My apologies in advance for using the same source two days in a row.–FR
There’s a battle over property rights in Thurston County, Washington between land owners and…I can’t believe I’m typing this…gophers. Yes you read that right, I said gophers. To be more precise, Mazama pocket gophers. And the gophers are winning.
Without any actual count of how many of these underground dwellers are still in existence–it’s too expensive to count them–the government has labeled them a threatened species and therefore must be protected.
People who own land in Thurston County have to jump through mounds of red tape to try to get building permits to build anything including a home on any piece of land. But never fear, the government officials in charge of this county (wanna play name that party?) have a plan to fix the problem created by the other government officials. And you’ll never guess what the government’s solution to a government created problem is!
A tax. I know you’re shocked. But this is a special tax. This tax, a measly $42,000 tax!!!!!!!! to be paid by those who want to build on their land will be used by the government to purchase some other land to be used as a safe haven for the furry creatures.
“That’s a nice piece of property you got there. It’d be a shame if you could never use it.” That is exactly what is happening here. Extortion. The tax isn’t even in effect yet, but government officials are holding building permits hostage. You can get a permit, but it’ll cost you. One company, Kaufman Real Estate, was able to obtain their building permits in exchange for purchasing 77 additional acres of land to be used for a gopher habitat. Only cost them several years and an extra $3 million. What a bargain!
But other contractors are choosing to leave the area. I guess the gopher wins either way. No building equals safe gophers and building also equals an area safe for gophers. But everyone else loses. The people who own land lose for sure no matter which option they choose. Stay or leave, they either stay and have to pay that ridiculous tax or they leave and don’t get to enjoy their land. And my guess is more will leave than will stay, therefore government loses. If people choose to leave, who’s going to pay all of the other taxes that pay government salaries? Because it ain’t gonna be the gophers!
