Oregon governor calls on Feds to act, says ‘this spectacle of lawlessness must end’
January 21, 2016 in News by RBN Staff
Daily Kos | Jen Hayden | Wednesday Jan 20, 2016
Oregon Governor Kate Brown held a press conference today and called for the federal government to help end the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge (and the city of Burns) by armed militants as quickly as possible:
“The situation is absolutely intolerable and it must be resolved immediately. The very fabric of this community is being ripped apart,” she said.
She noted the feds had asked her to stay quiet:
Brown said federal authorities asked her and other state officials to “limit our public comments” to avoid escalating the situation. Although she has heeded that request, Brown chastised federal officials Wednesday for allowing the standoff to continue as long as it has.
“The residents of Harney County have been overlooked and underserved by federal official’s response thus far,” she said. “I have conveyed these very grave concerns directly to our leaders at the highest levels of our government: the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House.”
Watching the video of Burns residents angrily shouting at each other at a community meeting is pretty clear evidence the community is being torn apart. Neighbor against neighbor, even family members turning on each other. Nevertheless, they all had one thing in common—whether they agreed with Ammon Bundy or not—it was time for the armed militants to leave their community.
Governor Brown also noted the expenses related to the massive law enforcement response is starting to pile up:
Brown, speaking at a news conference where she also laid out her 2016 policy agenda, also said Oregon officials should “scrub” the state’s budget next month to help offset the costs of the standoff. She put those ongoing expenses at $100,000 a week, with even more money spent during the first week of the standoff.
Strong words from Governor Brown, who is clearly disappointed in the federal help thus far. Stay tuned.
