Scott:

     Hang in there Kevin.  It will not be long when the people coming out to hike on on parks will do as they please.  A couple of years ago the state of Oregon passed a law that the land owner has no right in keeping people off of their land.  If people want to shut down your farming operation because the fences restrict their hiking then the farmer/landowner must remove that fence. 

     As the cities grow we become more and more like Europe.  It will not be long that the government will own all the land and you will have no say in what happens to it.  They are going to kill the electoral college before the next Presidential election so that only the cities will elect our next President.  Once the liberal socialist get a good foot hold, we in the country will lose all our land rights because it will be for the good of the country...  Again, just like Europe the landowner will have no say in what they can do with their own land. 

     The only land government should own is the land that the required building sit on. Why is my government buying up private land and removing it from the tax base. It's time to take back our country and send the Chicago style gangsters back to where they belong.

Dave

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Dave:  The main question is this:  How much land does the Geauga Park System REALLY need for now and future generations?  They aren't saying, but judging from their recent purchases, THEY NEED THOUSANDS MORE ACRES!  Why?  More bike trails?  More buildings in which to hold art shows or nature talks?  I don't think so... 

     Look, the Akron Watershed is THOUSANDS of acres and only PART of it is used by anyone...  Mostly hunters and fishermen cruise the small river or La Due...  It's so damn thick you can't walk in much of it and there are bogs in there that are quite dangerous as well as mosquitos who could carry you off (that's only after the deer flies are done with you!).  So do we need MORE land for "recreation".  Of course not.  No reasonable person could say we need more.

     Look, most people in this county have access to rural land and therefore have no use of a "park" anyway!  What animals can you see in the Geauga County Park System that you can't see in your own backyard?  On my acreage on the river I've seen bald eagles, beaver, otter, deer by the truckload, hawks, etc.  I have no need to visit a park and scoot aside some city-jakes to see a "rat with hooves".  Big deal...  I also have little interest in these "art shows" and "nature talks" by politically correct "rangers".  I WANT TO KILL STUFF!  I WANT TO HUNT!  I WANT TO FISH!  I don't want to pet a turkey, I want to KILL ONE!  Add it to the bag!  People Eating Tasty Animals.  Me. 

     Dave, you're right:  I don't feel so good about the "gov'ment" owning all of this land or anything for that matter.  I lived out in Wyoming for a number of years, and it's VERY WEIRD how the "gov'ment" rules that land.  Very, very weird.  Criminal.  Lots of good old boy's clubs... 

     I could not imagine any person in this county wanting to acquire MORE LAND.  For what?  You can get on a fag bike and go all over the county via the "multi-million dollar" bike trails we made for the city people of Mentor and Cleveland.  You can hike until you drop on the park or the Akron Watershed.  What more do they want?  As we said before, this stuff was all "built" not for the people of Geauga County, but PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO FLEE THEIR CRAPPY SUBURBAN AND INNER CITY ENVIRONMENT.  I'm content on my 20 acres down on the river, I don't need some fancy bike trail or pavillon to sit under and slurp grogs or listen to kids carry on.  No sirreee!

     All of these "services" need a hard look.  Take for example the infernal "splash park" over in Middlefield - it's full of Warren and Youngstown kids.  What a waste of village tax dollars!  What were they thinking?  But no worse is the park system.  Go in there and see if you recognize anyone...  Oh boy...

     Dull gray men in dull gray suits sitting at dull gray desks thinking dull gray thoughts brought all of this to you.  Oh the horror....  Oh the horror...