| Once again dismayed by 'The
Plan' - Richland County, SC
October 2, 2003 By Doug Kendall Co-Host & Producer of the "Unauthorized Access" Radio Talk Show on WCEO 840 AM 2004 Libertarian Party Candidate for SC State House, Dist. 69 Once again, I am dismayed by The State newspaper's seemingly one-sided coverage of the battle over Richland County's proposed Land Development Code. The Code is part of the "Imagine Richland 2020" plan, otherwise known as the "Town & Country" plan. Pushing people and families in on top of one another, into cluster developments, and destroying property rights and the ability to buy property is nothing more than communism, plain and simple and more than one citizen made reference to communism and the former Soviet Union in speeches made before the Richland County Planning Commission, last Thursday night. History has shown us that COMMUNISM DOES NOT WORK, but there are still many groups working to institute it here in America, under the guise of environmental protection and conservation. I've had war veterans tell me that they went to fight communism in other parts of the world, only to return here to see it creeping through the United States of America. They ask me, Is this what I risked my life for? Is this what I lost my leg for? I hope not. I still don't understand how The State paper can run stories on this issue that omit such things as the room erupting into applause or shouts of amen, more than once, when a citizen would bring up a good point to oppose the Code, at the Planning Commission meeting. The paper seems to be downplaying the amount of citizen opposition to this plan. Two older ladies literally begged the commissioners to, Please, leave my land alone. Another lady told the story of how land that has been in her family for years was taken from them in the name of conservation. I asked Planning Commissioner, Barbara Wyatt, live on the radio, if this plan could dictate what I could or could not do with trees on my property, or what I could add to, or subtract from, my property and she answered, "No." Was she deliberately attempting to deceive listeners? Has she even read the code that she is supposed to be making a recommendation on? I have to wonder. Maybe she has a different document than the one that the rest of us have, because the Land Development Code consists of over 230 pages of restrictions on what citizens and businesses can do with their own property everything from driveway permits and restrictions, tree and vegetation restrictions, minimum land size before a church can be established, restrictions on home improvements and additions, lighting, fences, business signs, roadside businesses, satellite dishes, mobile homes, and an all-out assault on our personal vehicles. It's un-American, and it goes against everything this country was founded upon. If this plan passes, the automobile-related industries may be hit especially hard, because of the stated intention of pushing more and more people into mass transit, by using "traffic calming" techniques and cutting back on road projects. Our county officials have already demonstrated their intentions by refusing to zone land for a new car lot, but a certain official said that if the petitioner had been looking to open a restaurant or a hotel, the request would have been approved. On top of it all, a Department of Transportation official who was conducting a recent presentation on the SmartRide program for the Friends of Mass Transit group, said, "Getting a Southerner to give up his vehicle is like trying to get a gun out of the hands of an NRA member. Does that tell you anything? Since our county officials seem so intent to get people out of their automobiles and into mass transit, I'd like for ALL of them to start riding the buses and leave their cars parked. Let's see how they like the idea of mass transit. Lead by example, I always say. To view the code for yourself, go to http://www.richlandonline.com/town/LandDev091103.pdf. After you've had a chance to see how the code will affect you, call Richland County Planning & Development Services at 803-576-2190, and press 9 to leave a message. Let them know that we will not tolerate communism and the destruction of our property rights! http://www.schotline.com/kendall100203.htm Additional recommended reading: http://www.wrisley.com/taxtopics.htm |