Region 2020 and Sustainable Indicators

by Don Casey
for Advance Bulletin

4/12/05

Usually "Sustainable" programs are labeled by their proponents as "local". They are not. As Don Casey reports from Alabama, the program uses buzzwords that also appear in your community. America is being transformed into political "regions" via a sweet sounding stealth program that is being managed by global policy.


Region 2020, a seemingly benevolent civic organization, on April 5th, 2005 unveiled 85 "sustainable indicators" in their "Community Counts: Measuring Progress in Our Region" report. Eight locations in were selected for the unveiling. The "indicators", according to Region 2020 are applicable for 12 counties in north central Alabama. "Sustainable indicators" are snapshots of current "social, economic and environmental conditions"(1). Socialist engineers will, in two to three years take additional "snapshots" of the same "indicators" to determine if society is moving in the direction desired by the engineers. "Social, economic and environmental" are the "three pillars"(2) of "sustainable development" as recognized by business2 and government(2a).

Producing the "sustainable indicators" was a joint venture of Region 2020, The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, Parca and United Way of Central Alabama. These organizations utilize familiar phrases and buzz words from "sustainable" jargon, but they did not uttered the phrase "sustainable development" during their public meeting, nor print the phrase in their handout literature.

The reluctance to acknowledge the source should be viewed as an affirmation of Gary Lawrence's statement. Mr. Lawrence has impeccable credentials – he "is one of the key thinkers on sustainable development, an advisor to the US President's Council on Sustainable Development and to US AID. He was on the US Government delegation to the 1996 Habitat II Conference and has also been Director of the Centre for Sustainable Communities at the University of Washington and Chief Planner in the City of Seattle."(3)

Mr. Lawrence statement:
"In the case of the U.S., our local authorities are engaged in planning processes consistent with (Local Agenda 21) LA21 but there is little interest in using the LA21brand. Participating in a UN (United Nations) advocated planning process would very likely bring out many of the conspiracy-fixated groups and individuals in our society such as the National Rifle Association, citizen militias and some members of Congress.
This segment of our society who fear 'one-world government' and a UN invasion of the United States through which our individual freedom would be stripped away would actively work to defeat any elected official who joined 'the conspiracy' by undertaking LA21. So, we call our processes something else, such as comprehensive planning, growth management or smart growth."(3)

Exemplifying Mr. Lawrence's sentiments, Region 2020 and company confirm that the process referenced in the last sentence of his quote is being implemented locally. The "Land" "sustainable indicator" listed on page 89 of Region 2020's "Community Counts: Measuring Progress" report states that their "indicator": "measures: The percent of municipalities in each county that are known to have a comprehensive plan and/or zoning ordinance in place."

Why is "comprehensive planning" important? It is "One aspect of home rule. It allows local governments to manage area growth." Management of private resources (land) by local government dissolves private property rights in favor of collective ownership under government oversight.

Mr. Lawrence is right, Region 2020 and a multitude of organizations and government bodies are reluctant to acknowledge a connection to the United Nations program.Why? If the people read the following United Nations quote, they may react negatively.

"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."(4)

The remaining 84 "indicators" measures everything from "adult obesity"(5) to "The total amount of contributions given to the United Way in each county, divided by the population of that county."(6)

What happens if your waistline does not pass the test? What happens if your contributions are not deemed appropriate? Region 2020 does not say. What is known is that Sustainable Development works to dissolve or eliminate private property. That causes enough of a warning about the real intentions of Region 2020.

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Dan Casey lives in Mobile Alabama



1. "Community Counts: Measuring Progress in Our Region" – a flyer given to attendees of the public meeting held at 1731, 1st Av North Birmingham, on April 5th, 2005 and the phrase is published in introduction of the report.


2. "The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 175 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological balance and social progress."
http://www.wbcsd.ch/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=NjA&do
Open=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu

2a. ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) tracks the United Nations agenda at the local level – page 55 of the Earth Summit – Agenda 21. A listing of local governments in the United States may be viewed at - http://www.iclei.org/us/la21_initiatives.html


3. www.unedforum.org/publications/ millennium/mill%20paper2.pdf

4. The United Nations Habitat I conference held in Vancouver Canada in 1976. Included in on the list of the American Delegation were:
Carla A. Hills Head of the Delegation – would negotiate NFTA under President Bush William Rielly Deputy Head of the Delegation would become the Director of the EPA under President Bush Daniel J. Evans Gov. Washington National Association of Home Builders – President National Rural Electric Cooperative National Association of Realtors Urban Land Institute National Savings and Loan League The American Institute of Architects League of Women Voters of the United States

The preceding information was obtained from the United Nations Depository library located at the University of Florida – Tallahassee.

5. "Community Counts: Measuring Progress in Our Region" page 38

6. IBID page 47