Tom DeWeese has produced educational materials and a long-running newsletter about Agenda 21, which he identifies as a program designed to " integrate economic, social and environmental policies in order to achieve reduced consumption, social equity, and the preservation and restoration of biodiversity"
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“THIS THING CAN BE STOPPED”
by Sharon Rondeau
Tom DeWeese has produced educational materials and a long-running newsletter about Agenda 21, which he identifies as a program designed to ” integrate economic, social and environmental policies in order to achieve reduced consumption, social equity, and the preservation and restoration of biodiversity”
(Aug. 16, 2013) — Early on Friday, The Post & Email published an editorial from Tom DeWeese, founder of the American Policy Center, which seeks to educate Americans about Agenda 21, “sustainable development,” and private property rights. The article from DeWeese’s website was titled, “Please Help a Family in Crisis!” but was submitted to us by an intermediary under the title “Putting Bicycles Ahead of People.”
DeWeese has issued a monthly newsletter entitled “The De Weese Report” on “Agenda 21 and its threat to our way of life” for the last 18 years.
The topic of his article was the Granato family, whose front yard has reportedly been designated as land to be used for a bicycle path being constructed with federal grant money for what DeWeese described as “a pittance” offered to the homeowners in compensation. The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states that “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
The Post & Email then contacted four officials from the Montgomery County, OH government, and specifically, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC). We published the response received from Mr. Brian O. Martin, whose credential is “AICP” and who serves as executive director of the MVRPC.
Martin told us that the bicycle path has been part of a “long range plan” which became more specific in 2008, when “federal funding” became available. The issue of the bicycle path’s proposed seven-foot proximity to the Granatos’ home was compared by Martin to “hundreds of homes in excellent residential neighborhoods” which “have sidewalks much closer than that, down to essentially zero feet.”
The Miami Valley government appears to encourage use of a bicycle instead of a car “for some trips.”
After receiving and publishing Martin’s response, The Post & Email contacted DeWeese for a response, which reads as follows:
Do you know how many times such officials start out their defense against my charges with “Mr. DeWeese has his facts wrong”? Every statement in my article was checked with the folks involved. As is always the case with these situations, Mr. Martin is using doublespeak. Yes, there are members of the MVRPC who are elected officials, but none were elected to this commission, as I stated. And I’m glad he pointed out that this is a “planning commission.” That makes his statements about the commissions lack of involvement in the “planning” of this bike path disingenuous at the least. Their recommendations and funding are much more than suggestions. The funding they obtain comes mostly from federal sources with strict strings and guidelines for implementation attached. They work as a force to pressure the County Commissioners who then make their plans law of the land. That eventually allows the use of police and the courts to enforce their plans as they walk away. Now, as the consequences of those strings raise their ugly head, as in this situation, suddenly they have no responsibility. Really? Then why do they exist? Why not just let the County Commissioners do their job without the extra layer of bureaucracy?
In fact, planning commissions are a tool used by a hoard of non-elected, self-proclaimed “stake holders,” private organizations with agenda of their own. Groups like the American Planning Association, ICLEI, and hundreds more, who push agendas including controls on energy and water; historic preservation, Heritage Areas, Smart Growth development plans, open space, wetlands preservation, endangered species, biosphere reserves, and share the road bike paths. All of these organizations have one major line of rhetoric in common – it’s all designed to “protect the environment.” A nice sounding idea. But the result is the destruction of private property, higher costs of energy, controls on development, destruction of jobs and industries, and sometimes the economy of entire communities. And in almost every case, as these results become apparent, unelected bureaucrats like Mr. Martin, throw up their hands and say, “Not me.” “Why, we’re just trying to help the community.”
Their plans lead to massive stack and pack cities in which people live on top of each other- designed to eliminate the use of cars. But it also eliminates the availability of private property with yards for the kids to play in – sprawl they call it! I call it people’s homes.
Mr. Martin will argue that none of what I’m telling you has anything to do with the Granato situation. Really? Then look closer at the reasons he gave for the bike path. Doing so, reduces the amount of carbon and harmful emissions into the atmosphere so that our air is cleaner.
That is straight out of the rhetoric of the Sierra Club, the American Planning Association, and ICLEI. It is in the blueprint of Sustainable Development, which is the root of the policy they are enforcing. It is based on the idea that man is causing climate change that will destroy the earth. The fact is, this line of reasoning is in great dispute. Thousands of scientists from around the world are now questioning if this is real or not.Even the IPCC, the UN’s own commission with the responsibility of monitoring and reporting on Climate Change, is backing away from the dire predictions and questioning those findings. Today, only environmental zealots continue to push policy based on the idea of man made global warming. Incredibly, the American Planning Association, in one of its own publications, recently reported findings that Smart Growth doesn’t work. But that hasn’t stopped them from continuing to enforce such policy on more American cities. Why, because the federal grants they live on say so.
And yet, that is the very root of the planning policy being pushed by the MVRPC. And the ugly and unnecessary result is something so very wrong and tragic as the destruction of the Granato property. And as concerned citizens witness this needless pain to a family that just wants to live in peace on their property, they are ridiculed and called liars. Now, say’s Mr. Martin, only the courts can decide, forcing the Granato family to spend thousands, maybe millions in court that don’t have, as they are opposed by the near unlimited funds and resources of a massive government structure.
If Mr. Martin and the MVRPC were truly interested in “serving the people,” then, as these plans were made, as they saw the devastating result for this one family – and probably others – someone on that commission would have said, ” wait a minute – this bike path ( this completely unnecessary bike path) is going to run within 7 feet of their front door. Those homeowners won’t even be able to step out of their house because of it. We need to reroute it.” Did any one of them say that? NO. Did any of the County Commissioners say that? NO.
Power, not reason or compassion for the people they pretend to serve, rules this issue.
It is unfortunate that Jennie and her family waited so long to finally speak out. They didn’t because they were respectful of officials they thought they could reason with. I am the one who told them to fight. I am the one who asked other residents to help take up her cause. It’s not too late. This thing can be stopped, rerouted and her property restored. But mindless savages like Mr. Martin need to feel pain first. And I Intend to see that happens. Nationwide.
Wow, Just incredible the stories that appear because government has become Marxist in mentality. This is no longer the America I grew up in. Every where you turn there is more oppression and more battles to fight.
Wow, Just incredible the stories that appear because government has become Marxist in mentality. This is no longer the America I grew up in. Every where you turn there is more oppression and more battles to fight.