Land Commissioner Has Lost His Mind !

I think Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson has lost what little mind he had. He seems determined to sell off some state property in the Christmas Mountains, even though our state government had promised not to sell the land to private interests.

In 1991, the 9,269 acres located next to Big Bend National Park was donated to the people of Texas by the Conservation Fund and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. When the land was donated, there was only one condition. The state could not sell the land to private interests. The land could only be sold or given to the state Parks and Wildlife Department, or to the National Park Service.

Gary Mauro was Land Commissioner at the time, and promised that Texas would honor the request of the donors (who have also given several other tracts of land to the state). Evidently, Republican Patterson feels he doesn't have to honor that promise -- probably because it was made by a Democrat.

Patterson is now trying to sell the land that Texas promised not to sell. He says that Texas cannot afford to fence the land to keep poachers out (although that hasn't seemed to be a problem for the last 16 years). He also told Texans that the National Park Service and the Parks and Wildlife Department did not want the land. He wants us to believe he has no choice but to sell the land to private interests.

But that is just NOT TRUE. The National Park Service does want the land. One would think that would give Patterson a way to get rid of the land he says Texas can't afford, and at the same time, allow Texas to keep its word to the donors. But that's not what Patterson wants. He wants to sell the land to private interests.

Why won't he sell to the National Park Service? Because they wouldn't allow hunting on the land. What!!! The same person who says we need to sell the land because we can't protect it from those who would kill the animals there, now says we can't sell the land to the National Park Service because they would protect it from those who would kill the animals there. He's either totally insane, or he's told so many lies he can't keep them straight anymore.

The sad part is that he's not only making Texas look bad by breaking a promise made by our state government, but he's costing the people of Texas any further gifts. The donors have said if Texas sells the land to private interests, they will never make another donation to the state of Texas. I don't blame them. Why would you give anything to people you can't trust?

It makes me wonder what is in this sale for Patterson and his Republican buddies. Perhaps some large campaign donations?