| Ask Why? (Did You Ever Wonder
Why?)
May 20, 2003 By Joyce Morrison http://www.illinoisleader.com/ To submit a Letter to the Editor: fran@illinoisleader.com or jill@illinoisleader.com Have you ever been around a small child who asks, "Why?" at every little thing? He just has to know how and "why" everything fits together. Unfortunately, most outgrow the "why" stage and accept everything the world gives them without questioning. But there are some who carry their natural curiosity into adulthood. Just this morning I found myself asking, "Why?" when I read there are 40 acres of farmland in the suburbs of southwestern Illinois that are to become part of the Collinsville Area Recreation District. Do you know "why" they need this as the eighth park in the district? "This is an opportunity for land to be a teacher," notes Larry Levin, St. Louis Director of the Trust for Public Land. "As the land use changes around this community, we want to pass on to the children a greater understanding of the community's roots in agriculture." "Why" don't they just leave the farmland in the hands of private owners and let them farm it and pay their property taxes -- which would benefit education and all the other local taxing bodies? How much better can you demonstrate agriculture than by having a farmer farm? This ideology reminds me of an old fellow who lived in our area when I was a kid. He had the habit of being "light fingered" -- "finding" things and keeping them, even if he knew the item belonged to someone. The thought behind his action was, "if I don't take it, someone else will come along and steal it." Is this why the government and land trusts have the socialistic concept that everything should be owned by them and taken from capitalistic private ownership? Is it to claim the land so no one else will come along and take it? Joseph Farah of http://www.worldnewsdaily.com is to be featured at the Illinois Leader birthday bash. I have read World Net Daily for years, and there is no doubt Farah is a "why" guy. One of his columnists is Sarah Foster, who is also a "why" person. Sarah has written numerous excellent research pieces, but one stands out that is even more relevant today than when it was written in 2001 that makes us ask "why." Her column entitled "Federal Land Use Planning in the Works" tells about the American Planning Association's book entitled "Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook." This is a seven-year project of nightmare regulations for Joe and Jane Citizen. If you are a "why person, you are in for a big shock when you see it all fits together, and you are a pedestrian living in stacked housing. Foster's column quotes Bob Harrison, director of public policy for the Defenders of Property Rights as saying what he saw made his hair stand on end. The 2,000 page document is the product of Growing Smart, a project of the American Planning Association and funded with seed money provided by the Seattle-based Henry W. Jackson Foundation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Annie Casey Foundation and the Semen's Corporation. This should raise a "why" question. Why would these foundations be partnering with government agencies on policy that severely infringes the rights of local government? Apparently the people running state and local governments can no longer think for themselves and have to look to the American Planning Association to think for them. John Smith originally found the Legislative Guidebook document and World Net Daily contacted him. "There's so much in Chapter 8," said Smith. "There's a list of things it says that zoning ordinances can do. They can place restrictions on buildings because someone might not be able to see the stars or the sky -- those kinds of scenic things. But every section of Chapter 8 is of concern if you are a business owner. There's a section on moratoriums. It's very crafty wording, but as I understand it, a planner or planning board could say, 'I'm thinking of making a change to the ordinance, so I'm putting a moratorium on everything until I decide what I want to do.'" If you don't think they are serious, then you should read the account by Tom DeWeese of the American Policy Center on "light pollution" in Louden, Virginia. It would mean Pizza Hut, McDonalds and all the businesses would have to turn their signs off so you can see the stars. Looks like Christmas lights would be against the law too. http://www.newswithviews.com/news_worthy/news_worthy15.htm There are 15 chapters in this Guidebook full of social engineering, including a wide range of state, regional and local comprehensive and functional planning issues, urban growth area designation, zoning, subdivision control, development impact fees, administrative and judicial review of land-use decisions, enforcement, regional tax-base sharing, innovative land use regulations (including incentive systems), a model "Smart Growth Act," and more. http://www.planning.org/growingsmart/summary.htm Let's begin to ask the question, "Why?" Why are our state and local governments just chomping at the bit to enforce these policies on our neighborhoods? Why did our state legislators pass Smart Growth in Illinois? Why did conservative Steven Rauschenberger (R- Elgin), who chaired the Illinois Growth Task Force, sponsor such a hideous bill as HB4023 and team with liberal Ricca Slone and former Governor George Ryan when they pushed Smart Growth in Illinois along with the American Planning Association? Why did our legislators pass this HB4023 last year? Didn't they know what they were doing to the future freedoms of their children and grandchildren -- or was it politics as usual? Why is every state in the nation following this policy that is based on a global format from the United Nations? Why are we following Clinton's Lands Legacy and Gore's Livability Agenda even though Clinton and Gore are no longer in office? Why are we pushing the Smart Growth programs on Sustainable Development that Clinton/Gore welcomed in 1992 from the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro? Following the UN meeting, Clinton immediately appointed his "President's Council on Sustainable Development," and they took their information from the United Nation's Agenda 21 to pass on to us. (Information is easy to find. Just type "Agenda 21" in a Google search, and you'll come up with about 700,000 results, such as www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21.htm and www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21text.htm .) Why is it when we mention the United Nations we are looked upon as "black helicopter" watchers? Could it be people are actually paid to market this perception of those who question the U.N. in order to discourage people from seeking the truth? On May 4, 2003, the New York Post reported: "A crazed mob of diplomats angry at being made to wait for lunch because of striking restaurant workers rioted a U.N. cafeteria Friday and looted them of thousands of dollars in food, booze and silverware." So much for the intelligence of the designers and planners of "Smart Growth." Linda from Iowa asks "why" is the EPA giving National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement in the categories of: 1) Built Projects; 2) Policies and Regulations; 3) Community Outreach and Education; 4) Public Schools; and 5) Overall Excellence in Smart Growth. Ann from West Virginia -- annroach2@earthlink.net -- asks "why" are we having training sessions in Sustainable Communities? An article in The Hinton News of West Virginia on May 6, 2003, offers training to anyone wanting to serve on the Sustainable Communities Team. They are to contact the Extension Office for information. http://www.newriverfriends.org/ http://www.newriverfriends.org/really_mabels_story.htm http://www.inlibertyandfreedom.com/rs2.htm Jessica -- mnates@aol.com -- from South Carolina asked "why" and is fighting with her group in Richland County to put a stop to the Smart Growth invasion of their property rights. Groups from every state are beginning to see through Smart Growth and are asking "why" and fighting back. http://www.richlandtaxpayers.com http://www.richlandonline.com/vision/intro.html If Clinton is gone, "why" are we still pushing his programs based on Agenda 21, which is based on the Report of the Commission on Global Governance "Our Global Neighborhood?" Why do our legislators not know about something that is so important and the basis of much of our current legislation? Before we elect any politician, whether it be Federal, State or Local, we should ask the candidate what they know about Smart Growth, Growing Sensibly, Sustainable Development or whatever the name is that day. If they don't know, we need ask them "why " before it is too late. http://www.illinoisleader.com/columnists/columnistsview.asp?c=5949 Joyce Morrison article archives (Very Worthwhile Reading, each and every one!): http://www.illinoisleader.com/columnists/sectionview.asp?s=90 |