Bradley County Finance Committee mulls 16 cent property tax increase

The County Commission via the Finance Committee is once again discussing taxing the citizens of Bradley County Tennessee.

The “what if” by the finance committee to propose yet another tax on the citizens in light of a recent overwhelming wheel tax defeat is beyond what my somewhat simple mind can handle.

Listen to the people! We do not want another tax! We are living in tough economic times! We are hurting. Struggling to feed our families and make ends meet.

Are we so comfy in our lofty elected and appointed posts that we do not see the ramifications? Why is it that everytime we need to fix something the first and second response is to turn to the peasants for a constant stream of seemingly endless requests on our revenue stream?

Some have told me that it’s only about 50 dollars on the average home in the county. Quit looking at it as a single hit on our budgets, it cumulative and it’s more than likely permanent. This 50 dollars gets piled up on another 50 dollars etc and eventually we can’t pay it anymore and we lose our property and the rights that go with it.

I was recently asked in an email exchange from one of our elected State Representative “Why don’t you provide some solutions?” In other words, stop your bitchin and do something about it! Really? Should I, a citizen, who just cast a vote that elects you to be my representative and you tell me to provide solutions to solve the problems of our state and local governments. My response is to that scenario is either resign or don’t run again and I gaurantee you we can put a citizen in that will represent the people and act on their request. Please forgive me this morning, I woke up in a rather gripey mood and I feel an overwhelming need to apologize. This type of malarchy just sets me off.

If the best you can do is shuffle a few line item scenarios around to make it look good on paper then perhaps your rent is up and it is time to elect someone who can put it all together and get our county back on track. This is a replacement tax for Gods sake, in case the County loses the 3,000,000.00 case over a sales tax issue. This tax will not even be attributed to knocking down our current debt load, but to replace money lost! It will not help our situation one bit, it just gets us back to where we were! What an excellent opportunity to have to cut costs within our county budget. What an opportunity missed to fix our problem with big government before we tax the citizens further. That sounded original didn’t it and it looks proactive, right? Another apology for my grumpiness.

You have to be one brick shy of a load to think this will be the only tax in our future. We are facing a 4 to 10 billion dollar growth plan in our immediate future. Who do you think is going to pay for that? Let’s not also forget we have already shifted close to a million dollars to an out of state company that has at best cut out a cardboard cookie cutter county growth plan that has drawn the ire of and disapproval of 73 percent of our citizenry. We, you and our children will be the beneficiary of this debt fiasco. Oh yeah, how could we forget the county mayors stealthy 16 county, 3 state regional growth plan that is well under way. Let me mention this while I’m here and I will elaborate later, this regional growth plan will take your county, Bradley Counties tax dollars and send it to another county to help them pay for one of their projects. How you like those apples, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

Is there some type of unspoken rule or edict that says our County has to take federal grant money in great amounts and more often than not turn around and ask the citizens to turn over increasingly greater amounts of their hard earned money? I am aware of Public Chapter 1101, but the immensity of it? Who dictates how big it has to be?

Keep in mind, I’m just a concerned citizen, with a keen sense of insight who happens to like to write. I am not a professor of finance nor a guru of all that is financial but let me ask one more question of our elected officials then I will shut up.

Why dont we fix our problems inside our own government house before we request more from the already unstable and stretched budgets of the citizenry? If someone can answer that with a logical response will get a big hug from me. Why not get our house in order first. Why not take the politics out of it and look at it from a human perspective?

King George and his court were ousted and our country reshaped some 250 years ago for this same type of behavior and blatant disregard for the people he represented. Sounds like it is time to do the same and vote these distinguished characters out of office before we can’t afford to live here anymore.

The message is simple, lean in closely, I am about to scream. NO NEW TAXES! PERIOD!

And I mockingly borrow from a quote by one our elected Mayors from the city as he screamed at me recently in one of his familiar rants, “If you are man enough,” and I add, “Put this to a referendum and let the citizens decide if they want to give you more of their hard earned money!” I am pretty sure the response will be the same as the wheel tax and the growth plan. This way it will leave you no doubt whether you are simply doing the job you were elected to do. No guilt, let the people decide for you. You know the old adage “to be representative of the people and for the people.”

Good day and I’m very curious to see if anyone mans up and steps up and not on the citizens of Bradley County Tennessee! I doubt it, but i’ve seen greater miracles.

One of the sources of info:
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/20535126/article-County-looking-at-%E2%80%98what-if%E2%80%99-over-sales-tax?instance=homefirstleft

Brymer Creek degradation, a result of talk, little action

From the beginning the warning bells have sounded as many citizens spoke up about the economic and environmental impact of such a large construction project like the Spring Branch Industrial Park would have on our community.

I think Matt Bentley said it best almost a year ago as the vote to go forward with the park was being initiated.

“I want you to think long and hard about the pros and cons of this development,” community member Matt Bentley said.

Bentley said he and others in the community did not feel respected in the process thus far.

The above concerns by resident Matt Bentley and other concerned citizens, including members of the Tea Party of Bradley County now sound like an ominous warning that got neglected resulting in our elected leaders rendering the seriousness of this debate to an afterthought.

Repeated warnings of possible degradation to the environment around this sight and to the creek were voiced for almost a year prior to this most recent negative impact to the states fifth cleanest creek.

You can clearly see, a year ago, where the ball got dropped although two of Bentley’s concerns were addressed in a paragraph added before the original resolution, presented by 6th District Commissioner Robert Rominger as reported in the Cleveland Daily Banner.

This added paragraph said steps would be taken to limit the impact on the community from the industrial park. The proposed steps include: “(1) sewer service to the proposed Spring Brach Road site will be provided from an existing 8-inch sewer line on APD 40, (2) buffers will surround building sites as shown on the concept drawing, (3) Spring Branch Road will be closed and will not be used for ingress or egress from the industrial park and (4) Harriman Road will serve as a secondary method of ingress and egress from the site and every effort will be made to prevent traffic use other than in an emergency.”

The resolution does not address the community’s concern about preserving Spring Branch, Brymer Creek and Candies Creek from storm water runoff as reported in the Cleveland Daily Banner 12 months ago.

Seventh District Commissioner Bill Winters said the Commission does in fact respect the community’s concerns. Winters said he shared concerns about protecting the area’s creeks.

“I don’t think any of us want an industrial park to negatively impact your community,” Winters said.

Mr Winters spoke of it, showed concern, went a step further to say he heard our concerns and was interested in protecting the area creeks and not negatively impact them, but it appears to be only talk. To my knowledge, no plan or oversight was planned beyond talking about it and acknowledging that the problem or potential exists.

We are always so quick to form a committee to study one thing or another, this would and could have been an excellent opportunity to say we are going to follow this through to make sure this didn’t happen to one of the cleanest creeks in the state.

Fast forward one year and we see Brymer creek and the surrounding area being inundated and degraded by muddy polluted stormwater runoff at the Spring Branch construction site.

During the Bradley County Commission voting session meeting Monday evening, Commissioner Ed Elkins said, “Last week I reported on a situation down in the McDonald area or Exit 20 area involving some stormwater runoff. Subsequent to the meeting last week, I did learn that it had been looked at by TDEC and the environmental engineers from the city of Cleveland and I was assured that corrective action was in place to correct that.” Mr. Elkins was referring to the stormwater runoff coming from road and industrial development projects near Spring Branch causing muddy water to flow into Brymer Creek as reported by the Chattanoogan.com.

Dan Rawls addressed the commission stating, “This situation out in McDonald is why the people of McDonald were opposed to this. I don’t know if anyone has seen the video of the degradation of that creek, but you were warned about it from the beginning. Who is accountable for this? The people who are affected by this are in the county. How can you allow that to happen to a waterway that’s that clean and that recognized? We were all told that would never happen. Who is accountable, the government, the people who did it or the contractors? What’s the answer here? What’s going on? We tried to warn you that this was going to happen. Why were the systems not put in place to have prevented this in the first place? I fought this thing for over a year and they’ve fought it longer than that. I think there needs to be some answers and some apologies to the people that live out there around that creek that warned you about this.”

Commissioner Elkins responded, “The permit for that project was issued to the city of Cleveland. They have responsibility for it. The contractor did not take the necessary precautions and that was unfortunate. Once TDEC was notified, they did get on it and got the city down there. It’s kind of like closing the barn door once the horse escaped, but I’m told they are taking precautions to do that now. Clearly someone dropped the ball.”

Commissioner Peak Jones said, “The city of Cleveland does have precautions in place for that process. Where it fell through, nobody knows.”

Commissioner Elkins commented, “The city annexed that area and they pulled the general permit for that project to do the road. So, Bradley County really has no jurisdiction over it. I guess we could file a complaint with the city because where the damage is being done is inside Bradley County. It falls under the city to explore it. I think it would be appropriate for us to file a complaint with them and ask them to do this.”

Commissioner Adam Lowe said, “We went to great lengths to have meetings with people in that community. I remember listening to a very healthy active discussion about the pros and cons and figuring out how to mitigate as much as we could. I’m having trouble recalling if anyone from the city was there but it was prior to the annexation. Right now, I’m a little shattered about going to such great lengths as a county commission to try to hear from the constituents in that area. It was such a high priority in my opinion. I feel like for some reason, somewhere it stopped being a high priority.”

May I add something here Commissioner Lowe, while it was evidently labeled a “high priority” that’s all it was, a label. It was all talk and little action. This is where we always seem to get bogged down in the political machine. We gladly offer talk because it can easily be quoted in a news article, so we can cut it out and put it in our scrap book. Getting our hands dirty and doing something on the other hand is a whole new realm we seldom like to explore because it takes a little more effort.

Commissioner Yarber suggested Commission Assistant Amy Moore provide more information regarding the matter and recommended further discussion at a future work session to come up with a thought process to put in place on how to handle the situation.

Chairman Alford said, “Me and Mrs. Moore will get in touch with people from the city regarding the matter tomorrow to try to get more information. That is, if they are willing to meet with us.”

With all due respect to the Commissioners, City Councilmen and women, both Mayors, the Industrial Development Board and Doug Berry of the Chamber of Commerce, one thing clearly stands out in the paragraphs above of the coverage of tbe meeting.

We love to give lip service to the general public and say what we think the people want to hear. We are all very quick to listen to concerned citizens and their gripes and complaints and then talk about plans to fix it. This debacle has left many scampering for someone to blame with hoardes of elected and non elected officials washing their hands of the responsibility of the pollution of Brymer Creek.

Instead of one person stepping up and committing to making sure not one more ounce of pollution flows into Brymer Creek, it seems the only viable and forseeable solution is let’s talk and talk and talk about it till we have talked enough then let’s talk some more.

But when all is said and done the end result is a once clean creek is now dirty and polluted and all we have done is talk about it to the point of nausea.

Talking without followup seems to have gotten us in this dilemma. Lip service without a plan is exactly that, lip service.

Who is to blame? Ultimately the voter will decide. They will mull over the previous four years of service and make an informed decision.

It would have been so simple to take our concerns, formulate a plan, follow up on plan, provide oversight of construction and make sure that when the first scoop of dirt was moved, no runoff was going to pollute Brymer creek.

The ball was dropped indeed. Many chose to talk and even more failed to execute.

Source of info:

Please visit this site frequently as it is chocked full of note worthy news articles that affect us daily. http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/9/5/233582/Stormwater-Runoff-Into-Brymer-Creek.

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/15419958/article-County-delays-industrial-park-funding-vote

The loss of American property rights to the United Nations

With the first in a series of 3 meetings to “kick off” the Comprehensive plan for Bradley County behind us, I can officially say I know what it is like to have smoke blown squarely up my backside! I feel I was courted, kissed and left limp before I awakened! Undoubtedly, the rest in the room were given tranquilizers as our elected officials never batted an eye or twitched a muscle as this plan was introduced and allowed to proceed!

Consensus was not obtained in that room at the five points museum regardless of how it was reported in the local press! Overwhelming disapproval was echoed by the majority in the room! I have the video to prove it, but then again, citizen objections are not supposed to be heard or voiced in Bradley County!

Their attempt to bamboozle and intimidate was obvious when County Commissioner Connie Wilson stood up from her seat and shouted the Citizens down leading us to believe we were wasting her time. Well, Mrs Wilson a great way to open up a little time in your busy schedule would be to resign or not run again, that would be a great way to free up your Mondays! Better yet, come election time we need to encourage the vote to go to someone willing to listen to and be inconvenienced by the people! Beyond the yelling by Mrs Wilson the meeting moved on without much citizen input acknowledgement.

The calling of the Police is a classic but outdated move often rendered by the machine when they are being objected to and not getting their way!

I wonder, if perhaps, the call was made from her table, thinking out loud always gets me in trouble.

For future reference, in case you have forgotten, “we the people” have a constitutional right and duty to question our government and their actions! Stop calling our Policemen and women who have other important things to do besides monitoring law abiding citizens demanding answers from their government! It’s appears so Gestapo, so Marxist, loud and out of touch!

Enjoy the article below! I have been so busy lately with all the happenings I can’t catch up! Believe me, the other articles are coming!

The loss of American property rights to the United Nations
The UN Agenda 21 Marches on in America with the USDA-EPA National Partnerships.

By Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh  Sunday, August 14, 2011

John Adams said, “Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.” The Decalogue emphasized private property in “Thou shalt not steal.” George Washington stated, “Private property and freedom are inseparable.”

Private property was so important to our Founding Fathers that its principles were included in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The right to property is surmised in the owner’s determination of land use, as long as its use does not “disturb the equal rights of another.”

The Declaration of Independence states that “…all Men…are endowed by their Creator with Certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” United Nations Charter and Declaration of Human Rights are based on the idea that rights are granted and rescinded by men.

The UN third world nations planners devised Agenda 21 on three suspect principles: Equity, Economy, and Environment, all controlled by government because “individual rights must take a back seat to the collective.”

In 1964, UN developing nations called for the establishment of a New International Economic Order, asking that multi-national corporations be regulated, foreign property nationalized, asking to establish commodity monopolies, and requesting transfer of technology and technical assistance.

Developed nations ignored this declaration but developing nations promoted these ideas at other conferences. In 1976, the Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat One) declared that private land ownership and wealth are the primary reasons for social injustice. The 65 page socialist document recommended land use:

redistribution of population in accordance with resources

government must control the use of land in order to achieve equitable distribution of resources

land use must be controlled through zoning and planning
government must control excessive profits from land use
urban and rural land reform should be done through public ownership of land

public authorities should hold developing rights of land and should be separated from owner rights

The 1987 UN report, “Our Common Future” by the World Commission on Environment and Development focused on the policy of sustainable development: land use, education, and population control and reduction. Sustainable Development made nature and its protection the central principle for all member nations.

The 1992 UN Bruntland Commission released the official UN Agenda 21 with its 40 chapters and the 178 nations who signed and agreed to implement UN Agenda 21 at the conference in Rio de Janeiro. Signatory for the United States was President George Bush.

All countries agreed that decisions must be made based on how they will affect the environment. Property is evil and creates wealth for the rich at the expense of the poor. Business is evil, should be controlled by the community, while the owner is responsible, and pays taxes.

Wealth was produced at the expense of the poor and must thus be confiscated and given to the poor. No private enterprise should exist, only public-private partnerships. These ideas are tenets of socialism/Marxism.

UN Agenda 21 set out to abolish private property, control education, control and reduce population, and control the economy. The global plan was called “Sustainable Development.”

Every one of the 40 chapters contains policies that member nations must adopt such as demographics, settlements, sustainable communities, water control, land use control, role of business, energy control, role of industry, international mechanisms of implementing the agenda, and the institutions used to implement the policies.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Biodiversity Treaty. The treaty was used to implement UN Agenda 21 in the United States, “Creation of national strategies, plans, policies, and processes which are crucial in achieving a sustainable world.”

Dr. Michael Coffman revealed a map to the U.S. Senate of the proposed development of the Wildlands under UN Agenda 21 in the U.S. This map had red, yellow, and green zones noted as Core Reserves and Corridors with little or no human use, Buffer Zones with highly regulated use, and Smart Growth with human settlements.

President Clinton signed Executive Order 12852, creating the President’s Council on Sustainable Development to translate UN Agenda 21 into public policy administered by the federal government. The Council created the first UN Agenda 21 called “Sustainable America,” with 16 “we believe” statements. The ultimate goals were to abolish private property, control education, control and reduce population, and control the economy.

To aid in implementing UN Agenda 21 a Consensus Process was developed: Stakeholders of the Affected Group select an Initiator who then selects a Decision-Making Committee (steering committee); Policy Decisions are pre-determined by a Facilitator and not by the Committee (they cannot vote). Consensus is the process in which objections to the proposal are erased. (Exactly as they did on the 30th of January in Cleveland Tennessee with the “kick off” of the BCC Comprehensive growth plan.) The Affected Group has to abide by the pre-determined decision with no voice in choosing the decision-maker or the outcome.

President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) published “Sustainable America, a New Consensus,” which contains 150 policy recommendations taken directly from UN Agenda 21. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown said that his agency can implement 67 percent of the recommendations administratively, using rule-making authority.

Land Management Agencies promoted land use policies based on ecological or aesthetic consequences. The agencies appropriated millions in grants to state and local governments and set up land trusts for the purpose of acquiring private property. For example, by 1997, 43 million acres were designated roadless areas, 1/3 of land in America was owned by government and ten percent by states, 21 national monuments were expanded. (Donna Holt)

How was UN Agenda 21 implemented at the grass roots? Millions in grants were awarded to state and local governments by American Planning Association and EPA through “visioning.”

A Visioning Council (steering committee) made up of businessmen, politicians, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and people who stood to gain financially from the implementation of the goals of UN Agenda 21, worked with the EPA, the American Planning Association, the Conservation Fund, the National Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club.

The Visioning Council received their proposal from the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD) and proposes it as local goals for the community. The “Consensus” would remove any objections the public may have had. The result was the “vision” and the new plan of action. The entire process took 12-18 months.

The Initiator would make press releases to introduce the idea of Sustainable Communities and to build huge public support; the elected officials signed on without any questions asked. They either did not understand the nefarious intent or were financially complicit in the vision. Some local government officials had no idea that the plan came from the United Nations Agenda 21.

Partners of Sustainable Development are ICLEI, International County/City Management Association, American Planning Association, Renaissance Planning Group, Florida Forever (largest public land acquisition program in the U.S.—9.8 million acres purchased). They provide technical support and assistance with SD, management training, performance measurement, rural and urban planning.

In June 2008, The One Planet Communities proposed: (data from Donna Holt)

58 percent less electricity
65 percent vehicle mileage down time
23 gallons/water less per person
50 percent reduction in car ownership
40 electric car solar powered charging stations
Reduction of footprint from 6 homes to 2 homes by 2020
Stacked homes to avoid expansion of housing developments
Five minute lifestyle (5 minute walk or bike from your home to shop, work, live, go to school)
Walk or bike within the community
Car-sharing for short distances or from one stacked community to another
High speed rail for longer distances
Car ownership will disappear
Current consequences of UN Agenda 21:

Sustainability is taught k-12, colleges, and universities
Colleges teach how to “build earth’s sustainable workforce,” “sustainability manager for carbon accounting,” “corporate sustainability manager,” “energy auditor,” “engineering sustainably certified homes,” to name just a few
Children are well indoctrinated into Sustainable Development practices
Government schemes to control future use of agricultural land and water through the recently passed White House Rural Council
San Joaquim Valley in California was turned into a virtual dust bowl last year when water was denied to farmers in order to protect the delta smelt; 40,000 people became unemployed;

less vegetables and fruits resulted in higher prices

Regulatory taking of land, especially in Florida, Miami-Dade County

Rationing of water, electricity, and fuel

Expensive retrofitting of homes—people will be forced to leave their homes if they cannot afford the expensive retrofitting

Denied building permits and thus land is deemed worthless

Private property abolished to prevent urban sprawl

Land shortage

High density living

In June 2011, President Obama signed the White House Rural Council. To make good on the promise to control rural life and its resources, on August 8, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA announced a national partnership “to improve rural drinking water and wastewater systems.”

The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, who chairs the White House Rural Council and thus controls 16% of U.S. land, “is working to coordinate USDA programs across the government and encourage public-private partnerships, to improve economic conditions and create jobs in rural communities.”

I guess the government has finished “saving or creating the three million jobs” in urban areas, they are now moving into rural areas.

Here is UN Agenda 21 in action through its Hallmark public-private partnerships, to “fundamentally change” and control the use of water, resources, and agricultural land.

Human Settlements: UN’s vision for Bradley County

We often take for granted our ability to own property, to have that special lot of land, that lakeside piece of heaven, the meadow swarming with wildlife! Aaaaaah! The peacefulness in those thoughts!

The United Nations issued this report to the UN Conference on Human Settlements where their members have planned out the vision for our Amercica in an Agenda 21 envisioned world.

Land, your land is truly an asset, an asset so valuable they see this land as what contributes to the rest of the worlds poverty, by our “wealth.” Our land ownership is social injustice! We, by owning land are keeping the wealth in the US and not sharing or playing well with others!

This is so sad, because they now have teamed with our own White House to destroy it one piece at a time. Our local Mayors have recieved marching orders to set this plan into action!

My next few posts are going to be about letting you know how they intend to take over your property rights one piece of land at a time!

Read this declaration by the UN and see what they are saying about your land! The openess surprises me, but not enough are fighting for their rights and they will soon see them destroyed one county at a time!

REPORT OF HABITAT:
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE
ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Chapter II D.

Land

(Agenda item 10 (d))

Preamble

Land, because of its unique nature and the crucial role it plays in human settlements, cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth and therefore contributes to social injustice; if unchecked, it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes. Social justice, urban renewal and development, the provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interests of society as a whole.
Instead, the pattern of land use should be determined by the long-term interests of the community, especially since decisions on location of activities and therefore of specific land uses have a long-lasting effect on the pattern and structure of human settlements. Land is also a primary element of the natural and man-made environment and a crucial link in an often delicate balance. Public control of land use is therefore indispensable to its protection as an asset and the achievement of the long-term objectives of human settlement policies and strategies.
To exercise such control effectively, public authorities require detailed knowledge of the current patterns of use and tenure of land; appropriate legislation defining the boundaries of individual rights and public interest; and suitable instruments for assessing the value of land and transferring to the community, inter alia through taxation, the unearned increment resulting from changes in use, or public investment or decisions, or due to the general growth of the community.
Above all, Governments must have the political will to evolve and implement innovative and adequate urban and rural land policies, as a corner-stone of their efforts to improve the quality of life in human setttlements.
Recommendation D.1

Land resource management

Land is one of the most valuable natural resources and it must be used rationally. Public ownership or effective control of land in the public interest is the single most important means of improving the capacity of human settlements to absorb changes and movements in population, modifying their internal structure and achieving a more equitable distribution of the benefits of development whilst assuring that environmental impacts are considered.
LAND IS A SCARCE RESOURCE WHOSE MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE OR CONTROL IN THE INTEREST OF THE NATION.
This applies in particular to land required for:
The extension and improvement of existing settlements, the development of new ones and, in general, the achievement of a more efficient network of human settlements;
The implementation of programmes of urban renewal and land-assembly schemes;
The provision of public shelter, infrastructure and services;
The preservation and improvement of valuable components of the man-made environment, such as historic sites and monuments and other areas of unique and aesthetic social and cultural value;
The protection and enhancement of the natural environment especially in sensitive areas of special geographic and ecological significance such as coastal regions and other areas subject to the impact of development, recreation and tourism activities.
Land is a natural resource fundamental to the economic, social and political development of peoples and therefore Governments must maintain full jurisdiction and exercise complete sovereignty over such land with a view to freely planning development of human settlements throughout the whole of the natural territory. This resource must not be the subject of restrictions imposed by foreign nations which enjoy the benefits while preventing its rational use.
In all occupied territories, changes in the demographic composition, or the transfer or uprooting of the native population, and the destruction of existing human settlements in these lands and/or the establishment of new settlements for intruders, is inadmissible. The heritage and national identity must be protected. Any policies that violate these principles must be condemned.
Recommendation D.2

Control of land use changes

Agricultural land, particularly on the periphery of urban areas, is an important national resource; without public control land is a prey to speculation and urban encroachment.
CHANGE IN THE USE OF LAND, ESPECIALLY FROM AGRICULTURAL TO URBAN, SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC CONTROL AND REGULATION.
Such control may be exercised through:
Zoning and land-use planning as a basic instrument of land policy in general and of control of land-use changes in particular;
Direct intervention, e.g. the creation of land reserves and land banks, purchase, compensated expropriation and/or pre-emption, acquisition of development rights, conditioned leasing of public and communal land, formation of public and mixed development enterprises;
Legal controls, e.g. compulsory registration, changes in administrative boundaries, development building and local permits, assembly and replotting;
Fiscal controls, e.g. property taxes, tax penalties and tax incentives;
A planned co-ordination between orderly urban development and the promotion and location of new developments, preserving agricultural land.
Recommendation D.3

Recapturing plus value

Excessive profits resulting from the increase in land value due to development and change in use are one of the principal causes of the concentration of wealth in private hands. Taxation should not be seen only as a source of revenue for the community but also as a powerful tool to encourage development of desirable locations, to exercise a controlling effect on the land market and to redistribute to the public at large the benefits of the unearned increase in land value.
THE UNEARNED INCREMENT RESULTING FROM THE RISE IN LAND VALUES RESULTING FROM CHANGE IN USE OF LAND, FROM PUBLIC INVESTMENT OR DECISION OR DUE TO THE GENERAL GROWTH OF THE COMMUNITY MUST BE SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE RECAPTURE BY PUBLIC BODIES (THE COMMUNITY), UNLESS THE SITUATION CALLS FOR OTHER ADDITIONAL MEASURES SUCH AS NEW PATTERNS OF OWNERSHIP, THE GENERAL ACQUISITION OF LAND BY PUBLIC BODIES.
Specific ways and means include:
Levying of appropriate taxes, e.g. capital gains taxes, land taxes and betterment charges, and particularly taxes on unused or under-utilized land;
Periodic and frequent assessment of land values in and around cities, and determination of the rise in such values relative to the general level of prices;
Instituting development charges or permit fees and specifying the time-limit within which construction must start;
Adopting pricing and compensation policies relating to value of land prevailing at a specified time, rather than its commercial value at the time of acquisition by public authorities;
Leasing of publicly owned land in such a way that future increment which is not due to the efforts by the new user is kept by the community;
Assessment of land suitable for agricultural use which is in proximity of cities mainly at agricultural values.
Recommendation D.4

Public ownership

Public ownership of land cannot be an end in itself; it is justified in so far as it is exercised in favour of the common good rather than to protect the interests of the already privileged.
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP, TRANSITIONAL OR PERMANENT, SHOULD BE USED, WHEREVER APPROPRIATE, TO SECURE AND CONTROL AREAS OF URBAN EXPANSION AND PROTECTION; AND TO IMPLEMENT URBAN AND RURAL LAND REFORM PROCESSES, AND SUPPLY SERVICED LAND AT PRICE LEVELS WHICH CAN SECURE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT.
Special consideration should be given to:
Measures outlined in Recommendations D.2 and D.3 above;
Active public participation in land development;
Rational distribution of powers among various levels of government, including communal and local authorities, and an adequate system of financial support for land policy.
Recommendation D.5

Patterns of ownership

Many countries are undergoing a process of profound social transformation; a review and restructuring of the entire system os ownership rights is, in the majority of cases, essential to the accomplishment of new national objectives.
PAST PATTERNS OF OWNERSHIP RIGHTS SHOULD BE TRANSFORMED TO MATCH THE CHANGING NEEDS OF SOCIETY AND BY COLLECTIVELY BENEFICIAL.
Special attention should be paid to:
Redefinition of legal ownership including the rights of women and disadvantaged groups and usage rights for a variety of purposes;
Promoting land reform measures to bring ownership rights into conformity with the present and future needs of society;
Clear definition of public objectives and private ownership rights and duties which may vary with time and place;
Transitional arrangements to change ownership from traditional and customary patterns to new systems, especially in connexion with communal lands, whenever such patterns are no longer appropriate;
Methods for the separation of land ownership rights from development rights, the latter to be entrusted to a public authority;
Adoption of policies for long-term leasing of land;
The land rights of indigenous peoples so that their cultural and historical heritage is preserved.
Recommendation D.6

Increase in usable land

In view of the limited availability of land for human settlements and the need to prevent the continuing loss of valuable natural areas due to erosion, urban encroachment and other causes, efforts to conserve and reclaim for both agriculture and settlements without upsetting the ecological balance are imperative.
THE SUPPLY OF USABLE LAND SHOULD BE MAINTAINED BY ALL APPROPRIATE METHODS INCLUDING SOIL CONSERVATION, CONTROL OF DESERTIFICATION AND SALINATION, PREVENTION OF POLLUTION, AND USE OF LAND CAPABILITY ANALYSIS AND INCREASED BY LONG-TERM PROGRAMMES OF LAND RECLAMATION AND PRESERVATION.
Special attention should be paid to:
Land-fill, especially by using solid wastes in close proximity to human settlements, but without detriment to environment and geological conditions;
Control of soil erosion, e.g. through reforestation, flood control, flood plain management, changes in cultivation patterns and methods, and controls on indiscriminate grazing;
Control and reversal of desertification and salinization, and recuperation of fertile land from contamination by endemic disease;
Reclamation of water-logged areas in a manner that minimizes adverse environmental effects;
Application of new technologies such as those related to flood control, soil conservation and stabilization and irrigation;
Prevention of pollution as well as restoration of derelict or damaged land, control of fire and preservation of the environment from natural and man-made hazards;
Economizing land by fixing appropriate densities in areas where land is scarce or rich in agricultural value;
Proper land capability assessment programmes should be introduced at the local, regional and national levels so that land use allocation will benefit the community: and areas suited to long-term reclamation and preservation will be identified and appropriate action taken;
Incorporation of new land into settlements by provision of infrastructure;
Control of the location of human settlements in hazardous zones and important natural areas;
Expansion of agricultural lands with proper drainage.
Recommendation D.7

Information needs

Effective land use planning and control measures cannot be implemented unless the public and all levels of government have access to adequate information.
COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ON LAND CAPABILITY, CHARACTERISTICS, TENURE, USE AND LEGISLATION SHOULD BE COLLECTED AND CONSTANTLY UP-DATED SO THAT ALL CITIZENS AND LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT CAN BE GUIDED AS TO THE MOST BENEFICIAL LAND USE ALLOCATION AND CONTROL MEASURES.
This implies:
The establishment of a comprehensive information system involving all levels of government; and accessible to the public;
Topographic and cadastral surveys and assessment of land capabilities and current use, and periodic evaluations of the use of the land;
Simplification and updating of procedures for collection, analysis and distribution of relevant information in an accurate and comprehensive manner;
Introduction of new surveying and mapping technologies suitable to the conditions of the countries concerned;
Consolidation and effective use of existing or innovative legislation and instruments to implement land policies;
Development and use of methods for assessing economic, social and environmental impacts from proposed projects in a form useful to the public;
Consideration of land use characteristics including ecological tolerances and optimum utilization of land so as to minimize pollution, conserve energy, and protect and recover resources;
Undertake the necessary studies on precautions that can be taken to safeguard life and property in case of natural disaster.

Ark of Hope moved to United Nations in New York

Soon after the aftermath of and in the chaos that followed the 911 disater in New York that rocked the free world, followers and devotees of the United Nations ceremoniously made their way through the debris scattered streets of New York, with very little fanfare, carrying the 200 pound heavily decorated Ark of Hope into its resting place as the symbol of the next chapter in our nation. A New World Order is well under way. The pieces are coming together, the jigsaw puzzle is methodically being fit together.

The Ark of Hope inside the United Nations, it’s resting place with the Earth Charter tucked snugly inside!

The real goal of the Earth Charter is that it will
in fact become like the Ten Commandments.”
– Maurice Strong

The Earth Charter – Humanity’s Covenant with the Earth
The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a product of a decade-long, worldwide, cross cultural dialogue on common goals and shared values.

The Ark of Hope, a 49″(124.5cm) x 32″ (81.3cm) x 32″ (81.3cm) wooden chest was created as a place of refuge for the Earth Charter document, an international peoples treaty for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Visit – http://www.earthcharter.org – for complete information on the Earth Charter. The Ark of Hope also provides refuge for the Temenos Books, Images and Words for Global Healing, Peace, and Gratitude. Over 1,000 handcrafted 8″ x 8″ x 2″ books have been made by artists, schoolchildren, and citizens around the world, expressing their individual and collaborative prayers and affirmations for Earth. The Earth Charter’s 16 principles are the guiding vision behind the creation of these books.

The Ark was designed and painted by Vermont, USA artist Sally Linder, built by cabitnetmaker Kevin Jenness and lined by fabric artist Beth Haggart. It was crafted from a single plank of sycamore maple from a sustainable forest in Germany. The five painted panels that form the sides and top of the Ark each represent the flora and fauna of the world as seen through the images of the world’s traditional artists. Each panel visualizes a season, a direction, an element, and a universal symbol. Symbols of faith from traditional religions and indigenous societies surround the top panel of “Spirit” that honors the children and young animals of the world. The 96″ carrying poles are unicorn horns which render evil ineffective. Inside the Ark’s lid is the Earth Charter handwritten on papyrus paper. The University of Cairo supplied Sally with instructions for making paper with papyrus – a plant known to have the ability to purify water of pollutants. The papyrus was harvested from the Living Systems, Inc. waste treatment plant in South Burlington, VT, soaked for two weeks in Sally’s bathtub, then pressed using 90,000 pounds of pressure at Langdell Papers, a Vermont papermaker in East Topsham.
The Ark of Hope was created for a celebration of the Earth Charter held at Shelburne Farms, Vermont on September 9, 2001. The event, for love of Earth, featured keynote speaker Jane Goodall, global peace walker Satish Kumar, musician Paul Winter, and Dr. Steven C. Rockefeller, a member of the Earth Charter Commission. On September 11, 2001 volunteers were cleaning up from the September 9th event when news of the New York and Washington, DC terrorist attacks and tragedies was heard. Sally Linder’s immediate, spontaneous response to the horror was to begin walking the Ark of Hope to New York and the United Nations. Joined by Andrea Morgante and Janet Fredericks, they carried the 200-pound chest across the meadows of the farm to Rt. 7 where they were joined by Susan Diehl Dufort.

Hundreds of walkers joined the pilgrimage to New York City, bringing with them hope and the vision of the Earth Charter to communities along the way. For two months the Ark of Hope was walked over 350 miles through four states. The last leg of the journey down the Hudson River was aboard Pete Seeger’s legendary sloop The Clearwater. Due to heightened security at the United Nations the Ark of Hope rested at New York’s Interfaith Center upon arrival.
 
Recognizing that the United Nations is central to global efforts to solve problems which challenge humanity, the Ark of Hope carrying the Earth Charter and the Temenos Books was exhibited at the United Nations during the World Summit PrepComII in January-February 2002.

At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Ark of Hope was ceremoniously offered to the world by the children of Diepsloot, an informal settlement in Johannesburg.

To the people of Bradley County, the region, state and Nation! If we think for a moment that the United Nations existence in every county in the US is benign and just by accident, think again! Let me suggest you re-read this article because you obviously didn’t see the seriousness of this Ark of Hope!

The Ark of the Covenant is a highly revered place in the Christian religion, housing perhaps the Ten Commandments and other literature! Now the United Nations is almost mockingly mimicking and giving the same reverence to the “Earth Charter!”

This mockery is eery to me on so many levels! Attempting to make a religion or establish a sacredness to the sustainability, agenda 21, green movement in a step to establish a “One World Government”, a “New World Order” is really beyond what many of us can or care to comprehend.

These events of moving the Ark of Hope to the United Nations building in New York concerns me and should you too! There is being established a religious type hierarchy that one one day may replace religion as we know it. When writing this story, many thoughts raced through my head. Do they have a specific timeline to fulfill their destiny? Will we be able to resist the push to that New World Order? Will I be free and still have the ability to chain thoughts together in a free society? When the UN takes over are we then subject to international powers only, while superseding not only states rights but will the UN be able to trump the federal government? What will day to day activity be like, one currency, one religion, one church?

Some may think this is a bunch of junk! This man has lost his mind! I have heard this many times and the biggest critics of my rants are the elected leaders and “higher upper socialites” that are making the path for the UN easier to waltz right in to Bradley County!

You can say whatever you want! I am ok with that. It’s the American way! Freedom of speech and I’m totally open to it, because more often than not it establishes dialogue and that is a good thing. Call me odd, but it invigorates me instead of discouraging me. So with that said, disagree with me, fine! But ask yourself this. If this is not a big master plan and their is not a huge push for sustainability and a New World Order, then what is it? Why is there a city planner in every county accepting cash grants for ICLEI to come in to every county in the US and transform all of our communities into little Socialist Green Utopias?

I have to say and I am convinced it is sinister! The Ark of Hope being moved into the UN to house the Earth Charter, the document that got it all started, kinda proved to me this is something more than just a “green sustainable movement” it’s instead a transformation of America into a Socialist community complete with it’s Ark of Hope and it’s Earth Charter to lead the way!

Click to access echarter_english.pdf

http://www.arkofhope.org

http://www.earthcharter.org