and sugar pine trees, with breathtaking views — from a family that had owned it since 1925.
When will the voters finally send this knucklehead packing?
Tom McClintock isn’t the bad guy here. He’s being (rightly) cautious. The Feds keep spending money and taking more private land, while restricting the public’s access to those lands. He’s correct not to trust them.
“Letter to the editor submitted today: Paul Rogers reports that I am “standing in the way” of the annexation of a 1,500 acre parcel for Yosemite Park. In making this claim, he deliberately ignored the position that I expressed in writing: “I want to be sure the proposal remains a future option once these issues (of public access and use) are resolved.” My position is one of conditional support – not unconditional opposition.
Mr. Rogers’ well-earned reputation for bias is why I insist that our communications be in writing, and even that seems to no avail.
John Muir’s vision for Yosemite was for public use, resort and recreation, yet today, public access is increasingly restricted. His promise must be redeemed.
This proposal has been around for many years without action by Congress. Contrary to Rogers’ claim, there is no prospect that the property will be developed in the foreseeable future, which gives us time to make sure that any addition to Yosemite is done in the public interest and that it guarantees the public’s access and use.
Congressman Tom McClintock, 4th Congressional District”
Tom McClintock is an obstructionist tea party jerk and should be canned.
The SJ Mercury’s hit piece against our congressman was laughably inaccurate. Thank you Tom for standing up for the people.
First McClintock and his band of tea party allies forced Yosemite and other national parks closed last fall (at great expense to local businesses) over his futile obsession to get rid of health care. Now he’s standing in the way of a great opportunity with willing sellers to expand the park.
Read the objection in the letter posted above — all b.s. There is NO public access to that land now, because it’s private. That’s the whole point of a park — opening it to the public. That he thinks he can force the Park Service to manage the park on his terms is as pointless as his shutting the government down to score a few ideological points.
Please, can anyone name one positive, constructive thing that McClintock has done for our district, other than not living in it?
“The Feds keep spending money and taking more private land, while restricting the public’s access to those lands.”
how will National Park lands have more restrictive public access than private land and buying something IS NOT the same as taking it. I think the rest of the responders here picked up on the other knee-jerking. And of course the Feds keep spending money – exactly how does any organization do anything w/o spending money? Exactly his point I guess, but we all know its not about how much money is spent, it’s about what it is spent on.
Tom mcclintock is the worst kind of politician and he has done NOTHING positive for his district or this country EVER. what a sorry sack of c r a p he is. I think he needs to just disappear (preferably) and head to texas where his ilk reside. Im not surprised that dog seems to think him some sort of hero. Birds of a feather in their regards.
VOTE MCCLINTOCK OUT OF OFFICE. GET HIS SORRY A SS OUT OF OFFICE SO REAL WORK CAN GET DONE. Pathetic carpet bagger…
I recently received a robo-call from Mr. McClintock. I usually just hang up, but it was a conference call so I thought I’d listen to what people were saying. It was scary! Some of the views of the people were WAY far right wing tea party types and crazy off track and Mr. McClintocks response was to agree with these kooks!
I didn’t respond as I didn’t know if there was caller I D and I wouldn’t want some of those people having my home phone# as I haven’t purchased my bullet proof clothing and back pack yet.
Stay safe, OLS
OLS, I wouldn’t worry too much. So far, none of the crazed shooters has been a tea partier. All but the Las Vegas cop shooter have been Democrat supporters! Those Las Vegas nut-cases were just that: Nazi nut-cases.
ANYBODY who goes out and shoots bunches of people is crazy. Accusing people whose political view points differ from yours of being potential killers is simply ignorant. And unproductive. Sorry, OLS, but you’re usually better than that.
McClintock is not from Granite Bay, he’s from Ventura.
He’s not a good fit for this district and we need to get out and vote and get someone in who *is* a good fit for this district.
Nobody could have said it better than tahoedad above.
Re the government buying up land…..any one who cares to look can see that the track record in recent years is that the Fed Govt is selling land at a far greater rate than any acquisitions.
Personally, I find this trend perhaps more disturbing than adding 1500 acres to Yosemite.
McClintock surely needs to go. I find it refreshing that his opponent is a Republican.I love to see them in internal conflict.
I have suspected there was hidden intelligence in that party somewhere and glad to see even small evidence that it is being heard.
The Romans, Ghengis Kahn, Alexander the Great, Hitler etc all had their time, and went to their rewards. Hopefully the tea party aka the moronic side of the Republican party will join them soon.
Dogula, I wasn’t saying YOU were a kook, nor are all ibertarians, okay , alot but not all!!
But I will say anyone that tries growing vegetables in Tahoe has to be slightly unhinged and up for the challenge! (I know I am, unhinged that is!).
Politcally we are opposites and I’ve come to your defense a time or two when the name calling starts here on LTN..
Speaking of politics, the only politician I’ve ever donated money to was Dennis Kucinich! Vote out McClintock! And as for my picks for the presidency in 2016? Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders! That’s my kinda ticket! True liberal / progressives!
That’s bound to make some peoples heads explode! OLS
Good for you, OLS! Takes more than an opinion to make my head explode. Politically, I think you’re terribly misguided. But I support your right to be, whole heartedly!
The vegetables are looking much happier today, now that it’s warming up. . . they’re still being obstinately slow this year. Oh well. Patience has never been a real strong virtue of mine.
Letter to the Editor of the San Jose Mercury News from Congressman McClintock regarding this story:
Paul Rogers reports that I am “standing in the way” of the annexation of a 1,500 acre parcel for Yosemite Park. In making this claim, he deliberately ignored the position that I expressed in writing: “I want to be sure the proposal remains a future option once these issues (of public access and use) are resolved.” My position is one of conditional support – not unconditional opposition.
Mr. Rogers’ well-earned reputation for bias is why I insist that our communications be in writing, and even that seems to no avail.
John Muir’s vision for Yosemite was for public use, resort and recreation, yet today, public access is increasingly restricted. His promise must be redeemed.
This proposal has been around for many years without action by Congress. Contrary to Rogers’ claim, there is no prospect that the property will be developed in the foreseeable future, which gives us time to make sure that any addition to Yosemite is done in the public interest and that it guarantees the public’s access and use.
Congressman Tom McClintock, 4th Congressional District
Jennifer for Tom. Tom McClintock trying to invoke John Muir? What a joke! John Muir NEVER envisioned 4 Million People visiting Yosemite per year on 214 miles of paved road. Quit stalling Tom and actually do some work.