Can We Ever Really Trust the Government?
Vladimir Lenin is often quoted as saying, “The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation”. The modern paraphrase is “You don’t have to own land to control it — you only need to regulate it.” This concept usually comes up today in discussions about zoning, environmental rules, and land-use policy, because it neatly captures the distinction between land ownership by title (de jure ownership) and land control by usage regulations (de facto control).
Government power is often described as a continuum between anarchy on one end and totalitarian dictatorship on the other. Our constitutional republic originally sat comfortably closer to the anarchy end with very limited powers granted to the central government and most power left to the states and their citizens. Over time, government naturally shifts toward totalitarian dictatorship, as the power to control others is an addiction from which few control freaks cannot detox.
This issue becomes very real when conservation trusts and other cooperative land trusts make agreements with governing bodies that involve trading long-term government control of land for performance obligations owed to the citizens.
The following narrative summarizes a real-world example of government ignoring its century-old written contract with the local citizens of Clallam County, Washington State.
Nearly a century ago, the people of Clallam County made a practical and forward-looking decision. In the midst of economic hardship, the county transferred more than 93,000 acres of timberland to the state of Washington—not as a gift, but as a trust.
The terms were clear. The land would be managed to generate revenue for the county, helping fund schools, fire districts, and essential public services. In return, local taxpayers would see a reduced burden. The state would act not as an owner, but as a fiduciary—bound to serve the county’s financial interests above all else.
In recent years, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has canceled, delayed, or modified timber sales on these trust lands—known as Clallam County Forest Board Lands. At the same time, it has increasingly prioritized broader environmental and statewide policy goals over the economic benefit of the county.
A Trust is a legal obligation. The state, as trustee, owes Clallam County a duty of undivided loyalty. That means managing these lands to maximize sustainable financial returns for the county, not advancing competing interests, however worthy they may be.
The consequences of ignoring that duty are real and immediate. Each canceled or delayed timber sale reduces revenue that local governments depend on. Schools, fire districts, and other essential services are funded in part by these proceeds. When the revenue disappears, local taxpayers are left to make up the difference.
The economic ripple effects extend further. Reduced harvesting threatens timber jobs, undermines local mills, and weakens an industry that has long supported the region’s economy. When timber stops moving, the impacts are felt far beyond the forest.
There are additional concerns. Setting aside productive land without compensation, failing to harvest accumulated timber, and not reimbursing the county for easements and rights-of-way all compound the financial damage. These decisions cut directly against the purpose of the trust.
The issue is not whether environmental values are important. It is whether the state can override a binding trust obligation in pursuit of those values. The answer, under long-standing principles of fiduciary law, is no.
A trustee cannot serve two masters. Breaking that understanding breaks the deal.
Can we ever really trust the government?
It is possible that, in 1790, we could trust the federal government, but it didn’t take long for politicians to pursue personal agendas for power and self-enrichment. Sad but true. It is unfortunate that human nature creates a repetitive cycle of progressive centralization of government power at the expense of We the People.
Resist Tyranny and Trust in Freedom!
Dr. Dan’s guest on Freedom Forum Radio this weekend is Jim Buck, a resident of the Olympic Peninsula, state of Washington, who wrote the original White Paper from which the above summary is taken.
Jim has an impressive resume. He graduated from the US Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in 1971. He served as a Captain in the US Army, Field Artillery from 1971 to 1976. After an honorable discharge, he worked as a Civil Engineer.
Jim was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives and served from January 1995 until January 2006 with the following accomplishments:
- State representative, 24th District, From January 1995 to January 2006
- Chairman, House Republican Organization Committee 2002 – 2004 (House Campaign Committee)
- Chairman, Republican Caucus (2000 -2002)
- Chairman, House Natural Resources Committee (1997- 2000)
He also served on Transportation, Appropriations, Natural Resources, Fish, Ecology and Parks, Children and Family Services, Higher Education and Community Security Committees
In addition, Jim is the author of a book “Journey to Honor,” a history of the 23rd New Jersey Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War.
Episode one of this three-part series begins this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, on WJRB 95.1 FM and streamed live over the Internet.
Episode #2: Saturday-Sunday, April 18-19
Episode #3: Saturday-Sunday, April 25-26
Air times are:
Saturday 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM
Sunday 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM
All programs are available by podcast following air time here.
You can listen to Freedom Forum LIVE every Tuesday evening at 8 PM Eastern Time streamed on YouTube, X, Facebook, and Rumble.
