Internet “Monkey Wrench” grumbler goes back to Oregon with BLM wife

September 10, 2016

“Somewhere in the depths of solitude, beyond wilderness and freedom, lay the trap of madness.”
― Edward Abbey, The Monkey Wrench Gang

“The Monkey Wrench Gang” was written by Edward Abbey, the man many on the Left consider the Walt Whitman of the environmentalist movement in the West. The book details the misadventures of a crew of angry, misfit ‘environmentalists’ who seek to ‘protect’ the wilderness and rivers of southeastern Utah. The Monkey Wrench Gang resorts to criminal acts, such as vandalizing–monkey wrenching–various pieces of heavy equipment, to stop big, evil corporations from despoiling nature by building roads, dams and whatnot. Earth First, Earth Liberation Front, Green Party prez candidate Jill Stein, and others were likely inspired by Abbey’s book to use environmentalist activism as justification for destroying public and private property. But some have taken the ‘monkey wrench’ strategy to new levels in the cyber-connected world.

Kieran Suckling, the vile director of the Center for Biological Diversity, effectively monkey-wrenched the characters and motives of ranchers protesting the unjust imprisonment of the Hammond family in Oregon, using social media. His lesser compatriot–and admirer, Chris Zinda, also participated, using his own version of social media monkey-wrenching. This Suckling wannabe was recently exposed by Rangefire Magazine, for his own, very personal, very angry campaign against efforts in the West to disentangle lands and resources from the control of aggressive and overreaching federal agencies.

Zinda’s villains include but are not limited to; ranchers, cows, cowboys, Mormons, Utahans, politicians, bloggers, loggers, truckers, county commissioners, Oath Keepers, people with personal firearms for self-defense and hunting, people who ride ATV’s (whom he calls ‘wreckreationists’), people who read and cite the Constitution, people who believe in God and the Constitution (whom he labels ‘theoconstitutionalists), Cleon Skousen, the Bundys, Republicans, Conservatives, conservative women, corporations and of course, the Koch Brothers. To Zinda, all of the aforementioned are ‘seditionists.’

Zinda is biased in favor of big federal government. His household income depends on it. Zinda’s wife, Heather Whitman works for the increasingly controversial Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and most recently served as the director of the BLM Color Country district office in Iron County, Utah. If, for instance, the BLM were downsized and Ms. Whitman lost her job, Zinda might have to give up his position as a ‘homemaker.’ It’s also worth mentioning that Zinda is a regular contributor to the antisemitic Counterpunch webmag.

Originally from Appleton, Wisconsin, Zinda was himself, a federal minion and worked for the National Parks Service in California and several other states. While in Alaska, he was arrested for 4th degree assault.

More bizarre still is his history of misdemeanor ‘impersonation.’ Although these days Zinda is not coy about press attention, hisavored Internet troll commentator identity is “Zinwhit.”

Zinda moved to New Harmony, Utah, from Oregon last September, a few months after Whitman took her position at the  Color Country BLM district office. Whether Ms. Whitman was simply transferred to Utah, or driven out because of her husband is unclear. It is clear, however, that Zinda was on the rampage long before moving to New Harmony. Shortly after moving to Lakeview, Oregon in 2010, Zinda went to war with the town over a geothermal energy project. A few years later he vilified a biomass energy project the little town had hoped would boost the local economy.  “Thank god he’s gone,” is the reaction he expected from the people of that part of Oregon when he moved. Apparently he anticipated, perhaps even relished, the thought of becoming a martyr to his own agitatin’.

A post on Ripoff Report appears to be an attempt to warn the people of Utah about the ‘radical’ activities of he and his Burey of Land Management employee wife.

Having successfully monkey-wrenched the economy and working folks of Lakeview, Oregon, Zinda probably felt like the big gorilla when he moved to Utah a year ago, following Ms. Whitman’s transfer early in the summer of 2015. But the monkey crap really hit the fan for Zinda when he single-handedly derailed a patriotic children’s concert to be held at the Western Freedom Festival as part of Iron County’s Western Heritage Days. This is an excerpt from my expose’ of his activities as found in WatchdogArena.

Following the abrupt decision by officials in Utah’s Iron County School District (ICSD) to cancel a performance of Hope of America by 5^th graders that was to be featured at the Western Freedom Festival (WFF), Watchdog Arena has discovered that this decision resulted from the complaints of one man with a vested interest in defaming the upcoming event, because his wife is the BLM manager over that region of Utah.

On October 1, Watchdog Arena reported the 5^th grade choir controversy which made national news. Citing an article from the Salt Lake Tribune, we were lead to believe that ICSD cancelled the performance in response to “negative feedback from parents.” Watchdog Arena also communicated with ICSD School Board member, Becki Bronson, who said she and other officials had concerns about “the political agenda” of the Western Freedom Festival, which we reported, saying:

The ‘negative feedback from parents’ it turns out, came only from Chris Zinda, who used his social media platforms to amplify his hoot to a roar sufficient to intimidate ICSD into cancelling the kids’ concert. My article goes on:

At 1:15 a.m. on Sept. 23, Zinda sent the following email to ICSD President Michelle Jorgenson, other school officials, Southern Utah University’s Vice Provost for International Affairs Stephen Allen (the university where the festival will take place), and the following Utah newspapers and broadcasters: The Spectrum, St. George News,David Noyce,  Matt Canham and Kristen Moulton of the Salt Lake Tribune, KUTV News, Fox 13 Now News, the Deseret News and KSL News.

An ICSD official was able to confirm to Watchdog Arena that no other parents logged complaints about the WFF, and that the concerns of Stephen Allen arose from the email Zinda sent to him. A scanned document provided by ICSD also shows the only phone call to the district regarding the district’s involved with the WFF was from Zinda.

After a year of grumbling and throwing proverbial sticks and stones at the folks in and around southwestern Utah and southern Nevada, word from a highly reliable source is that Zinda’s wife is being transferred back to Oregon. Little detail is available about Ms. Whitman’s latest destination as a BLM administrator. I’m pretty sure the people of Lakeview will find the news of the pending transfer most unwelcome. May God help them should Zinda once again touch down in that struggling town.

One Iron County, Utah local, who shall remain anonymous, said of Zinda’s looming departure, “The locals here will rejoice. He’s trashed a lot of good people here, it’s really sad.”

But a change of location does not necessarily change a man. Chances are, Zinda will continue to tilt at the Cosmos and all things contained therein from his Twitter account, Facebook page, antisemitism-spattered pages of Counterpunch, and other crank soapboxes he may happen upon. As a warning to my friends in Oregon. Don’t let this guy monkey-wrench your lives.

Reagangirl.com  9/10/16