Gaston County and Gastonia leaders have gone around in circles debating the merits of joining a new regional planning initiative in the past month.
On Thursday night, Gaston County commissioners cut to the chase. With little discussion, they voted 4-3 against formally participating in the CONNECT our Future project.
Click here to read the article and the comments
When you read that article you won't be surprised that it's biased against those of us who recognize the undermining of representative government when we see it. We understand that the allure of federal grants is the candy coating around the razor blade of regional governance. The writer of the article trots out the tried-and-true propaganda lines: We're afraid. We're black helicopter fantasists. We're paranoid. We're against 'talking with our neighbors.' What a huge effort the reporter puts into making sure that no one knows exactly what the 'CONNECT our Future' project actually is.
It's exactly like all of the other Sustainable Communities Regional Plans all over the US (but they say it's YOUR plan and unique to your town.) Yes, it's millions of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) dollars--taxpayer dollars--used for planning. Regional planning. In this case it's 14 counties 'talking to each other.' But what is it really? It's Agenda 21. Social Equity, Economy, Environment, and Education. Top down, managed, and manufactured consensus. An erasure of jurisdictional boundaries and the further empowerment of a supra-governmental unelected regional board that will supplant the local electorate. Congratulations to Gaston County for having the guts to reject the easy money with big strings attached.
I blogged about Gaston, NC back in January 2012 when the county commissioners there passed a resolution against UN Agenda 21 Click here to read
So guess what? 'CONNECT our Future' should have come up before the commissioners and then been immediately rejected because it is UN Agenda 21. Remember: THEY DON'T CALL IT UN AGENDA 21 WHEN IT COMES TO TOWN.
LOOK OUT FOR THOSE HUD SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVES AND CHALLENGE GRANTS--They are UN Agenda 21.