First Nations Want Cellphone Revenue For Their "Airspace"

[TehBorken]

 Sorry, that's just whacky.

[hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]The CBC is reporting that First Nations in Manitoba want [a href="vny!://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/05/30/manitoba-cellphone.html"]compensation for every cell phone signal that passes through their land[/a] because it violates their airspace. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs recently resolved to negotiate revenue sharing with Manitoba Telecom Services.

Ovide Mercredi of the Grand Rapids First Nations says "When it comes to using airspace, it's like using our water and simply because there's no precedent doesn't mean that it's not the right thing to do." This move may inspire First Nations in other provinces to follow suit.[hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"]
So, please, tell us, what resource belonging to First Nations is being consumed, so that you have less of it the signal has passed through? I will take one silver coin, and drop it on the ground, and you may comfort yourself with the sound of the money.
 

[kitten]

Isn't that ridiculous?  Greed has no boundaries.  

[Schadenfreude]

It continues because the governments just hands them bags of money when they whine.

  Instead of actually helping them by building infrastructure, they hand over tons of money to, often corrupt, chiefs.

  I say give the rights to casinos to the aboriginals. If they are not high class, safe, places run by polite employees no one will support it. The casinos in Minnesota are incredible places. All the employees are clean, well dressed and polite.

[Isis]

*shakes head*

[49er]

these people may have a point.  I think about twenty years ago the US governtment was dividing the country into zones and selling the right to build transmission towers at each zone to the public  

[Isis]

I say....if they want the rights to the airspace...then let them have it...and they can built their own frikin towers with their own money...oh wait...their money is our money...lets get the baby spoon out at the same time and completely hand feed them everything...

  enough is enough....cut them off!

[ripper]

I agree with Isis. It's time to cut them off. All these so called chiefs are nothing more than glorified thugs. Just look at the situation in Caladonia Ont. Development after development hijacked and held for ransom.

[Schadenfreude]

When all the native groups were asking for money and renegotiations because the treatys signed 100 years prior were obvious rip-offs by the white man I thought to myself "well I guess, may as well make it right".

A couple of generations from now I'm sure they will want a new treaty.

[Isis]

When the government steps in and helps it's 'own' people then I can support them with the Natives...but until then....screw them!