Wacoans, and dead mammoths, say Thanks, Obama!

Waco Mammoth Site/National Park Service

I've blogged before about Wacoans desire to make the Waco Mammoth Site a national monument, about their attempts to patiently first try to work within the Congressional approval system, and about wingnut Rep. Bill Flores' monkey-wrenching of such attempts, along with his refusal to even meet with National Park Service officials when they were in Waco last fall — even though he was in Waco that same day!

Well, Wacoans finally decided to go the presidential designation route.

And, today?

President Barack Obama rewarded their work!

The Waco Mammoth Site is one of three new national monuments, AND ...

It's not part of BLM or something; it's part of the National Park Service.

Which will include Park Service marketing and more. Like already having its own webpages in the NPS website.

Wacoans' patience is explained as part of this pre-annoucement overview:

City leaders throughout the 2000s worked with congressional delegates to get the national designation through Congress, but fell short. Last year, the city began working for an executive order with the help of the National Parks Conservation Association, which advocates for national parks.

Yep, that's you, Bill Flores, helping Waco fall short.

As for what the site has? 

Since 1978, the remains of 24 Columbian mammoths have been discovered at the site, dating back some 65,000 years. The remains include the nation’s only known “nursery” herd of mammoths, and more remains are thought to be in the area.

But, the “pro-business” Republican Flores hates Obama, hates anything even remotely associated with the environment, hates any millimeter-sized expansion of the federal government, and so, has been anti-business.

Waco Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr. talks about that:

Mayor Duncan said the federal involvement will “increase exposure, attendance and awareness at the site.” 

“As long as the city was in charge of promoting it with Baylor, we had limited exposure,” he said. “With the arrowhead (sign), we’ll get much more national recognition and should increase tourism and visitation. It should also give us access to a lot of research from other paleontologists.”

Note that “business-related” stuff in there?

Bill Flores refused to see it. As for how much of a boost? Texas Highways says nearly 25 percent more visitors in the first year, then building on top of that.

None of this is stopping Bill Flores from trying to be a gloryhog. Want to call him on his bullshit? Give him a Tweet.

Rep. Rob Bishop, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, meanwhile is claiming that Obama showed "disdain" for Texas (and Nevada and