Everyday I talk to people, read stories or see TV shows that prove that government can not be trusted. We see government using our money to take away our earnings, our rights and our freedom. Government believes we are not smart enough to tie our own shoe laces without a regulations–and a fine for not doing it their way.
“While stating that they were there to get public input, they had already written the plan to include housing allocations throughout the Bay Area cities and where they were going to spend transportation funds for the next 25 years (so what was the public really providing input for?). They insisted that draconian measures were required to fight global warming (I guess they did not get the Climategate memos). Finally, and most telling of all, when confronted by one citizen with the question, “ It seems there is a lot of opposition to this plan, so my question is, if the people don’t want the plan, will you vote with the people or for the plan?” There was no answer to that question. And why would there be?”
Catholic hospitals are not allowed to be Catholic under Obamacare. Try buying a quality light bulb. The cost of gasoline is high, thanks to government policies.
Do you trust government–should you respect it?
and the Implications for Liberty and Private Property in California
Submitted by Mimi Steel, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 4/6/12
In California, regional transportation agencies and their associated regional governing bodies are gearing up to develop and approve 25 year plans that combine housing, transportation, and land use. The planning is mandated by two laws, AB 32 and SB375. In the Bay Area, our agencies are the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the plan is called One Bay Area or Plan Bay Area (www.onebayarea.org ). The California legislature passed both laws without a vote of the people but they did require that the regional agencies get public input (at least one session in each county) as part of the planning process and this is where the story gets really interesting. The first round of public input was held in the Spring of 2011. The program was called You Choose Bay Area. Usually these are boring affairs with social equity and environmental justice groups providing most of the input. However, the last three county sessions were attended by property rights and limited government advocates. The facilitators were not really prepared for opposition and did their best to squelch it (you can see videos here http://capr.us/SFBAYAREA/videos.php ). When the results were discussed at the follow on MTC ABAG meetings there was no mention of any opposition in the visioning sessions. Despite the fact that many dissenters also attended MTC –ABAG, the input was ignored and the vote was to proceed.
However, during the fall, the opposition to the Plan started growing. With Property Rights Tactical Training Seminars conducted around the Bay Area, an army of citizens, 300 strong, were educated on the real implications of the Plan and developed strategies for providing input to the January visioning sessions. The focus of the January sessions was to “vote” on alternative scenarios. It asked questions regarding transportation trade-offs, housing options, and complete communities Notice there were no dollars associated with any of the options and no cost/benefit analysis presented (You can read more background and vote on the virtual workshop here http://www.bayarealiberty.com/libertyblog/?p=147 ). They treated the public like a bunch of 5th graders. It was extremely insulting. As the sessions moved from county to county each session was slightly different as the facilitators tried desperately to adapt to the growing and vocal opposition.
It was a great effort on the part of private citizens to become informed and to engage in the process but the reaction of the MTC and ABAG officials who attended the sessions was a dark harbinger of things to come. Rather than acknowledge the fact that the opposition to their plans had some really good points, officials and bureaucrats insisted the plan provided the only options within a narrow defined set of parameters. While stating that they were there to get public input, they had already written the plan to include housing allocations throughout the Bay Area cities and where they were going to spend transportation funds for the next 25 years (so what was the public really providing input for?). They insisted that draconian measures were required to fight global warming (I guess they did not get the Climategate memos). Finally, and most telling of all, when confronted by one citizen with the question, “ It seems there is a lot of opposition to this plan, so my question is, if the people don’t want the plan, will you vote with the people or for the plan?” There was no answer to that question. And why would there be?
MTC and ABAG hold all the cards. They are merely implementing the law. They see a rainbow of cash to the tune of $200Billion over the next 25 years that they can distribute as they see fit. If you are a city that “plays ball” and develops to their plan, you get money. If you are a city that wants to preserve the character of your neighborhoods and refuses to comply, your road repair funds are withheld. It’s really all voluntary, don’t you know.
This brings me back to the original point in the title of this article. If these plans go through around the State, you can kiss your liberty and private property rights good bye. You will be told where to live and how to commute. You will be “encouraged” to use public transit and dump your car. While the courageous citizens of the Bay Area took a stand, their actions represented a minor speed bump on the road to Utopia. The regional and State agencies promoting this will be looking for ways to marginalize the input or rationalize their efforts to move forward despite opposition.
My only hope is that more people get educated and get involved. A campaign similar to the MTBE campaign that created citizen outrage is in order. The visioning sessions were just the beginning. Now the really hard work of getting involved at the local level and influencing policy begins. In order to facilitate that, I have started an organization called SFBay Citizens’Alliance for Property Rights (www.proprights.org/sfbay ) to compliment the Citizens for Sustainable Liberty organization (www.bayarealiberty.org) If you are in the SFBay area, I urge you to join this fight. If you are outside the Bay Area, I urge you to find a similar organization and get involved. Or as Ronald Reagan once said, “you will be telling your grandchildren what it was once like in America when men were free”
