Government

Great Moments in State Govt: Bureaucrats Threaten Family for Rescuing Bambi

Feb. 1, 2013 1:54am

- Cato Institute

Daniel J. Mitchell is a top expert on tax reform and supply-side tax policy at the Cato Institute. Mitchell is a strong advocate of a flat tax and international tax competition. Prior to joining Cato, Mitchell was a senior fellow with The Heritage Foundation, and an economist for Senator Bob Packwood and the Senate Finance Committee. He also served on the 1988 Bush/Quayle transition team and was Director of Tax and Budget Policy for Citizens for a Sound Economy. His articles can be found in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor's Business Daily, and Washington Times. He is a frequent guest on radio and television and a popular speaker on the lecture circuit. Mitchell holds bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University.

As a public finance economist, I normally focus on big-picture arguments against excessive government.

If the public sector is too large, for instance, that undermines economic growth by diverting resources from the productive sector of the economy.

The damage is then compounded by a needlessly destructive and punitive tax system.

But I’ve also discovered that it helps to personalize the analysis by pointing out examples of ridiculous and wasteful behavior by government.

That’s one of the reasons I share horror stories as part of the U.S. vs U.K. government stupidity contest - such as the world’s most pointless sign linked nearby.

Some actions by government, however, belong in a different category. I’m not sure what word I would choose to describe them – perhaps venal, evil, despicable, reprehensible, or disgusting would be good options.

Am I being overly dramatic? Perhaps, but is there any other reaction when the government persecutes a family with possible jail time for rescuing Bambi?

Here are some absurd and disturbing details from the Indianapolis Star.

When Connersville police officer Jeff Counceller first encountered the baby deer, she was curled up in the corner of a front porch.It was clear the fawn was injured. Counceller could see the wounds… If left to its own, the animal would surely die… So the Councellers took in the deer, which they named Dani, cleaned and dressed its wounds and nursed it back to health, all with the intention of turning it out into the wild once it was big enough and strong enough to have a chance on its own. …she was unable to stand, and her maggot-infested wound was ugly. The Councellers contacted DNR at the time but were told to return the deer to the wild and let nature take its course. “It would have been a death sentence,” Jeff said.

So the family did what any decent people would do. They nursed the deer back to health. But decency and government often are in conflict.

Trouble is, what the Councellers did is against the law. Now, more than two years after rescuing the deer, more than six months after conservation officers began an investigation, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources wants them prosecuted. …DNR officials began an investigation that entailed half a dozen visits to their home and numerous calls to local authorities. In July, the agency issued an eight-page report and asked for a special prosecutor from another county to handle the case. Why the charges are being sought now — six months later — isn’t clear.

I think the answer is obvious. The bureaucrats from the Department of Natural Resources are sulking because their imperious demands weren’t obeyed.

So they’re lashing out at an innocent family, as indicated by the following excerpts.

…when the DNR came calling, the Councellers say they were almost ready to release Dani back into the woods. They were just waiting for the summer drought to pass and the nearby corn crops to mature enough to offer cover and food for Dani. They say they weren’t aware it was illegal to keep the deer.

That’s when the bureaucratic nightmare began.

When the DNR began its investigation, the Councellers say the conservation officer suggested they obtain a rescue permit. But that was denied. Soon, the DNR said the deer must be euthanized, that it was a safety threat to humans.

Fortunately, an unknown good Samaritan intervened and freed Dani before the government could kill the helpless animal.

But on the day of Dani’s scheduled execution, the deer turned up missing, its enclosure left open. The Councellers say they didn’t arrange the escape or know how the deer was freed but acknowledge that they didn’t probe too deeply to find out.

But no good deed goes unpunished when spiteful bureaucrats are involved.

…there was nothing but silence from the DNR until the Councellers received notice of the charges earlier this month. They plan to fight the case, even though jail is unlikely and the lawyer costs — which could reach $5,000 — are significantly higher than a likely fine. It’s a matter of principle, they say. They don’t want to plead guilty for trying to help an animal and when they had no criminal intent.

Not surprisingly, the rest of the community is on the side of the deer (and the persecuted family). Indeed, there’s even a Facebook page for folks who want to register their displeasure with this example of government thuggery.

“People are outraged at the DNR and that the government has nothing better to do than harass these people,” said John Waudby, an Indianapolis man who created the Facebook page after hearing about the story. “Anybody in their right mind would have done the same thing.”

All things considered, this story from Indiana shouldn’t be part of the government stupidity and incompetence contest. Given the venality of the bureaucrats, it belongs with this list of horrifying examples of government thuggery.

In a just world, a court will immediately dismiss the charges against the Counceller family.

I would urge that the family then be awarded damages, but that’s not the right response. The bureaucrats would merely shrug and let taxpayers pick up the cost.

The only good outcome is to unceremoniously fire every bureaucrat who played a role in this outrageous episode.

Like most bureaucrats, I suspect the paper pushers at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are overpaid. So losing their pampered positions would be genuine punishment and it would send a message to the rest of the crew not to harass innocent and good people.

Comments (16)

  • pray for the truth tellers
    Feb. 3, 2013 at 4:52pm

    In another time and place, these deranged bullies who work for Indiana’s DNR (and by extension all bullies who work for any government agency) would have been gestapo torturers or minions of the grand inquisitor Torquemada in the 15th century. They are so out of control themselves that the only way they can feel normal is to control others by whatever means they can find.
    What we are seeing is raging insanity.

    Report this comment

    pray for the truth tellers  
  • spfoam1
    Feb. 3, 2013 at 1:37pm

    Government employees are often people who would be a bully if they were physically able, but they are not, so they use the power of their position to carry out their desire to dominate others.

    Report this comment

    spfoam1  
    • Tachy320
      Feb. 3, 2013 at 7:37pm

      As a young police officer many years ago I treated a man who was not impressed by my color of authority, as if he should just do what I told him to. In short I was going to get the crap beat out of me. I got the hint and started treating him like a human. I learned a valuable lesson that day. It seems that authority is getting so out of control. The government is getting so big that anyone can get a position of authority. No more common sense or common decency needed.

      Report this comment

      Tachy320  
    • whampton49
      Feb. 4, 2013 at 12:01pm

      I believe you are correct. They are sick people.

      Report this comment

      whampton49  
  • Colorado7972
    Feb. 3, 2013 at 4:36am

    Ugh, it just gets sadder and sadder daily, the government, the libs and the insanity they follow. Lord, what I would do to live in simpler times, like those of founding fathers, after we won right to our country. yes the living conditions and such harder, but I would accept that compared to day’s insanity of the corrupted government and it’s liberal agendas rotting our country all the way to it’s very core.

    Report this comment

    Colorado7972  
  • bobbiejean
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 7:13pm

    Ooops, seems doing the right thing is not approved of by gov’t. Guess they might have
    been happier if the critter’s throat was cut and the flesh cooked and eaten?

    Report this comment

    bobbiejean  
  • Fay
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 1:41pm

    Bet”cha anything that if one of their own kids or grandkids had rescued the deer, you wouldn’t hear a “peep”! Alas, since our country has gone Marxist, we have more than a few “grandstanding politicians” that would do anything to get “noticed”. Obviously, they don’t have anything else to offer! Sad, that this is all that America has to offer now! Not enough Rubios’, Pauls’, Christis’, etc. to go around I guess! Remember the song “Bye-bye Miss American Pie” etc.?

    Report this comment

    Fay  
    • gizmo01
      Feb. 2, 2013 at 2:02pm

      Ya know what? I think I have just heard it all. Some of the laws we are supposed to obey are so stupid. I can’t say what will happen to these folks.However, I think if it were me I would have done the same thing.
      If it were a pet what should they have done? Let it suffer and die? How heartless can the laws be? God Bless these kindhearted souls.

      Report this comment

      gizmo01  
  • yourpaled
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 1:28pm

    The DNR is overstaffed and this incident is proof that the seat warmers must show some results of their daily seat warming.

    Report this comment

    yourpaled  
  • kindling
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 11:59am

    I found a baby great horned owl that had fallen out of a nest that was in the top of a very tall tree. I could never put it back so I took care of it. I kept it for quite a while when someone told me I cound go to jail for it and I was not going to do that either. I called a park that had a bird of prey show and they came and got him. They told me I had taken very good care of him and that he was going to be in their show. I understand why it is not good to take in wild animals, but there needs to be a better way of handling it. It is one thing to see an amimal die but if you know something good can be done it is better to do the right thing, otherwise we become like China letting a child get hit many times by passing cars because of the fear of government punishment.

    Report this comment

    kindling  
  • Eddie
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 11:46am

    Until voters stop casting ballots for the person who can get them free things and help them breeze through life and vote for real, dedicated persons regardless of party, nothing will change. Griping is okay but it changes nothing. Government will continue to grow until it chokes itself to death or it’s head is chopped off. We’ll see what happens first.

    Report this comment

    Eddie  
  • Ruraldweller
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 11:40am

    First mistake they made was to contact the DNR……never get the gov involved unless your
    life is threatened.

    Report this comment

    Ruraldweller  
  • pogojoe
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 10:57am

    How about if we put all those paper pushing dudley do rights out in the woods at night and see how they make out save the little deer .

    Report this comment

    pogojoe  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Feb. 2, 2013 at 12:35am

    A Doe is ready to mate at 18 months. He was a cop.He knew the law.He enforces laws.Even stupid ones. The best case scenario is jury nullification. That would be awesome!
    Until then,fire politicians that make stupid laws. Only you can do that with your ballot.

    Report this comment

    Smokey_Bojangles  
    • Dakota Kid
      Feb. 2, 2013 at 10:20am

      The politicians may not have made the law (I do not know the particulars of this case) but the law may have been made without political input at all. Administrative law is where a bureau makes law and unless the legislative body revokes it it becomes law within 60 to 90 days after publication(depending on the jurisdiction). Further, there is no jury for a trial, but the judge is an administrative law judge so there is no check by peers as to guilt or innocence.
      Bureaucracy is rule by the bureau; they make the law, they judge the law, and they collect the fines or send you to prison all without the expectation of process due in civil or criminal proceedings.
      These bureaus need to be brought back into the civil and criminal system and held accountable for their actions.

      Report this comment

      Dakota Kid  
  • woodyee
    Feb. 1, 2013 at 11:13am

    If anything I post is worth any salt, please, please, read some of the stories reported in the article –

    A story of vicious IRS persecution.
    A women jailed overnight because she let her kids play outside.
    Cops legally stole $17,000 from a man who committed no crime.
    Threatening to send a woman to jail because someone whistled at a whale.
    Two stories of innocent people who were victimized by the idiotic Drug War.
    A video about how the EPA tried – and fortunately failed – to destroy a family.
    A story about the Justice Department’s discriminatory attack on a hapless homeowner.
    The government treating child molesters more leniently than people who accidentally omit irrelevant info from forms.

    Try the “whistle-blowing” story for a starter – it’s mind-blowing.

    Report this comment

    woodyee  

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