Time to Take Out the Trash

September 23, 2005 1:57 PM

Draft legislation was published todaythat proposes that fifteen parcels in the National Park System be sold off for "purposes of commercial and residential development." Many of the parcels are in Alaska, but one is Theodore Roosevelt Island park, developed to honor one of our country's most recognizable environmentalists. It seems the Onion gives us the news from the future once again...Way to go, DCist for breaking the story!
posted by chinese_fashion (14 comments total)

Well, now there's not only a war but a couple of hurricanes to pay for...gotta sell off something...
posted by alumshubby at 2:11 PM on September 23, 2005

Those... republi-people... are... f-ing... CRAZY! AHHHHHHHHHH...!!!!!!!!
posted by twsf at 2:18 PM on September 23, 2005

Let's all chip in and buy the location of the next mefi meetup!
posted by srboisvert at 2:19 PM on September 23, 2005

As a kid growing up in suburban DC (Virginia) my dad used to take me to Teddy Roosevelt. In my memories I could have been walking through old growth in the Olympics or Yosemite and I'm sure my ultimate need to be near nature was influenced by those walks.

This is sickening.
posted by docpops at 2:23 PM on September 23, 2005

Hey, remember when this kind of stuff would have been considered unexpected and shocking? Those were good times, good times.
posted by billysumday at 2:39 PM on September 23, 2005

Is this one of those things that calling my congressman about would actually have an effect on, or is it pretty much a done deal?
posted by JeremyT at 2:44 PM on September 23, 2005

Operation "let's not even bother to pretend that we give a fuck at all about the environment" is under way.

The guy who names these things is on vacation this week.
posted by clevershark at 2:48 PM on September 23, 2005

This is just part of Bush's "Nature First" Initiative.
posted by Mr_Zero at 2:58 PM on September 23, 2005

Is this one of those things that calling my congressman about would actually have an effect on, or is it pretty much a done deal?

From the first link:

Obviously, this Draft Reconciliation Bill just moved out of Committee, so it has a ways to go before it's enacted. So if you'd prefer the District's Roosevelt Island not end up looking like New York City’s Roosevelt Island, the time to act is now

It hasn't been voted on, so by all means contact your congress critter.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:19 PM on September 23, 2005

Man I love that island. It's a great place to take out of towners, theres usually very few people there, off the beaten track. A lot of the time you have the entire memorial to yourself which is a nice experience, far from the maddening crowds in the shadow of an old forest just across the river from Georgetown.
posted by stbalbach at 3:26 PM on September 23, 2005

Can anyone actually find this bill? I've looked in the usual places and came up empty.
posted by smackfu at 3:30 PM on September 23, 2005

I can't find it, either. I notice that DCist refers to it as a Draft Reconciliation bill, which means it's a draft of a reconciliation bill, that is, not actually introduced yet. The comments on the DCist site point to the original story on the matter.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:51 PM on September 23, 2005

On APM's Marketplace today, they had a story about this. Apparently his spokesman is saying this is an alternative to opening ANWR, which is his true goal. The money from opening ANWR would be used to pay for Katrina.
posted by calwatch at 11:09 PM on September 23, 2005

No, its his No Park Left Behind program
posted by Iax at 12:21 AM on September 24, 2005