Federal Employees Brag About Swindling WWII Vets Off Their Land

[lostinblue 1,989]

Federal Employees Brag About Swindling WWII Vets Off Their Land

Federal employees with the Park Service brag about how they swindled two World War II veterans off the land for pennies on the dollar

Federal employees revel in the fact that they swindle land from private property owners at pennies on the dollar, in astonishing admissions captured in a recently released video.

“We went out to the mine and the owners were two little guys that had been in the Second World War,” a California park service employee recalls at a retirement celebration for Mojave National Preserve Superintendent Mary Martin in 2005.

The employee brags about how the veterans’ mine was appraised by the federal government at $40 million, and acquired for a paltry $2.5 million.

“We did get it appraised and we did acquire it for $2.5 million which I stole the money from Washington to acquire it,” the employee in the video admits, adding that it’s sometimes hard to bamboozle property owners due to the agency’s reputation.

“’Lands’ isn’t always supported because we’re the ‘bad guys.’ We come in, and we take this land. And we always take it for less than it’s worth.”

Later during the celebration dinner, another park service employee reveals that the acquisition of more than a hundred thousand private acres in the Mojave National Preserve were procured under Martin’s leadership, who he labels the “acquisition queen.”

“Acres acquired under the acquisition queen’s regime, 111,550.54 acres,” an employee announces in an extended clip of the dinner.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/333461-2/

[smilesammich 10,727]

meh, alex has made much better movies than this one. this is boring. there are no shape shifters, no theatrics. well theatrics are there, in that if the government is paying 2 million for the land, they aren't stealing. stealing would be not paying for it at all.

[ExPatty 502]

I don't want to watch a 10 min vid currently but it sounds like distasteful behavior. Unfortunately, their job is probably to maximize the interests of their employer and the guys who sold it didn't negotiate well.

[smilesammich 10,727]

it's a video from a retirement party, a pretty crappy one at that, the context really isn't there..

[Dashinka 24,960]

The moral of the story, don't trust the government! I agree, they didn't steal it as there was a payment, but the vets also have some responsibility to understand how much their property is worth.

[Darnell 8,479]

that's some f@#$ed up shiznit, right there !

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Attempting to give a damn. Fail. Damn not given. I know that it's a difficult concept but over time a lot of Federal land fell into private hands and some of it has needed to be re-aquired. There is no logical reason to be upset about the Federal Government getting a good deal on such land. The complaint would be about spending too much if the property in the OP was bought for twice the alleged value of forty million. I guess some people just struggle with the concept public land belongs to everyone and work triple overtime to find reasons to be upset with the Federal Government.

[Darnell 8,479]

well, if the fed employee was bragging about shafting a ww2 veteran on PRICE of acquisition, then I'm outraged... No No, not engorged, but outraged !

[ready4ONE 5,400]

There is a huge amount of missing information in the OP but I will go ahead and speculate that the WWII vets paid far less than two million dollars to aquire their mining property. Likely made lots of money off of it prior to selling it back. Potentially the mining operations had run their course, or the end of productivity was in sight. Too much missing to speculate on.

[Dashinka 24,960]

There is a huge amount of missing information in the OP but I will go ahead and speculate that the WWII vets paid far less than two million dollars to aquire their mining property. Likely made lots of money off of it prior to selling it back. Potentially the mining operations had run their course, or the end of productivity was in sight. Too much missing to speculate on.

I was speculating that since these were WWII vets and most likely they are approaching 90, 2.5 million might seem like enough for someone in their position.

[ExPatty 502]

I was speculating that since these were WWII vets and most likely they are approaching 90, 2.5 million might seem like enough for someone in their position.

Perhaps not as much for their beneficiaries, though.

[lostinblue 1,989]

They had a valid deed and the land appreciated in value. The government swindled the common folk out of their money. 2 million too much . Not really. Perhaps these ww2 vets had grand children that they wanted to get into Harvard, If you had a house in California worth say 5 million that sits on the ocean you would not be so forgiving to have the government swindle you out of that for a few hundred thousand. After all that is what your grand parents paid for it. .. That beach front property should be public land ....right

[smilesammich 10,727]

They had a valid deed and the land appreciated in value. The government swindled the common folk out of their money. 2 million too much . Not really. Perhaps these ww2 vets had grand children that they wanted to get into Harvard, If you had a house in California worth say 5 million that sits on the ocean you would not be so forgiving to have the government swindle you out of that for a few hundred thousand. After all that is what your grand parents paid for it. .. That beach front property should be public land ....right

well, normally people that own that amount of land/business, with that sort of value, have financial advisers. also, if you have a house in ca worth 5 million and are mulling gifting your grandkids a free education at harvard - you ain't 'common folk'. they got paid, obviously they agreed to it.

oh and wouldn't anything from their estate going to grandkids be heavily taxed anyway?

[Dakine10 5,452]

The moral of the story, don't trust the government! I agree, they didn't steal it as there was a payment, but the vets also have some responsibility to understand how much their property is worth.

The other moral is if/when you're selling property for $1,000,000+, pay the $300 for a land appraisal.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

They had a valid deed and the land appreciated in value. The government swindled the common folk out of their money. 2 million too much . Not really. Perhaps these ww2 vets had grand children that they wanted to get into Harvard, If you had a house in California worth say 5 million that sits on the ocean you would not be so forgiving to have the government swindle you out of that for a few hundred thousand. After all that is what your grand parents paid for it. .. That beach front property should be public land ....right

You know about the property? Any clean up after the mining operation needing to be done? I'm skeptical about making the assumptions you are making based on the statements made at a retirement party. I know that as a Patriotic American you feel a strong duty to get your hate on for your government, but unless you know much more than can be gathered from the raw video, you are really just blowing smoke. Old mining operations are not known for being pristine properties.