Editorial from "Jackson Hole ????" (not News) dated July 6, 1994


SPEAKING OUT
============

RAINBOWS DENOUNCE BIG BROTHER - UNTIL THEY NEED HIS HELP, THAT IS

For a family that professes to rebut the evils of Babylon, it is ironic
and moronic that Rainbow Family of Living Light offspring are milking
American taxpayers for close to $100,000 in welfare benefits.

The latest count from Snider Basin, where 15,000 hippies, nudists and
slackers are congregating, is $80,000 in food stamps in less than one
month.  That's four times what was doled out in Paonia, Colo. in 1992. 
That year close to 19,000 rainbows gathered.

The family claims the increase is due to Department of Family Service
personnel handing out food stamps as though they were condoms to stop the
disease of poverty.  Rainbows publicly discouraged their brethren from
accepting Big Brother's help.

But, Rainbows follow their own law, and the advice appears to be falling
on deaf ears.  Most denounce the rules and regulations we adhere to,
until, that is, they need our money.

While the family has a great track record in fiscal responsibility for
environmental cleanup, it leaves a lot to be desired in socioeconomic
solvency.  In Paonia, $10,900 in unpaid hospital bills, $3,600 of unpaid
ambulance bills and $21,000 in food stamps drained local taxpayers.

A spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Federal Services says, "Since
this is a federal program, the only impact to the state is additional
personnel costs."

Just who is "the state?"  In our view, "the state" represents Wyoming
taxpayers, most of whom are also U.S. taxpayers.  And we won't get our
bill for some time.  But, so far, the free, peace-loving,
we-don't-need-anybody-but-each-other Rainbows have cost us $80,000 in food
stamps, X-number of dollars in fire-fighting bills and who-knows-how-much
in court fees to handle the rape case.

This is a blatant case of "do as I say, not as I do."

What is really absurd is this form of social justice (allowing the
slackers of society to tell us how corrupt and unfair we are while
sticking their hands into our back pockets) has been going on for 22
years.  They gather every year on public lands (usually the forest) to
celebrate their right to do so, all the while denouncing the hypocrisy of
organized government.

Big Piney rancher and former Wyoming legislator Dan Budd says we should
all take lessons from the Rainbows in how to assert our rights to public
lands.

Maybe so.  After all, some Rainbows pay taxes.  And they have as much
right to meet in the forest as the rest of us.  And they certainly have
faired well in the courts (two federal court victories).  But when their
camping trip costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars, something must be
done.

We're not recommending that Rainbows or anyone else be excluded from the
forest, but why not require a simple bond - to be forfeited by any group -
in lieu of potential costs to taxpayers.  That way, the Rainbows,
religious groups, or any other large group likely to leave behind a trail
of bills, could be held financially responsible.  The amount would be
determined by their past report cards.

What the rainbows must realize is their actions have consequences, and
many Americans are tired of paying for them.  Freedom has a price and it's
time they paid their fair share.