Haslam sweeps into town, Cleveland City elected steal signs that “embarrass”

Haslam sweeps into town, Cleveland City elected steal signs that “embarrass”

Gadfly, a “muscled up gadfly”, this is what City Councilman George Poe said in the aftermath, as he and City Manager Janice Casteel removed signs from the  private business of Dan Rawls this week during a recent visit by TN Governor Bill Haslam.

A gadfly is by definition an”irritator, trouble maker,  a fly that bites livestock, a fly that irritates livestock by biting them and sucking their blood, a horsefly, somebody annoying, somebody regarded as persistently annoying or irritating, nuisance, pest, meddler, busybody, irritator, tormentor, pesterer, stirrer! 

Dan Rawls said this about Poes comments, “yep, that about sums me up” as he chuckled at the unbelieveabilty and gall of these elected officials to step onto his private property and remove his signs and then insult him when confronted. 

Governor Haslam was visiting the city of Cleveland just across the street from Mr Rawls business. Dan got word of this and began his peaceful protest in the yard of his business. He placed several signs on his private property that said benignly “Shame on you Governor Haslam”, and “Stop CC!”

Even more humorous was at one point Poe thought “Stop CC” meant Stop the Community Center, the place where Haslam was speaking. 

The disconnect by this politician is evident as they failed to recognize that the sign was a statement protesting one of the cities and states most fiery issues, Common Core, the nationalization of our public school system, led by Haslam and his Education Secretary Kevin Huffman stated Rawls when interviewed by BCN.

While Governor Haslam dumped multiple hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on our community much like a John would for a high dollar prostitute. The Haslam faithful latched on to the big government teet, adulterating the “City with Spirit” and suspending the peoples rights and the Constitution.

As the scene unfolded Councilman George Poe evidently took offense to private business owner Dan Rawls protecting his own property by shouting, seven police cars responded hurriedly after Poe dragged his handy police radio from his ample hip and reported his own crime. 

Poe, dragging Casteel along for what could have been a zany clip from the hit tv show “Cops” said Dan Rawls came out of his private business quickly, flailing his arms and asking what they were doing removing his private property, essentially stealing his property. George Poe with Janice Casteel commenting on the malay afterwards said that he thought he was going to shove Mrs Casteel when he exited his business. Shoving? Let’s trek back into the not to distant past and see the last time you saw someone stealing property near you Mr Poe. Let’s see the last time you saw private property being stolen you acted irrationally. You emptied a .380 clip over a lawnmower, chased the perpetrator  down and shot till you ran out of bullets while he crashed his vehicle trying to flee your wrath and District Attorney Steve Bebb let you go unscathed. Rawls didn’t and it never crossed his mind to use such violence but If Mr Rawls had followed your credo you and Mrs Casteel would have been loaded up in the back of a hearse, toes up and lying on ice in a local funeral home saying hello to Jesus.

Rawls exercised great restraint and clear judgement and chose not exercise his second amendment rights as you did.

Instead he gave you and Mrs Casteel a pass, which is his nature and instead opted to simply raise his voice asking what authority you had to remove signs from his private business. 

Poe and Casteel, on the scene were obviously a little confused as once again city officials think it’s within their power, within the City Charter and state constitution to take on the role of Code Enforcement officer pushing their will on it’s
Citizenry because they thought the message implied would embarrass them and shed a bad light on the Governor. Once again you are wrong in assuming you have more power than you do.

This is not the first incident in recent history that Cleveland City officials acted against the actions of citizens exercising their first amendment rights. 

If you remember, earlier this year Cleveland MayorTom Rowland started a manhunt for  citizens passing out fliers warning the public of the cities plan to destroy and demolish the homes of 300 or so in South Cleveland. This action by the Mayor spurred a potential lawsuit by citizens in Cleveland and resulted in public outcry to bridle the appointed King Rowland and his court from sending taxpaying citizens to prison for expressing disdain for the Mayors own growth plan. Requests for apologies were denied by these tyrants and the reign of terror continues.

The obvious is happening. Elected officials with too much power and an abundance of bad judgement within a good ole boy network are way comfortable restraining the rights of citizens. This must be stopped.

This buddy system and self absorbed power must be driven from town. The ballot box must be the answer. The old guard must be changed. It cannot lead us any longer. The citizenry has lost faith in it’s abilities. 

Please be on the alert and conscious of your surroundings. The posse in town seems to place the needs of a RINO Governor with a little cash over the rights of it’s people. The Haslam seems to bring out the worst in people, especially those that rely on his money bribes for favors.

What a sad day and time we live in.

Source of info:
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/jul/13/protest-signs-lead-to-uproar/?local

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/may/27/councilman-unlikely-be-charged-da-says/

UN’s LOST Treaty debate begins on floor of US Senate tomorrow

Tomorrow, on the US Senate floor a debate starts that will eventually lead to a vote on the UN’s Law of the Sea Treaty, known internationally as UNCLOS.

As Senators begin their preparation on a vote the UN and Environmentalist await the results. The results of which could have a devastating affect on our economy and our way of life for years to come. If the LOST treaty is ratified this week it will almost be impossible to stop or take away and will squander our nations oil and gas reserve fortunes to many unfriendly countries and deviant regimes.

By essentially giving away our rights to our own seabed to the ISA, a UN International Seabed Authority, we give most of the potential royalties that are “property” of the United States and it’s citizens, worth possibly trillions upon trillions to control of an international body, like the UN.

Redistribution of wealth! The royalties will be passed off to the international UN authorities and dispersed to poorer countries assisting with their poverty, a stated goal of the UN per Agenda 21 and other of it’s many policies.

Environmentalists have said that if the treaty passes and America is able to “tap” into unaccountable unmeasureable “hydrocarbon reserves” thus further degrading our environment with huge carbon loads lawsuits will ensue, further harming our economy and further contributing as a source to spread Americas wealth to the rest of the world against our will. This will only further our economic decline and drastically affect out way of life. Less for us and our economy means less in your pockets.

Our Sovereignty is at stake once again to the UN. No longer can the conspiracy theory negations hold up. We are under attack and if you take a minute to look around you, you will see that the United Nations under the guidance of NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) via PPPs (Private Partnerships) using our local, State and Federal elected officials to implement and vote in the strategies needed to harm our country and spread the wealth to others instead of to where it belongs and that is in the hands of American Citizens.

President Reagan turned this down 30 years ago and our current sitting president is charging full steam ahead to ratify the LOST treaty thus complimenting his commitment to the concepts of Agenda 21 and the eventual turning over our sovereignty to an international body, the UNITED NATIONS.

Notify your individual US SENATORS TODAY and tomorrow! Please do not hesitate! This is crucial and needs immediate attention! Please do not delay! Please tell them not to ratify the LOST treaty.

Tennessee contacts:

Senator Lamar Alexander

Senator Bob Corker

Source of info:
http://heritageaction.com/stoplost/why-the-law-of-the-sea-treaty-is-still-a-bad-idea/

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
• Law of the Sea: UNCLOS—sometimes called the “Law of the Sea Treaty” (or LOST)—established a comprehensive legal regime for navigation and international management of oceanic resources, including the deep seabed.

• President Reagan Refused to Sign: President Ronald Reagan announced that he would not sign UNCLOS shortly after it was adopted in 1982. Reagan stated several objections to it, most of which dealt with its provisions on deep seabed mining. Reagan did, however, support the navigational provisions of UNCLOS, which reflected the customary international law of the sea.

The U.S. Has Much to Lose …
• Another Unaccountable International Bureaucracy: UNCLOS establishes the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a new U.N.-style bureaucracy located in Kingston, Jamaica. As only one of more than 160 countries in the ISA, the U.S. would have limited authority over its decisions regarding the deep seabed. Just like the U.N. General Assembly, proceedings at the ISA would be dominated by anti-U.S. interests.

• Redistribution of U.S. Wealth to the “Developing World”: The U.S. currently enjoys full sovereignty over its entire continental shelf. It can claim all its mineral resources (e.g., oil and gas) and can collect royalty revenue from oil and gas companies for exploitation. If the U.S. joined UNCLOS, Article 82 would require the U.S. to transfer a significant portion of any such royalties to the ISA for “redistribution” to the so-called developing world, including corrupt and despotic regimes.

• Mandatory Dispute Resolution: Under Part XV, the U.S. would be required to engage in mandatory dispute resolution for any claim brought against it by another member of UNCLOS. This may open the U.S. to any number of specious allegations brought by opportunistic nations, including allegations of environmental degradation or polluting the ocean environment with carbon emissions or even from land-based sources.

• U.S. Economic Interests at Risk: UNCLOS claims the deep seabed resources of the oceans as “the common heritage of mankind” and forbids mining unless permission is first received by the ISA, which, of course, takes into account the interests of “developing states” regarding the exploitation of those resources. UNCLOS encourages technology transfers from advanced mining companies to support the mining activities by developing states, which is likely to discourage U.S. companies from participating in such activities.

• The Convention Was Not “Fixed” in 1994: During the early 1990s the deep seabed mining provisions of UNCLOS were renegotiated in the “1994 Agreement.” This addendum to the convention was signed by the Clinton Administration in July 1994. While the 1994 Agreement improved many provisions of the convention, it did not secure “veto” power for the U.S. over the decisions of the ISA.

… and Little to Gain
• Navigation Rights Already Guaranteed: The navigational provisions of UNCLOS reflect long-standing customary international law, under which the U.S. Navy has operated since it was created. The navy has consistently demonstrated its ability to access key strategic straits and archipelagic waters and to protect its high seas freedoms—despite the fact that the U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS.

Supreme Court Justices Blast EPA For Thwarting Couple From Building On Protected Wetlands

Thank God there are still a few conservative judges rendering bold decisions in America. Judge Antoine Scalia ruled in a case recently that the EPA cannot keep a couple from building a house on their own land because of established “wetlands.”

This family, the Sacketts, attempting to live out the American Dream, work hard, buy a piece of land then build a nice house on that private property which they own!

Well that dream was almost foiled by the EPA stepping in and saying NO you can’t build on that piece of property you bought because it has had some flooding problems in the past! That dirt you have piled up there where you were going to build your house must be removed so the water can flow naturally!

Bradley County is doing a very expensive and expansive “flood plain study” real soon! After this study is done with I’m sure EPA and DOT oversight, definite flood plains will be established! Doesn’t seem so bad does it? After all we need to know where it is flooding, right? Well the flood plains are going to be places you cannot build upon! These will be wetlands, soon to be inhabitable! Does this not send any “red alerts” out? Does this seem alarming to anyone? Gaurantee you it will happen! And the flood plain can be as big and broad as any of our paid federal stooges want it to be! So if they want a piece of land they take it! They make it a wetland, unbuildable! Unbelievable!

Bradley County and Cleveland your mayors x 2 are giving us away to federal regulators! They both have moved toward this goal of grabbing your land with obviously no consequences for their actions!

I am in shock at the lack of forethought and inactivity among our political leaders that are not trying to stop this madness. The thoughts of someone trying to claim your private property with federal regulations should be enough to mount a full court press against the EPA, but I get nothing! No reaction whatsoever, just silence while they pile on more and more strangulating regulations almost everyday!

These local guys love the little bit of money they get in federal grants! They think this is a good thing! To spend your money which we do not have to spend in a very down economy!

Read below the story of the Sacketts and the struggles they face just because they want to build a house on their property! When you are done reading, go back and place your name there in place of the Sacketts with your own name!

Supreme Court Justices Blast EPA For Thwarting Couple From Building On Protected Wetlands
by AP | Jan. 9, 2012, 4:55 PM | 4,596
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several conservative members of the Supreme Court criticized the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday for heavy-handed enforcement of rules affecting homeowners after the government told an Idaho couple they can’t challenge an order declaring their future home site a “protected wetlands.”
Justice Antonin Scalia assailed the “high-handedness” of the environmental agency when dealing with private property, and Justice Samuel Alito described some of the EPA’s actions as “outrageous,” arguing that most people would say “this kind of thing can’t happen in the United States.”
The EPA said that Mike and Chantell Sackett illegally filled in most of their 0.63-acre lot with dirt and rocks in preparation for building a home. The agency said the property is a wetlands that cannot be disturbed without a permit. The Sacketts had none.
The couple, who attended the Supreme Court arguments, said they had no reason to suspect there were wetlands on their property. They paid $23,000 for their property in 2005 and decided two years later to build a three-bedroom home. Workers spent three days filling in just under a half-acre of land.
Three EPA officials showed up, said they believed the land was wetlands, asked for a permit and told the workers to stop. Six months later, the EPA sent the order that triggered the court case. The Sacketts wanted to challenge that order, but lower courts have said that they cannot.
The EPA issues nearly 3,000 administrative compliance orders a year that call on alleged violators of environmental laws to stop what they’re doing and repair the harm they’ve caused. Major business groups, homebuilders, road builders and agricultural interests all have joined the Sacketts in urging the court to make it easier to contest EPA compliance orders issued under several environmental laws.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wondered how far the Supreme Court should go in a ruling, noting that government agencies often threaten citations when people don’t comply with the law. “Health inspectors go into restaurants all the time and say: ‘Unless you fix this, I’m going to give you a citation.’ Fire inspectors, the same thing,” he said.
The Sacketts’ lawyer, Damien M. Schiff, argued that they weren’t trying to take away EPA’s power. Environmental groups say a purpose of the orders is to make it easier to negotiate a resolution without a protracted legal fight.
“Let EPA administer the act and issue compliance orders,” Schiff said. “But let’s also give homeowners a fair shake, too. Let them have their day in court to contest what the agency has done.”
Alito leveled some of the strongest criticism against the EPA, noting that the Sacketts had to wait until the EPA sued them to even challenge the idea that there were wetlands on their property.
“You think maybe there is a little drainage problem in part of your lot, so you start to build the house and then you get an order from the EPA which says: ‘You have filled in wetlands, so you can’t build your house; remove the fill, put in all kinds of plants; and now you have to let us on your premises whenever we want to,'” Alito said. “You have to turn over to us all sorts of documents, and for every day that you don’t do all this you are accumulating a potential fine of $75,000. And by the way, there is no way you can go to court to challenge our determination that this is a wetlands until such time as we choose to sue you.”
Chief Justice John Roberts said that because of the potential fines, few people are going to challenge the EPA’s determinations.
“Because of the administrative compliance order, you’re really never going to be put to the test, because most land owners aren’t going to say, ‘I’m going to risk the $37,000 a day,” Roberts said. “All EPA has to do is make whatever finding it wants, and realize that in 99 percent of the cases, it’s never going to be put to the test.”
The EPA’s normal procedure is to contact the homeowner before issuing a compliance order, Justice Department lawyer Malcolm Stewart said. A wetlands biologist has also confirmed to The Associated Press that he advised the Sacketts in May 2007 that their property was a wetlands and that there were wetlands on three sides of their land. The Sacketts say that in 2010, other wetlands consultants examined their land and concluded that the first one was wrong.
If the Sacketts “had wanted a judicial resolution of the coverage question without subjecting themselves to potential penalties, they could have filed a permit application before discharging, they could have gotten review there. All we’re saying is they can’t discharge fill, wait to see whether EPA notices, and then insist upon immediate judicial review if EPA notices and objects,” Stewart said.

Lurking outside an auction: Land Trust Gets 350 Acres At Johnson’s Crook

A huge land grab was witnessed today in Chattanooga today! A land trust company just happened to be at a local foreclosure auction and bought up all this land to save the environment! This is Agenda 21 plan perfected! If you think it is benign, you are sadly mistaken! Private property is this plans greatest enemy in the hands of the private citizen! The wild lands project and smart growth cannot go forward unless they control the land! You have probably heard about it! It’s when they herd all of the population within certain “urban growth areas” to prevent “sprawl” as they call it in rural areas!

Land Trust Gets 350 Acres At Johnson’s Crook
posted January 3, 2012

Land trust interests purchased about 350 acres of scenic Johnson’s Crook on the side of Lookout Mountain in Dade County, Ga., at a foreclosure auction Tuesday.

Bobby Davenport said he was representing both the Lula Lake Land Trust and the Georgia Land Trust in making the acquisitions.

He obtained the steep portion of the crook by paying the amount of the back taxes – $146,000.

The owners will have a year to redeem the property, but would have to pay a 20 percent penalty, plus interest.

The foreclosure involved the Southern Group luxury home development, which had sought to launch a resort community at the base of the crook but had financial woes.

Mr. Davenport said the land trust acquisition “is important for Dade County’s water supply. Johnson’s Crook is a great big bowl receiving water that supplies Lookout Creek, Hurricane Creek and wells.”

He said the move “was important to protect the steep slopes and the caves.”

Officials of the Cave Conservancy also made several purchases.

Mr. Davenport said of the auction, “I didn’t know whether or not it was going to happen, but when it did I wound up with more land than I set out for.”

Johnson’s Crook earlier was held by Dr. Joe Johnson of Lookout Mountain. It was sold at auction by his heirs after his death.

The crook was named for an earlier Johnson.

Contributing source: Chattanoogan.com

From pathetic to prophet: ‘Sustainable Development’ a new political issue

Pathetic to Prophet! Not really but it sounds good in a headline! Eating that elephant one bite at a time! That is the proper technique for exposing and destroying the huge albatros known as Agenda 21! The stealthy but large mammal is making it’s way into every facet of Bradley County, the Region through every corridor in the State of Tennessee, to the nation! And our local and state officials are still ignoring that it exists!

From little “county smart sustainable growth plans” to “moderate Regional plans” to large federal involvement, we are seeing our once great country conquered, divided and destroyed by Socialist dead set on seeing your private and intellectual property, your divine God given rights, your sovereignty given away by a herd of politicians dead set on “getting that federal grant money” in exchange for your freedom!

Agenda 21 is real Bradley County and the rest of the nation! People are slowly awakening to this reality and little by little the moo mentality within our own local commission and council, general public is slowly turning to favor my stance against this diabolical plan to rule the world by convincing the local policy makers with a local agenda 21 focus!

Yesterday, I went to the local grocery store and briskly walked in to collect the evening meal for my family, purchased a copy of the Cleveland Daily Banner and flipped quickly to the editorial section, I believe page 16, top of the column, I see the ominous words “Sustainable Development.” My heart raced, my imagination stirred!

Will I be reading once again, a failed attempt at the paper to discredit me or call me a kook, have they dialed up the UNITED NATIONS again and attempted to thwart the work of a few patriots in this town trying to save Bradley County and the Region! Perhaps, a scathing article announcing a find that Agenda 21 is a hoax, a fake Socialist program dreamed up by local Tea Party types and “crazy freedom lovers” gaurding their great Republic from a Socialist Leftist Regime sent down from Washington DC?

Nope! It was a time for me to smile! Within the pages of the local newspaper was a very satisfying article chocked full of the same information that me and my freedom fighting buddy “Dan the Man” gave them almost a year ago! It was reading something like a novel directly from the pages from my distant mentor Henry Lamb! In fact it was! I loomed further and he was even quoting Henry, referred to his research and even directed every one to his website for further information! Could the local paper have had an epiphany, could they have seen the light?

A grin now forming from my jowls, a witnessed precarious situation was unfolding and popping into my proportionately large mixed up head! Sort of like having to kiss your lil sister for one of those silly family pictures or sucking a lemon right after consuming a tablespoon of sugar! That reverse of what is expected to happen!

The local paper, I’m sure, has contracted this syndicated, editorial, columnist and agreed to print this article, regardless of what he had to say! You know that long forgotten free speech thang! Needless to say, I believe the paper had no choice but to print the truth about Agenda 21 from this great columnist, thus the sister and lemon analogy!

Not too long ago, Dan and I approached the County Commission about the BCC 2035 Strategic Growth Plan having deeps roots within the United Nations and stunk of Agenda 21 filth! The local paper reportedly called the UNITED NATIONS and shortly offered a story the next day or so completely debunking, mocking and attempting to discredit our efforts! A very clever UN telephone spokesperson offered that they knew nothing of an Agenda 21 plan in Bradley County Tennessee! The reporter then pounced on this, wrote an article the following day and left the impression with their readers that the UNITED NATIONS was unaware of any agenda 21 plans “to rule the world!”

The article went on to explain that all the allegations were false and unduly represented by the local Tea Party fanatics in Cleveland/Bradley County! They went on to say, and I’m again paraphrasing, but said they were unsure of what they were going to do about all these rumors floating around by those radical tea party types! This left me and others the impression they were either going to snuff me out or sue me. Otherwise, the local paper in a failed attempt to embarrass me had “outed” me as perhaps a “domestic terrorist”, a “trouble maker”, “un-American” or at the very least a “crazy” with very little power to defend myself against the very large leftist elite media machine and the great big ole UNITED NATIONS!

Sure, the attention they gave to the UN regarding me and the poor attempt to discredit me could have caused me and my family great harm, fortunately has not to date! I was placed in the crosshairs and given as a sacrificial lamb to arguably the most powerful regime in the world, the UNITED NATIONS by my local press! You know, sort of like you know the mob exists, but you don’t go kissing Don Corleone on the lips, you know what I’m sayin? Huh?

But the same paper that did all that is now printing the same truth I had just divulged a few months earlier and much more eloquently I may add! The same paper that attempted to destroy me is now enjoying a profit on my story! Spouting the same thing that just a few months ago, said didn’t exist! Go figure!

Oh well! Small victories to me are just as sweet as the large ones! I go from pathetic to prophet in a blink of an eye! Thanks for the article! Keep them coming, will enjoy reading and re reading this for a long time!

Editorial afterthought: I have notified nearly every local politician, have given the same “sustainable” book by Henry Lamb to most all of them, have sat down with many of them and shared videos and other literature and have received very little feedback! The Federal grant money has won their hearts I am afraid!

At the Halloween Block party I personally handed Kevin Brooks, State Representative, 24th District a copy and asked him to read it and he assured me he would! I also asked him to halt the ICLEI/Agenda 21/United Nations led Chattanooga Regional Growth Plan, if only temporarily, to further look into what they are up to! To date, as of this article, nothing! No response about either! This is the disconnect of our local politicians to the people they represent that I have been referring to in past blogs! We have got to create change! Change comes from within the machine!

The article below! Read and pass around! I dare you!

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?

Jim Davidson — NEWSPAPER COLUMN
Cleveland Daily Banner, January 2nd, 2012

It’s been said that over time we can do anything we really want to do. We can eat an elephant if we take it one bite at a time. This is the concept behind a group of elitist people who would like to take over the world, including America, and in the process take our precious freedom from us. Now that sounds like a radical statement, but hear me out and then make your own judgment as to how radical it is. Sometime back a thoughtful reader sent me a booklet titled, “Understanding Sustainable Development – Agenda 21 – A Guide for Public Officials.”
Please note that the concept of Sustainable Development and the danger it poses is directed toward public officials and not so much to ordinary citizens like me, and maybe you. However, after reading this booklet over several times, I felt it was something we all should know about, and then if our public officials won’t act we will know what to do.
First, what is Sustainable Development? As used in this context, it is a “buzz” term that refers to a political agenda rather than an objectively sustainable form of development.
Specifically, it refers to an initiative of the United Nations (U.N.) that took place around 1987 called the U.N. Sustainable Development Agenda 21, the most comprehensive statement of political ideology that is being progressively infused into every level of government in America. Agenda 21 was unveiled in 1992 during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, commonly known as the Rio Earth Summit, where more than 178 nations adopted Agenda 21 and pledged to evaluate progress made in implementing the plan every five years thereafter.
This was never authorized by Congress because they used a technique called “a soft-law policy recommendation” not a treaty, and therefore needs no ratification. This was signed off on by former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, so the implementation is occurring on a non-partisan basis. There is far too much information to cover in one column, but it basically comes down to taking away our freedoms by restricting and controlling land use. If you do not think that is important, listen to these words by two other former presidents.
“Private property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist,” said John Adams. “Private property and freedom are inseparable,” said George Washington. And then these words from the Declaration of Independence: “…all Men….are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Here is the real rub and why we must be diligent to protect our rights and our freedoms: Rights found in the United Nations Charter and the Declaration of Human Rights are NOT granted and rescinded by their creator, but by men. Now that sounds like socialism to me.
Sustainable Development is a plan for global control, including America, using land and resource restriction, social transformation through education and other programs to accomplish this end. This is why our public officials must know about this and combat it if we are to remain a free people. The two key programs are called “The Wild-Lands Project” and its urban counterpart “Smart Growth.” The plan is to eliminate human presence on at least 50 percent of the American landscape and to heavily control human activity on most of the rest of American land. No land — no freedom. It is important for all of us, especially our public officials, to understand the concept of Sustainable Development. For more information, visit this Web site: http://www.freedom21.org.
—
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To support literacy, buy his book: “Learning, Earning & Giving Back.”)

Bradley County Mayor Davis says “the time is right” , referring to 16 County coalition to move forward with sustainable development, (Agenda 21)

A big, huge push by the US Chamber of Commerce and the local Chamber along side our locally elected leaders like Mayors Gary Davis and Mayor Tom Rowland have once again made a deal with the devil and in this case the United Nations via the ever so willing Chamber of Commerce!

The regional, 16 County, 3 state coalition will be one of the most government encroaching and expensive events in our lifetime! There will be billions, if not trillions of your tax payer dollars wasted and spent in the name of job creation! Hello, the Chamber spent hundreds of millions of dollars in Bradley County last year and only netted around 200 or so net jobs (source: Cleveland Banner regarding recent award to the Chambers Doug Berry)

If we haven’t learned our lesson by now, it us evident we will never learn! The Chamber of Commerce is a front for the UN with their fully expressed intent of outsourcing our American jobs to “spread the wealth” to other countries! It’s on their website and the US Chamber President Tom Donohue is encouraging it!

Our Mayors making this comittment to this project tells me they need a good dose of “term limits” placed on them by the voters of this county!

They are seeing the “federal money” flowing into their coffers! This has very little to do with jobs! Please, if it did we would not have gone from just over a 1 percent unemployment rate to a near 10 percent in a few short years since they were elected!

Our country us broke and our county is broke and yet we continue to spend, spend, spend! That means to you and me that must foot the bill for this and that is tax, tax and tax us some more to pay for it ! Our property rights are gonna be non existent! The farm you used to own, gone! The reasonable property tax rate you now have, gone!

Our leaders have run amuck and it is time to speak up! Plan to attend the conference below and speak out against this unwanted agenda!

The article below from the Chattanooga times Free Press!
Groundwork To Launch Regional Growth Planning Process Reaches Milestone
posted October 14, 2011

A stakeholder group consisting of elected, business, and philanthropic leaders from the tri-state region of Southeast Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama which encompasses three metropolitan statistical areas has announced a major milestone in the effort to lay the groundwork to launch a 40-year regional growth planning process. 

Efforts to identify a team of expert firms to help organize and facilitate the effort have progressed through a request for qualifications, a request for proposals, and reference checks to narrow the field of contenders to three finalist teams:

Wallace Roberts & Todd; Gresham Smith & Partners; PlaceMatters; Ann Coulter; Neathawk Dubuque& Packett; Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness; Center for Neighborhood Technology; Leslee T. Alexander Consulting; Constructive Technologies Group; and RERC Strategic Advisors.

McBride Dale Clarion; Clarion Associates; Fregonese Associates; Kimley-Horn and Associates; Brown Pearman Russell; BAE Urban Economics; Opticos Design, Inc; Ann Coulter; PlaceMatters; The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies; and Neathawk Dubuque & Packett.

Renaissance Planning Group; Cambridge Systematics; ICF International; Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon; Ann Coulter; Neathawk Dubuque & Packett; Robert Grow Consulting; and The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies.

All of the finalist teams include local firms, and the companies that comprise the teams reflect the depth and breadth of experience necessary to complete a truly comprehensive regional planning process including expertise in community engagement, many different types of planning, financial analysis, data collection, and the establishment of community metrics.

According to Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, the effort is designed to pioneer a new kind of long-term, region-wide planning. “Our goal is to create a kind of business plan for the region,” said County Mayor Coppinger. “In addition to incorporating traditional planning topics, the process will include financial analysis. We also aim to establish a set of numeric benchmarks, so we will be able to assess results as we implement the plan and make course corrections whenever necessary.”

All three of these expert teams will make a presentation during an open public meeting on Nov. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Chattanoogan Hotel. Everyone in the region is invited to attend the meeting and provide feedback on the finalists. Event organizers are also planning to broadcast the event via local television and a web cast to make the public meeting widely accessible to people from across the region.

“This is a continuation of the public visioning and community engagement processes that have been transforming Chattanooga and the surrounding region since the early 1980s,” said Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield. “Our community pioneered this approach, and we know that the key to success is making sure everyone has the opportunity to express their values, priorities, and ideas. This effort depends on empowering citizens to identify common ground solutions that inspire enthusiastic and wide-spread cooperation.”

Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis confirmed that the time is right to broaden planning efforts to promote cooperation in the greater region. “Cities and counties across the area have benefited tremendously from localized planning efforts, but job seekers, dollars and traffic cross state and county lines without a second thought,” said County Mayor Davis. “This is an opportunity to coordinate so that we can make the most of our shared opportunities and work together to solve our shared challenges.”

Commissioner Mike Babb, chairman of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, pointed to the importance of engaging citizens to set priorities. “Through this process people will have an opportunity to express their thoughts about the issues we face as a community,” said Commissioner Babb. “That feedback will serve as a guide to local leaders as we strive to better steward financial and other community resources in accordance with the priorities of the people we serve.”

“We don’t have to agree on everything, but failing to cooperate when it benefits citizens would be foolish,” said Georgia State Senator Jeff Mullis. “This planning process will enhance coordination among localities without taking away any of their authority or independence.”

“In my mind, the regional planning process is about job creation,” said Tom Edd Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re competing against the whole world to retain and recruit employers. Coming together as a team on economic development will give us a tremendous advantage in making the most of our economic opportunities while preserving the quality of life that makes us so attractive to the companies we already have.”

Brian Anderson, president and CEO of the Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce also emphasized how long-term planning benefits the local economy. “Successful companies are constantly planning for the future and figuring out how to adapt to rapidly changing conditions,” said Mr. Anderson. “In these uncertain times, we need an on-going process for implementing that kind of strategic approach across our region.”

“Most folks don’t think about roads until there is a traffic jam or pipes until one breaks,” said Gary Farlow, president and CEO of the Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce. “But the continued success of our employers depends on proactively ensuring the soundness of the infrastructure that speeds the flow of commerce.”

Following the public meeting on Nov. 17, the stakeholder group which has been working to launch the regional growth planning process will weigh public feedback and other requirements set forth in the selection process to determine which of the finalist teams will coordinate the effort with the aim of starting the process during the first part of 2012.

Q&A
1. Which counties are included in the footprint for the planning process? 
Alabama Counties: Dekalb and Jackson
Georgia Counties: Catoosa, Dade, Murray, Walker, Whitfield (anchored by city of Dalton)
Tennessee Counties: Bledsoe, Bradley (anchored by city of Cleveland), Hamilton (anchored by city of Chattanooga), Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie

2. What organizations and companies have participated in the stakeholder group to launch the process?
The stakeholder group that has come together to fund and launch the regional growth planning process consists of strong representation from local government, business, and philanthropy including:

City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, city of Cleveland, Bradley County, Whitfield County, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, EPB, Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Southeast Tennessee Development District, Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, Benwood Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Lyndhurst Foundation, Maclellan Foundation, CBL and Associates, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, McKee Foods, Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce, Shaw Industries, Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce, Unum, and CreateHere.

3. What is the value of this process to local governments?
By giving local governments the ability to cooperatively plan and coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions, the process will help elected officials focus on the greatest impact for the most people with the least expenditure, while reducing duplication of efforts.

To play a lead role in starting an economic legacy of job creation founded in regional cooperation to ensure continued prosperity for citizens, children, and grandchildren.

By giving citizens an opportunity to express their values, priorities, and ideas, the planning process will provide local governments with the ability to better steward financial resources in accordance with the priorities of their constituents.

The process will also serve to inform residents of the challenges their home communities share with those across the region and to engage them in developing solutions with broad support.

4. What is the value of this process to local citizens?
A process for effectively managing the accelerated growth the region is already experiencing through unprecedented investments by a number of industries.

A seat at the table in planning how the region can become more prosperous and generate additional economic opportunities for ourselves and children.

A forum for better understanding the “big picture” of the region and expressing their ideas, values, and priorities.

The opportunity to join with others in preserving and enhancing what makes the communities special.