Rocky frustrated by fairy shrimp

Businessman Roque De La Fuente II, whose longshot candidacy for president was reported October 3 by the Reader, is still being frustrated in court by the wee Riverside fairy shrimp. De La Fuente owns property near the border that, says the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, may contain the federally protected Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus woottoni) in a vernal pools.

De La Fuente wants to develop a recycling facility on the property. He disputes that the property contains fairy shrimp. The government says it may be a critical habitat for the shrimp.

In federal court in the District of Columbia on November 16, a judge declared that more information must be forthcoming before a decision can be reached in the long-running case, according to Courthouse News Service.

De La Fuente responded on November 18, saying that environmental bureaucrats "saw two fairy shrimp from three miles away" on his property. He won that suit and then the government switched its focus to the Riverside fairy shrimp. In the recent decision, "The judge punted," he said.

"As president, I will work to protect wildlife," asserted De La Fuente, but he will not permit irrational species protection. For example, the U.S. is trying to protect a small number of gnatcatchers in San Diego, "but in Mexico there are 20 million gnatcatchers."

In another long-running case, De La Fuente reached a settlement with the City of San Diego over money the entrepreneur may have lost at his Border Business Park. De La Fuente will get $25 million. Several years ago, he was awarded $136 million. At one point, that was wiped away. But negotiations continued. He told the media that he left $100 million on the table because his quest for the presidency is more important.

De La Fuente has qualified for the ballot in Arkansas, Alabama, New Hampshire, and Arizona. "My objective is to qualify in all 50 states," but he is having problems in Georgia.