World Economic System Is ‘Global Suicide Pact’ http://t.co/5e5LkKg
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Monthly Archives: January 2011
Unconstitutional for cities to join ICLEI?
ICLEI CANNOT BE CONSTITUTIONALLY JOINED by ANY CITY or LOCAL …
By Elwood “Sandy” Sanders
I have blogged on the threat of ICLEI, the UN-blessed cartel of local
governments around the world. I contend that a local government in the USA cannot be a member of a group that advocates foreign policy aims or
objectives abroad. …
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Filed under ICLEI, sustainability
UK’s The Telegraph- Russia considers biggest population redistribution since Stalin
Big shout out to my bud and fellow blogeauge Shril, at Still Standing Up for passing this along!
The Kremlin is considering pushing ahead with the biggest geographical redistribution of its population since Josef Stalin’s forced deportations of entire nationalities in the 1940s.
This is Agenda 21 in full force. Read the full article here.
Filed under Agenda 21, Sustainability
Austin, TX Sustainability Officer admits Population Reduction is a part of Sustainable Development/Agenda 21
Please watch this video…no commentary needed.
Filed under Agenda 21, Sustainability, United Nations
“Sustainable Development” is old news for leaders of Cleveland County, but did YOU know about it?
EPA funded- Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life
EPA/SEQL Funded Centralina Council of Governments
I’m sure at this point most of us have heard the often quoted phrase, “10% unemployment is the new normal“. I was not able to find anyone who actually said those exact words, however I did find one statement in my view that is close enough.
In October of 2010 Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, speaking at the 7th World Business Forum, stated ”Even if the U.S. economy manages to grow, it will be too slow to provide enough jobs needed and a high unemployment rate will be a new normal for Americans”. (Click here to read source)
In a previous post (click here to read) detailing how the LeGrand Conference Center, and the new Shelby Middle School are being constructed using Federal Stimulus money, Gaspee quoted County Manager David Dear:
“The county unemployment rate is currently 14.3%. Retail sales have continued to decline and local housing starts are currently very depressed. Despite declining revenues, this budget focuses on maintaining overall public expenditures at current levels.” (Click here to read)
Cleveland County’s unemployment is 14%… the new normal is “High” unemployment for Americans…really? I’m NOT ok with that.
Gaspee interviewed Jason Falls, newly elected Cleveland County Commissioner, and Commissioner Falls made no bones about the need he sees for economic and job growth in Cleveland County. So what’s holding our county back? Why aren’t we growing?
At 14% unemployment, is ANY idea off the table?
The answer is yes. Cleveland County leadership, at least since 2005, is only interested in “sustainable growth.”
In 2005 42 of Cleveland County’s community leaders, including business and government, signed on to the UN’s agenda of “Sustainable Development“. I know that sounds wildly unbelievable, but I implore the reader to continue before you dismiss me out of hand.
According to the Cleveland County Land Use Plan of 2005 Cleveland County became a member of an EPA funded program called Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life or SEQL. This is from the About Section of SEQL’s website (click here to read)
“SEQL is an integrated environmental initiative for the 15-county metropolitan Charlotte region in North and South Carolina.
SEQL involves elected officials, local government staffs, business and industry groups, economic development groups and environmental stakeholder groups working together toward viable solutions to regional growth.
SEQL is regional in its vision and influence, but local in application.
SEQL promotes implementation of specific Action Items on Air Quality, Sustainable Growth and Water Resources and consideration of environmental impacts in decision-making at local and regional levels.
SEQL is funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Centralina Council of Governments in cooperation with Catawba Regional Council of Governments.”
The EPA and SEQL knew local elected officials would never sign on to something with “sustainable development” or EPA, in the title even in 2005. So SEQL cleverly “laundered their EPA funding” by setting up Centralina Council of Governments. Centralina Council of Governments then assists government and business leaders in Cleveland County to create the Cleveland County Land Use Plan, published on April 19th, 2005. (Click here to download)
Before we go further please make note of this. Gaspee recently posted on a very significant declaration that came out of the latest United Nations climate summit held in Cancun.
Martin Chavez, the Executive Director of ICLEI stated:
“For the first time in the history of climate negotiations, the United Nations has officially recognized the crucial roles of local governments in fighting climate change – as local governments are now identified by delegate nations as “government stakeholders”. (Click here to read post)
Note that SEQL , and ICLEI also use the term, Stakeholder. That is a very popular term within the UN’s sustainability agenda.
And that is only the first of MANY similarities between SEQL, ICLEI, the United Nations Agenda 21, AND Cleveland County’s Land Use Plan. Please print both and compare them for yourselves.
ICLEI-STAR Sustainable Community’s Index (click here)
Cleveland County Land Use Plan (click here)
On a separate note…does the Cancun declaration potentially mean that Shelby City Council members or County Commissioners could go and participate in official UN proceedings without the consent of our State or Federal legislature? Gaspee will save that for another story.
There are a few parts of the Cleveland County Land Use Plan that make good sence, however for the most part, it reads like an economy killing manifesto written by Al Gore.
In my brief reading of the Land Use Plan Open Space is discussed on 12 different pages. I enjoy Crowder’s Mountain as much as anyone, but bear in mind that for every OPEN space, there is one less JOB space. Bicycles and sidewalk space are discussed on five pages each, and coincidentally I’m sure, people riding bicycles and walking on sidewalks are on the cover of ICLEI’s STAR Guidelines. Housing built around mass transit are discussed in both. The Land Use Plan also states Cleveland County communities should be “walkable” in nature just as ICLEI’s STAR Guidelines mandate.
Here are the ISSUES facing Cleveland County as defined by the 42 author’s of the Land Use Plan:
STEERING COMMITTEE ISSUES OF CONCERN
ISSUE 1. RURAL CHARACTER
Cleveland County residents value their rural lifestyles, their views, and their green space, and DON’T want to lose them.
Maintain lower-density residential development.
Keep the “rural” feel of the community—protect viewsheds and ensure that new development fits with older.
Limit industrial or commercial growth to existing towns or major corridors—but preserve the sense that one has “arrived” in a town by not having continuous development from town to town.
Include some type of design guidelines for commercial development to ensure that it “fits in” with its surroundings.
Green and open space is critical—preserve it in any new housing developments. Viewsheds should be preserved by buffering.
ISSUE 2. CITIES, TOWNS, AND VILLAGES
Development should occur FIRST in existing cities, towns, and villages.
A healthy mix of uses should be encouraged—people should be able to “live over the store.” Mixed use can work in any community if it’s designed properly.
More urbanized areas should be walkable and connected—especially in communities with water and sewer.
Sidewalks are a must in more urbanized areas, and in new subdivisions in towns.
Multi-family development is appropriate for all communities if it’s in an area with water/sewer and is designed to fit in with the environs.
Parks, greenways, trails, and civic space should be included in urban and village planning.
Our towns and villages should not be simply extensions of highway sprawl, but should have identifiable “gateways” or perhaps even greenbelts.
ISSUE 3
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Commercial development should have a sense of permanency—it should not look “thrown together” or “temporary”. It SHOULD fit in with the image we want our community to project.
Traditional “strip” development is not preferred, but development that shares driveways is a possibility IF the development is well designed.
Commercial development should not be “strung out” along the highway but clustered in nodes around major intersections.
Provide some type of proposal to handle big-box stores—either a plan to handle their abandonment or incentives to re-use them.
Signage should be better regulated.
Consideration should be given to regulating outdoor lighting so that it lights what it’s meant to, but doesn’t create “light pollution.”
ISSUE 4
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Areas suggested for industrial growth include:
Northwest Shelby
The I-85 Corridor
The Highway 18 Corridor
The Kings Mountain/Shelby Corridor
At selected sites along the new Shelby Bypass Grover
The residents of Grover are particularly interested in redevelopment rather than greenfields sites.
Infrastructural improvements designed to facilitate industrial recruitment should be actively investigated and implemented. [As long as it is LIGHT Industrial, read further down]
Industrial development should be sufficiently buffered, landscaped, and otherwise regulated so that it does not negatively impact adjoining uses.
Light industry is preferred over heavy industry, which is perceived as being bad for the environment.
In Upper Cleveland County, the preference for industrial uses is for smaller, low-traffic type uses rather than one or two major employers. In Upper Cleveland County, buffering is particularly important.
The one place in Upper Cleveland County where commercial/industrial development should perhaps be encouraged is along NC18 between Fallston and Belwood.
ISSUE 5
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
There is a sense that residents would rather not have smaller (10-15 home) subdivisions on cul-de-sacs that are one-way-in/one-way-out and spaced out along the highway—they would rather have larger (or even small) developments that are connected to the fabric of the community.
Residential development in all areas of the county ideally should reflect its context—in rural areas, that may mean that larger, non-“family” development is buffered so that rural viewsheds are retained.
Multi-family development should take place in city, town, or village centers, and not in rural areas (where there is no sewer to support it).
Multi-family development may be appropriate along the US 74 Corridor where it may be a form of transit-oriented development.
Manufactured housing will probably always be with us as a form of affordable housing.
ISSUE 6
OPEN SPACE AND GREENWAYS
There is a need for a greenway network in Cleveland County.
Open space and rural landscapes must be preserved.
Civic open space is important—parks, trails, greenways, etc.
Regulations that control clear-cutting are needed.
A Countywide open space plan should be created.
ISSUE 7
UTILITIES
Since sewer treatment plants encourage development, careful attention must be given to where they go.
ISSUE 8
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
NC 18 is a potential corridor to link to I-40 and it should be planned—in accordance with the caveats listed above for rural character, commercial, and industrial development.
Upper Cleveland County should keep its two-lane road network so that additional development isn’t encouraged—although the roads should be made safer with wider shoulders, etc.
One-way-in/one-way-out residential and commercial development is not desirable.
Connectivity is preferred, where feasible.
ISSUE 9
ENFORCEMENT
Code enforcement is an issue now, and added regulations will increase the perceived enforcement gap.
Commercial properties need code enforcement just as much as residential properties do.
Government should provide sufficient resources to meet the code enforcement needs.
Conditional use zoning is needed to give the County better control on how development takes place.
Now I do not claim to be an expert when it comes to “town planning” however, does this plan send a message to potential companies wanting to relocate that Cleveland County covets them, or does it say KEEP OUT?
We now know that NCDENR has adopted (click here to read) the UN’s version of sustainable development. We now know that Cleveland County is a member of the EPA funded SEQL, and SEQL has links on their website to ICLEI and LA21, or Local Agenda 21 (click here to see). And we now know that SB 897 created the Sustainable Communities Task Force, and that NCDENR, listed as a partner to SEQL as well, will be the State agency that will drive the “sustainability agenda” in North Carolina.
My question is simple:
HAS CLEVELAND COUNTY ADOPTED THE UNITED NATIONS VERSION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL?
To my freedom loving neighbor’s in other states, please investigate to see if your town has submitted a similar land use plan, to a similar EPA front group in your region.
To my freedom loving neighbors in Cleveland County; have powerful interests been hindering growth in our county, based on the biggest scientific hoax of modern times?
If so what are WE prepared to do about it?
DEMOCRATS AGAINST U. N. AGENDA 21 – About Us
Glad to know there are even progressives waking up to this agenda.
In information gathered from a Public Records Request to the town of Chapel Hill (ICLEI Member City), ICLEI has a new startegey
Push the accelerator to the floor on Biodiversity (population control) and sustainable development (Agenda 21).
This is pasted from an email from ICLEI to Mark Kleinschmidt Mayor of Chapel Hill:
“ICLEI Strategy 2010-2015 –We have got a new strategy!
Rapid action, radical solutions
ICLEI Members are doing fantastic work and are making a difference in sustainable development in their area. However…[in] the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and resource depletion, we do need to act jointly, we need to act fast and we need effective, scalable solutions.”
Why so fast? What’s the rush? Maybe it is because they know their “hiding in plain sight” gig is over. It may be that ICLEI was anticipating the Executive Order signed by President Obama on the 18th that in essence gave Federal Agencies the green light to accelerate funding and or regulations that foster the three E’s of the sustainability agenda in the US: Please share this post with as many people as you can. It is very important that North Carolina citizen’s, and citizen’s of other municipalities that have joined the UN via ICLEI, know the extent of communication their mayors, city councilman, and county commissioners are having with the United Nations front group ICLEI.
Mark Kleinschmidt-Mayor, Chapel Hill, ICLEI Member City
ICLEI can be defeated this is great news!
Commissioners sever ties with environmental group over policy differences
By Christian Alexandersen, Times Staff Writer | Posted: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:15 am
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners has made it clear it believes there is a distinction between “sustainability” and “environmentalism.”
On Jan. 12, the new, five-member board unanimously voted to terminate its membership with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, an organization that provides technical consulting, training and information services to support local government in the implementation of sustainable development at the local level.
Board President Doug Howard, R-District 5, said the definition of sustainability has changed over time to no longer just focus on protecting and preserving the environment, which is now environmentalism. Sustainability, Howard said, now includes broad, over-reaching restrictions on local governments that impact the free marketplace.
Making that distinction between the two is an important goal of the commissioners, Howard said.
“We have got to be very careful about making good, solid arguments about what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it,” Howard said. “My concern is that when you try to make these points, you’re getting close to the level of terminology that unnerves people or turns them off.”
Commissioner Richard Rothschild, R-District 4, said the organization advocates a form of environmentalism that intersects environmentalism and socialism. The organization, he said, seeks to inject government into all forms of people’s lives including land use, farming, transportation, home construction and food production.
Doctrine held by the organization states that land should not be viewed as a resource for private property owners, but rather the land needs to be controlled by the government and other stake holders for the greater good, Rothschild said. Since that doctrine is not shared by the board, Rothschild said commissioners believed they should terminate their membership with the organization.
“I care about our environment,” Rothschild said. “But I believe the last great hope to save our environment rests in capitalism and not big government.
“Capitalism breeds the kind of creativity and ingenuity which leads to cost-effective solutions,” he said.
Chief of Staff Steve Powell said the previous board had paid an annual membership fee of between $1,600 and $1,800 to be a part of the ICLEI.
John Modica, a member of the county’s sustainability committee, said it is up to the board to determine how it wants to direct sustainability effort in the county. Being a member of ICLEI, Modica said, doesn’t force the county to follow any particular environmental standards.
“Completely rejecting sustainability all together is completely archaic,” Modica said. “We’re too advanced to not plan for the future.”
Modica said ICLEI offered various tools that the county could use to plan for the future. Terminating that membership, Modica said, will now put the burden of finding those tools onto the county.
The commissioners’ decision to terminate its membership with the organization is one in a series of moves that makes a distinction between environmental stewardship and sustainability, Rothschild said. During the Jan. 12 board meeting, the board also unanimously voted to eliminate the county’s sustainability coordinator positions.
The post had been left vacant since the former Sustainability Coordinator Neil Ridgely took a buyout offered by the outgoing board of commissioners in November. The county’s sustainability committee, Modica said, has been disbanded since Ridgley’s position was eliminated.
Reach staff writer Christian Alexandersen at 410-857-7873 or christian.alexandersen@carrollcountytimes.com.
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Filed under ICLEI, sustainability
Who is funding the sustainability agenda YOU and I are! Tweet from @sustainablebizz
@sustainablebizz: USDA, DOE Announce $646M in Loan Guarantees for Advanced Biofuel
http://goo.gl/fb/Sp0uG
Where does USDA and Dept of Energy get their funding? From your taxes!
There is a lot of talk about defuding the healthcare bill, let’s demand Congress defund the sustainability agenda as well. USDA EPA and DOE are great places to start!
Filed under Sustainability, Uncategorized
ICLEI partner US Green Building Council offers classes on how local muncipalities can turn over your water supply to the UN.
http://www.usgbccrc.org/events/event_list.asp
EARN 1 CEU at February 9th ProgramSustainable Sites: Stormwater ManagementLearn creative ways to approach the Stormwater Management credit, an important part of the LEED Sustainable Sites category. This program is approved for GBCI continuing education credit in the Water Management category.
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Filed under ICLEI, sustainability
Neal Thomas
