CHERYL MEETS ORWELL - RIGHT HERE AND NOW

I went to the Animal Fair....I mean, Animal Farm...in 1984...just last night.  Orwell is alive and well, having accurately predicted the future, and that future is NOW.  Actually it was a Dog and Pony Show put on by the propaganda experts from the unelected Centralina Council of Governments.  It was a room full of posters and bureaucrats handing out surveys with stupid questions.  Questions like: "How would you like to see your "region" grow?"  Questions like: "Would you like to see more roads or, would you rather see more houses close to work places?"  Questions like, "Would you like more bike paths and sidewalks?" Questions like, "Would you like to see more open spaces and parks?"  The surveys were a joke, frankly.  Posters that state: "The population in our region is going to double in the next 20 yrs."  Oops, "40 yrs."  Oops, "50 yrs."  (Seriously, they have published all three time frames in different propaganda pieces, so which is it?)  Posters that tell you "the demographic is going to be a lot older and a lot poorer."  Posters that say, "We can fix all these things."  Posters that say, "You can be part of this VOLUNTARILY."  Sure, and my Aunt Sadie was the Queen of Egypt, too.

Our county stays at over 10% unemployment.  More layoffs were announced yesterday.  The birth rate is declining.  The previous year increase in population in this state was 1.2%.  Multiply that by 20 years and you have a 24% increase, hardly double to 200% of the current population.  The only jobs that seem to exist are service jobs.  Manufacturing is still on the wane, and has been for years.  People don't make anything anymore.  They either don't have jobs or they are in service industries.  Oh, and the largest employer here is....guess who?  The government.

Anyway, back to Animal Farm and 1984, I managed to get several Tea Party people there.  Not to be outdone, the bureaucrats had called in every non-profit in the county and had them show up.  They have been told they will have a "seat at the table," and they will be in line to get more money from the Feds if they participate.  I was prepared.  I had printed out flyers of information for anyone and everyone, countering the lies and subterfuge.  I handed them out.  My husband and I were watched every minute by the smarmy, nasty, beady-eyed bureaucrats in suits.  We engaged people in conversations and asked them if they would read my flyers.  I had good feedback from most, thanking me for my editorial in the paper and telling me they didn't know about this prior to reading my editorial.  (side note: it is good to find that people actually do read newspapers today.) 

The Dog and Pony Show also attracted two of our City Council members who were promoting this "regional government," federal monster that they voted to join on our behalf.  One of them didn't look me in the eyes and barely said hello.  The other, a woman, did engage me in conversation.  And here is where the whole thing went off the rails for me.  Below is an account of that conversation.

"Hello Councilwoman."  "Hello Cheryl."  I then said, "Councilwoman, I have information for you on this regional government and I would like to come to your office and share that with you."  "Oh," she said, "No, you don't need to do that."  "I already know how you feel."  I said, "Councilwoman, you do know that you were misled and that the Director of Centralina Council of Governments misrepresented all of this to you, don't you?"  She said, "I know how you feel and I just disagree with you."  I said, "Councilwoman, I have copies of the HUD grant and the actual grant application that proves you were misled."  I'd like very much to share that with you, so that you might revisit this situation and rescind the agreement."  She replied, "I can see you are very concerned about this, but if someone could prove to me I was misled or that I am wrong, I'll look into it."  I said, "Councilwoman, I have the contract application right here with me." " I can show you the proof."  "I can come to your office and lay it all out for you."  "No, that won't be necessary," she said.  Next, she said again, "I just disagree with you and that's O.K." (Was she giving herself permission to disagree with me?)  She continued, "You are entitled to your opinion."  I replied, "Councilwoman, this is not opinion."  "I have the facts right here," showing her my folder of documents. "I would like to discuss them with you." "May I have an appointment?"  "No, that won't be necessary," she said.  "But if someone can prove to me I was misled, I'll revisit the vote for this."  (HUH?  Didn't we just go through that? And didn't I just tell her I have the proof?)  "Councilwoman, you represent ME," I said.  "I would like to show you the proof that I have."  She then rolled her eyes and said, "Well, if this doesn't turn out the way we think, then maybe I'll look at it again," dismissing me at that moment. Goodbyes all around....end of conversation.

It's 4:00 a.m. right now.  I couldn't sleep.  I woke up at 3:00 and my mind went back to that exchange with the Councilwoman.  There was a bit more to it where I gave her three examples of lies that should be obvious to anyone.  She pretended to listen, but refused to acknowledge them.  I have a lot I could say about her personally, based on this and other conversations with her in the past, not to mention her votes on issues.  You don't want to hear (or read) what I personally think of her after this conversation.  It wouldn't be fit to print.  But I have to say, George Orwell should be very proud.  His worst predictions have arrived, right here and right now. 

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN....SUSTAINABLE HYSTERIA

I've been away from here for over a week, but for good reason.  You see the "GREEN" bureaucracy never sleeps and its cancerous totalitarianism is infesting every nook and cranny of American life, even in this mid-size city in North Carolina.  Actually, it has metastasized into all of America, so we either succumb to the death throes of massive control over the minutiae of daily life, or we pick up our gumptions and stick this "GREEN" bureaucracy in the juggler.  That is what I have been trying to do this past two weeks.  (It's bleeding but not dead yet....explanation to follow.)  

Issue after issue keeps coming at us in a blinding blizzard of "RED" tape proposals....all for your own good, of course.  Now that I think of it, "RED" tape is the appropriate color for what pretends to be "GREEN."  There is a reason the color "GREEN" is used to describe sickness and moral turpitude.  "GREEN" around the gills."  "GREEN" with envy.  But on with the story....

The latest happening here is happening in every town and city in America.  It is straight from the "Sustainable Communities Initiative," contrived in a Federal partnership between HUD, DOT, and the EPA.  We have this under the radar layer of appointed "governance" in North Carolina called "Council of Governments."  (COG)  Every state has them these days.  To give COG a feeble semblance of legitimacy, some of the appointed are elected representatives from local councils and commissioners.  Added to that are some business, non-profit, and planning department appointments.  This little cabal is hell-bent to presume control over land-use, transportation, buildings, water, and all else they can get their grubby hands on.  The trick is that these COG cabals don't get that control unless our elected officials let them.  Lazy elected officials looking for money from ANY source are all too happy to bless the COG cabal if they think they can get money and also get out of actual control over their own areas of responsibility.

In walks the COG to both our City Council and our County Commission with an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding - read "contract') that creates yet another layer of bureaucrats in a fictional "region" spanning 14 counties and 2 states. This particular MOU represents a $4.9 Million Federal grant handed to this COG to implement "Sustainable Communities."  This MOU proposes a new CONSORTIUM to "plan" for land-use, transportation, buildings, water, and all else tangible you can imagine.  Gee...do we vote in all of those other counties?  No. Do we vote in a "region?"  No. Do we vote in another State?  No.  

Voters?  What voters??  Why do we need voters when we can TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN?

What plan does this new CONSORTIUM wish to impose?  You guessed it!  Agenda 21 - Sustainable Development - Smart Growth....including rationing of water resources across 14 counties and 2 States, all of the usual transportation schemes with bike lanes, walking trails, and mass transit, land restrictions requiring "open space" and high density development, "green" building only, etc.  In fact, the entire scheme is verbatim out of Agenda 21 and ICLEI (Local Agenda 21).  Our tax dollars hard at work.  Most of the major cities in this CONSORTIUM proposal are already members of ICLEI, just to put more nails in the coffin.  Charlotte, NC, member of ICLEI ...and location of the DNC.  Coincidence?  Nah.

Of course they didn't leave out the "Stakeholder" meetings.  You know, those cute little events where they invite people to come and get brainwashed with propaganda and refuse to allow any dissent.  Yep, that's in there, too.

I am not known for my public speaking skills.  Terror strikes me right in the heart when even thinking of speaking to a room full of people.  But I forced myself to do it, thankfully, with several wonderful other citizens and some Tea Party friends.  We went.  We spoke. And we managed to get the MOU tabled at both the City Council and the County Commissioner meetings.  Tabled is not dead, however.  Tabled is just delayed.  This means we are not off the hook and are going to be going through this ordeal of confronting the Council and Commissioners again within a month.  

So that is what I've been doing among other countless duties having to do with stopping our government from more of this over-reaching disenfranchisement of freedoms.  

If you are new to my blog, I am relaying to you that this "Sustainable Communities Initiative" is  part of the attack on our freedoms.  Warning you. There are many among us who are too stupid to recognize the "War on Carbon" is a complete fictional fabrication from would-be totalitarians.  It is this ignorance and the purveyors of it we are fighting, at the same time fighting off those who see this as an ego-stroke of power.  In case you are wondering why your votes don't matter any more, this is why.  Get after your local officials and stop them from implementing Agenda 21!!  Get out of "regional government" organizations!  Your way of life depends on it.

Hat tips: 

American Thinker article on Water Vapor and Greenhouse Gases by Viv Forbes

Brandon Turbeville writing for Activist Post on Councils of Government and Agenda 21

WHEN IS A CONSPIRACY NOT A THEORY

It has been a very busy time here due to council meetings, commissioner meetings, Tea Party meetings, writing, countless emails and messages to answer. Not having a secretary, cook, or a maid service, leaves me very strapped. I'm going to say, too, that my art career has been taking a back seat for far too long now because of the political climate. Something has to give....

Below is an op-ed I have just submitted to our local paper on the heels of our Gaston Co. Commissioners passing a resolution condemning Agenda 21 / Sustainable Development / Smart Growth. And on the heels of a recent article in that newspaper trying to drum up controversy by referring to Agenda 21 as a conspiracy theory. I have tried to write my best shot to educate the public with this brief article. The Gazette only allows 700 words for an op-ed.

Article begins here:

Our Gaston County Commissioners have done something very good for which we should all be thanking them. They recently voted unanimously to adopt a resolution rejecting Agenda 21 and all of the tenets therein, a United Nations doctrine that has been wrecking the sovereignty of the United States for years. The Republican National Committee this month finally decided Agenda 21 has become so damaging to our nation that they adopted a resolution to condemn the doctrine as part of their platform for the 2012 election. This is late in the day, but maybe now America will realize the seriousness of the internal threat Agenda 21 has become.

Agenda 21 has been referred to as a “Conspiracy Theory” in this newspaper. And there are many Americans who don’t have an understanding of what Agenda 21 is, or why it even matters. The Agenda 21 plan is readily accessible at the UN website for all to read; 40 Chapters of micromanagement for every square inch of the planet. There is a good reason Agenda 21 is not widely understood by Americans. Our government has deliberately been implementing it under other names for twenty years and obfuscating the true intent of the doctrine.

Agenda 21 was first presented as a treaty in Rio in 1991. Pres. George H. Bush signed it. Part of the treaty, a “Biodiversity Treaty,” was presented to our Congress, but thankfully rejected. Not discouraged by a little thing like our representative government, Pres. Bill Clinton cleverly signed an executive order implementing all of Agenda 21, but used one of the major chapter titles, creating the “President’s Council on Sustainable Development.” This action bypassed every check against executive authority when implementing treaties. A President does not have the authority to implement a treaty without ratification by our Senate. Further, actions of the treaty cannot be funded without approval from the House of Representatives. Instead, Clinton’s executive order has been funded by every executive agency in our federal government without the approval of the American people. Pres. Obama has accelerated the spending for Agenda 21 and created by executive order the “White House Rural Council” on the same principles to control all rural areas of the country.

While you have been wondering what on earth is wrong with our government at all levels, as planners and leaders have been forcing stringent regulations upon us, the federal government has been borrowing tax money from you to completely control every aspect of your life based on this invalid treaty. “Comprehensive” doesn’t begin to describe the sum total of this insidious plan. Agenda 21 controls what you eat, how you move about, where and how you live, the amount of water and energy you use, and more. (The light bulb ban is one tiny example this.) And just to make this more illegal, the funding is coming through unelected entities such as regional governance groups, NGO’s, and non-profits. Media and government agencies have created mass hysteria over bogus claims of “human caused climate change” in order to make you think this control of your life is necessary to save the planet. You have been witnessing this every day for years now. Have you wondered why?

So is this a “Conspiracy Theory?” Or is this fact? You can find the facts easily by searching the UN website on Agenda 21, or search these words and phrases: Sustainable Development, Smart Growth USA, ICLEI, regional governance, Growing Smart Legislative Handbook, EPA PAYT, NRPE, et al. After 20 years of usurpation of our taxes and laws, Agenda 21 is now entrenched in every institution in the country, frankly, like a cancer. It is going to take a major effort to recognize it and un-fund it at every level of government. This is why we must have leadership who reject this and return the U.S. to our Constitutional representative government.

Our elected officials are our last line of defense against this. If they don’t understand what it is, they don’t know how to fight it. This is why our Gaston County Commissioners should be thanked and congratulated. They did what this entire country is needing to do; reject and condemn Agenda 21, AKA Sustainable Development, AKA Smart Growth, ICLEI, and every manifestation of it that exists in our nation. Thank you Gaston County Commissioners!

LAND BANKING, VIEWSHEDS, & STAKEHOLDERS - Part III

I'm a little out of sequence here, according to my title. I saved "Viewsheds" for last. The concept of "Viewsheds" is a bit of a dilemma. All things being subjective in the the realm of aesthetics, your idea of a "Viewshed" might be different than mine. No one wants to look at an eyesore, but your eyesore might be my gemstone, or my livelihood. I'm all for beautiful vistas and scenic enjoyment. However, I'm all for private property rights. So how does one combine those two things and come up with a coherent policy that is good for all? Common sense would prevail, or one would hope so.

The concept of "Viewsheds" is new to American jargon. MerriamWebsterDictionary Defined as: "The natural environment that is visable from one or more viewing points." First known use is 1981.

My how justification expands quickly in today's environmentalists' methods and ideology. The Urban Dictionary states:
"A viewshed is an area of land, water, or other environmental element that is visible to the human eye from a fixed vantage point. The term is used widely in such areas as urban planning, archaeology, and military science. In urban planning, for example, viewsheds tend to be areas of particular scenic or historic value that are deemed worthy of preservation against development or other change. Viewsheds are often spaces that are readily visible from public areas such as from public roadways, public parks or high-rise buildings. The preservation of viewsheds is frequently a goal in the designation of open space areas, green belts, and community separators.

Isn't that nice? From 1981 to 2011, in thirty years, someone's idea of expanding land use controls that have nothing to do with private property rights has blossomed into an entire philosophy of radical land usurpation for the sake of "Views."

For purposes of illustration I came across a document describing the dilemma regarding Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, VA. I've been there. I loved it. It was wonderful to see it and learn from it. But the area now has a "Comprehensive Land Use Plan." And Monticello has a foundation to advocate for its preservation.

The view from Monticello to the east and the south overlook a vast piedmont landscape into Fluvanna County. A power plant was planned for construction in that area. This power plant involved natural gas and would connect with the national power grid. The power plant would benefit a lot of people.

"The Foundation responded that the lights and the plumes atop those smokestacks could be visible from Monticello. “Depending on the weather sometimes you can see 50 miles from the hilltop. In a rural area, eight or 10 miles is in the neighborhood.”

If I read that right, The Monticello Foundation wants to control all of the land within 50 miles of eyesight from Monticello. 50 miles of land for the purpose of scenic views. The article also refers to yet another environmental designation attaching to another new Federal idea called the Rural Historic District. RHD. The RHD means more layers of regulation of land use. Well, if you look at all of the land left in the country that is not under the control of cities, you could just put all rural land under an RHD. After all, could you not make the case that the entire country is a RHD? It was historically all rural at one point. But I digress.

We have a similar situation arising here in Gaston County. There is a State Park at Crowders Mountain, from which, once climbing to the top, you can see for miles. In fact you can see all the way to Charlotte, NC on a clear day. Now the environmentalist lobby is trying to keep development out of the line of sight from any viewing position on Crowders Mountain. How many miles should be kept out of development for the sake of the "Viewsheds?" The question of Crowders Mountain "Viewshed" is not yet settled, but the wording in "Vision" plans is clear. "Viewsheds" are to be taken into consideration and given priority over development. Check your local "Vision Plan" and you will find it so.

I guess the amazing thing to me is that once the environmentalists in America realized they could trash property rights by controlling the use of land, they then figured out they could expand that control by demanding "Viewshed" rights. There is no end in sight to their environmental fanaticism. Pun intended.

I'm not sure I have a good solution. Perhaps one should limit the distance of "View" in question. How far should "View" rights extend? If you own a residence in a "scenic" community, can you not just claim "View" rights based on the RHD and demand all other comers take a back seat to your new "government granted rights" that, by the way are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?? Then again, when it is truly historical, such as Monticello or Mt. Vernon, or Gettysburg, what is reasonable? Is your "View" a right?

Welcome to the new Amerika, where rights are granted by government and special interest groups, instead of the rights granted by our Creator.

TEA PARTY IS ONTO AGENDA 21

Below is a copy of the speech I am presenting at our local Tea Party meeting tomorrow night. The topic of Agenda 21 is finally beginning to gain exposure in mid to small cities across the country due to the over-reach of unelected governmental organizations which are over-riding the will of the voters. I am hoping this is not a day late and a dollar short....but at least I could say it is better late than never. You may read the speech here and have a preview of what I hope is the beginning of the end of Agenda 21 in America.

Here it is:

Thank you for coming and showing your concern for our city, county and most of all our government. I’m here because I am a concerned citizen and I have important information to share with you regarding regulations being put into place without voter approval.

Every time I opened the newspaper over the last few years I began to see a recurring pattern of legislations emerge from our mayor, council and commissioners that I have never seen on a ballot. I kept asking myself, “Where is this coming from?” “Where are they getting these crazy ideas?” “Who gave them the authority to do this or that?” So I decided I needed to do some research and find out who, what, why…. and how this was happening to our area. I’m also here because I believe we need to act decisively and fast to stop an anti-American juggernaut, born in the United Nations, called Agenda 21. We need to vet our political candidates to expose their positions on the subjects of Sustainable Development. Smart Growth, and ultimately, Agenda 21. What I found is very complicated, so I am going to try to give you a brief synopsis and I hope you will research this subject yourselves.

While I am speaking to you, I want you to think about 2 things….POWER and MONEY.

So…

What is Agenda 21? First, I want you to know it is NOT a conspiracy theory. Agenda 21 is a United Nations plan…a 40 chapter document….a “Vision Statement for Our Planet for the 21^sst Century” that was promoted at the United Nations Earth Summit at the Rio Conference in 1992. George Bush Sr. signed onto Agenda 21 at the Rio Conference. But, when the “Vision” of Agenda 21 was exposed to our Congress as a UN treaty, our Congress did not ratify it. For good reason. Agenda 21 usurps sovereignty, property rights, economic liberty, and basically hands over power, resources and land to unelected elitists… to control the populations of every country in the world. Agenda 21 purports to address environmental issues, but calls for wealth redistribution, resource redistribution, food redistribution, energy restrictions, supposed social justice, and more. It is NOT about the environment, though it pretends to be. The phrase Sustainable Development became the popular term in America to define Agenda 21. It is a political ideology being infused into every level of government in America. In short, it’s a Marxist plan for global control of everything.. with the United Nations at the head of central planning.

Agenda 21 is comprised of 8 program topics. These are:

Agriculture

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management

Education

Energy and Housing

Population

Public Health

Resources and Recycling

Transportation and Sustainable Economic Development

When our Congress refused to ratify the treaty, Bill Clinton established the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) in order to implement Agenda 21 through federal government agencies such as HUD, DOT, DOE, and the EPA. Environmentalists saw this as an open door to Federal government financing. As Sustainable Development grants and subsidies penetrated the revenue stream, corporations, non-profits, the American Planning Association, thousands of environmental groups, local city and county governments all jumped on the bandwagon to grab the money.

As time has marched on over the past twenty years, you have seen indoctrination at all levels of our society to support the global agenda of Sustainable Development. When you started hearing about man-made Global Warming it was because of the United Nations pushing for Agenda 21 / Sustainable Development in America. In my research I found substantial evidence that there is no such thing as man-made Global Warming and …by the way, CO2 is not a pollutant. When man-made Global Warming was proven to be false, they changed the name to man-made Climate Change. Now we are hearing about man-made Climate “Disruption.” They keep changing the names to try to draw you in. Smart Growth, a nice sounding name for central planning, is the tool to implement Agenda 21 in cities and counties across the country. CO2 restrictions and man-made “Climate Change” are not about environmental issues. They are, however, about controlling wealth and resources. (I can give you more information on how that is taking place without your vote… if you wish to contact me later.)

http://washingtonexaminer.com/node/524827

This week I read an article by Mark Tapscott – who is a Former Heritage Foundation director for media and public policy and has long list of other credentials. He explains:

Quote: “Today’s environmental movement includes hundreds of environmental nonprofits in Washington, D.C., that employ thousands of political activists, community organizers, media strategists, policy analysts, legislative tacticians, fundraisers, think tank managers, computer programmers, and experts with every other important skill imaginable."

"The movement receives billions of dollars in annual funding from government grants and contracts, activist liberal foundations, individual billionaires like George Soros, and legions of smaller donors around the country responding to direct mail and Internet appeals for money.”

"They marshal thousands of volunteers during political campaigns and direct millions of dollars to favored candidates and incumbents at all levels of government."

"They help train journalists in covering environmental issues, teach millions of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary public and private school students, and occupy posts throughout government wherever decisions are made on where people can live, what they drive, how they earn a living, and virtually every other aspect of daily American life.” End quote.

Another supporting article here:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/special-reports/examiner-special-report-big-green-environmentalists-aren-t-really-about-clea

So here we are in 2011 and every day we see our council and commissioners working with unelected boards and regional government organizations who are not accountable to the voters. We’ve seen greenway maps laid over our county and city regardless of who owns what property. We’ve seen our mayor and council use eminent domain to support a local greenway. We’ve seen wealthy individuals buying up land in order to donate it in perpetuity to lands conservancy projects, enriching themselves with tax breaks and impoverishing the taxpayers with maintenance of property that is now held collectively. We’ve seen projects for infill, high-density living centers, mixed use developments which increase traffic congestion, expensive light rail projects, and downtown development which is subsidized by an extra tax burden on everyone….all of this instead of allowing private enterprise and the free market to work. They used to talk about watersheds….now they include something called “view”sheds. That means if you own property with a nice view, it should become part of the collective and restricted or owned by government. The appetite for control of wealth, land and resources is huge.

Sustainable Development - Smart Growth is being implemented locally through the Centralina Council of Governments, the Catawba Regional Council of Governments, the UDO, the American Planning Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the SEQL Sustainable Development for Quality of Life). DENR (Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources) and countless Non-governmental organizations. …too many to list here. None of these groups are accountable to the voters, yet our council and commissioners are taking grants and subsidies from these groups and the federal government to implement tax funded projects about which the voters have no say and most likely don’t want. The grants and subsidies come with strings….you play their game or your don’t get the money. The strings have become complete strangulation of our liberties.

So….what can you and I do about this?

We have local elections this fall and we have national and state elections in 2012. We must find candidates who will reject Sustainable Development and Smart Growth who will bring sovereignty back to the United States and to our local area. The country is broke and 14 trillion dollars in debt. The state is broke and in debt. Gastonia and Gaston County are not flush with expendable capital. Recently we are told we have no money to buy a necessary fire truck for city safety. But we have money to subsidize taking private property for a greenway? We have money for subsidizing infill projects, but no money for services to neighborhoods, such as trash pick-up? That doesn’t make sense to me. Does that make sense to you?

Using tax money and borrowing… putting us further into debt in order to implement a system that takes away our Constitutional rights is suicidal. There are ways to protect the environment, our food supplies, our water supplies, and our property rights without wrecking the American way of life in the process. Our country is only successful as long as our Constitution survives. The juggernaut of Agenda 21 is in place and it is up to us to dismantle it. Agenda 21 is wrecking our country faster than a catfish can swim across the Catawba River. We need to act now to get rid of Agenda 21.

Again…I have lots of information on this that I will share with you if you wish to contact me.

Thanks for coming….and thanks for being concerned about this vital issue!