River Rafting Threatens Property Rights

First of all, I'd like to say, follow the money.

These issues always comes down to who stands to lose value or money --- usually only hypothetically speaking, and rarely in reality.

But what are we to expect from the state that brought us The Sagebrush Rebellion during the Reagan Years? A Western state where water is like gold and everyone jockeys to claim the right to a resource that even a small child could tell you ought to belong to "the people" and not individuals on a willy-nilly, first-come/first-served basis.

Note that no one wants to consider some kind of compromise. Landowners claim inalienable rights and claim the moral high ground, even though, in a moral universe, that water would belong to the citizens of the entire country --- as a public resource --- and could not be restricted by one individual or entity.

After all, you can not step into the same river twice, so, technically, claiming the water as their "property", is impossible.

http://orionexp.com

in reference to:

"Because HB 1188 is a fundamental attack on private property rights that, if passed, would “take” a landowners' ability to restrict access to their private property."
- Shawn Martini: Rafting bill attacks private property rights | SummitDaily.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

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