What's a National Monument Worth If It's Broke?

The only reason President Obama had to trundle out the Antiquities Act to make Chimney Rock a national monument, by the way, was because Congress couldn't even agree on something as simple as preserving 5,000 acres of ancient heritage.

Remember, the Secretary of the Interior is a Coloradan. The bills to upgrade the site were co-sponsored by Coloradans. But its champion in the House, Rep. Scott Tipton, tried to have it both ways -- toeing his party's parsimonious line while trying to promote his home state -- so he offered an authorization that would've made Chimney Rock a monument but not afforded it any funds. Which is kind of like giving an employee a promotion that requires more work but the pay's the same.

Chimney Rock

The Senate version of the bill, sponsored the Centennial State's Bennet and Udall, put the money back in, but then of course, like, Congress happened. So Obama used the Antiquities Act for the third time in his presidency, and the 103rd time ever. And still some partisans are acting like it was a power grab on the order of martial law.

Something tells me the ancient Puebloans were much better at this kind of stuff than we are.