Drill Oil and Save Jobs or Save the Sagebrush Lizard? Can you believe that there are multiple meetings taking place in New Mexico and West Texas over the Sceloporus arenicolus better known as the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard? I say the lizards are known, but in reality they are only known to those people who deal with reptiles, such as zoo keepers, and those who might have a specialized degree that includes the study of lizards, a few environmental groups, the EPA, and U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. Yet we are all now going to learn about the habitats of these small brown, 2 1/2 inch creatures, and how giving them their right to life is going to affect the species called human beings. This latest nonsense is coming from the EPA who has been pushed into action by the Center for Biological Diversity, Albuquerque, NM, specifically Jay Lininger, an ecologist. The U.S. Department Fish & Wildlife has been considering the lizard for the endangered listing since 2001. It appears Lininger’s lengthy report to the government is affecting their decision. The lizard’s native habitat is in eastern New Mexico all the way to West Texas, and the federal agency says their habitat is threatened by ongoing oil and gas drilling and the removal of shinnery oaks for cattle grazing. (Shinnery Oaks are a 4 – 5 ft bush that is toxic to cattle so is removed by ranchers by using a herbicide. It is also a favorite feeding, breeding and hiding place of the lizards.) According to Patrick Manning, “Saving the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Could Endanger Oil Production, Lawmakers Say” the lizard lives off of a shrub called shinnery oak in the Permian Basin, which cuts through New Mexico and West Texas — and is also one of the richest resources of oil and gas in the United States. Some organizations want the lizard declared an endangered species under federal Endangered Species Act, and the result would be that all of the working oil fields and oil wells in the areas that this lizard inhabits would be shut down. The oil companies, its employees and all of the states and towns involved benefit from the jobs, the taxes, and revenues that sustain the area, and contribute to the Texas economy as well as other Southwestern states. Their livelihoods now hang in the balance because of this critter that no one that lives in the area has ever even seen. This reminds me of the small fish controversy in CA where they turned off all of the water to the most fertile farm land in the Valley because some organizations and environmentalists wanted to save a small endangered fish. Why didn’t they take that endangered fish to a special area and let them produce by themselves? Why didn’t they give those fish their own pond? They grow other fish species in special areas. No instead, the government closed down the water to an entire farming area. That decision put thousands of people out of work, out of jobs, and negatively affected the food grown, produced and distributed to the entire U.S. Yes, the fish won. Humans lost. The Fisheries and Wildlife Department have until December to make a decision as to this lizard’s classification. Are Cass Sunstein and his ilk the people behind this latest idiotic lawsuit where the government takes the side of the lizard over the human beings who make their living in West Texas and New Mexico? Or is this another way for the Obama regime to attack the oil companies through the back door? Is this another attack on Texas because Texas didn’t support Obama? Is this another form of intimidation and threats against a state that opposes Obama’s policies? Lest you think I am against saving the environment or saving animals and other species from extinction, I am not. I am for saving our economy, its people and resources, and the food sources that are affected by the purist environmentalists with a cause and whose proposed policies negatively affect the prime species – humans. In other words, in this case, I put humans above the life of a lizard. There is reality and illogical reality. Whose side are you on? It is time for the human beings with thinking brains and common sense to take over the reins of government, and get with the programs that promote the welfare of the only thinking species once again. Sometimes I think that human beings with common sense are also becoming extinct. Perhaps they need to be covered by the endangered species act and put at the top of the list.

Dr. Nkele Ndolumingu (Dr. Roger) was born in 1965 in Kinshasa, DRC. His father has a degree in Economics and worked for 30 years in the Ministry of Economics and his mother was a housewife. Dr. Roger always wanted to study medicine but it was a long journey before his dream came true. After completing High School he was unable to secure one of the few openings at the school of medicine in Kinshasa. He opted to study engineering for two years before becoming so unhappy that he chose to quit school and try to earn money for medical school in Europe. While working, he continued to apply for medical school and was accepted at the University of Kisangani, DRC. After studying for 3 years, President Mobutu closed all of the Universities and once again put a halt to his dream of becoming a doctor. He waited patiently for three more years until the University of Kinshasa was reopened and he finally received his medical degree in 1997. His first job was in a remote hospital in the bush. There he trained as a surgeon and learned procedures such as vasectomy, hysterectomy, caesarian section, appendectomy, and also learned some orthopedics so he was able to cast broken bones. Dr. Roger tried to avoid working in the government facilities due to the low pay. Doctors were only being paid the equivalent of $300 per month. Dr. Roger continued to work at Private Clinics and Private Hospitals until he was forced to flee the country in 2002. In 1997, Mobutu was overthrown by a rebel group backed by Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. They put L. Kabila into power and people hoped that things would improve. Unfortunately, the factions became more violent and since 1997, more than three million people have died due to the fighting. Dr. Rogers own sister had to flee her home as it was overtaken by rebel factions. In April of 2002, Dr. Roger moved to Zambia where he worked as head of surgery at the General Hospital in Kasama. He was also trained in the delivery of ARV medications. In 2005, he came to Botswana and worked temporarily at two hospitals before taking a permanent position at Nata Clinic in November, 2005. This is not the ideal location for him as he is unable to utilize his surgical skills due to lack of equipment. Dr. Roger speaks 5 languages English, French, Lingala, Swahili, and Kikongo (his mother tongue). He wants to learn Spanish. He has been married for four years and has a two year old boy. Dr. Roger’s dreams are still not fulfilled. He would like to go abroad to do post graduate study in surgery. Dr. Roger is impressed that the stigma due to HIV/AIDS is much less in Botswana. He tells me that people in DRC are cast from their homes when their positive status becomes known. Even though times can seem to be tough in Nata, we realize we have reason to hope. Thanks Dr. Roger for bringing your skills and your great attitude to Nata Clinic.