Floyd County’s Planning Commission meets tonight to consider an updated comprehensive plan and the work by a dedicated group of volunteer members of the commission — along with superb staff assistance by Lydeanna Martin — is under attack want to derail more than a year of work on the plan.
It could be a long night. The Floyd County tea party is planning to pack the hearing. At other public hearings this year, representatives of the group have called public servants “parasites,” verbally assaulted teachers in our county school system and claimed — incorrectly — that the Supreme Court declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. They have disrupted meetings by talking loudly among themselves and by throwing out sometimes sneering comments during meetings.
One of their issues is an incredible claim that the comprehensive plan is — somehow — part of a United Nations plot impose socialistic communal-style living to the area through an initiative called Agenda 21. Such claims leave county officials shaking their heads in disbelief.
With luck, a reasoned discussion of individual rights versus community needs will emerge in the hearing but history suggesst reason leaves the building when zealots engage in political posturing and demagoguery.
Citizens — of course — have the right to express their opinions at a public hearing but no one has a right to knowingly spread false information. No one has the right to turn a public hearing into a sideshow.
Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. The county’s comprehensive plan deserves a open hearing with calm, rational discussion. No one benefits if the hearing turns into a free-for-all.
The hearing begins at 7 p.m. at the county administration building on Oxford Street.
Get there early. Space is limited.
This is amusing from a distance. You’ve tossed grenades and thrown darts as you request civility and reason.
It’s even funnier when you suggest there be no lies or half truths involved in a political environment. Political figures and organizations lie for a living. Meetings can also be adversely effected by a dismissive attitude of an official or the official group as a whole.
It shouldn’t be chaos nor should it be a here is what we will do, whether you like it or not event.
Sure, you can wait for the next election and once again vote with blind faith that the person you voted for will actually do what they promised to do when campaigning.
How’s that working for you?
You sir, seem to be a reasonable man, even from my perspective some distance from where you are located. There is some sort of skirmish brewing here in our little mountain community. Charges of lies, damn lies and- GULP- terrorism by non other than neighbors. State of the Union and it’s impact. US against THEM mentality. We’ll see how this all shakes soon I guess. Stay tuned but understand that the author does heavily filter this site. No news is…NO NEWS or opposing viewpoint anyway.
My granddaddy taught me a long time ago that the only effective way to deal with a junkyard dog is by being a bigger, meaner junk yard dog. 🙂
However, some of the language I used was over the top — even for me 🙁 So revised the original two articles. My apologies to readers.
So the County is doing the best it can with PLANNING?
Okay, the County’s Oxford Street address is where the interested crowds will assemble BEFORE the Board says, “we didn’t expect such a turn out, we’ll have to adjourn and reassemble at the High School” -AGAIN.
Now, with the expected and touted Tea Party outpouring and deck stacking plus your call to arms (so to speak), I wonder how far sighted you deem the planners and board to be Doug?
So, the waste of time and fuel, to assemble at Oxford Street only to head over to the school, is not too reassuring to me. I know, the advert was posted in the local paper, the law requires, blah, blah …but this has been witnessed in the County’ recent past so…just sayin’
BTW: surely you won’t moderate this one out of the forum too, will you Doug? Sorry about my saying that I think you are “thinned skinned”.
My Bad! Gosh, I feel as a terrorist…
Edit what? It is as you wrote. The only one of your multiple posts that I didn’t clear was the one who insulted my wife and I did that for your protection. She’s a mixture of Lebanese and Irish and that is one temper that you do not want to rile. 😉
Sir: That was not directed at your wife…
Which doesn’t bode well either. I admit, as I did in person to you, I was trying to get you riled. Not decent of me but a means of “calling you out”. The attacks on individuals and groups by “respected” media outlets, politicians and the so called comics on TV are becoming more horrific with each transgression. The President’s call for civility after the murders of the victims in Arizona when Congresswoman Giffords was so gravely injured, seems to be only directed at one side of the population; ie: the Tea Party type groups or any who do not fall in lock step with the direction this administration is taking the country.
Again, that was a dig, a poke and, for the record, I would think your good wife to be somewhat extraordinary in strength and patience.
My apologies to you & yours. Thank you
Mr. Thompson, you amaze me. Have you not gone any further than the NRVPDC for your information? Have you not seen the requirements that HUD puts on localities for “sustainable” communities?
Federal grants come with strings attached and the HUD grant has some very specific “strings”. In the HUD grant description it states that “Applicants shall undertake activities”. Notice it does not say may or might, it says shall. That means that once you accept this grant, the local region and local governments have ceded control of their communities to the federal government.. You can read the HUD requirements at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa10/scrpgsec.pdf.
Whether you want to believe that your federal government signed on to implement UN Agenda 21 in the US or not is your prerogative but I challenge you to research the Rio Summit and George H. W. Bush and also to research Bill Clinton and the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. If you have the courage, follow all of the paths when you Google “sustainable development” or Agenda 21. This is not some conspiracy theory, it is all over the UN sites and the US sites if you care to look.
One other thing that you might want to look at is the ICLEI -Local Governments for Sustainability (formerly known as ICLEI – International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) and their dues paying members. Interesting to note that Blacksburg, Va is a dues paying member of ICLEI. I know this may be asking a little much but scroll down this page to see the member cities/towns in the USA and open your eyes. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=11454
To understand what ICLEI is :
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=748
If you are going to attack the good people of Floyd County, maybe you should be better informed of what they speak.
And your point is? All grants, both private and government, come with “strings attached.” Those granting the funds wish to see their funds used as they specify. If the grantee does not wish to comply with the grantor’s rules, then the simple solution is not to apply for the grant.
What does complying with rules have to do with sustainability? Do you even know what sustainability is? Perhaps you should visit the website of Transition U.S. to learn more. Or would you rather be in thrall to foreign oil, imported goods from China, and genetically engineered food?