Preserving the wonders of nature

Let's say you had some land which was set aside as "state forests" and designated to remain "wild' and you were looking at ways that people could make use of that land. Would you rather have some outdoor enthusiasts riding horses and mountain bikes (not motor driven ATV's... we're talking bicycles here) to look at nature, or would you choose to allow big rigs to move in and clear some of the land to drill for natural gas? Pretty easy choice, wouldn't you say? Well, it appears that New York State, (where Republicans still somehow control the Executive branch and the State Senate) thought it was a pretty easy decision too.

Plan would restrict use of forest trails

Foresters back proposal that limits biking, allows drilling

State foresters are endorsing a proposal that would open forests in Broome and Tioga counties to drilling for natural gas companies and put seasonal restrictions on mountain biking and horseback riding.

On a number of occasions, I've talked about the peculiar politics of New York State. From a National perspective, we're a reliably blue, progressive state on social issues. But when it comes to local matters, neither Republicans or Democrats really control what's going on. In New York, the rules are made by Old Money. And Old Money doesn't give a hoot about abortion, or civil rights, or the Iraq war. Old Money is concerned with keeping the Old Money in the same pockets where it's always resided.

Little acts like the one listed above are how business gets done in the Empire State. And nobody ever seems to notice.